On Sunday night, NBC sportscaster Bob Costas decided during a Halftime break to tell America that your Second Amendment gun rights should be dialed back if not eliminated. He was reacting to the Saturday morning murder-suicide committed by Jovan Belcher, former linebacker for the Kansas City Chiefs. According to police officials, Belcher’s chose a gun to murder his 22-year-old girlfriend Kasandra M. Perkins, in an apparent domestic violence dispute.
Did Costas misuse his position as a sports commentator to decide upon his own, without knowing the factual circumstances of the domestic dispute? Was he legitimate in broadcasting a determination before law enforcement authorities had completed their investigation, of Belcher’s use of a gun to commit both her murder and his suicide? Should he have linked the murders to a condemnation of legal gun owners in 43-55 million households in America?
While the nation grieves for the murders which are devastating for both families and the young 3-month old child of the dead parents, Bob Costas decided to become judge, jury and executioner of the Second Amendment guarantees, by issuing a political verbal assault during the halftime show of the game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles.
There is a line in the sand that legitimate law abiding gun owners must draw and it must be firmly placed and unmovable. The use of the public airwaves to continue the assault against the U.S. Constitution is not something that should be continuously witnessed nor permitted to go unchallenged.
Why didn’t Costas do his homework before he went on the air with his fictional beliefs? Sure, there has been an increase in firearm ownership. In fact, there are approximately 43-55 million households in America with guns, which is about 43 to 50% of US households. Yet, what Costas neglected to mention is that with the increase of legal gun ownership in America, there has been a steady decline of murders due to gun violence. An armed American is a safer American.
Instead, Costas plays upon the fearful images that are fortified in the conscious of the nation, by media imagrey of horrific assault and murders of innocents like Aurora, Colorado’s murder in July. With the attack by shooting suspect James Holmes charged with 24 counts of first-degree murder, liberal gun control advocates targeted the Second Amendment as the convenient villain.
NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg demanded more detailed gun control measures from both presidential candidates, Obama and Romney. He stated in July, “I can tell you what we do here in New York. The State Legislature passed the toughest gun laws.”
It must be very comforting for families of victims who could not fight back, that with New York State’s stricter gun controls the murder rate has remained close to the current 4.0 and 4.05 per 100,000 as it has for last several years. In New York City, the tough “Stop and Frisk” measures have been attributed by law enforcement as the real solution to the lowering of gun murders in New York City, not tougher gun control laws.
So where does that leave law abiding citizens who continue to be victimized by liberal media pundits, as well as network news and sportscasters who feel compelled to interject personal opinions and nonsensical fabrications and cast them into cement as news?
NBC has a moral duty to either suspend Bob Costas, and any network official that allowed or agreed to let him engage in his on-air gun control rant. They should follow ESPN’s lead , when singer/ entertainer Hank Williams Jr. made a comment on Fox Network’s ‘Fox and Friends’ about Obama and Hitler in October of 2011 they suspended him. William’s nationally famous “Are you “Ready for Football” intro for ESPN football games was pulled from the air by ESPN after the incident.
Hank Williams Jr. did not crawl back with a lame excuse. Instead he stood his ground and left the network. In his personally written apology, Williams stated:
“I have always been very passionate about Politics and Sports and this time it got the Best or Worst of me,” he wrote. The thought of the Leaders of both Parties Jukin and High Fiven on a Golf course, while so many Families are Struggling to get by simply made me Boil over and make a Dumb statement and I am very Sorry if it Offended anyone.”
Now it is Costas’ turn to show the same type of class and dignity that Williams displayed in standing up for his right to speak and tell America what was at stake on Fox network. Yet, one can tell, from the deafening silence from Costas and NBC regarding a suspension or resignation that the only dignity that exists is in the red blooded conservative veins of the Williams of the nation, who are unafraid and unbroken.
Remember, that Costas’ verbal assault is not the beginning of the attacks against your constitutional right to defend yourself and your family.
The true measure of your reaction will be how you will react when a network announcer informs the nation that the United Nation has just voted to outlaw American gun owners’ rights. Is it then too late to stand up for your constitutional rights that are taken, courtesy of a then U.S. State Department run by Secretary of State Susan Rice and a President Obama, who emphasizes, “We did it because it is the right thing to do?”
What will you then do America?
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Thanks! Have a great day!
“There’s a time & place for everything” This was not the time for a political dissertation.
Costas has lingered in his twilight time for a number of years. I was struck that he felt so passionate & determined to vent that he had to use another’s words in one long quote to deliver this ferverant commentary…..sorta reminds me of some in the hallowed hall of congress… Nice coverage Kevin
Adam Freifeld
Vice President, Communications
NBC Sports Group
(212) 664-6772
Fax: (212) 664-6035
adam.freifeld@nbcuni.com
Mr Freifeld:
I briefly want to express my extreme displeasure with Bob Costas and his recent, inexcusable use of your company’s resources as a venue to air his political/social views.
Mr. Costas is certainly entitled to his opinion and his right to express that opinion is guaranteed under our constitution, just as the right to responsibly bear arms is protected by that wonderful Document.
You would think that someone who is as seemingly as intelligent and as professionally accomplished as Mr. Costas is, would know that the proper way, and I submit, the way his employer would expect him to air those views would be in the same fashion that any ordinary citizen would responsibly choose to air said views-letters to the editor of his local newspaper, message to his congressman, senator, actively picket in front of the NRA,etc.
I am not a journalist, however I am aware of some of of the basic tenets of journalism. One of those tenets undoubtedly, is to maintain fair and impartial views of issues/reporting of those issues and to give proper exposure to all sides of a news event or issue at hand. In this case, it would seem appropriate that Mr. Costas publicly apologize for the inappropriate manner for which he chose to air his frustrations. Furthermore, Mr. Costas should receive the same treatment that any accountable corporate employee would receive, had they made a serious lack of judgement in airing their political views in the workplace. Reprimand, ethics training, personal improvement plans come to mind.
I think a defining moment in your career is at hand and having the courage to do the right thing in handling Mr. Costas’ abhorrent behavior will display to your audience that NBC Sports runs it’s operations in parallel fashion with tens of thousands of successful US enterprises and that in keeping with your mission statement, NBC Sports exists to provide the best coverage of major sporting events; that you provide a superior avenue through which your sponsors can reach their customers and you do it in a fashion expected by your audience and of yourselves as media professionals. CBS dealt with Jimmy The Greek, Mr. Costas should not be immune from receiving treatment at least along the lines of my aforementioned suggestions.
My mute button will be actively in use whenever I see Bob Costas’ face on my screen until I hear an apology.
Thanks for your time and best of luck in your continued efforts in letting your employees know “who runs the show”.