Racism in Magic Valley Again

Most people these days agree that racism, whether blatant or subtle, isn't acceptable.  Even Murtaugh's Zeb Bell, host of "Zeb At the Ranch" (broadcast on Rupert radio station KBAR in the Magic Valley) adamantly protests that he's not racist and is offended by the accusation.  However, on September 24, he and an unidentified caller discussed Senator Barack Obama and his supporters, denigrating these supporters as ignorant, lazy minorities with the caller even resorting to using a mocking, racist voice while making his points.

It was disgusting and vile but it is not unusual.  This sort of thing happens every day on Zeb Bell's show.  Is this acceptable dialog?  Is it racist?  You decide.  Listen to an unedited clip of the September 24th show, recorded during the 9 a.m. hour (transcript follows):

UNIDENTIFIED MALE CALLER:  Good morning, Zeb, I can just barely hear you.  Hey, I wanted to make a comment about that, cartoon.  The whole group, the whole followers of Obama, most of them, a-and I don't mean this to be insulting, they don't ca-, they don't know what FISA is; they couldn't tell you where Iran is.  Th-they're just not politically active in the same way that you and I are.  Right shortly after the DNC in Denver, I was passing through a slum.  Holy cow, you would not believe the murals, uh, de-depicting, depicting Obama to be this messianic Che Guevara all over the slums, and in people's windows and posters and bumper stickers on their car.  Those people could not tell you where Iran is or anything about our, um, economy.  They just see him as a messiah.  So we can shine the light of truth on Obama as much as we want and it's not gonna dissuade his follower, most of his followers, but that's just a comment I have.

ZEB BELL:  No, I agree with you, but let me ask you this:  Why?  Why do they look at him that he can walk across the lake on water?  I mean, where did he get this holier-than-thou image?  I mean, it was portrayed through the media and perpetrated through the media, but why was it, in your opinion, accepted by people?

CALLER (in a mockingly racist voice):  Because, he's one of them.  And no matter how simple and racist that may sound, he, and all you have to do is look at the slums and see his posters and his murals on the walls and he, they see him as one of them, therefore he will protect them.

ZEB:  Let me ask you this then, quickly, before I run out of time; I wanna get your answer on this.  Is it because of a sense of entitlement?  Do they feel like they've been, uh, because they haven't had the gumption to get out and work for things like you and I and other people, that these particular groups of people think that he is going to give them—give them, the key word— what they have always wanted?  They have a sense of entitlement if they vote for him?

CALLER (still in racist voice):  Ah, Zeb you know, you know that they, uh, th-they're gonna be a slave to the white man.  If you don't believe that all you have to do is listen, just listen to, uh, the lady that's on The View and she said to John McCain, "Am I gonna be a slave?"  Because they know, that's what they've been told, that they are gonna be a slave if the white man—the Republican man—gets back in power.

ZEB:  Ah, well said my friend and I appreciate your giving us that analogy this morning, because I agree with you totally that there seems to be such a strong sense of entitlement, of give me, give me, give me in this society and I think that is why certain factions and certain groups are so enhanced with Obama because they feel like, "Hum, we've got it comin'.  We don't have to work for it and he'll just..."

CALLER (normal voice):  Exactly, exactly.  This is why we need you on the air, Mr. Zeb.

ZEB:  I appreciate your call my friend.  Call me anytime.

Comments

[Tara Rowe]

I've not even remotely surprised by this, though that doesn't make it right or acceptable. The problem with what is being said here (and on Zeb's show every day) is that those who hear it either agree 100% or lack the courage to say enough already. Both are equally dangerous.

[MountainGoat]

Nice point. Silence is implicit agreement and just as dangerous as overt racism. And you, being the one who's been following Zeb Bell for years, have heard and have been speaking out against this stuff for awhile now. Wish more people would speak up.

[untamedshrew]

This was so awful I had to stop listening. Couldn't bear it.

Talk about a sense of entitlement. These people think they are entitled to spew this kind of racist horseshit b/c they live in a SE Idaho bubble where very few people are willing to call them on it. Theirs is such a narrow world view. We should feel sorry for them.

[Sara Anderson]

Ew ew ew. The Republican racism push against Obama this week has been really really disgusting. I almost can't read or listen to the news. It's so sad to see people falling back on racism in the name of populism.

[Wordsmith]

"Sense of entitlement!" Is Zeb talking about WHITE entitlement per chance? MALE entitlement?

And what about the bill that was just passed last week in Congress with the outstretched hands from Wall Street and the banks losing $$$$? I mean if you want to talk about outstretched hands.

And obviously the caller is not only a racist pig, but nonappreciative of the art of murals. Where were these 'slums' btw, did that ever come out?

(I also want you to know, MG, how HARD this was to write without the use of my favoritest of profanities. I am, after all, entitled to your appreciation - doncha think.)

[MountainGoat]

Much appreciation, Wordsmith. I know how hard that was.... ;-)

[Sisyphus]

Uh I'm having a hard time not using that language as well after I was finally able to get it to play. What slum. Like he actually got out of his car and talked to anyone. OK. Xenophobe. I'll leave it at that. Nothing like the ignorant to tell it like it is.