Help Turn Of Fox News

Dear Sandy,

In the coming days, many of us will be spending time with family and close friends. You might find yourself in a house with Fox News on the TV, or you might find yourself in the company of a family member who likes to talk about the "truth" coming from Fox. You could also be with folks who understand the damage Fox does, but haven’t heard about this campaign. Any of these could be a great opportunity to talk about why you don’t watch Fox and why you’re part of the movement to get it turned off in public places. And if you have any good conversations, let us know.

There's no need to be confrontational. The person you’re talking with may not be receptive to what you have to say — and that’s ok. But you might be surprised. This is about sharing your concerns and beliefs, and hearing the thoughts of someone you love. When people are approached respectfully by someone they like and trust, it creates space for them to think and change.

Here are some pointers:

1. Remain calm. The point here isn't to start an argument — it's to share information. Even though some people may be hostile to what you have to say, keeping your cool can help defuse tense situations and make even skeptics receptive to what you have to say.

2. Just the facts. We’re often tempted to use inflammatory language when describing Fox News and their tactics — "evil" or "racist," for example. But think of the impact that this language might have on someone you’re trying to win over to your point of view. Does the fact that they watch Fox News make them "evil" or "racist"? Better to stick to the facts by describing what Fox News Channel does — stoking racial fear, helping to spread dangerous conspiracy theories, and distorting the truth. You can refer to our flyer "The Case Against Fox" for a few examples of what Fox News does, and the impact of their actions.

3. Listen to what others have to say. If you want to be listened to, then you should also be willing to listen to others' perspectives. If they state something untrue, you can and should offer facts to correct the record when you can — but not until after they've finished their thought. And remember, the point isn’t to get into an argument or even prove that you're correct. It's to share your point of view.

4. Offer more information. If the folks you talk to are interested in learning more about our campaign, just have them check out TurnOffFox.org. They can sign up for the campaign at that website.

The holiday season provides a unique opportunity to help more people understand what Fox is, how it poisons national discourse, and what role everyday people can play in stopping the damage.

After you have these conversations (even with those who already understand the issue), we would love to hear how they went.

Thanks and Happy Holidays!

-- James, Gabriel, William, Dani, Natasha, and the rest of the TurnOffFox.org team
December 22nd, 2010

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More Shots Being Taken At Van Jones … This Time From Booker Rising

I always attempt to give black conservatives the benefit of the doubt for a few reasons (among others): (1) People have a right to their opinion, (2) it’s difficult to be a black conservative since you are going against the grain and (3) I used to be a black conservative/moderate and not that long ago. Still, I am always amazed at how some black conservatives turn a blind eye to the use of racial politics against black progressives. Yet, many of these same black conservatives are lightning quick to follow the conservative herd that demands blacks are accused of ”playing the race card” whenever most issues of race come up (particularly related to controversial issues of varying degrees). As I’ve written several times before, “playing the race card” is a shield used by many conservatives to deflect people off the disguised and more subtle racism being used by far too many hardcore conservatives (obviously not all, but far too many).

With that as the backdrop, let me mention this blog I stumbled across posted on Booker Rising:

I commented last week in one of the threads that Van Jones, the now-former green jobs czar for the Obama administration, was an Eldridge Cleaveresque black nationalist. Mr. Jones reminds Duane Brayboy, a conservative blogger, of the “talk black, sleep white” black nationalist character in “I’m Gonna Git You Sucka” (1988): “Just some closing point on Van Jones~

# Jones said that he was a victim of a ‘vicious smear campaign’ against him. So now it is considered a ’smear’ if your past comments and actions are repeated to the public.

# I, we, all expected, Van Jones’ departure is being blamed on race. The left is gonna burn up all their race cards – and we have not completed one year of Obama’s Presidency. Seriously, all this race card business is shaping up into a live version of the boy who cried ‘wolf’. More sooner than later, the race card is going to lose its effectiveness.

# I have no problem at all with interracial marriages. But all I could do was laugh when I saw the following picture. Van Jones is ‘Kalinga’.”

This is a picture of Van Jones and his family. Apparently it bothered a few ignorant people that he has a white wife and biracial kids.

