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Hispanic Groups to CNN: Drop Lou Dobbs
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Sept. 15, 2009
Rob Kuznia -- HispanicBusiness.com
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Several Hispanic groups are calling on CNN to drop talk-show host and frequent illegal immigrant critic Lou Dobbs, who is broadcasting his radio show from a conference put on by what some activists refer to as a "hate group."
Dobbs, whose wife is Mexican-American, is among 45 radio talk show hosts who attended the rally hosted by the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR).
FAIR has been branded a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, which asserts, among other things, that FAIR has ties to white supremacists. FAIR, meanwhile, vigorously rejects the center's label.
In any case, the event in question is the annual "Hold Their Feet to the Fire" rally in Washington D.C., in which the 45 talk-show hosts and other immigration hard-liners are calling on legislators to ensure that illegal immigrants do not receive amnesty.
The racially charged controversy surrounding Dobbs has been simmering for months.
In March, Dobbs publicly apologized on his CNN show for calling the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce "an organization that is interested in the export of American capital and production to Mexico and Mexico's export of drugs and illegal aliens to the United States."
More recently, he has taken heat for giving airtime to a fringe movement known as the "birthers," who insist, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, that President Obama was born in Kenya.
The coalition pushing for Dobbs's ouster calls itself DropDobbs.org. It includes The Hispanic Institute, Dolores Huerta Foundation, League of United Latin American Citizens, National Hispanic Media Coalition, National Puerto Rican Coalition and the National Council of La Raza.
Today, NCLR, the largest Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States, issued a press release in which the group included a quote from a letter it wrote to CNN.
"While Lou Dobbs, as a private citizen, has every right to speak at whatever event he pleases," said NCLR President and CEO Janet Murguía in a letter to CNN CEO Jim Walton. "As a representative of CNN's 'best political news team in America,' his appearance provides FAIR with the legitimacy of the CNN brand and signals an intensification of the lopsided coverage Dobbs' show has provided during the debate over immigration reform."
NCLR contends that FAIR founder John Tanton has compared immigrants to "bacteria." It also blasts FAIR for receiving -- between 1982 and 1994 -- around $1.2 million from the Pioneer Fund, a group that has stirred controversy for bankrolling studies concluding that IQs vary according to race. (The Southern Poverty Law Center has also labeled the Pioneer Fund a hate group.)
On Tuesday, FAIR spokesman Ira Mehlman fired back, saying the Southern Poverty Law Center has its own issues.
"Who made SPLC the arbiter of who is and is not a hate group?" Mehlman said, speaking to HispanicBusiness.com. "The SPLC has been discredited by a lot of people -- and not Rush Limbaugh or Sean Hannity. The Nation (a liberal publication) called them a bunch of hucksters who hype hate to line their own pockets."
(The aim of the April 29 piece was to highlight the ironic dilemma faced by an organization dedicated to fighting racism at a time when the influence of the radical right appears to be waning.)
Mehlman added that the "Drop Dobbs" camp is merely trying to "shut down the debate."
"They are going after everyone who is opposed to their point of view on this issue, trying to brand everyone as somehow beyond the pale," he said.
Mehlman said the Obama administration has turned a deaf ear to the people who oppose amnesty for illegal immigrants.
"The purpose (of the event) is to provide a voice to the majority of the American people, who simply oppose amnesty for illegal immigrants," he said.
Finally, Mehlman rejects the idea that FAIR is anti-immigrant, let alone racist.
"There is a very important difference between immigration policy, which is a policy, and immigrants, who are human beings," he said.
Other groups in the coalition include Media Matters for America, Center for Community Change, Center for New Community, NDN, Southern Poverty Law Center and America's Voice.
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Source: HispanicBusiness.com (c) 2009. All rights reserved.
