Officials in Phoenix still don't get the joke that Brian James was trying to make about shooting Mexicans.
As reported in the Mohave Daily News, Talk host Brian James of KFYI Phoenix suggested recently on the air that a solution to the immigration problem in Arizona would be to kill illegal immigrants as they cross the border. Two local officials feel those remarks may have intensified racial tensions in the state and they expressed that concern in a letter sent Friday to FCC Chairman Kevin Martin.
Brian James, who’s a fill-in talk show host with KFYI, said, “What we'll do is randomly pick one night every week where we will kill whoever crosses the border. Step over there and you die. You get to decide whether it's your lucky night or not. I think that would be more fun.''
He said he would be ‘‘happy to sit there with my high-powered rifle and my night scope'' and kill people as the cross the border. He also suggested that the National Guard shoot illegal immigrants and receive ‘‘$100 a head.''
In a letter to Martin, Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard and US Attorney Paul Charlton called the remarks irresponsible and dangerous.
‘‘At no time during this hour did Mr. James disavow violence or indicate he was joking,'' the letter said. ‘‘This type of threatening and inciting speech is dangerous and totally irresponsible for anyone, particularly a licensed body using public airways. We are deeply concerned that, given the intensifying conflict over immigration in Arizona, this speech may lead to violence. Tempers are short on both sides, and the situation is highly volatile.''
Goddard and Charlton urged Martin to consider sanctions against KFYI for what they say was an abuse of public airwaves.
Radio Ink, April 10, 2006
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