A few points I will make:

• I am always amazed at how people love to try and pain someone with a broad brush based on knowing very little about a person. More and more people are trying to paint Van Jones as this angry black radical who is highly militant (note the reference above to Eldridge Cleaver). Then, sadly, the writer’s point heads downhill thanks to attempts to make fun of Jones by comparing him to a character in the comedy movie “I’m Gonna Git You Sucka.” It’s an interesting comparison, but it seems you first (to a greater or lesser degree) accept the premise that Jones is an angry and black radical for the comparison to the character in the movie to work.
• The smear is based on Glenn Beck who was angry that ColorOfChange targeted him for his vicious attack on President Obama. Beck targeted Van Jones (I believe) because he was once affiliated on a high leve with the group. Beck used his platform on Fox News and on the radio to wage a campaign against Jones. There is nothing wrong with people having to answer for their words and deeds of the past, but when someone initiates a campaign to smear you (even using your own words and deeds) that is a smear campaign. Beck set out at nearly every turn to attempt to take down Jones using the truth at times, stretching the truth at times and being dishonest at times.
• I mentioned earlier about conservatives using race (for example … Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh almost every day of their lives) to attack blacks and then accusing blacks and other liberals of “playing the race card” when race comes back at them.
• It’s interesting to have no problem with interracial marriages but to then turn around and laugh at the picture of an interracial family and make fun of the family by negatively comparing it to characters in a comedy. It’s almost like saying, “I’m not racist … I have black friends.” Then, you proceed to say something racist or you say that after you’ve said something racist.
• As far as “playing the race card” some would argue you can only play the hand your dealt.

Then there were these two responses to the article:

Robin Martin, a conservative Republican blogger, writes: “On yesterday I decided to see if Van Jones had a Facebook page so that I could read the words of encouragement offered to him by his supporters and I happened upon this picture of Van Jones and his family….Now please understand that I have absolutely no problem with interracial marriage (especially for the sistahs – but that’s another blog post) but I hardly expected to see Van Jones in an interracial marriage. I had to scratch my head. This morning as I read my daily dose of the BlackInformant, I noticed that Duane had the same reaction and related it to a scene from ‘I’m Gonna Git You Sucka”….Ah come on, can’t you take a joke…lol”.

Booker Rising response: Yeah, that’s why you almost never see his wife near Mr. Jones when he’s giving one of his fiery “power to black people; down with whitey” speeches. Very, very few photos of them posing together as well. Mr. Jones practically hides his family. Then again, how ya gonna build a black nation/black unity/you name it when your wife is white? Negro, please…

Being in an interracial relationship does not mean you can’t fight for the rights of people of color. People act as if you sign away your blackness if you get into an interracial relationship. People act like you can’t be down for black causes if you are married to a white person. This is just plain ignorant.

By the way, check out this video to see how “Mr. Jones practically hides his family.”
http://bravenation.com/carl_pope_van_jones.php

Booker Rising:
http://www.bookerrising.net/2009/09/van-jones-kalinga.html

Is Van Jones Stronger In The White House Or Out Of It?

Blogger Kate Sheppard has an interesting take on the manufactured controversy (led by far-right Fox News nut Glenn Beck) over Van Jones. As many of you know, the right has been attempting for more than a year now to try and portray Barack Obama as some kind of an angry black radical (almost exclusively through people he is connected to – so-called “associations”). The latest person targeted by Beck is Jones (although Beck has been dishonest about not admitting that there appears to be another motivation behind his all-out assault on a relatively low-level member of President Obama’s administration in a role few people would otherwise care about).

But, is Jones more powerful in the Obama administration or out of it?

Here is a part of Sheppard’s take:

Those fears have, to some extent, panned out. Jones’s most public appearance in the past few months may have been when he stood up at a White House press conference to ask the gathered reporters to silence their cell phones (he had no further remarks to make). Instead of playing a leading role in drumming up support for clean-energy polices—something he was extremely effective at—he’s now a relatively low-level bureaucrat trying to steer stimulus funding toward green-job programs. In all honesty, Glenn Beck may have more to worry about with Jones outside the White House than in it.

