Jeff Crouere: Two Voices Have I
By David C. Bellinger

July 4, 2003 -- "Responding to the politics of Personal Destruction," Jeff Crouere's Louisiana Weekly article of June 23, 2003, was a response to my Louisiana Weekly advertorial, "Louisiana's Trent Lott," that appeared on page B-2 in the June 16-22 edition of the same periodical, and a similar article, "Louisiana's Lott" which was published by American Politics Journal.

What follows is my response to Jeff Crouere's June 23rd article.

I was accused by Crouere in his June 23 Louisiana Weekly article of being "nasty and rude" on his radio talk program (and I know Crouere tapes his programs).

I challenge Crouere, or anyone at WTIX AM 690 in Metairie, Louisiana, to present one, just one, example of any so-called "nasty or rude" behavior up to the point at which I was banned from the Breakfast at TIX program and before the time I had my personal financial privacy invaded and my disability mocked and disparaged by a caller to Crouere's Ringside on the same station by the name of "Jack." Additionally, I challenge anyone at WTIX to present one legitimate reason why I am banned from expressing my liberal and progressive facts and opinions on WTIX (as are other liberal callers).

Furthermore, as for the outrageously fallacious accusation that I had been "nasty and rude," I wish to cite one example of the hypocritical behavior by Crouere and WTIX.

One very regular and welcome caller on Ringside is a cell phone user by the name of "Jessie," an admitted and avid supporter of David Duke whose words seem to be revered by Crouere and are seldom, if ever, challenged or questioned by him. "Jessie" once referred to minority people as "mud people." Crouere's response to Jessie was that of hushed silenced! I believe any decent person would have expressed absolute revulsion at such vile speech. On "Ringside," however, such vulgar comments go unchallenged by the Crouere -- but then, this is a man who frequently refers to the Clintons as "sleaze," and I can only suppose he perceives "Jessie" as a person of pure heart!

My question for the management of WTIX is quite simple. Why is "Jessie" not banned for being nasty and rude? Does the word "hypocrisy" spring to mind?

The caller who invaded my personal financial privacy and mocked and disparaged my disability on Ringside is still a welcome caller to any program of his choice at WTIX. I can only assume that violating a person's financial privacy (perhaps illegally), allowing that information to be broadcast and, as a special bonus, mocking and disparaging that person's disability is not a legitimate reason for that person to be so designated by Crouere and WTIX as "nasty and rude."

Crouere also stated that I have been banned by the management of WTIX that he personally banned me from his program (along with two other liberal callers last fall) and only reinstated me when he got wind that I was on the verge of publishing my article, "Louisiana's Trent Lott," in the Louisiana Weekly. Crouere conveniently forgot to mention that he had an intermediary telephone my home and promised, in return for not publishing my article in the Louisiana Weekly (among other things), he would agree that I would be welcome to call in to his program again.

You see, to be in good standing as a telephone caller to WTIX one must sacrifice at least a part of their First Amendment rights!

Crouere also claimed that my advertorial was "character assassination." I avow that at no time in my advertorial did I ever attacked Crouere's character, but merely responded to his astonishing declaration that he is opposed to forced integration and spoke of racial quotas as if racial quotas were a fact of life [Regents of the University of California v. Bakke, 438 U.S. 265 (1978)], something which Mr. Crouere either didn't wish to or was unable to defend in his response. Crouere's words can be heard at (504) 246-2857.

Moreover, Mr. Crouere did indeed attack my character in his reply when he stated that I was trying to make a name for myself.

I challenge Mr. Crouere to substantiate his ludicrous accusation that I have sent hundreds of e-mails to his personal and business associates insulting him.

What I did do, and would gladly admit to, was to send "Louisiana's Trent Lott" and my response to a person who took an exception to my advertorial to a limited number of Crouere's radio guests and associates. My reason for this action is that I am not allowed to be heard on his program, so I have chosen to communicate my viewpoints in another manner.

Now to the claim that I am a "disgruntled" caller: to that point I say, as Gabby Hayes would say to Roy
Rogers, "You are darn tootin' I am!"

So, as an outgrowth of my banishment from WTIX, I have chosen to go to other outlets in order to state my facts and express my opinions in the name of liberty and responsible free speech.

As an example, I fully intend to publish in other venues, such as the Louisiana Weekly and AmericanPolitics.com, in order to express what I honestly and sincerely feel in my heart in the name of our founding fathers who signed the Declaration of Independence and sacrificed their wealth and, in some cases, their lives for free speech and every man and woman who ever wore the uniform of the U. S. of America and swore to defend with their lives the constitution of the United States.

I must ask Crouere how can he possibly feel as fervently as he now seems to feel on the issue of prosecuting perpetrators of racial discrimination and, at the same time, continue to utter the words, as he has done on his radio program and as he did in his article, "Responding to the Politics of Personal Destruction":

"I am opposed to forced integration!"

Well, in my opinion, I feel the answer can be found, as I implied in my Louisiana Weekly advertorial and my article published at AmericanPolitics.com, in the WTIX radio audience, which definitely tends to have a right wing slant -- let un not forget that WTIX was once the home of the David Duke program!

I ask anyone reading this article, in full and honest sincerity, if they would not burn down a radio station they owned before allowing David Duke to broadcast racial hatred and anti-Semitism on their station.

Well, the then and now owner of WTIX, George H. Buck, Jr., President of GHB Broadcasting, allowed Duke to do just that!

Additionally, WTIX was the long time home of talk show host Keith Rush, who was once a steadfast David Duke supporter and a man well respected by Buck.

Another past talk show host at WTIX, Lt. John Marie (who I also know was well-liked by Buck), would often and in a deliberately brutal and cruel manner make fun of the manner in which African-American persons supposedly speak. Marie was a New Orleans police officer and was called before the New Orleans City Council to answer for this on-air behavior. Marie also proudly marched in lock step next to David Duke in an Italian-Irish American parade in Metairie.

Other facts about the station reveal much about the programming and listeners: one on-air poll conducted the day before the May 1, 1999, special first Congressional election on a program co-hosted by Crouere gave David Duke at least 60% of the ballots. And, just to put the cherry on the sundae, Buck actually played Amos 'n Andy on his old time radio program on WTIX during the 1990s!

in his latest article, Crouere asserts, "I do not believe that the US government should force any group of people to go to a particular school, live in a certain neighborhood or work in some favored office setting."

Well, I believe such a remark is obscenely preposterous because I know of no government laws or regulations which force people of any color to live in any specific neighborhood or force people of any color to perform any kind to work in some "favored office!"

However, I do know that there are, with good moral and constitutional reasons, laws and regulations which require fair housing practices and fair hiring regulations so that American citizens of all colors will not be victimized by the horrible and forbidding consequences of racism. However, while they do not require people of specific races to work or live in specific settings, they do require -- rightfully so -- that a person not be discriminated against on the basis of their skin color.

What a God awful shame Crouere, the former executive director of the Louisiana Republican Party, does not have the ability to fathom this simple principle behind our civil rights laws.

My comparison of Jeff Crouere to Trent Lott stands.