I agree that people in America aren’t focused enough on what truly matters, but I would argue that it is not talk radio’s fault for this problem. Unfortunately, many more Americans plop down on their couch and watch American Idol or Michael Jackson coverage (or whatever entertainment-based television) with what little time they have than listen to talk radio. These are the true distractions.

I believe that Beck and the others do actually fill a purpose and do bring attention to things that congress are doing. Beck (more than others) does not tow the party line and points out nonsensical things from both sides of the aisle. He recently led a campaign to contact congress to persuade congressmen from passing “Cap and Trade”, which has been shown to lead to higher energy prices through tax increases.

Before bashing some of these people, take the time to actually sit through an entire program or two by some of these individuals and ask yourself whether they provide a purposeful service, regardless of your agreement on issues. It is beneficial for plentiful discussion on both sides of the spectrum to weigh issues and inform voters.

If you think hate speech doesn’t have an effect on our lives you are wrong. You’ve consistently championed the status quo of radio broadcasting as if your livelihood depended on it. Perhaps it does.

Yes, the problems with Congress are complex and challenging. That can be addressed at the same time as we deal with other problems. We can walk and chew gum at the same time. Stop trying to tell me what I need to pay attention to. “Look away. Nothing to see here. We’re harmless. Look at Congress instead. Rush causes no harm! Look away!” I strongly disagree with you that one of the major wedges in this country, hate talk radio, is insignificant. It’s a problem with which we all need to deal on a personal and political basis.

again, pay attention to what matters. In the grand scheme of things, talk radio is infinitesimal.

I’ll buy that it’s distracting, for sure. And even that the politicians benefit from that distraction, perhaps.

But it was solely a business decision for provocative, nasty, hateful talk radio to become a daily event in the lives of Americans. If there is blame to lay it goes at the feet of corporate radio.

The divisive speech is done for ratings. Ratings = money. Remove hate and you remove those who profit from it. When there’s no money in it, it will stop.

It’s not the media, it’s the politicians. They figured out that if we are more concerned with what Hannity or Boortz or Limbaugh says then we are not focused on them. If people paid as much attention and focused as much energy as to what Congress is doing that they focus on what Beck says or on Jacko’s funeral, there is no way Congress would get away with what it does. Stop paying attention to what meaningless radio people say on the radio, and start paying attention to what our politicians are getting away with while we are distracted.

Damn!

Beck guest Scheuer: “The only chance we have as a country right now is” for bin Laden to “detonate a major weapon” in U.S.

Beck: “You know it took me about a year to start hating the 9-11 victims’ families? Took me about a year.” and “I hate 9/11 victims families asking questions.”

Beck on Katrina victims “Those are the only ones we’re seeing on television are the scumbags”

Savage declares: “The white Christian heterosexual married male is the epitome of everything right with America”

Savage declares Mexicans the “perfect mules for bringing this virus into America”

Savage: “McCarthy was right; he was just ridiculed to death by the American media”

Savage says “I don’t know who did Oklahoma City nor do you,” and describes as “odd” the speed in which McVeigh was “executed”

Savage on Iowa same-sex marriage decision: “a victory for perversion”

Savage: A “progressive is, basically a pervert covering it up with liberal politics”

Savage on autism: “A fraud, a racket. … In 99 percent of the cases, it’s a brat who hasn’t been told to cut the act out”

Savage: “The children’s minds are being raped by the homosexual mafia”

Limbaugh attacks Clinton while reading MSNBC article on “cankles”

After airing clip of Obama praising U.S. troops in Iraq, Limbaugh says: “This is a guy who sought their defeat”

Limbaugh says enviros have “pony-tailed fathers” and “hair-in-the-armpit mothers”

Davis (Limbaugh fill-in) : Using Equal Protection argument for right to same-sex marriage, “I could marry my dog”

Limbaugh fill-in Davis on “the L word”: “We’ve succeeded in making liberal an epithet”

Limbaugh: “[A] female researcher in a kitchen” “makes sense”

Limbaugh: If Sotomayor is “a pro-life racist, I may have to change my view”

Hannity describes those who oppose waterboarding as “moral fool[s]”

Hannity previously aired footage of Ted Nugent calling Hillary Clinton a “worthless bitch,” then referred to Nugent as a “friend and frequent guest on the program.”

Hannity tries an insult: “You went to a public school didn’t you?”

Hannity doesn’t “hear” “nastiness” from Limbaugh “ever”

Laura Ingraham on Al Sharpton’s visit to the White House: “I hope they nailed down all the valuables”

Ingraham encourages listeners to jam phone lines of Democratic voter assistance hotline

Boortz welfare rant — “human parasitic garbage lining up to get their applications to loot”

Boortz jokes: You can fit 27 “illegal aliens” into a Ford Excursion, “roll” it, “and only kill 10 of them”

Boortz on Idol winner: “[T]he more manly looking of the two won;” runner-up “looks like a flamer”

Boortz: If 16-year-old girl in yearbook photo with no underwear “wasn’t overweight, the visible panty line wouldn’t have been a problem”

Boortz agrees with caller that Katrina refugees are “parasites”

Boortz suggests renaming the “Swine Flu,” the “Fajita Flu”

Boortz: “[M]aybe the reason” Obama doesn’t wear flag pin is “the flag of this country irritates a lot of Democrat [sic] voters”

Boortz said Muslims are “sort of like cockroaches.”

Boortz falsely claimed Clinton was convicted of perjury

White House soiree: Boortz, Hannity, Gallagher, Medved and Ingraham are invited to meet with Bush in the Oval Office

Boortz: Adults earning minimum wage are “incompetent”, “ignorant”, “stupid”, “worthless,” and “pathetic”