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By Lee Margulies
A week after igniting controversy with racially charged comments on her nationally syndicated radio show, advice guru Laura Schlessinger went on “Larry King Live” Tuesday evening to announce that she plans to leave the program when her contract runs out at the end of the year.
“I want my 1st Amendment rights back, which I can’t have on radio without the threat of attack on my advertisers and stations,” Schlessinger said.
She emphasized that she is not retiring. “I will be stronger and freer to say my mind through my books, my YouTube Channel, my blog and my website,” she said.
A radio fixture for more than three decades, Schlessinger — best known simply as Dr. Laura — is said by the trade journal Talkers magazine to have the third highest rated talk radio show in the country, trailing only Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity. Much of that time she was heard locally on KFI-AM (640), but a year ago she jumped to KFWB-AM (980), which switched formats from news to talk with her as the centerpiece of its daytime lineup.
Schlessinger drew fire last week when she got into a discussion with a woman who called in to get advice on what to do about racial comments made by relatives. Schlessinger suggested the caller was “hypersensitive” to racism and observed that many African Americans use the very racial epithet that they hate hearing non-African American use. Schlessinger used the N-word repeatedly in making her case.
Schlessinger apologized the next day, saying her behavior had been wrong. But she said on her program Monday that “as the media have rebroadcast my error again and again and again and again, compounding the damage which I shouldn’t have done — and never intended to do in the first place — the effect has been that my words have offended many, many, many, many more people and there are many who are saying they will not accept my apology.”
In that statement, which she also posted on her website, Schlessinger reiterated her apology, saying that “I made the promise that it will never happen again.” But she complained of receiving “hate-filled diatribes” and reflected on how society has changed.
“When I first started out in radio,” she said, “people would disagree — they disagreed, they didn’t hate. They didn’t try to censor, they didn’t try to destroy an opposing point of view. Instead, they just argued and debated, and argued and disagreed, and debated and argued.” Now, she continued, “self-appointed activist types breed hate, breed anger, breed destruction should anyone hold up a mirror or dare to disagree.” She added that the phenomenon could be observed in all aspects of society, from politics to education to the workplace.
HA HA, another hater off the airwaves. If she thinks her dullard listeners can/ will follow her to the internet, she’s delusional. These folks couldn’t work a computer!
Next is Rush & Beck…….
I am totally with her. These activists and suffocating political correctness breeds the hate and anger even more deeply.
Her use of the n-word was the least offensive part of what she said. It was her logic in responding to her caller’s legitimate concerns. Dr. Laura started talking about the President and saying that you need a sense of humor to be in an interracial marriage…like WTF? That was sooo off topic from what the caller was asking about. Her racism shined through like a bright light for the world to see. I’m glad she’s gone. Good riddance.
She can’t walk the walk. Plain and simple. She has a filthy past and is tough on others but is a wimp herself. Self serving hypocrite.
Society has changed. Hopefully the pendulum will swing back the other day. Albeit there was no excuse for her language.
…’bout time she self destructed. You can only hide “stupid” for so long. Good riddance and good luck with web casting; dust off your resume, Honey…you’ll be back to whatever the hell you used to do in no time!
We arne’t the majority no more….hahahaha
I was recently back in Baltimore where the “N” word is used regularly by blacks on the train to-from the airport and on downtown streets. Having lived in a black majority community for 30+ years, I don’t flinch when I hear it.
Dr. Laura should know the double standard, that only blacks can question or talk about other blacks. Otherwise, you must hate or are a racist. Just read the comments above.
While the NAACP worries about the Tea Party & Dr. Laura, 300 murders (98% black on black) a year take place within a 4 mile radius of the NAACP HQ (Baltimore City & NW Balt County).
Anything that deflects from the important question; why are blacks killing each other in such large numbers? Community leaders who tackle this problem are threatened by the criminal element and those that benefit from racial tensions (sense of victimization).
Laura is a Right wing hatemonger who, like others on the radio, makes money by repeating back to the Right wingers exactly the same opinions they already hold. Her job is to validate the hatred and fear of the Right by spewing it out over the airwaves. She has never shown the slightest interest in any opinion on any issue other than the ones she gets paid to repeat. Since there are already plenty of other hatemongers on the radio repeating the same opinions, I don’t see how the end of her show is any loss to anyone. If one brand of cornflakes is pulled off supermarket shelves and there are still 50 other brands left, is that a tragedy?
Glad she is leaving. She has hurt many people in her lifetime. After listening to her show a number of times, I realized how utterly stupid this woman’s advice was. Good riddens
Off with their heads say the lefty’s. Mean spirited jerks. That screw up was meant to bring it out in the open but the zass holes want to burn and pillage for ANY reason to ANYONE who stumbles by mistake. Sickos all. Yes you jerk!
If I was a black person this is what I would do
1. stop listening to dr. laura
2. stop listening to al sharpten
3. stop listening to bill o’reilly
4. stop listening to tavis smiley
5. stop listening to my ipod
6. stop listening to the radio
7. stop listening xm radio
8. stop watching tv
9. start reading books
10. start going to school everyday
11. start doing your homework
I say these things because this week on the news only 47% blacks are finishing high school
and that should be the top priority!!!!
