Subject Line: Tell CNN not to hire Bill Bennett

A few months ago, we demanded that right-wing talk show host Bill Bennett take responsibility and apologize for racist remarks he made on his national radio show. Now, CNN is preparing to hire him. Please join us in telling CNN that would be a huge mistake:

http://www.colorofchange.org/cnnbennett/

In September, Bill Bennett said the following:

I do know that it's true that if you wanted to reduce crime, you could, if that were your sole purpose, you could abort every black baby in this country and your crime rate would go down. That would be an impossible, ridiculous and morally reprehensible thing to do, but your crime rate would go down.

Bennett's words perpetuated the idea that Black people are part of a criminal class. At the time of Bennett's remarks, we put pressure on the Salem Radio Network -- which distributes his show -- to fire Bennett unless he apologized. He has not apologized, and he has not addressed the racist logic at the core of what he said. Now, only few months later, it has been reported that CNN is about to hire him. We need your help in putting pressure on CNN. They haven't yet confirmed their decision, and they need to know that hiring Bill Bennett would be wrong. Please join us in asking CNN to reconsider:

http://www.colorofchange.org/cnnbennett/

Hiring Bill Bennett would continue to give a powerful voice to someone who has, in the past, used his voice to spread information which is racist, hateful, and false. We believe that Bill Bennett has a First Amendment right to think and say whatever he wants -- the government should not interfere. But we believe that CNN, as a trusted national source of news, has a moral obligation to refrain from broadcasting opinions which promote racism and hate. At the very least, news organizations like CNN should provide the public with information it can trust. But Bill Bennett has demonstrated his willingness to perpetuate racist notions based on false information, and hiring him would damage our trust in CNN as a source of news and information. Let CNN know that their credibility is at stake:

http://www.colorofchange.org/cnnbennett/

In the United States, free speech is a right. But a job at a national news organization is a privilege. Bennett's comments in September revealed that he has a fundamentally racist world-view. Since then, he hasn't apologized for his remarks, and he has shown no ability to address or even to recognize the racist implications of what he said. Bill Bennett has no place at a news organization like CNN.

-- James Rucker & Van Jones
   ColorOfChange.org
   January 12th, 2006

Click here to read a transcript or hear a recording of Bennett's remarks.