Dear C-SPAN:

We continue to receive many complaints from C-SPAN viewers about the unchallenged anti-Semitism and bigotry aired by callers to your shows, and we believe those complaints are justified.  Recognizing that we share with you a commitment to freedom of speech and the marketplace of ideas, we also believe that respectable journalistic organizations have a responsibility and an obligation, consistent with the First Amendment, to speak out when the forum they provide is used to disseminate hate and anti-Semitism.

In a recent interview on terrorism with Michael Scheuer, former CIA Bin Laden Unit Chief, C-SPAN host Bill Scanlan listened attentively -- without any challenge or response of any kind -- to a virulent anti-Semitic rant from "John from Franklin."  Franklin said:

"I for one am sick and tired of all these Jews coming on C-SPAN and other stations and pushing us to go to war against our Muslim friends. They're willing to spend the last drop of American blood and treasure to get their way in the world. They have way too much power in this country. People like Wolfowitz and Feith and the other neo-cons -- that jewed us into Iraq -- and now we're going to spend the next 60 years rehabilitating our soldiers -- I'm sick and tired of it."

Following this outrageous tirade, Scanlan should have stated, very clearly, that he found such statements abhorrent. 

While Franklin and other callers of his ilk have a right to their views and to express those views, they have no constitutional right to airtime on C-Span's Washington Journal.  We urge you to evaluate your policies and procedures on how to handle such offensive remarks by callers, as well as issue an apology for this particular segment.