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On The Air!
Join me each Sunday afternoon, 2:00-4:00pm ET, on 630 WMAL - AM, Washington, DC's premier News/Talk Station. (Streaming audio is available from WMAL's site -- and
my show is now available, 4 Sundays at a time, for download and podcasting "On Demand.")
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Sunday, May 29, 2005
On this Memorial Day weekend, we pause to honor those who've given their lives on our behalf. But there are difficult
questions to ask ourselves, given the situation with the war in Iraq. We'll deal with those today, plus:
-- What's so wrong with the idea of Hillary Clinton becoming President? New polls indicate it's far from impossible.
-- Who really won, and who really lost, in this week's battle over judicial nominees in the Senate, and the fight to confirm
John Bolton as U.N. Ambassador?
-- Who SHOULD win the battle over stem-cell research?
-- Montgomery County has terminated its contract with a company who failed to abide by its "living wage" laws. Is
this progress, or socialism at work?
-- A woman in Nashville, Tenn. has been indicted for throwing a birthday party for her 16-year-old -- and hiring a
stripper to perform for him, while a teacher in Frederick Co. was jailed for a year for kissing and fondling a 17-year-old
student.
-- Illinois has banned the sale of violent video games to minors. Is the DC Metro area next?
All this and more, today, on the Jerry Klein Show . . . .
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
Sir:
I am a new listener to your program by forced necessity. I have my radio dial set on 630
WMAL and I listen to Sean Hannity, Rush, Chris Core and others, but as my work has lately meant that I must be in the car
during your show and so I have been giving your program a listen. I read the various e-mails that irate conservative
listeners have sent you and I must admit I'm a little embarrassed by the over-excitability of some conservatives in the DC
area. Don't get me wrong, I have disagreed with just about every word that has come out of your mouth, but even as my
fingers were poised to dial your number to try and get on the show, I decided to listen to what others would try to say, and
I realized that I would have no luck if I called and tried to convince you how wrong you are. I just wanted to thank
you for providing some entertainment, because that is exactly what you are trying to do. By looking at your on-line
poll, you see that almost 88% of people that visit your site and listen to your show are conservatives who totally disagree
with you. You exist simply because you are subversive and people call in because you make their blood boil. I
guess the gist of this e-mail is to thank you for getting me to think this weekend. I still do not agree with just about
anything you say, but I had to sit and think and exercise my brain to put together my beliefs in such a way so that if I ever
come across someone who, unlike you, might be swayed from his/her beliefs, I will be better equipped to more competently state
my position.
Very Respectfully
Devin in Bowie
*****************************
Dear Jerry,
I think all “marriages”
should be “civil” marriages—two people agree to officially register with the state as a couple—thereby accepting major responsibilities
and getting significant benefits, including legitimacy for their innocent children. Re homosexual “civil marriage,”
the state—as psychiatrists and psychologists attest to (see Monday’s Wash. Post (5/23/05, p. A2)--will get more strongly bonded,
healthy pairings, with people who both get benefits and accept responsibilities (yes, marriage is a bonding with lots
of duties as well as as breaks). Healthy pairings—with protection for children—are the building blocks of a healthy
society.
The word “sanctity” means “holiness”--a strictly religious term, and
separation of church and state—at least to me—means that people should certainly be free to be married by a clergy person,
but would argue that marriages should also be performed by a justice of the peace rather than simply a minister
of God, given that so many of the “blessings” that accrue to a married couple are things like tax advantages, etc. Yes,
bless the house you just bought, but don’t have your minister be your real estate broker. (Bad analogy, but you
see what I mean.) Let’s try a little more peacefulness and justice in our marriages, and let churches promote
the holiness. (I’ve been told that the divorce rate is especially high among Evangelicals and other Bible Belt folks;
just who is messing with the sanctity of marriage?)
I thought your argument about the Letourneau
marriage (pedophile allowed to marry her victim!) was brilliant—and a just a little goofy (comparing apples & brocoli)!
