The Best and Brightest

The Best and Brightest, is the name of the group of people who tune in to 96.9 WTKK FM, in Boston Massachusetts. In particular, the Jay Severin Radio Talk Show, which broadcasts between the hours of 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM Monday thru Friday. I am a member of this group and have listened to Jay for many years. On April 30, 2009, Mr. Severin was suspended for derogatory, and what many consider racist, comments he had made on a previous broadcast. The following is part of what he was quoted as saying;
http://crooksandliars.com/nicole-belle/tyt-jay-severin-unapologetic-racist-a
"So now, in addition to venereal disease and the other leading exports of Mexico - women with mustaches and VD - now we have swine flu."

"When we are the magnet for primitives around the world - and it's not the primitives' fault by the way, I'm not blaming them for being primitives - I'm merely observing they're primitive."
"It's millions of leeches from a primitive country come here to leech off you and, with it, they are ruining the schools, the hospitals, and a lot of life in America."
"We should be, if anything, surprised that Mexico has not visited upon us poxes of more various and serious types already, considering the number of criminaliens already here."
Mr. Severin also said, to the effect, the criminaliens are using our hospital emergency rooms as condominiums.

Now, I did not hear this broadcast so; I am depending on sources for the accuracy of his comments. I do know these comments are believable, because Jay has always laced his commentary with salty or racist tones throughout his broadcasting career that I have been a listener of. Of late, the rhetoric had become much more hateful and vile from Mr. Severin as well as from other hosts from this radio station, Michael Graham and Michelle McPhee. I remember emailing the WTKK Management, commenting on the extremely negative tone the radio station appeared to be taking. I mentioned to them that, I thought they were risking financial liability with ethnic groups, who could be offended, by the rhetoric.

On June 2, 2009, Jay Severin returned to the airwaves. The following apology appeared on the WTKK website; http://www.wtkk.com/
"I wish to offer and trust you will consider my sincere apology. I and the men and women for whom, and with whom, I work have a duty to our community to ensure that every day our station offers - in partnership with You - ideas and conversation about the issues of the day which are thought-provoking, compelling, challenging, entertaining - but also always responsible, civil, thoughtful and respectful to all members of our community. This is our standard. However, recently, in making certain remarks, I failed this standard, and thus failed my colleagues and you. My remarks were hurtful, unkind and wrong. For those remarks and for failing to meet the standards you are right to expect of me, I am sincerely sorry. Most especially to the members of the Mexican community and Mexican-American community, I regret my remarks and I apologize for them. I am sorry. I want you to be an engaged and proud member of this audience, but I appreciate I must earn that privilege, every day. And I can only expect to do so by conducting a civil and intelligent conversation worthy of you, worthy of your family - whether or not you always agree with my opinions. To every person I have offended by my recent remarks: I am truly regretful and extend my apology. And to those who were not offended, I have still let you down by appealing to something less than the "best and brightest" in you, and for this I am also sorry. I am tremendously eager to renew - and make better - our ten years together of daily conversation and vigorous debate. You have my personal pledge that I will do my best to make ours the best show on radio. And, as ever, thank you for my job."

-Jay Severin

For myself, I hope Jay will go back to the talk show host I used to listen to, a few years ago. A man who was a veteran of political campaigns and gave his unique insight, into the behind the scenes activities, of the days events. He could predict, with uncanny accuracy, the future political decisions that would probably be made and what the probable results would be. If he had a caller that challenged him, he would be his own defense attorney and would dissect (sometimes slice and dice) his opponents accusation or point of view and present an intelligent alternative or rebuttal of the facts presented.

Jay Severin is, no doubt, under a watchful eye. If not by his employer, definitely from minority groups who will stand by the ready, to jump into action, if he steps over the line of decency again. Good Luck Jay and I will tune in too.

That’s How I See It.

Website of reference;
http://www.jayseverinhasissues.com/
http://www.wtkk.biz/blogs/jayseverin/
http://www.westwoodone.com/program?action=viewProgram&programID=302
http://www.boston.com/ae/tv/articles/2009/06/03/with_an_apology_and_a_few_barbs_severin_returns_to_the_air/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cenk-uygur/jay-severins-insanely-rac_b_195280.html
http://jayseverin.blogspot.com/
http://medianation.blogspot.com/2009/04/wtkk-suspends-jay-severin.html
http://crooksandliars.com/nicole-belle/tyt-jay-severin-unapologetic-racist-a
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jay_Severin
http://www.jayseverin.org/
http://www.wtkk.com/