Someone mailed a typed death threat to Stephanie Miller, one of the funniest (and most talented) progressive talk show hosts on radio today.
She had a short lived late night TV show some years ago and today has a radio show that is packed with not just info and her political views but crammed with one liners, drum rolls and political satire. It’s moves so quickly it’s almost like a radio version of the old NBC show “Laugh In.”
Miller, like other hosts on both sides of the aisle, has increasingly been on talking heads (or, rather shouting heads) political shows on cable TV. And her appearance on Fox’s Hannity and Colmes generated a letter that certainly seems to cross the line.
Our thoughts on the letter:
- This shows how nutty and dangerous political debate has gotten in the United States. Honestly, does it not seem as if we just one baby step away from that dreaded day when we learn that some talk show host (or blogger) is blown away by someone who does not agree with her/his views? This is symptomatic of the polarization that vote-hunger politicos have fed to obtain power. It’s a cliche to talk about Frankenstein’s monster getting out control, so we wouldn’t DARE point to that..
- In this day and age Miller has to take this threat seriously, no matter what the writer of the letter says. She needs to demand it is investigated.
- We just KNOW that in comments someone will say “conservative talkers probably get death threats, too” Fine: then THOSE need to be investigated and the people who write or make them need to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Threatening someone’s life crosses the line from free speech. OR the person is free to say it, and the person who gets the threat is free to demand legal action.
- The irony is that the letter was sent to Miller. Yes, she has strong progressive views. But her program is not a hate-rant against one party like so many talk shows on the right and left have become. Hers actually has some laugh out loud comedy that is truly GOOD RADIO that could be enjoyed by people of all persuasions.
The biggest surprise about this letter: it was typed and not written in crayon…
Before you click on the following link, note that this link takes you to the original letter, profanities and all. CLICK HERE FOR UNEDITED LETTER.
Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.