# Anthony Cumia of "Opie and Anthony" fired for "racist tweets" **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [July 5, 2014, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anthony-cumia-of-opie-and-anthony-fired-for-racist-tweets/692381 "2014-07-05T00:02:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 12
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2014, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anthony-cumia-of-opie-and-anthony-fired-for-racist-tweets/692381/221 "2014-07-08T05:41:59Z")
> [@Hector\_St\_Clare](#): > > Having actually read the stuff that you and **Shodan** are linking to, I must say that I don’t find anything particularly objectionable in what he writes, and I agree with him much more than with you. You _agree_ it’s only bad to say most South Africans are “living in the bush” _because it’s not PC_? O-kaaay. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2014, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anthony-cumia-of-opie-and-anthony-fired-for-racist-tweets/692381/222 "2014-07-08T05:43:38Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > Let me guess, you want to take away his right to vote, too? Now, now, jsgoddess, **Shodan** never said that. He was just cool with me _waiting_ another ten unnecessary years to get that right. ---
**Author:** ![cantcurecancer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9a28c/32.png) [@cantcurecancer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cantcurecancer)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2014, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anthony-cumia-of-opie-and-anthony-fired-for-racist-tweets/692381/223 "2014-07-08T07:09:18Z")
> [@Hippy\_Hollow](#): > > **cantcurecancer** is actually questioning whether Cumia is racist _despite the sterling (no pun intended) record of racist jokes, insults, stereotypes, etc. he’s produced over time._ Who’re you gonna believe, me or your lying eyes? No I said that even if he is racist, that doesn’t make what he said in the tweets racist. Then I went on to concede the point because it doesn’t really matter IMO. I feel like nobody should be afraid to lose their job, or be questioned by the police, or wear a scarlet ‘A’ because of their opinion. That’s the first step towards thought-crime and other totalitarian utilities that condemns someone for having a difference of opinion. Your bus boycott analogy is exactly what I’m advocating for. If Anthony’s opinions were truly unfit for this society, the market would’ve spoken and their numbers would have tanked overnight. That didn’t happen and wouldn’t have happened from what I can tell. > [@](#): > > As others have said nobody’s First Amendment rights have been abrogated. Cumia is free to say more and double down on his rants. Of course, in the marketplace, his employer can break him off for acting like an ass. I disagree. I don’t think an employer should have the same 1st amendment rights as a human being. They shouldn’t be able to fire someone for a difference of opinion, there should be a business reason. And before you start with the “being associated with racism” crap, again, if the listeners hated his tweets so much, the numbers would have dropped. I also don’t think a business should be allowed to discriminate based on race or gender. There’s a difference between being racist and performing racist acts. Anthony isn’t stopping black people from doing anything, unlike racist whites from the 50s or people that are against gay marriage. The second you use your 1st amendment rights to deprive others of their 1st amendment rights is where the line is at IMO. Anthony did none of that, all he did was post mean words on the internet. That’s my two cents…maybe I’m wrong or just twisting myself into a pretzel to defend an idiot who doesn’t know where the line is. But I will never concede freedom of speech or the ability to hold an unpopular opinion, not even an inch. ---
**Author:** ![Sr\_Siete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@Sr\_Siete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sr_Siete)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2014, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anthony-cumia-of-opie-and-anthony-fired-for-racist-tweets/692381/224 "2014-07-08T07:56:15Z")
> [@cantcurecancer](#): > > No I said that even if he is racist, that doesn’t make what he said in the tweets racist. No, what makes his tweets racist is the fact that they are. Unequivocally. 100%. Out and proud. Absolutely unarguably racist. > [@cantcurecancer](#): > > Then I went on to concede the point because it doesn’t really matter IMO. I feel like nobody should be afraid to lose their job, or be questioned by the police, or wear a scarlet ‘A’ because of their opinion. That’s the first step towards thought-crime and other totalitarian utilities that condemns someone for having a difference of opinion. And I’m fine with that, but if you say that he was fired for insulting a black woman, you are misinformed. He was fired for the subsequent racist tweets. Which were racist. ---
