Threats To Michael Savage

First off: I am not a massive fan of Michael Savage, the talk host broadcasting from his studios in San Francisco. I frequently like his messages but am not consistently convinced he is the best of messengers. I find his mantra of "Borders, Language, Culture," however, absolutely, implacably etched in stone.

Recently, however, because Savage does in fact broadcast from San Francisco, an SF Councilman recently came out with a resolution condemning Savage (go here to see the resolution itself):

San Francisco leaders want taxpayers to pay for green cards, citizenship.

San Francisco city officials are trying to force taxpayers to pay for immigrants' green cards and citizenship – and to bolster their case for the new tax, they've introduced a resolution condemning national radio talk-show host Michael Savage for what they call his "defamatory language. . .against immigrants."

Supervisor Chris Daly, reacting to the new and significantly higher federal fee structure for immigrants seeking citizenship, imposed last week by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, complained that the fee hikes raise concerns that immigrants "cannot obtain safe pathways to legal immigrant status and citizenship" and "further exacerbates pressures on families, increasing stress," according to the San Francisco Examiner.

Under the new fee structure, the cost to apply for a green card is now $930, up $605 from the old fee. Citizenship applications went from $330 to $595. On Tuesday, Daly asked the city attorney to draw up legislation that would subsidize immigrants applying for citizenship, green cards and petitions for relatives and workers.

On the same day, apparently to further generate sympathy for immigrants and bolster Daly's bailout effort, Supervisor Gerardo Sandoval introduced a resolution condemning popular radio talk-show host Michael Savage, a mainstay of the San Francisco airways for years. Since he was syndicated nationally by Talk Radio Network, Savage has become one of the nation's most-listened-to radio talkers.

Condemning the "defamatory language used by radio personality Michael Savage against immigrants," Sandoval's resolution is apparently in response to Savage's July 5 broadcast, when the talker commented on a group of students who had announced they were fasting in support of changes in immigration policy.

"I would say, let them fast until they starve to death," quipped Savage, "then that solves the problem."

Sandoval's resolution calls Savage's comments "symbolic of hatred and racism," according to the Examiner.

"I really for the life of me cannot understand why there is not more media outrage to what Michael Savage said," Sandoval said in the Examiner report, which added that Sandoval plans to hold a press conference on the steps of City Hall Tuesday just before the entire Board of Supervisors votes on his resolution against Savage.

"The intolerant and racist comments of Michael Savage demand a strong condemnation," Sandoval insisted.

However, almost all of the Examiner's readers who posted comments on the newspaper's website after the story sided with Savage.

Michael Savage, who takes little lying down, stated last week that he would hire an attorney to fight the City of San Francisco and the council's resolution:

One of the nation's top civil rights attorneys has offered his assistance in suing a San Francisco city supervisor who attacked nationally syndicated radio talk-show host Michael Savage for his tough stance against illegal immigration.

Daniel A. Horowitz of Oakland, Calif., wrote to Savage after Supervisor Gerardo Sandoval introduced a resolution condemning the radio talker urging him to sue the official, whom he compared to Adolph Hitler, Josef Stalin and Hugo Chavez in the way he attempted to silence political speech by rallying the mob.

"You have a strong federal civil rights action that you can file against Supervisor Sandoval and the city of San Francisco," he advised. "You have a constitutional right to state your political opinions and no city official has the right to lie about what you said or to call for a mob to come to your door to threaten you and to try to have you fired."

Horowitz said the Civil Rights Act of 1871, designed to tame the terror of the Ku Klux Klan, can be used as the basis for a federal civil rights action against the official and the city.

I am not Michael Savage's number one fan; far from it. I AM, however, an advocate of complete free speech and free speech applies to BOTH sides of the aisle. Free speech is present, specifically, to protect ALL forms of speech and Savage has EVERY RIGHT to say what he will. (For your edification, Gerardo Sandoval is also the city councilman who opposed the USS Iowa having a berth there. Check this out. As far as Sandoval is concerned, the United States shouldn't even have a military. His defense suggestion? Cops. The Coast Guard. Please click the link for complete info.)

When Michael SAVAGE'S free speech is removed, then YOURS is NEXT, people. And the Demorats are ALL about the removal of free speech and the institution of PROHIBITED speech. I repeat: when Michael Savage's free speech is removed, then YOURS is NEXT.

BZ