VIOLENT, EXTREMIST, RIGHT-WING RHETORIC REARS ITS UGLY HEAD AT CSUN’s “BIG POLITICS” EVENT
KFI AM’S Bill Handel calls for the shooting death of Grassroots Valley Activist for speaking up about missing candidates at CSUN 30th district congressional debate.
It’s May Day in the Valley, 2012.
Democratic candidates for the 30th Congressional district, Brad Sherman and Howard Berman were there.
Republican candidates Mark Reed and Susan Shelley were there.
But someone was missing from the event, and when an audience member pointed that out to the debate moderator, the moderator asked the County Sheriffs to "shoot that guy through the heart!"
And just like the Republican candidates who kept silent as their presidential debate audience booed an American soldier serving in battle in Afghanistan, (because he was gay)…not one of the candidates protested the rhetoric of violence that was used by the far-right extremist who was supposedly
“moderating” the debate that May Day night.
What caused the fuss?
Something was woefully wrong. There were candidates missing and the tax-payer’s dollars were being used.
Three candidates were excluded from the debate by the debate organizing
student group, “Big Politics” an extreme, far-right political club on CSUN’s campus.
Missing were Democratic candidate, Vince Gilmore, Republican Party candidate, Navraj Singh, and Green Party candidate, Prof. Mike Powelson.
All three are qualified candidates listed on our 30th Congressional District ballot in the Primary Election on June 5th and none of them were included by the student group, “Big Politics” who had no satisfactory response when asked about their exclusionary practices.
Billy Ryder, chair of the student group, “Big Politics,” picked a real winner of a moderator for what turned out to be a disgraceful farce. You’d never know that the nation was in an economic/jobs crisis or that congressional approval is at an all-time low, judging from the sickeningly glib attitude that both Billy Ryder and Mr. Handel displayed at the event.
Handel was calling candidates “gay” and using talking points of their favorite competitors...and that was only in the introduction of the candidates...the ones
they didn’t like.
KFI-AM’s morning shock jock, Bill Handel, was the poorest choice possible to be moderator of the CSUN debate, but a great choice for any extremist group who aren’t interested in anything but their own pro-war, far-right agenda.
When a Valley activist pointed out that excluding legitimate candidates from any debate at a tax-payer funded institution was not only wrong, but possibly illegal, debate moderator, Handel, asked the County sheriffs present to “shoot that guy through the heart!”
Incitement to violence used to be illegal. Is it still? Or are we going to continue to allow the Tea Partiers to get away with gunning everyone down who stands in the way of their vision for a nation without government?
If you see the video of the event, look in at around minute 25:30. The guy in
the audience who pointed out that three candidates were missing became the object of Handel’s rhetoric of violence. The second (and much louder voice) you hear chiming in just a few moments after the original complainant got threatened by the so-called moderator, is that of Michael Powelson, the anti-war candidate who was escorted from the debate by the sheriffs, when really he should have
been onstage debating with the other candidates.
The event was as clueless and as informative as a morning episode of “Fox and Friends” but with more Homeland Security present to ensure that no one would know that the debate was rigged.
And for someone who’s a student, Billy Ryder certainly didn’t do his homework.
Why would Ryder ask someone like KFI’s Bill Handel to serve as moderator for the debate, when it was already painfully clear that Handel was not qualified, nor could he serve as a neutral overseer of a political discourse that should be considered urgent, considering the fact that we Valley Voters are about to elect our next congressional representative?
Unless, of course, Ryder and Handel are sharing the same far-right, extremist agenda?
And Handel had shown his true colors before. A simple Google search immediately reveals that….
In 1996, Asian-American leaders called for Handel's resignation after making comments about Kristi Yamaguchi and Michelle Kwan. Handel was quoted as saying; "And when I look at a box of Wheaties, all right? I don't want to see eyes that are like all slanted and Oriental and almond shaped. I want American eyes looking at me." Handel later apologized, claiming that he was mocking bigotry.
In March 2004, Handel made jokes about Muslims not bathing, hating Jews, and practicing bestiality; KFI was forced to apologize.
