Spocko--Are You Feelin' the Love?

Note: I'd suggest not listening to the mp.3 files linked to in this post unless you are actually in need of a purgative.

If you've seen anything of the scrap between blogger Spocko of Spocko's Brain and Hatefest Radio KSFO, then you know what's going on. For others, let's look at the situation:

1) Spocko got tired of hearing Nazi bigots on KFSO calling for the castration and murder of reporters, the killing of millions of brown people, and similar desirables.

2) Spocko sampled some of this hate speech and sent the samples to people advertising on the network. Given that said network is an ABC/Disney affiliate, these advertisers had possibly, in good faith, been misled into thinking they were getting time on a family-friendly radio network. But one could hardly call trying to force someone to deny their faith live on the air "family-friendly", could one?

3) From then on in it gets weird. No attention was paid, essentially, until one of the advertisers pulled out.

Suddenly ABC/Disnazi sicced their corporate lawyer on Spocko's ISP, on the grounds that he had used the sound bytes without permission. Let me point out that these were publicly broadcast, and are available for legitimate use under creative commons.

Spocko's ISP folded, leaving his blog temporarily homeless. He is now a cause célébre in the blogosphere and the case is getting increased attention.

Now:
4) KFSO's squirming hate-hosts go on the attack. And of course:

5) The blogosphere gleefully shreds their pathetic whingeing.

Now it's just possible you may not see why this is important. It's important because you and I, O Avid Fan, have been shown the way. If we object to it, we must politely ask their sponsors if they meant to associate their brands with people who advocate murder. I'm not talking about complaining about someone whose viewpoint diverges from yours. Debate is healthy--done in an atmosphere of respect. I'm talking about radio hosts saying people should be killed for disagreeing with them.

But it's clear which way these people want the respect to flow. That's why they're on radio--because it's all one way, their way. For those different from them they have only contempt. And never is that contempt more vicious than when they are confronted with the loss of their money, and by people with the moral fortitude to stand by their actions and their words, a fortitude most of these people bitterly lack. A fortitude shown by people who are brave enough to stand up to threats.

People like Spocko.

As a Canadian, I am doubly offended by this clip. A Canadian soldier on peacekeeping duties with the UN, forced to watch the conflagration as Israel went to its aborted war in Lebanon, was deliberately targeted by the Israeli Defence Force and killed when the observation post was hit not once, but over a dozen times, "by accident". And these monkeys are joking about it. I hope they are as well served as that observation post was.