Full body scans of a man and woman. Given the current security situation, the federal government is considering measures such as these types of invasive scans to detect terror plots like that used by the underwear bomber. Unfortunately, these techniques still cannot detect explosives and other contraband hidden in bodily orifices. Photograph courtesy of Wired.

Imagine being the host of one of the most successful American morning shows on television. People love you. They love your personality, your charm, your wit. People look to you for advice, but they also look to you for some early-morning fun.

Now imagine that one day, on camera, you make an incredibly stupid remark poking fun at people different from you. The viewers don’t seem to notice, though. Maybe the remark was said too quickly. Or maybe they thought the joke was funny. Regardless, you go on with your show, the show ends, and you go on with your day.

One person remembers though. Me. Unfortunately, you made one deeply offensive, ignorant comment that deeply resonated with me.
The FOX & Friends morning show can certainly be entertaining. In fact, I know many people who watch this show every day. Anchors Steve Doocy, Gretchen Carlson, and Brian Kilmeade make an engaging trio. Their appealing personalities make their show one of the most watched morning shows on television.

The anchors seem to make ridiculous remarks quite frequently, but this particular comment left me so dumbfounded that I stared at the television with a face that resembled the genie from Disney’s Aladdin.

Kilmeade discussed President Barack Obama’s response to Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab’s failed bomb attack when he referred to Abdulmutallab as the “would-be crotch bomber.” Doocy then shifted the discussion to a lighter tone, in which he lauded Kilmeade’s apparently original nickname. After a few laughs Carlson decided to make this stupid comment: “It’s impossible to say his last name anyway.”

Now this might just be a joke, but no one should be made fun of or judged based on his or her name. A name is someone’s identity, and it says nothing of a person’s personality or character.

These sorts of inconsiderate jokes tell viewers that it is acceptable to criticize someone based on his or her name.
What Abdulmutallab did was inexcusable and deservevs punishment—but the condemnation should rest solely on his actions rather than how complicated his last name is.

One of the reasons why this issue strikes me so much is that I don’t have the most ‘conventional’ name either.

People have unintentionally butchered my name many times, and many people still do. It’s not very hard; the name is pronounced exactly the way it is spelled. But if people accidentally pronounce my name incorrectly, I would not hold any grudge against them. Instead, I would respect the fact they tried to respect the name my parents gave me. But people too lazy to even try to pronounce my name correctly instantly lose my respect. It especially annoys me when this sort of laziness translates into third-rate jokes attacking minorities in our post-9/11 world.

Carlson never seems to be far from controversy. She once referred to the late Senator Ted Kennedy as a “hostile enemy… on the home front” for disagreeing with the Bush administration on congressional approval for troop surges in Iraq. On the issue of free speech, she has stated, “I am tolerant. I’m all for free speech and free rights, just not on December 25th.” Apparently, Carlson is a big fan of the United States Constitution, just not on Christmas Day.

I don’t mean to infringe upon Carlson’s free speech rights. I believe that everyone deserves the right to freedom of speech everyday. Carlson should be allowed to say what she wants, whenever she wants.

However, she must be aware of people who don’t agree with her views. Such criticisms can come in various forms, whether as an article or increased voter-turnout against conservative candidates.

I find it funny how many right-wing political analysts have discussions on why minorities tend to not vote for the more conservative candidates. None of the analysts realize that one of the reasons is that conservative political commentators, such as Carlson, straight-up attack minorities for no reason.

Why should I, a racial minority, vote for a candidate who does not even respect the vast diversity that makes this country unique?

Though I tend to agree with the social and economic viewpoints of more liberal candidates anyways, I know quite a few minorities who refuse to vote for Republican candidates. It is not because the voters do not agree with the conservative platform, but because the people representing the conservative platform are intolerant to people who are different from them.

Neither Carlson nor conservative analysts should be surprised.

No one should be judged based on his or her external features or what other people label him or her.

Though people have the right to make politically incorrect jokes, TV shows should use better judgment when addressing a national audience that includes minorities of all races, religions, and ethnicities.