I am Black and I totally agree! I just READ in the paper that here in Palm Beach County FL (I am originally from NY) “less than a quarter of black males that enter PB HS’s in 2004 graduated” LESS THAN A QUARTER!!! OMG OMG OMG
I’m not sorry to see Laura Doctor leave the radio; long overdue. She comes across as rather condescending to most callers. She’ll do fine with her blog and those who buy her books.
Dr Laura asked a good question that needed to be answered. I hear the N word everyday in both conversation and music. There seems to be no problem with that.As long as it is black on black. We all heard Jessie Jackson call Obama the N word on TV and what happened to him?
Nothing!! Why is there a double standard that is if you are black you can do no wrong and if you are white you can do no right?
This has to end if this country and people are going to continue.
We can not grow if a simple question can’t be answered.
what a sad, disgusting and racist old nut she is. funny how republicans support blatant racism like this. will they EVER get over being ruled by a black president?
Dr Laura is a phony dirty skank. Good riddence you old bag! It’s amazing how many dimwits hang on every word of these so called “know-it-all” talk radio hosts.
Let’s see. The “N-Word” is probably is used far more in any other realm than in so-called rap “music”. Try counting how many times you will hear the use of the word, and note the HYPOCRISY in this entire situation.
wow some people are stupid beyond words. because SOME blacks use it in rap music, THEREFORE it’s okay for old white racists to use the N word in a hateful way. republicans simply do not posses brains. sad, really.
Dr. Laura is the smartest mensch on the radio. She always speaks the truth, no matter how painful. Full examination of why Blacks use the “n” word needs to be made public. Let’s quit focusing on perceived slights of a minority group getting more so. I never hear complaints about the most important and GROWING minority, LATINOS. They do the real work of this nation and never complain.
oooooooh so the blacks were offended by the word the vast majority of them use when referring to each other? Awwww, shame. Blacks are the most racist segment of American society, but that is completely accepted by the liberal brain dead and wrag newspapers like this one. Why is the ‘c’ word never censored when referring to whites, because I’m very offended by that, and I don’t call my white friends that name either. Give me a break black America, try staying in school for a change and enough of the victim crap. It may have got Obama elected but he’s taken the progress blacks were ‘given’ not worked for, a huge step back. We have a racist black man as president and you’re still playing the victim. Get over yourselves. As for Dr. Laura, I personally found her very entertaining, well her whiney callers with the most stupid issues anyway. “Dr. Laura, my 8 year old boy got into a fight in school.” “YEAH, HE’S A BOY. It’s called testosterone!!!”
Dr. Laura is one of the most intelligent people that I’ve ever heard in the media. Obviously her nasty, idiot deractors never listened to her show. She is totally against racism and gay bashing. However, I am surprised and disappointed that she caved in to a few loudmouth, hatefilled activists, and professional race baiters.
FINALLY! She is ignorant, uncredentialed, and has had issues in the past with sponsors, station owners and the thinking public. It’s about time this right wing, bad mother, failed wife and fraudulent “Dr” was removed from the airwaves. Public nuisance gone! Society instantly better off!
All races have good and bad.
All political parties have smart and dumb.
Older doesn’t mean wiser.
She said it and she is a well educated person, she has to live with the consequences.
Free speech is no longer a liberty in our country. Not everyone agrees with what people have to say but we could say them, now what we will have is CLOSET RASIST. I rather let them speak and know who I’m really deal with.
celia
“…now what we will have is CLOSET RASIST(sic)”- now? that’s what we had for many years prior to the election of President Obama.
Righties didn’t just become racist in the past two years- they’ve always been racist and since the election more and more of them are getting the nerve to say things they never would have said in public years ago. Don’t any of you wonder why poor white trash would be Republicans? Many of then are unemployed or live check to check in their mobile home parks but with a black in the White House they’re no longer apolitical- they’re rabid righties.
Good riddance to this terrible, trashy, racist jerk. The low lives defending her are clearly as racists as well. Sad but expected in this hate filled environment we live in, thanks to republicans primarily, who absolutely HATE the constitution, 14th Amendment and Freedom of Religion as they oppose the mosque in NYC. Can you say, hypocrites? Sad really.
Re/coments made by White.
Don’t be so judgemental.
You seem so full of anger, stop hating.
Embrace people and their diferent views.
Just because we all don’t think the same way or don’t agree
with your views doesn’t make us better or worse. Embrace individuality. That is what make us AMERICANS.
celia
“Embrace individuality. That is what make us AMERICANS.”
You mean individuality like all the Republicans voting “No” on every bill for the past 20 months. Open your eyes girl- you need
to get in touch with reality. Rights are haters, racist, greedy un-american losers- and you think all that is individuality?
Extremist are bad. Way to much to the right or left.
Fanatics are dangerous.
There was a popular saying when I was a kid, “sticks and stones can break my bones but words will never hurt me”
I’m not surprised that righties thought she was smart- compared to them I guess she is but she is not a psychologist nor a psychiatrist so her advice is nothing more than her own twisted opinion. This is not about her using the n word as much as it is about her talking down to callers and generally telling people to suck it up. That’s not an advice show- it’s just her version of tough love- don’t hear much about that lately do we. There were several suggestions she could have given the black woman other than just telling her she was too sensitive and needed a sense of humor.Those are opinions not advice.
Stop with the BLACK and WHITE we are people.
It’s 2010 who still looks at colors, get with the times.
We will only be united when we are ONE.