**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2014, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anthony-cumia-of-opie-and-anthony-fired-for-racist-tweets/692381/225 "2014-07-08T08:08:16Z")
> [@cantcurecancer](#): > > Your bus boycott analogy is exactly what I’m advocating for. If Anthony’s opinions were truly unfit for this society, the market would’ve spoken and their numbers would have tanked overnight. That didn’t happen and wouldn’t have happened from what I can tell. > > I disagree. I don’t think an employer should have the same 1st amendment rights as a human being. They shouldn’t be able to fire someone for a difference of opinion, there should be a business reason. And before you start with the “being associated with racism” crap, again, if the listeners hated his tweets so much, the numbers would have dropped. Listener numbers don’t drive the radio business, advertising revenue does. If advertisers pulled their sponsorship from the Opie and Anthony Show - as they often do in situations like this - that’s a pretty solid business reason to get rid of the guy. ---
**Author:** ![VarlosZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d78d45/32.png) [@VarlosZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VarlosZ)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2014, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anthony-cumia-of-opie-and-anthony-fired-for-racist-tweets/692381/226 "2014-07-08T10:29:52Z")
> [@cantcurecancer](#): > > But I will never concede freedom of speech or the ability to hold an unpopular opinion, not even an inch. His 1st Amendment rights are still pristine. He is perfectly free to hold unpopular opinions, to believe racist things, and to promote those racist beliefs in a very public forum. We know he is free to do these things because he \*did \*do them – nobody stopped him, he isn’t going to be charged with a crime or sued, he won’t be barred from running for elected office, etc. At the same time, for my 1st Amendment rights to be in force, I must be free to call him a racist asshole. Sirius XM has 1st Amendment rights, too: they chose to exercise their freedom of association when they severed ties with Cumia. Really, everything is working as it should be. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2014, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anthony-cumia-of-opie-and-anthony-fired-for-racist-tweets/692381/227 "2014-07-08T11:11:42Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > I will just mention that neither of these statements are accurate. The first was discussed [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=15683024&highlight=Shodan+Africa#post15683024), and the second is complete fiction. > > Regards, > Shodan Not concerning specifically the “bush” phrase, but from that thread I’d draw people’s attention to post 13. (I don’t know how to post links to specific posts in a thread without it being a link to _just_ that post, which I don’t want to do so as not to lose context.) ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2014, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anthony-cumia-of-opie-and-anthony-fired-for-racist-tweets/692381/228 "2014-07-08T11:15:43Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > Yup. I read every one of your posts in that thread, and there’s nothing in there in which you distinguish significantly between the two statements, except to call one of them “politically correct.” Absent further explanation from you, sure looks as though you think both statements are acceptable. Here’s hoping you’ll give me the power over you to say that’s a flat-out racist thing to think. Yes, **Shodan** , you’re arguing that since A has the same semantic content as B and B is not racist, it follows that A is not racist. But to that reasoning there are a lot of counterexamples. I’ll just give one, after which I’m sure you’ll have the idea: Since “nigger” has the same semantic content as “black person” and “black person” isn’t racist, it follows that “nigger” isn’t racist. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2014, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anthony-cumia-of-opie-and-anthony-fired-for-racist-tweets/692381/229 "2014-07-08T11:22:58Z")
> [@cantcurecancer](#): > > I disagree. I don’t think an employer should have the same 1st amendment rights as a human being. They shouldn’t be able to fire someone for a difference of opinion, there should be a business reason. And before you start with the “being associated with racism” crap, again, if the listeners hated his tweets so much, the numbers would have dropped. So he could say “the Nazis were right, the Jews should be wiped off the planet”, and you wouldn’t think his employer would have _the right_ to fire him? It’s just a difference in opinion on whether the Jews should live or die? Or he could say “it’s perfectly okay to have sex with children, just don’t get caught”? Or are these opinions different? Holy shit, dude. Holy, holy shit. ---
