[As I said in a post yesterday, if you've been asleep, under a rock or otherwise not paying attention, catch up with the Zeb Bell saga here.]
I don't know Zeb Bell. I have never even listened to Zeb Bell's radio show. But I did grow up in the Mini-Cassia area and I have known plenty of people like Zeb Bell. These are generally hard-working, God-fearing, what most would consider salt of the earth type people. They live in small towns where high school sports is a religion and where school rivalries can elicit passions that grown men should have outgrown but haven't. They believe in family and church and the 4th of July. Insiders are in and outsiders are out and they'll explain the inexplicable with, "That's the way it's always been."
These are otherwise good people who know that racism and bigotry are wrong. They'll even tell you they're not racist because they have friends or have known someone who was black or hispanic or gay or whatever, but still will look around at the company they are with before saying that word or telling that joke and then say it or tell it if they believe their audience is like-minded.
That's why speaking out and confronting unacceptable speech and behavior wherever it may be is necessary. That's why speaking out against Zeb Bell whose voice, through his radio show reaches and influences thousands of listeners daily, is necessary.
Zeb Bell has every right to say whatever he wants—the 1st Amendment guarantees it. But if a community or society is to remain decent and humane, all who find his speech offensive have every right, perhaps even the responsibility, to tell him and his sponsors that the speech isn't acceptable.
People like Zeb Bell aren't going to stop until they realize they are no longer in like-minded company. It's not a partisan issue; it's a matter of human decency. Either we value every member of our society or we don't.
It's for every kid who wonders why he can't bring home his hispanic friend, for every new mom who can't tell her grandfather that her newly adopted daughter is biracial, for every gay kid who's thinking that to literally "not be" may be an acceptable solution. It's for all of these and anyone else who has been a target of degrading jokes and language.
The hate and bigotry, it's gotta stop and it begins with each of us.
Wow. I'm speechless. What I've been saying for two weeks doesn't hold a candle to this. Well done!
Posted by: Tara Rowe | June 20, 2008 at 10:09 AM
Amen, sisters.
All three of us have lived in the Magic Valley. Both you and Tara grew up there; I was there for 15 years as a young adult. It's a wonderful place, and we know most people there know in their hearts that bigotry and hate speech are wrong.
This is the beginning of the end for pretending that "it's just a joke" or "I'm just kidding" or "they're not ALL that way" or whatever.
We're all human beings, and we're all in this together. That's all that needs to be said.
Thank you, MG.
Posted by: Julie in Boise | June 20, 2008 at 10:19 AM
Wait a minute, I want to amend my last comment since "we're all humans" and "we're all in this together " is unfortunately NOT all that needs to be said.
MG is right: People within the sound of Zeb Bell's voice, especially, need to call his advertisers. They need to write the TN or South Idaho Press and say they'll defend Bell's right to speak, but that they wholeheartedly disagree with what he's saying.
It's important that these calls and letters come from southern Idaho, so Bell's sponsors and his station know that the local listeners aren't willing to let him go unchallenged any longer.
Posted by: Julie in Boise | June 20, 2008 at 10:24 AM
North Idaho is no stranger to confronting racism. HBO has posed the question whether those veterans of the combat against the Aryan Nations up north should come on down and help us out. Click my name to go encourage them to do so.
Posted by: Sisyphus | June 20, 2008 at 12:30 PM
Good stuff, Sis, thanks.
Posted by: Julie in Boise | June 20, 2008 at 12:56 PM
Thanks Tara and all...
Posted by: MountainGoat | June 20, 2008 at 05:27 PM