There are tons of reasons why fearful people would strike out against homosexual marriage in well-organized ways, but
not get as outraged by the Letourneau event:
1) Thousands of gays want to change 2000
years of tradition, overturning the association of heterosexual marriage with male-female union & procreation. * /*I’d
quickly want to point out that many gays legally have custody of their children, and many states allow gays to adopt children—and
no evidence I’ve seen shows that they are less adequate in their parenting than heterosexual parents, single or in couples.
Also, obviously it is true that two drunken members of the opposite sex, including, say, a woman long-past child-bearing
age, marrying for convenience (one or both being homosexual, perhaps)--such a couple would have NO problem marrying, whereas
a sober couple of many years’ duration, perhaps assuming heavy-duty sacrificial responsibilities in raising children who would
otherwise be wards of the state, can never marry (unless they live in Massachusetts).
2) There
aren’t thousands of pedophiles wanting to marry their victims... The marriage of Letourneau, for all of it’s strangeness has
many things going for it: it’s very rare (we’re not talking about a large number of similar cases); her victim is legally
of age to choose for himself who he wants to marry, I am not privy to any redemption that may have taken place in the
lives of the two individuals—the counseling, the suffering, the discussions with family members, consideration of what’s in
their children’s (whose natural parents they are, after all) best interest, etc. I don’t know the answers, but I’m in
no position to judge the rightness or wrongness of this marriage; it may well be the lesser of two evils. (I’d love
to argue that gay marriage is the lesser of two evils—bonded intimacy vs. un-bonded intimacy—but most conservatives —not all!--would
just counter with “two wrongs don’t make a right.”) And of course I don’t for a minute think that allowing two
homosexual persons to marry is “evil”! A weaker argument, but still important I think, is that it is woman raping
a boy, which doesn’t sound physically painful; it is even part of the fantasies of many adolescent boys—lusting after their
mother’s best friend or a teacher, for example.) As horrific as it was, and as young as the precocious lad was, Letourneau’s
crime just doesn’t excite my indignation the way a male raping a young girl would (“The Graduate” didn’t experience anything
too horrible from his dalliance with Mrs. Robinson, whereas Lolita’s life may have been really messed up, I’d think). Not
that strict, self-righteous moralist would ever agree to such distinctions...
My main criticism
of your point on last Sunday’s program—although you were possibly playing devil’s advocate (I’ve only heard you that once!)—is
that expecting opponents of homosexual marriage to be outraged at the Letourneau wedding doesn’t take anything into consideration
about the actual people involved, including their innocent children, and the fact that they might just be able to start over
with their lives despite Letourneau’s crime (for which she spent years in jail)......
But that
brings me back to the brilliant part of your comparison (of gay marriage to the Letrouneau marriage). Individual, God-given
rights to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” should accrue to all of us, despite easy, oversimplified, uninformed,
judgmental labels like—Gay, Straight, Former Criminal, or even Victim.
Thank
you for letting me rant!! If I had had more time, I would have made it much shorter.
Roger, Washington, DC
Sunday, May 22, 2005
On today's agenda:
-- Is it time to boycott Star Wars because of it's anti-Bush, anti-U.S. sentiment? That's
what one right-wind group wants you to do!
-- What do you think now about Newsweek's Koran story? Were they out to get the Bush administration
-- or was the story essentially correct?
-- Do you care about the Senate showdown over the filibuster and President Bush's judge nominees?
-- What does it say about the so-called "sanctity of marriage" when child sex abuser Mary Kay Letourneau
is able to marry her victim with nary an outcry from the religious right who are so opposed to gay marriages?
And more, beginning at Noon!
Friday, May 20, 2005
Memo to those of you who were angry with me for suggesting last Sunday that someone should have
interrupted the President's bike ride to let him know the White House and Capitol were being evacuated because of a plane
entering restricted air space, rather than wait until 36 minutes had passed: Phooey! Guess who agrees with me?
Laura Bush, that's who! "I think he should have been interrupted, but I'm not going to second-guess the Secret Service
that were with him," the First Lady said.