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Comments
Total Comments: 8 | Pending Comments: 0
Fr Barona
11/11/2009 6:28:16 PM PST
The Latino population in USA has grown to 51 million, a subtantial quantity of humanity who have the same dream and [possibilities of any other American. Being Latino in USA is the begining of great hope. We are here, we dream here and we have hopes. We love this country and many of our children are Americans. For so long we have been uncounted, marginalized and looked down, but not longer. We have come to maturity ! We know already that we can contribute for the better of this country that once saw us coming. We know that if we do not organized politically we will be tossed out once again. I believe Democracy and the American just system give us an excellent opportunity to become in position of strenght. United ww can have a voice. Drop bigotry and hate speech. Drop Dobbs CNN
everyoneisaracist
10/3/2009 9:15:02 PM PST
lou dobbs racist ,i have on video ,hispanics from mexico making the most racist comments about americans ,arabs,and other south americans. myself ,an arab who became an american the legal way.it is simple ,the americans are tired of the illegal immigration that seems to never stop .mexico needs to clean itself up ,why do we never hear this,and the fact that mexico has stricter immigration rules for people entering their country is ironic.go lou dobbs , being called racist by racist is a badge of honor . mexicans need to llok into themselves and fix their own country.and yes ,anyone can come to america , just do it legally. i may be called racist by others ,however, like i said ,to labled this by other racist is a badge of honor.viva mexico and viva usa
amickamer
9/23/2009 6:39:33 PM PST
Why is it when someone tells the truth about illegals you people want their head on a platter, is it because the truth hurts? I live in Dallas Tx. I see Mexican flags flying all over Dallas, illegals are going to all kinds of jobs while I and my husband sit at home on umemployment wondering what will happen when it runs out while poncho and rosa get up every morning to a job, I cannot even get a job at McDonalds because I am not Hispanic. This is bullshit and you people need to stop advocating illegal immigration. Mexico was paid millions of dollars for these southwest territories so it did not come free. But now you want it back for free. I am getting to the point that everytime I see a Mexican now I get sick to my stomach.And do you people not believe in any kind of birth control?
Debtwiz
9/17/2009 10:16:28 PM PST
Finally - The US is made up of Immigrants and for centuries the Undocumented worker has been the victim of racial attacks. We need to stand up and defend their contribution to the local economies and tax revenues. Each year a greater number of undocumented workers are filing tax returns using ITIN # and paying taxes in an effort to achieve amnesty someday. I invite you to read and share the 6 myths on undocumented workers http://www.urban.org/publications/900898.html in an effort to educate the general public. It is our responsibility to unite and create a voice for the undocumented worker. With the current environment of growing racial and fear created by GOP leaders, talk show hosts and out of balance people we could see violence escalate. We need to demand Immigration Reform
Ricardo1972
9/17/2009 2:45:35 PM PST
Would Mexico allow millions of illegal Central Americans into their country? How about Chile? Would you boycott Televisa for speaking out about crime? How many illegals are enough? Why is it that any white person that wants to defined the USA is labeled racist? There is nothing wrong with being proud of being Hispanic and wanting to say "basta" to illegals. If we let everyone that wants to into the USA, then we will all have a lower standard of living. If you want the USA to become like Mexico, wouldn't it be easier just to move back there?
MdeG
9/16/2009 2:51:53 PM PST
I'd sure trust SPLC a lot further than FAIR. SPLC does real research and presents verifiable facts. I don't always agree with them but they're basically sane and serious people, which is a lot more than can be said for Mehlman's crew.
Mike66
9/16/2009 11:15:55 AM PST
Can someone provide the names of the advertisers for Lou Dobbs so we can also write to them? I have already signed up the petition at DropDobbs.com
samanta
9/16/2009 9:23:43 AM PST
i wacth the video done by media matters and i am so mad, i think u need to really start some thing like the color of change or maybe work with them this is so much hate as person with mix race and living in tx i am tieard off seeing young latino men been stop by the police just bec they are brown ,or when i go to store and over hear ppl talk about latino,and all the hate i see this is no diffrent then what they did to ppl like my father so pls start some thing to stop lou dobbs, there is alot off ppl that love they mix and i see it in my children love they have with not even thinking 1 time where ppl come from ...
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