I know that I am not alone in bemoaning the rightward drift of NPR, and nothing has illustrated it more than the selection of Scott Simon to host Weekend edition.
Today he read an opinion piece which repeats the latest in right wing attacks on gays and those interested in gay rights with a hearty sneer, and has for the first time made me angry enough to turn off NPR.
It seems, according to Simon, that people who considered Ms. Prejan ( Miss California) to be bigoted are just prejudiced themselves (against beauty queens) and "hear what they want to hear".
Because, as gay-rights authority Donald Trump states, she has "the same position" as President Obama.
Now it can't be denied that President Obama himself is responsible in part for providing right wing talking points on ths subject of gay rights.
A constitutional scholar who says he opposes the right of gays to marry because "god is in the mix", and who is obviously in no hurry to deliver on any of his promises to GLBT Americans.
He certainly does give the right plenty of ammo to use against us.
But it is a flat out lie to make the claim that Ms. Prejan and President Obama hold the exact same position on gay rights.
To Mr. Simon, this is "real journalism" - repeating right wing talking points.
President Omama says that he thinks gay people should have equal rights -
Ms. Prejan says that gays rights should be opposed and gays are not normal - "no offense".
And then to use that false claim to portray those offended by Ms. Prejan as prejudiced goes beyond the pale and amounts to a Rush Limbaugh style attack on pointy headed liberals - I have heard this claim repeated
over and over again on right wing blogs, but I never thought I would hear it in NPR
Just to set the record straight - Although President Obama has said that he supports civil unions but not gay marriage, he also OPPOSED Prop 8 - the reason for Miss California's question.
Mr. Simon thinks that this woman and President Obama hold the same position on gay rights:
And if you think that she doesn't, and is a bigot, then you are just prejudiced against beauty queens and are a pointy headed liberal who hears what they want to hear.
I am going to hear what I want to hear by turning off Weekend Edition as long as Mr. Simon remains on the air, and I urge others to do likewise.
No Offense.