Rick Sanchez Fired?

Rick Sanchez was one of my favorite commentators. I was startled to learn that he had been fired by CNN for what were viewed as controversial statements. To put things a bit in perspective when I was a kid (WWII era), Jews were excluded from most social and business activities in the U.S. My grandfathers both protested in their times and with the Holocaust things changed. It is ironic now that an Hispanic is the one shot down. Certainly it is true that Jews have done well in this country since the bad days of WWII and they do in fact run many things -- best and worst. Our U.S. support of Israeli abuse of the Palestinians ranks with their mistreatment back when in Europe and here in the U.S. It is in slow motion, not dramatic mass murder, but it is killing kids nevertheless whenever Israel retaliates. Remember the destruction of Lebanon and the treatment of Gaza now.

Sanchez was speaking the truth. Had his target been the National Rifle Association, he would still be with us. This firing worries me because I know too many -- liberals included -- who are quietly anti-Semitic. One cannot defend Israel's treatment of the Palestinians and many caring Jews are responding to that and being accused of being anti-Semitic. Sanchez seems now to have been included among those who tell us the truth.

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Rick Sanchez has been fired from CNN following his controversial comments on a radio show Thursday.

"Rick Sanchez is no longer with the company. We thank Rick for his years of service and we wish him well,' a CNN statement said.

Sanchez did not appear on the air Friday.

Appearing on "Stand Up with Pete Dominick" Thursday, Sanchez called Jon Stewart a "bigot" and said that CNN and the other networks are all run by Jewish people.

Discussing Stewart with radio host Pete Dominick, Sanchez said that the "Daily Show" host has a limited worldview, and called him a "bigot."

The conversation began with Sanchez decrying "elite, Northeast establishment liberals" who "deep down, when they look at a guy like me, they see a guy automatically who belongs in the second tier, and not the top tier.

"I think to some extent Jon Stewart and [Stephen] Colbert are the same way. I think Jon Stewart's a bigot," he said. "I think he looks at the world through, his mom, who was a school teacher, and his dad, who was a physicist or something like that. Great, I'm so happy that he grew up in a suburban middle class New Jersey home with everything you could ever imagine."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/01/rick-sanchez-fired-from-c_n_747607.html
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"A war is just if there is no alternative, and the resort to arms is legitimate if they represent your last hope." (Livy cited by Machiavelli)
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Ed Kent [blind copies]