We know what kind of show we do. We're tough, loud and very opinionated on controversial issues. Our radio program lives at the intersection of our interests and the audience's interests. The issues surrounding illegal immigration are very important to our listeners, whether they agree or not. The ones who disagree are the most interesting, because in the heat of debate is where you often find truth.
We're tough on individuals. We go after politicians who tax us unfairly, and then waste our money. We go after greedy corporations, incompetent bureaucrats, pompous public figures, shakedown lawyers and dangerous criminals. Too many people have resigned themselves to living with the continuous outrages foisted upon them, so we find loud and colorful ways to cut through and stir up conversation. Maybe sometimes too colorful... or too loud.
The National Hispanic Media Coalition and Alex Nogales are trying to silence us. They are coercing and intimidating sponsors, using veiled threats to indicate these businesses will be targeted for action... unless they drop sponsorship of our show. A boycott is a personal decision to stop using a product. But interfering with the ability of others to promote a product because of a political disagreement is something entirely different. It's censorship. Censorship of the advertiser. Censorship of our show's opinions. Most importantly, censorship of our audience's opinions. Trying to censor all of us with lies and propaganda is wrong.
It all started with our airing of Jorge-Mario Cabrera's business cellphone number on the show. It was legal, but morally it wasn't the right thing to do. Doing it was a mistake. We've apologized, a lot, and we mean it. But the truth here is important. It was NOT a personal and private number as NHMC keeps saying. It's the number on every press release Mr. Cabrera authors and it's all over the Internet because that's where he publishes his releases. Therefore, it's not private. But you wouldn't know that if you just read NHMC's material.
From that, Cabrera got some really nasty phone calls. They were awful, no question about it. We have told our audience over and over never to make calls like that. It's bad behavior and it's just wrong. We've been on the receiving end of these calls, and they are no fun at all. We've apologized for that too. Based on this, NHMC has engaged in a "scare war," using intimidation and coercion of our advertisers to try to force us off the air. These are cheap and sneaky tactics. As jaded as we may sound sometimes, we know that most reasonable people can tell truth from fiction, and they will see through this partisan and deceptive effort.
We started this piece talking about what we are tough on. Big issues that really matter, often with reasonable people on both sides. Unreasonable ones, too. But our passion, and sometimes our ire, is directed towards bad laws and faulty opinions, and the specific people that create them.
We do not target entire groups based on their race, ethnicity or religion. Saying that we are grounded in "hate radio" is just a lie, and a particularly nasty lie at that. Responsible adults let ideas clash in public, and find truth from that diversity. Others try to use deceit and intimidation to silence those who disagree, so that theirs are the only voices heard.
We wouldn't want to live in a society like that, and we're pretty sure you wouldn't want to either. When you hear a generalization, lazy facts, or likely lies, demand truth. Demand better.