Okay -- let's all pretend it was a good thing to let the bike ride continue . . . . right?
Monday, May 16, 2005
Here's some of the email I've received in response to yesterday's show:
Dear Jerry,
You sick communist deviant. It's a free for all right? If it feels good do it. Anyone can do anyone as long as they are
consenting adults right? Keep spewing that garbage, I love it. Show everyone what the liberals are really about. Not only
are the Democrats the party of no, they are also the party of sexual deviance. Get used to being in an ever shrinking minority
and forget about the White house. We conservatives pass our values onto our children, Liberals don't breed. Keep up the good
work Jerry, your doing a great job. The Republicans are sure to pick up at least a few more seats in the senate in the mid-term
election, maybe even one here in Maryland. Who knows, with Libs like you out there making the job easy for us, we may
pick up 5 or six seats in the senate. Who needs the nuclear option when you have a huge majority.
Thanks again,
Gordon
Lanham
*************************************
Jerry,
I could care less what folks, including homosexuals,
do behind closed doors. That being said, I also refuse to subsidize unhealthy behavior with my tax dollars. If
I were to kick the bucket tomorrow, my wife is entitled to certain government benefits just because she was married to me.
She’s entitled to them even if she never worked a day in her life. Why should you or I want to extend those tax funded
benefits to every other possible combination of bizarre unions between beings be they man-man, woman-woman, man-horse or woman-lion
unions?
Government
recognition of homosexual marriage would be as fiscally irresponsible as government run “pro-smoking”, “pro-crime” or “pro-drug”
campaigns. If you want to spend your money this way, go ahead and contribute to your favorite gay charity. Do
not however, forcibly take my money in the form of taxes.
Dave
in Waldorf
*****************************
Hi Jerry,
I live in Senegal, West Africa and am listening to your Sunday program on the web. You've taken
such a strong position on the homosexual marriage issue, and hearing your show, I can't help but write to ask you some questions.
I'd like to know how you, personally, make decisions concerning what is "right" and what is "wrong"? Society alone can't dictate
these things, can it? I realize America is a democratic society, but there must be a better method for arriving at the answer
than "because 50 % of Americans agree" therefore, "It must be right".
How will you reason with your two boys when you try to teach them that stealing, rape, or murder is
wrong? Or ARE these things indeed wrong? What wisdom has been imparted to you by your dear Yogi? IS there a way, from
your perspective, to decide about such issues other than by polling for societal approval or rejection, observing "popular
trends" and tendencies? Why is murder wrong? Why is stealing wrong? What makes the rape of children despicable?
Help me understand please, in all seriousness, how YOU go about reasoning these things.
Thank you,
Brian
*********************************
Jerry
NOT AFRAID OF A DAMNED THING. YOU'RE NAME CALLING. THERE YOU GO AGAIN!
Read this on the air and ask for comment. See if this flies.
It appears that a majority of Americans are against gay marriage. In a democracy, the majority
rules. In fact, I recently had this conversation with a lesbian who responded, "That's the problem with democracy.
The majority rules." WHAT?? With that, I saw that further discussion was useless.
The gays wanted to come out. They're out. The gays wanted acceptance. They
have acceptance. They want this. They want that. THEY WANT IT ALL. They're not willing to compromise.
I have no problem whatsoever with them and civil unions. They should have all the healthcare rights available to
married couples. OK??? I have no problems with any of that.
NOT SCARED AT ALL. JUST WANT SOMETHING LEFT FOR THOSE WHO ARE EXCLUSIVELY HETEROSEXUAL.
CAN'T WE SAVE THAT FOR OURSELVES?
Rick
*************************************
It is NOT that we (Muslims) are in support of terrorism or terrorist acts. Most of us
abhor what happened on 9/11 and the terrorism that continues around the world. My opinion of why we did not attend the march
yesterday is that we are not for the man who organized it. He is a right-wing self-centered and all about himself
kind of guy. He has not invited any of us to be involved in his organization. He views himself as the
second-coming and we view him as a fraud. We could not be seen to support him. We wanted us to show up for his benefit. Were
it for the good of all he would have included us in all the planning - from conception forward.
