Salvos in the War on Christmas

Continued from page 5

Dear John:

I regret that our final exchange must focus on parsing the contents of your recent shoutfest (more difficult that doing biblical exegesis) rather than continue our previously meaningful discussion about this topic.

Since you raised the issue, let me clarify some facts: I was taping a few segments for ESPN's "Frankly Speaking" while your show was on, something scheduled three weeks earlier. I do not "hide" from anyone. I did not "send" Rob Boston to your show. I do not decide what guests you have on your show; your producer booked him rather than, say, asking me to come on one of the next two evenings if you wanted to talk to me personally. It was not like your claimed "war" was going to reach a truce on Wednesday at midnight!

As you know, Americans United had issued a brief report on 10 phony claims being made this year by a variety of individuals and groups; we did not issue a report on your book. You in fact know that some of the claims made by individuals on the very network you work for are false. I believe as a network anchor you have a professional and ethical responsibility to correct even people in your "family," including any crazy aunts in the basement (as Ross Perot used to say).

I have watched the tape several times. Mr. Boston does not even mention your book until late in the segment. He says that claims by the Alliance Defense Fund are "lies" and that certain claims made by your colleague Bill O'Reilly are wrong.

Your big meltdown came in discussing a series of incidents that may or may not have occurred in Plano, Texas, mainly involving the colors red and green. As you wrote in your previous comments to me, school officials there would not talk to you. Rob and I choose to believe the positions we have heard from Plano officials. Frankly, once your shouting began on that segment, neither I nor anyone else watching the program could even figure out what you thought Rob was misrepresenting. You yelled that you never alleged green and red clothing was banned, but then followed it with a claim that Plano told students not to bring "red and green stuff and parents to the party." Did you mean parents couldn't be red or green (so few of us come in those colors) or that they couldn't wear red and green?

You claimed that Mr. Boston called you a "liar," but you baited him into confirming the characterization. I have been a talk show co-host with the best in the business, including Oliver North and Pat Buchanan. If you basically ask a guest to call you a liar, don't be surprised if he does. That's in the "Talk-Show Hosting 101 Manual."

You even had a guest on the show supporting your position who wanted to weigh in on your side about Plano and you humiliated him at least three times by screaming at him to "pipe down"(twice) and to "stop" (once). And since we are on the topic of etiquette, you probably should not have had your producer call Mr. Boston later in the evening during your radio show and then get on the phone and proceed to tell him that you hope you never encounter him in a bar. Threats made by talk-show hosts about bar fights with their guests merely contribute to the already-pervasive public opinion that talk-show hosts rank only barely above clowns in the entertainment hierarchy.

But back to the main issue: My points in prior messages are not "cocktail party" arguments. They are real-world ones. I have come to the conclusion over the past few years that it is the Fox News Channel that does not live in the real world, or even report on it.

You know, in all our exchanges, I have no idea what if any religious beliefs you have. But I suspect I will not offend them if I conclude with a "Merry Christmas." And don't worry about your gifts; Santa watches CNN and didn't even see your show on Wednesday.

Yours in peace for the season (and its many holidays),

Barry

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