Talker tells Sandy Hook families: “Go to hell”

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MicrophoneBob Davis, half of the outspoken “Davis & Emmer,” show on Clear Channel’s KTCN-AM News Talk 1130 Minneapolis-St. Paul has sparked a firestorm after he said live on air 4/19 that he’d like to tell the families of the Sandy Hook Elementary school shooting victims to ‘go to hell’ for infringing on his rights to own a gun.


Davis was discussing gun control when he made the comment about the Newtown, CT tragedy earlier this month: ‘I’m sick and tired of seeing these victims trotted out, given rides on Air Force One, hauled into the Senate well, and everyone is just afraid — they’re terrified of these victims,’ he said. ‘… I would stand in front of them and tell them, “Go to hell.”

‘I have something I want to say to the victims of Newtown, or any other shooting,’ Davis later said, according to Minneapolis’ City Pages blog. ‘I don’t care if it’s here in Minneapolis or anyplace else. Just because a bad thing happened to you doesn’t mean that you get to put a king in charge of my life. I’m sorry that you suffered a tragedy, but you know what? Deal with it, and don’t force me to lose my liberty, which is a greater tragedy than your loss.’

The remarks prompted scores of angry comments from listeners, with most claiming the hosts were ‘despicable’ and should be ‘ashamed’ of themselves, reported The Daily Mail.

One listener wrote on their web page: ‘(This is the) most unbelievably insensitive thing I have heard, I will NEVER listen to this station again and will encourage all my friends and acquaintances to do the same.’

Another wrote: ‘Davis and Emmer and your station should be ashamed of the callous stance taken about guns and Newtown. Two angry men, who also care nothing for the pain their words cause. No one is bothering your “liberty” nor do you have a “king.” Two immature men who seem smugly satisfied with the venom they spew. I hope your sponsors bail on you as fast as they can and your show vanishes. You help nothing with your hate.’

A few days after the vicious tirade, Davis addressed listeners: “Here’s what you need to know and what some of you already know about me is that, ah, this is not a contrived show, I do not hide behind flowery language I do not pull my punches, when I’m passionate about something it comes out on the air, it’s real and it will always be that way.”

He then characterized his comment as “an emotional predecessor to a thought which can and will find a more refined expression by me and others in the future, I guarantee you.”

See the Daily Mail story here.

RBR-TVBR observation: It’s interesting that this time, no punishment was meted. While the comment was out of line, it appears most listeners knew what Davis was trying to say. He explained himself—without apology—and Clear Channel did not take the matter further. Bottom line, there are a lot of intense emotions out there today and talk radio has always been the place to air them.

6 COMMENTS

  1. All the folks in Sandy Hook need to do is vote with their dollars, not their mouths. Tune the guy out and he will disappear. Keep listening and take what you get. You’re in charge. Just the fact that an on-air “personality” can say “go to hell” to his listeners and still HAVE shows how far talk radio has degenerated.

  2. Problem is the comments occurred on a Minneapolis-St. Paul station, while the Sandy Hook families are in Connecticut. Other than the obvious insensitivity of the remarks, what is perhaps more appalling is how factually wrong they are, though consistent with lies and mistruths the NRA and others have been spreading. For example, background checks would in no way put “a king in charge of [his] life.” Nor would they impinge on his liberty in a way that would be a greater tragedy than the loss of the Sandy Hook families’ sons, daughters, wives, etc. What Mr. Davis’ comments reflect is a very warped perception of reality, and an unwillingness to engage in rational thought. I wonder how he feels about all the other laws in place that impose some kinds of restrictions, but are intended to help protect public health and safety. Some, such as speed limits, are pretty basic and affect our lives daily.

    What also bothers me about this story is that Clear Channel apparently saw nothing wrong with his remarks (not even stating that the remarks reflect his personal views, and do not represent Clear Channel). The amount of misinformation that comes forth from many segments of our media is very disheartening and a challenge to a democracy.

  3. The problem is that Barry (Barack Obama) likes to use people for his own political promotions.

  4. I have been in this business a long time. These are perhaps the worst comments I have ever heard on radio. And there have been a lot of bad ones. He should have been fired. How Clear Channel kept him on is inconceivable and unprofessional. Shame on them. Shame on the industry.

  5. Bob Davis, the Minneapolis talk show host can go to hell. In fact, that Bob Davis can learn from Kansas Jayhawk broadcaster Bob Davis what is good taste and class.

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