There may be some truth to that last sentence. Maybe Beck’s efforts (if successful) could turn Jones into something of a political martyr who could be a greater factor outside the Obama administration.

But, Beck’s motives seem to be more about: (1) smearing Barack Obama and portraying him as an angry black radical and (2) marginalizing the somewhat successful ColorOfChange boycott against him by smearing someone who helped start the group.

Support Color Of Change Effort Against Glenn Beck’s Race Baiting

Here is an opportunity to support the effort of ColorOfChange to change the inappropriate use of racial politics by Fox News talk show host Glenn Beck to demonize President Obama.

Stop the race baiting

Call on advertisers to drop
sponsorship of Glenn Beck

FOX’s Glenn Beck:

“This president has exposed himself as a guy over and over and over again who has a deep-seated hatred for white people … this guy is, I believe, a racist.”

Beck is on a campaign to convince the American public that President Obama’s agenda is about serving the needs of Black communities at White people’s expense. It’s repulsive, divisive and shouldn’t be on the air.

Join us in calling on Beck’s advertisers to stop sponsoring his show.

Support the ColorOfChange campaign and visit:
http://www.colorofchange.org/beck/

CNN’s Howard Kurtz Properly Points Out Dishonesty Of Glenn Beck, Hidden Agenda

ox News far-right talk show host Glenn Beck has been trashing a man named Van Jones. Media Matters for America has a clip of CNN’s Howard Kurtz posted on its Web site. In the clip, Kurtz points out, however, that Beck is being irresponsible and abusing his platform by not admitting his own hidden agenda in his attack of Jones. Beck has been targeted for boycott by a group (ColorOfChange) that Jones once was affiliated with as co-founder. Beck has been angry about the success of the ColorOfChange boycott and has used his anger to attack Van Jonesand attack President Obama (by attacking Jones and trying to portray him as a black radical). Not to demean Jones, but he serves in a position few people would have much interest in if not for the efforts of Beck who is attempting to again use racial politics to (1) save himself, (2) attack President Obama and (3) portray himself as being attacked by black radicals to appeal to his mostly conservative audience. Beck’s efforts are probably meeting with success since he knows what appeals to his audience at Fox News and on the radio.

The Glenn Beck Sucks Blog Updates On Sponsorship Losses

The far-right nut Glenn Beck, who made unbelievably stupid and racial comments about President Obama(comments that defy even unreasonable logic) has had even more sponsorships pull out of his dreadful, integrity-challenged show (although, admittedly, it is popular among the far-right numb skulls). Glenn Beck calling anyone racist is like O.J. Simpson saying he is searching for the real killers.

This is from The Glenn Beck Sucks Blog:

The Thursday Glenn Beck show was the same right-wing propaganda as Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, so I did not review it. But I do have more good news. SpendOnLife.com has pulled all of its advertising from FoxNews.com and ended their relationship with them. So they not only pulled their ads from the Glenn Beck show, they are off of FOX altogether.

And more good news, ten more advertisers have pulled their ads from Glenn Beck’s show, including DirecTV. This brings the total up to 48 companies who have pulled out so far. The companies who said they will pull their ads are: Applebee’s, Bank of America, Bell & Howell, DirecTv, General Mills, Kraft, Regions Financial Corporation, SAM, Travelers Insurance and Vonage. They have pledged to take steps to ensure that their ads don’t run on Beck’s show.

Three of the latest defections — Travelers Insurance, Bell & Howell and DirecTv — join the list of advertisers who claim to have already placed Glenn Beck’s program on a “do not air” list, but whose ads have been seen on Beck’s program, apparently against their wishes.

“We could not be happier with the results of our campaign so far,” said James Rucker, Executive Director of ColorOfChange.org. “All 48 companies that have distanced themselves from Glenn Beck should be applauded for their stance.”

“We are still reaching out to companies whose ads we see during Beck’s nightly program,” Rucker continued. “Based on the fact that many of the recent ads on Beck’s program are for gold coins and News Corp properties, it looks like Fox News Channel is struggling to place advertisements on Beck’s show.”

Hopefully these sponsors will be able to spark Fox News to encourage some kind of change from their out-of-control host.