Kalamazoo Gazette Repeats City’s Call to Ignore Racists

In an article published on Saturday July 7 titled “Residents urged to ignore radio show host’s rally,” the Kalamazoo Gazette gave considerable space to the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety’s call for people to “ignore” the upcoming event organized by Hal Turner. Mediamouse.org has a critique of the article:

[Alex] Nixon’s [of the Kalamazoo Gazette] article largely ignores the reasons why residents of Kalamazoo and Michigan might be inclined to protest the rally and essentially leaves Hal Turner’s record unexamined. Nixon fails to examine Turner’s history of making extremely racist and violent statements and his past associations with white supremacist organizations. This is particularly disconcerting as Turner specifically has called for violence against people of color in Kalamazoo, stating on his website that Kalamazoo needs “a couple of lynchings.” Moreover, this is only the most recent of a series of similar statements that Turner has made in his career, many of which have advocated direct violence towards people of color. For his part, Turner says “I advocate what I am willing to do,” suggesting that far from being mere rhetorical threats Turner’s threats should be taken very seriously.

Read Kalamazoo Gazette Calls on People to Ignore Racist Rally while Ignoring the Groups Organizing It” on Mediamouse.org for more on the article. Also, please consider contacting Kalamazoo Gazette and urge them to provide serious coverage of the rally and the white supremacists violent rhetoric. It is essential that the media not frame in a manner that minimizes Turner’s advocacy of violence.

Letters to the Gazette can be sent via an online form or they can be contacted at 269-345-3511 or via email at rpierce@kalamazoogazette.com (editor Rebecca Pierce). The author of the piece referenced above can be contacted at anixon@kalamazoogazette.com.