Features

Psycho Squid · #1

http://msnbc.com/news/914467.asp?0sl=-41

May 15 — Scarborough Country has spoken, and MCI had listened. It’s time for The Real Deal.

SEVERAL WEEKS AGO, our Scarborough Country staff began investigating the extreme views of Hollywood movie star Danny Glover. Mr. Glover, who is know primarily for his “Lethal Weapon” films, has a history of making divisive political comments. He called the president of the United States a racist, he blamed American policy for the murderous acts of September 11th, and he signed a petition comparing American soldiers in the Gulf War to 9/11 terrorists. He called America “the greatest purveyor of violence in the world.” And most recently Mr. Glover signed a letter of support for Fidel Castro.

At the same time he was signing the pro-Castro manifesto, Danny Glover was also flacking for long distance carrier MCI, and trading off his good guy image to get you and your family to buy MCI’s products.

That’s when we took action, by asking you to call MCI and let them know what you thought of Mr. Glover’s extreme political views.

You reached out and touched MCI, and other corporate heads listened. After two weeks of claiming that Glover’s ads were some of the most popular ever aired by MCI, we received an e-mail today announcing that MCI would no longer be using Danny Glover as its spokesman. Because of your calls, Danny Glover is being held accountable for his comments.

We have asked Glover to defend himself on this show at least 6 times, and he’s refused. We have had several Glover supporters on the show to discuss the actor’s controversial comments, but they have refused to address the crux of this controversy — and that’s Danny Glover’s own words.

You can be assured that Glover and his friends will not take MCI’s actions lightly. Yesterday, Glover was compared to Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela. I, on the other hand, have been tagged with the dreaded racist label. And MCI has been threatened with a boycott if they turn their back on Glover.

Glover’s name-calling allies have claimed that he is being punished because he is black. That’s just crude race baiting. They will now claim that MCI’s removal of Glover as its public spokesman amounts to censorship. Wrong again.

The Scarborough Country-led campaign against Glover has nothing to do with race or censorship. It has everything to do with an American citizen being held responsible for his words and actions.

And that’s exactly what happened tin the case of Danny Glover and MCI.

In what Thomas Jefferson called the free marketplace of ideas, the lethal weapon turned out to be the truth. That’s good news for all of us, because it proves that we can all still make a difference, if we only let our voices be heard.

Zero Signal · #2

The people who so rabidly claim to defend the Constitution and free speech and spreading democracy are the VERY SAME ones that are so quick to denounce people here that choose to exercise that right if it doesn't keep in line with their own.

Scarborough has been on Real Time with Bill Maher and I agreed with some of his views, but when I read this article a few days ago all of that seemed to pale. This chump is like so many others that want to infringe on others' rights and punish them if they don't fullfil the status quo.

Zero Signal · #3

Volatire has a quote attributed to him (though wrongly; it was a phrase was invented by a later author as an epitome of his attitude, but the point is the same):

I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.

VinceZeb · #4

Zero, how is Scarborough using his freedom of speech to attack the views of Glovery, who has the right to say what he says ALSO with the right to get shit for what he says in any way against the Consitution?

The laws of the land don't protect your feelings. They protect your right to do something.

AChimp · #5

Hmm, I don't recall there being anything about "getting shit" for saying that the U.S. sucks ass in the Constitution.

Maybe they could make it the 28th amendment.

El Blanco · #6

He isn't going to jail for expressing his views. A group of people used their freedom of speech to tell him they think he is a jackass. They also told his employer that they see the product in a negative light because of him.

He can still express his point of view, just not on MCI's dime.

mburbank · #7

I don't see a problem with either side of this. His freedoms are intact as are the rights of those who boycott them and the rights of a coprorate sponsor to can their shill.

Here's what I find disturbing in this turn of events. That a man of views such as Glovers would concede to shill for a corporate criminal in the first place. MCI is Worldcom, the biggest bankruptcy in history, fraudelent criminals who bilked people out of their retirements and are now recieving a (to me) highly suspicious Iraq contract. I don't find anything Glover has said particularly shocking, but his involvement with MCI in the first place reeks of the cognitive dissonance so frequently practiced by the rich.

VinceZeb · #8

You don't find the fact that Glover said Bush is a racist (which I would love to see Danny boy explain the meaning of the word racist) or that Glover praised Castro shocking?

Wow.

mburbank · #9

Shocking? Not in the least. Things people say don't shock me very often. Why, are you shocked? Actually shocked? You must be shocked off and on all day, like one of those hybrid sheep that faint if your surprise them. It's going to strain your heart.