By now everyone has heard that Rick Sanchez was apparently fired by CNN for remarks he made on a radio show criticizing Jon Stewart for being a "bigot" and lumping him in with the people who "run CNN" and the other networks.
I just read about this development when I opened Daily Kos after getting home late tonight, and it really took me by surprise. I read through the comments made by Sanchez a few times, and at this point I don't think he should have been fired.
And yeah, I'm Jewish. More below...
The comments made by Sanchez - at least what appears to be the most egregious part - are as follows:
Very powerless people... [snickers] He’s such a minority, I mean, you know [sarcastically]... Please, what are you kidding? ... I’m telling you that everybody who runs CNN is a lot like Stewart, and a lot of people who run all the other networks are a lot like Stewart, and to imply that somehow they — the people in this country who are Jewish — are an oppressed minority? Yeah. [sarcastically]
This is an obvious anti-semitic trope. The idea that Jews control the media has been used by Jew haters for quite a long time.
But - and I'm surprised about this - I don't find myself thinking that Sanchez should be fired for these comments. It may be that I just see in Sanchez's comments a man who is still carrying around some insecurities based on things he experienced in his childhood and who let some good-natured teasing (by Stewart) get him riled up for no reason. And maybe I identify with him a little bit because of that, and feel bad that his career - which I'm sure he worked diligently to build - is now derailed by one stupid comment. I don't know.
I guess I've always thought people deserve second chances, and I believe that should include Sanchez in this case. As someone who is Jewish and who has also felt insecure because of being an outsider (which I know proves Sanchez's point wrong in itself), I think he's probably learned a lot from this error and might end up being a better newsman because of it. Or not.
But as someone who has every right to be offended by his comment, I just wanted to say I don't think he should be fired.
Does anyone agree with me? I'm guessing my view is probably the minority opinion this time...