We are against terrorism.
We are American Muslims. We are AMERICANS. As Americans should we not all be marching against terrorism - you and
me? Muslims, Catholics, Protestants, Jews, everyone? Whay has that noy happened?
Thanks for the opportunity
to share.
*************************
Jerry:
You want the Prez to be bothered with every potential emergency? You want him bothered
every time Jerry Klein thinks he should be bothered? God help us all - you too.
Two things: 1) You are again dispensing untruths. THE PLANE WAS NOT ON
A DIRECT PATH TO THE WHITE HOUSE.
2) Have you ever had a real job? Have you heard of delegation? There are many
layers below the Prez (whoever he/she happens to be) that are not only capable, but expected to handle such matters.
Had George W. been immediately informed, what would have been different? What did you want him to do?
Reality: When I was a department manager in a real corporate environment, one of my primary
duties was to train my number 2 to do the job when I was not available. This because I was not always in the office,
and it would be grossly inefficient for my assistant to have to contact me for every decision. As my assistants became
more capable, they were given more and more authority. Frankly, I was quite good at this because I tired of handling
the details. I earned the reputation of being a very good trainer. People that senior management wanted trained
properly were sent to me. Many managers, today, don't do this. One of the biggest reasons they don't is that they
are insecure. In their minds, they're thinking "If I train him to handle it without me, he/she might replace me."
That's is what's happening in corporate America today. Keep them down. Keep them ignorant. Don't let them
pass you. Result? Poor quality people.
President Bush has place qualified, and capable people under him. I remember he was once
criticized for this, also. He's doing what a good manager should do.
Rick
***********************
You NITWIT! Is ANYTHING that President Bush does be OK with you libs? Every
president has had his exercise program: running, golf, biking, etc. Why is it so heinous that Pres. Bush was out
biking - was he supposed to be clairvoyant and know that a piper cub was out flying and he should stay in the White House
on the remote chance that it would fly over Washington???
Seems to me you could serve your audience better if you addressed
the illegal immigrant problem (now that's something you could properly chastise the President for not acting on).
You
once again proved to me why I do not listen to WMAL on Sunday afternoon.
Sunday, May 15, 2005
My "stack of stuff" is overflowing for this Sunday afternoon's show:
-- The man who claimed to have found a U.S. flag that flew at the Pentagon on 9/11, and who
tried to auction that flag to pay his medical bills, now is suing because he didn't get as much money as he thought he should.
How crass is that?
-- Tuesday is the one-year anniversary of Massachusetts becoming the first state to recognize
gay marriages. A new poll says that 50% of the population of the country opposes this. Why? And should Gov.
Ehrlich sign a bill giving some rights to same-sex couples? Plus -- there's new evidence that homosexuality is biologically
determined -- not a choice. Does that change your mind?
-- Mexican President Vicente Fox says Mexicans in America do jobs "that not even Blacks want
to do." Was that a racist comment -- or a true one?
-- Only about 50 people attended a "Muslims March Against Terror" in DC yesterday. What happened
to the 1,000-plus the organizers expected?
And that's just for starters!!!
Sunday, May 8, 2005
Michael Graham joins me at 12:05 today to tell us about being detained (that's a judicious description of
what happened) when he tried to gain admittance yesterday at a rally in Montgomery County for those opposed to the new rules
on obtaining driver's licenses. It's a colorful story. And that will launch us into a full conversation about
the problem of illegal immigrants here, and who's more to blame -- those who come here in willful disregard of our laws --
or we Americans, for not having the will to enforce those laws?
Friday, May 6, 2005
I'm back this Sunday, May 8th, after a weekend off for a trip to NYC. Join me from Noon - 3pm on 630 WMAL!
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I'll make changes to this site on a regular basis, sharing news, views, experiences, photos...whatever occurs to me. Check
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