**Author:** ![you\_with\_the\_face](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ecccb3/32.png) [@you\_with\_the\_face](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/you_with_the_face)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2014, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anthony-cumia-of-opie-and-anthony-fired-for-racist-tweets/692381/230 "2014-07-08T11:36:18Z")
> [@cantcurecancer](#): > > I disagree. I don’t think an employer should have the same 1st amendment rights as a human being. They shouldn’t be able to fire someone for a difference of opinion, there should be a business reason. They had a perfectly legitimate business reason: they didn’t want his image fucking up their reputation and profit margin. Who are you to insist that SiriusXM is wrong for not keeping this guy on _their_ payroll? He isn’t entitled to their airwaves, you know. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2014, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anthony-cumia-of-opie-and-anthony-fired-for-racist-tweets/692381/231 "2014-07-08T11:37:06Z")
> [@cantcurecancer](#): > > I feel like nobody should be afraid to lose their job, or be questioned by the police, or wear a scarlet ‘A’ because of their opinion. That’s the first step towards thought-crime and other totalitarian utilities that condemns someone for having a difference of opinion. Pure D bullshit. He’s not required to wear a scarlet A. I am, however, free to say that he’s a stupid racist asshole. Them’s my first amendment rights. As for losing his job because of a difference of opinion? He got his job because of his opinions! DO you think that if a Fox News commentator started going on the show every day singing the praises of Obama and insulting Boehner and mocking Fox News’s “Fair and Balanced” motto that they’d keep their job? Do you think that I’d keep my job as a teacher if I started publicly saying that children are stupid and unteachable? It’s perfectly common to be required to hold a particular opinion (or at least act as if you do) in order to keep a job. That whole “thought crime” business is insanely stupid. Nobody is going to jail. Nobody is wearing a red A. Freedom to (not) associate rights are being exercised alongside free speech rights. That’s all. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2014, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anthony-cumia-of-opie-and-anthony-fired-for-racist-tweets/692381/232 "2014-07-08T11:55:44Z")
> [@Frylock](#): > > Not concerning specifically the “bush” phrase, but from that thread I’d draw people’s attention to post 13. (I don’t know how to post links to specific posts in a thread without it being a link to _just_ that post, which I don’t want to do so as not to lose context.) If you click on the thread title link from a single post, it should jump you back to the thread, but in context (or, [like this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=15676765#post15676765)) - you can then use that link instead by copying from the address bar (or just right-clicking and going “copy link location” on that thread title link) ---
**Author:** ![Hector\_St\_Clare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5ac83/32.png) [@Hector\_St\_Clare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hector_St_Clare)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2014, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anthony-cumia-of-opie-and-anthony-fired-for-racist-tweets/692381/233 "2014-07-08T13:07:47Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > Well, you would say that…which link just supports what I said > How else are we supposed to interpret you stubborn defence of the race realists who believe Africans have sub-adult intelligence? Maybe because the race realists actually have evidence on their side, instead of political dogma and ideological fashions? While I’d vaguely identify with the ‘race realist’ rather than ‘race denialist’ side of the spectrum, I’m not convinced at this point, that the claims about genetically based racial differences in IQ are either right or wrong. I think the jury is still out, although some of the sillier claims of the race denialists (that IQ differences are due to culture, poverty, etc.) are clearly garbage. And, of course, ‘innate/biological’ doesn’t mean ‘genetically based’, nor does it mean ‘unchangeable’. Having said that, I think one side generally has more respect for unbiased scientific procedures and ideology-free research than the other one, and it’s not yours. ---
**Author:** ![Hector\_St\_Clare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5ac83/32.png) [@Hector\_St\_Clare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hector_St_Clare)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2014, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anthony-cumia-of-opie-and-anthony-fired-for-racist-tweets/692381/234 "2014-07-08T13:09:12Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > Let me guess, you want to take away his right to vote, too? I don’t think I know enough about his political and moral views to know for sure. