Freedom of Speech & Assembly

Considering the profession I have chosen for myself... I'm a firm believer in protecting our first amendment rights. But one of my biggest pet peeves is when people claim to be advocates of those rights, yet they condemn others for practicing those freedoms. For example, Alaskan opponents of Governor Sarah Palin's policies... who are speaking out vocally... are being threatened by some who disagree.

Alaska Women Reject Palin, a local group that opposes the Republican vice presidential candidate, announced last Wednesday it's plans to host an anti-Palin rally this weekend. Since that announcement, organizers say they've received intimidating messages. That's because an Anchorage radio talk show host.

A press release for the Reject Palin rally went out to practically every media outlet in town Wednesday. And that radio host, Eddie Burke, decided to share the names and phones numbers of the two contacts on-air. His decision has left organizers feeling somewhat fearful of practicing their First Amendment rights.

KBYR talk radio host Eddie Burke admits he is a conservative and a supporter of Palin. But on Wednesday Burke resorted to name calling when he found out Alaska Women Reject Palin planned to host a Saturday rally. He called them "a bunch of socialist baby-killing maggots." When I interviewed him Thursday, he said he was " probably a little over the top."

The talk show host encouraged listeners to call the two women listed on the press release, which he calls a public document. Burke says he released the information across the airwaves because organizers had included their contact numbers in the press release.

But some listeners ended up making abusive threats toward the two rally organizers.

One message said, in part, "You liberals need to get a life. What is wrong with you? You think you speak for everybody? You don't speak for nobody but your individual, stupid selves."

An organizer of the rally said the message "shocked" her. Channel 2 News is not publishing or broadcasting the name of this organizer.

"I was honestly shocked because I couldn't believe that a member of the media would take information that I think is pretty standard in a press release and use it for what seems like pretty unethical purposes, for one thing," the organizer said.

This organizer and another woman have voicemail boxes "full of messages," they say, thanks to Burke.

The messages range from people objecting the rally to personal threats.

"To really abusive, hostile, you know, swearing, personal attacks, name calling," they said. Burke says he never told his listeners to threaten the women. He is backed up by his boss, Justin McDonald.

"I don't think Eddie told anybody to harass anybody; he just said, 'Hey, call and give your opinion,'" said McDonald.

On Thursday Burke returned to the airwaves and asked listeners not to threaten anyone.

"Today I'm going to go on the air and talk to listeners and say, 'Listen, you can express your point of view, but don't threaten people, OK?' Because that, I don't think is good for the public discourse. It doesn't help anything," said Burke.

Burke also announced Wednesday he is sponsoring a counter-rally for the same time and same place as the Reject Palin rally Saturday.

The anti-Palin group says everyone is welcome.

"Our group is committed to staying above the fray, taking the high road. We don't intend to engage in any verbal altercations or anything like that, we just want to speak our mind and go home," said an organizer.

The two rally organizers who received threatening phone messages did call the police. They were told they could file a report alleging harassment against those who left messages.

And even though Eddie Burke did not tell his listeners to make threatening calls, according to Anchorage Police Department Lt. Paul Honeman, Burke did instigate the harassment.

Here's the story that aired on Sept 11th:

(Photographer: Carolyn Hall/KTUU)

After we aired the story, there was quite a bit of outrage from our viewers (and from people throughout the Lower48 logging on to our website to watch). I received many e-mail messages from people singing my praises for reporting on this. And apparently, those same viewers contacted KBYR.

Over the weekend, the radio station's manager, Justin McDonald, decided to suspend Eddie Burke without pay for the entire week -- not because of the name calling... McDonald said Burke violated company policy by releasing the names and phone numbers of the two rally organizers.