On January 12, 2006, Handel joked that pilgrims should hire traffic reporters to reduce the possibility of deadly incidents during the Hajj. The Council on American-Islamic Relations demanded an apology. Handel offered to apologize on the condition that CAIR would denounce terrorism, agree that Israel is a sovereign country, and claim it does not have ties with terrorists. CAIR did not take him up on his offer. Handel refused to apologize to CAIR, but did apologize to the actual
victims of the Hajj stampede.
On December 15, 2006, KFI suspended Handel for one week after an on-air shouting match with Jamie White on KYSR. White allegedly told one of Handel's daughters to "get out" of the studio.
On May 13, 2009, Handel commented on a show about health care that the U.S. government should "euthanize old people" "sell Glendale to get rid of the
Armenians." and "get rid of the Irish and the Italians too" This comment was followed up the next day when a listener sent a letter requesting an apology for the remarks he made. After reading his letter aloud, his board operator, Lara Hermanson, joked that "what the Turks started, Bill will finish" referencing the Armenian Genocide.
Nice guy.
KFI AM 640 Program Director Robin Bertolucci has apologized and maintained that Handel was "clearly engaging in parody and hyperbole to point out the absurdity of genocide as a solution to rising health care costs. No one was actually
advocating hatred against Armenians. The comments were obviously said in jest,
in the same breath with advocating euthanasia for the elderly and genocide for
the Jews. The comments made were solely mocking the idea of genocide and
weren't intended to be about Armenians anymore than they were about euthanasia for the elderly.” On June 11, 2009, a formal apology was issued by Handel and Lara Hermanson for the comments.
The elderly, the Asian-Americans, the Irish, the Italians, the Armenians, the Muslims…is there anyone this guy doesn’t hate?
The pattern is very clear here. To make it clearer, know that Handel has “joked”
about killing activists on the Left before, particularly with his friend, adopted son of former president Ronald Reagan, Michael Reagan.
Handel’s “parody and hyperbole” were on display in spades at CSUN from the very first minute he stepped on stage. Curiously, Handel claims to be an “expert” on the law, yet doesn’t seem to be able the grasp the basics of conducting a debate—something lawyers do every single day.
He made light of this important American tradition and treated the entire affair like one big joke. Handel was, in short, a disgusting disgrace as debate moderator.
Whenever taxpayer-funded resources are used, ALL the candidates on
the ballot should be invited and involved.
If candidates are missing…that’s no joke and we must ask ourselves “why?”
Moderators of public debates should not be allowed to use hate-language or the despicable rhetoric of violence in the name of “humor.” Americans are sick and tired of the fear-mongering, hate speech, and incitement to violence that unfortunately has become part and parcel of political campaigns today, thanks to the bigotry of the Tea Party-types.
Red-blooded Americans reject such racist, homophobic, misogynistic nonsense now more than ever. There’s political blowback in the air.
We’re sick of the hate and violence and the more it gets heaped upon us, the more we will reject such Anti-American values.
Shame on Bill Handel, Billy Ryder, “Big Politics” and CSUN for staging such a travesty, and for excluding any of our ballot-qualified candidates.
These guys have a lot more homework to do in order to learn what democracy means to the rest of us….and it’s not a joke.
With every occasion that he gets into trouble, Handel’s ongoing and constant excuse for spewing such bigotry and violent rhetoric is that he’s “only joking” and that all of his “innocent” silliness is done in the name of comedy.
Where have we heard that one before?
The “comedy” excuse simply isn’t going to cut the mustard anymore. That went out with Rush Limbaugh's sponsors.
Ask Gaby Giffords about the use of violent rhetoric in political campaigns and shooting people through the heart, and perhaps her response will make you understand.
Bill Handel’s pathetic excuses aren’t working anymore.
Stop the hate and the vicious incitement to violence now Mr. Handel, and learn how to get along with those who disagree with you, without threatening their lives. Only bullies do that.
Learning to listen and accept each other, in spite of our political differences is what democracy is about.
If you don’t like it…why not go back to Brazil?
And who, you may ask, was the activist attempting to point out that the
debate was not a credible event with so many qualified candidates purposely
excluded?
That was yours truly, the engaged citizen.