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2014, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anthony-cumia-of-opie-and-anthony-fired-for-racist-tweets/692381/235 "2014-07-08T13:11:14Z")
> [@Hector\_St\_Clare](#): > > Maybe because the race realists actually have evidence on their side, instead of political dogma and ideological fashions? The ‘race realists’ do not have evidence on their side. They’re making bad conclusions based on bad science. > [@](#): > > I think the jury is still out, although some of the sillier claims of the race denialists (that IQ differences are due to culture, poverty, etc.) are clearly garbage. Cosidering that parental income has a well-known correlation with IQ test scores, which is not denied by even the ‘race realists’, I think your knowledge on this subject is pretty lacking. ---
**Author:** ![Hector\_St\_Clare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5ac83/32.png) [@Hector\_St\_Clare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hector_St_Clare)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2014, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anthony-cumia-of-opie-and-anthony-fired-for-racist-tweets/692381/236 "2014-07-08T13:13:56Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > There is a difference, and it’s not just a difference in degree. A person who uses a racial epithet can’t hide behind the defense of ignorance; a person who uses a word like “savage” can. If you don’t know about the history of racism behind the use of “savage” as a noun, sure, you might get away with a warning. If you know its history and use it anyway, well, the finger-wagging starts for realz. The reason I use ‘savage’ to refer to cultures with backward practices (like slavery, cannibalism, widow-burning, etc.) is _precisely because_ of its history: in this case, because I want to soundly reject the idea that all cultures are equal, and because I want to convery an expectation that members of those cultures ought to change. The reason I use ‘savage’ to refer to _individuals_ who do disgusting things is somewhat similar. I’m not particularly bothered if you choose to wag your fingers, or whatever. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2014, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anthony-cumia-of-opie-and-anthony-fired-for-racist-tweets/692381/237 "2014-07-08T13:18:24Z")
> [@Frylock](#): > > Yes, **Shodan** , you’re arguing that since A has the same semantic content as B and B is not racist, it follows that A is not racist. But to that reasoning there are a lot of counterexamples. I’ll just give one, after which I’m sure you’ll have the idea: > > Since “nigger” has the same semantic content as “black person” and “black person” isn’t racist, it follows that “nigger” isn’t racist. “Nigger” doesn’t have the same semantic content as “black person”. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2014, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anthony-cumia-of-opie-and-anthony-fired-for-racist-tweets/692381/238 "2014-07-08T13:24:05Z")
> [@Hector\_St\_Clare](#): > > Maybe because the race realists actually have evidence on their side, instead of political dogma and ideological fashions? Ha HA Ha! The “race realists” have their entire underpinnings based on outright lies, like those of Richard Lynn. > [@](#): > > While I’d vaguely identify with the ‘race realist’ rather than ‘race denialist’ side of the spectrum, I’m not convinced at this point, that the claims about genetically based racial differences in IQ are either right or wrong. I think the jury is still out Tell that to the scientists who work in the field, like, say the members of the [AAPA](http://www.virginia.edu/woodson/courses/aas102%20%28spring%2001%29/articles/AAPA_race.pdf) > [@](#): > > Having said that, I think one side generally has more respect for unbiased scientific procedures and ideology-free research than the other one, and it’s not yours. HA, HA, HA. Sure, Rushton and Lynn are unbiased and ideology-free.:rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2014, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anthony-cumia-of-opie-and-anthony-fired-for-racist-tweets/692381/239 "2014-07-08T13:25:08Z")
> [@Hector\_St\_Clare](#): > > I don’t think I know enough about his political and moral views to know for sure. What the everliving fuck? ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2014, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anthony-cumia-of-opie-and-anthony-fired-for-racist-tweets/692381/240 "2014-07-08T13:27:36Z")
> [@Hector\_St\_Clare](#): > > I use ‘savage’ to refer to cultures with backward practices […] like slavery Those savage Confederates. And the Romans - buncha savages, I tell you. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anthony-cumia-of-opie-and-anthony-fired-for-racist-tweets/692381.md?page=11) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anthony-cumia-of-opie-and-anthony-fired-for-racist-tweets/692381.md?page=13)