“29 Years of Racist Diatribe to be continued in San Diego”

By Herman Baca
President, Committee on Chicano Rights

News reports that hate talk show mouth piece Roger Hedgecock aka ‘‘Hedgecrook’’, head of San County’s white supremacist extreme right wing has announced after 29 years of making millions of dollars that, “He will stop hosting his nationally three-hour syndicated radio show. “‘Hedgecrook’s’ announcement was met with shouts of good riddance, hallelujah, cheers, overjoy, gratification and amen by SD County’s Chicanos and Tijuana’s Mexicano communities.”

The reasons for the above glee is because persons of Mexican ancestry on both sides of the U.S/Mexico border have had to endure for the last 29 years, “ ‘Hedgecrook’’s’ racist immigration diatribes, and white supremacist vigilante campaigns such as Light up the Border, Roger’s Airport Posse at Lindbergh Field, etc. Those political campaigns were carried out with the full acquiesces of KSDO, KOGO and KFMB that provided ‘Hedgecrook’ the air waves to spread hysteria with his white supremacy hatred, race baiting, and bashing broadcasts against persons of Mexican ancestry.

Unbeknown to many today is that Roger ‘Hedgecrook’ as Mayor of San Diego (1983) started out as a progressive liberal, but like most politicians he was soon corrupted by money. Indicted and charged with political corruption (1985) he was then forced to resign after being convicted as a white collar felon on 13 felonies. Pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy and found guilty of twelve counts of perjury. As with most white collar crime charges in 1990 were ultimately dropped, ironically (now that he claims to be a right winger) on technicalities that right wingers hate.

In my opinion, after charges were dropped against him, he was again corrupted by money (this time by the extreme right wing) and rewarded with his own radio talk show. The price (monetarily and otherwise), I presume was to toe the extreme right wing conservative stances on most political, economic, and social issues. Those issues included abortion, homosexual behavior, big government, high taxes, and their favorite; opposition to “illegal” immigration, that started Roger opportunistic blaming and bashing of Mexicans.

With his announced partial retirement (he is still not gone) ‘Hedgecrook’ after 29 years will leave SD County with a shameful and despicably historical record of himself, “representing the worst elements of San Diego’s shrinking white minority community, and providing his minions i.e. white supremacist, racists, and right wing nuts a political forum to incite hatred and hysteria against persons of Mexican ancestry.”

Like George Wallace, Storm Thrumond, Bull Connor and other figures of the segregated South, ‘Hedgecrook’ will always be remembered by California’s soon to be majority Chicanos/Mexicanos population as, “the dye in the wool racist white politician that opportunistically made (and continues) to make a lucrative career by bashing Mexicans, and high profits for the corporate owners of KSDO, KOGO and KFMB for the last 3 decades.” ‘Hedgecrook’s racist broadcasts, aired on their air waves have always been rationalized (by the above stations) as being part of, “the free market of ideas.”

“KSDO, KOGO and KFMB radio & TV management and owners in my opinion are just as guilty (if not guiltier) than ‘Hedgecrook’ for their complicity in allowing him to continue his Mexican bashing on their air waves; to rake in the almighty dollar.”

‘Hedgecrook’s’ claim that his national program was canceled due to, “A transition point in my life,” is pure bunk. The real reasons according to those in the “know” are because of changing demographics in San Diego County and the U.S.” In other words a purely business decision arrived by management and owners (and not ‘Hedgecrook’), who understand that sooner than later, or in the very near future; hate talk show hosts such as ‘Hedgecrook’, Lingbaugh, Hannity, O’Riley, Savage etc., minority listeners base of whites will be become fewer and fewer, and that will ultimately affect their bottom lines.

Reports by KFMB that, “Roger will continue to be part of the KFMB family with daily features on both KFMB Radio, and a weekly feature on CBS 8” has caused some alarm on both sides of the border. Those persons can take solace because as ‘Hedgecrook’’s national program was cancelled, the above programs will meet the same fate; due to changing demographics in the near future!