Over the last eight days, I’ve been following the repeated belittling of a disabled nine-year-old boy by Neal Boortz of WSB 750 AM in Atlanta. It defies logic and decency that one of the most storied broadcast stations in the South would follow such a course; surely financial gain doesn’t justify causing harm to any child, much less a disabled one.
Jordan W never asked to become the target of a bully like Neal Boortz. But last week, several large pieces of ice, probably from a passing airliner, crashed through the roof of his family’s tire ship. Reporters converged on the scene, and one, from WSB TV (both WSB 750 and WSB TV are owned by Cox Communication) recorded Jordan’s smart and plausible reaction to the incident:
Satellite things up in the sky, I thought one of them done fell down in the roof.
Jordan’s father, Gordon W, was also recorded.
On Friday, March 7, at approximately 10:30 am, Mr. Boortz replayed the audio of Gordon W and began mocking the tire shop owner’s speech patterns. In northeast Georgia, exurban Atlanta butts up abruptly with Appalachia; Mr. W speaks in the distinctive dialect of the region. This kind of mockery is the stock in trade of Mr. Boortz, who promotes his show as “America’s Rude Awakening” and ”Insensitivity Training.”
Then Mr. Boortz played the audio of Jordan W. The learning disabled boy shares his father’s distinct Appalachian dialect, and he also spoke very rapidly in his excitement and so was difficult to understand.
Boortz proceeded to mock and ridicule the boy’s speech, to demean his intelligence, and to question his future economic prospects. Jordan may or may not achieve the kind of succes Boortz has achieved—four million listeners, successful books, television appearances, speaking engagements—but there’s no reason to belittle his shot at the American Dream.
Boortz demeaned the child for over an hour, replaying the tape again and again and laughing that he couldn’t “translate” Jordan’s words. Boortz also said Jordan “sounds as dumb as a stump” and would probably wind up “changing tires” or “farming worms.” Boortz even accused Gordon W of child abuse based solely on his son’s speech patterns, an accusation echoed numerous times in his listener’s comments on this blog.
The line between good and bad taste was being pushed for a ratings bump, only this time, the schtick involved a young child. On his website, an unrepentant Boortz asked his listeners this question:
“Is Neal being too hard on that 10-year-old boy from North Georgia with the thick accent?” One of the statements respondents could choose from: “mah diddy sez neil’s bein ignert.”
On Tuesday, March 11, I heard Boortz again ridiculing Jordan, whom he had now dubbed “Little Buford” the “future worm farmer.” No child deserves such treatment, not on a playground or in a home, much less on national radio. I contacted Gordon W and asked him if Jordan was aware of what was being done to him. Mr. W said he was, and that
“…it’s really disturbing him…he’s really, really sad about it.” Mr. W also had a message for Boortz: “We just want him to leave us alone.”
With Boortz’s huge local following—Lula is less than an hour north of Atlanta—it was inevitable that Boortz’s abuse would come to the attention of Jordan and his family. In fact, according to Mr. W, people have been coming into the family business and talking about it, leaving Jordan traumatized and depressed. I posted both of the statements above on this blog and also emailed the Boortz show to inform them that Jordan has, among other problems, ADHD. Their response that evening:
Horseshit. There is no such thing as ADD or ADHD.
I replied, “And that justifies harming a nine-year-old child (not ten) named Jordan (not Buford)?” Based on subsequent comments made on air, and on search engine results, I believe that by this time, Boortz and/or his staff had been reading my posts. Their response to me that same evening:
Oh yeah! We’re sitting here just shaking in our boots! Bid bad Preston is going to really show us who’s boss here! Are we in trouble now! I guess we had better all get our affairs in order because soon we aren’t going to have jobs! Oh, the humanity!
The irony of these people invoking “humanity” appears to be lost on them.
On Thursday morning, March 13, I heard Boortz mention me on his program. He noted that I had been “blogging” about him and mocked the idea that he might be held accountable for his actions because of that. It’s hard to believe that by this time he was unaware of the fact that Jordan W suffers from something more than ADHD. (Out of respect for the boy and his family, I’ve agreed not to specify the boy’s disabilities, but to use general terms instead.)
Boortz repeated his attacks that Thursday and posted this on his web site beginning at around 8:30 am:
…looks like we’ve really twisted a few knickers out there with our panning of Lil’ Buford’s communications skills. You remember Lil’ Buford, don’t you? The 10-year-old kid who can’t speak the English language? Yeah .. that one, the future worm farmer.
According to Boortz, a substantial number of emails, some of which mentioned the boy’s disabilities, had been sent to WSB over the week ending Friday, March 14. I sent numerous emails to both Boortz and WSB General Manager Dan Kearney myself. WSB management had to be aware of the situation.
As of the writing of this post (Friday, March 14, 9:00 pm,) the Boortz quote above is no longer available on Boortz’s web site, www.boortz.com. This may be on orders from above at Cox; I certainly hope so.
I hope the W family will file a civil lawsuit against this hateful coward, Neal Boortz, and that WSB will demand at the least an on-air apology and at most a suspension. WSB should also seriously consider making a good-faith offer of compensation to the family to avoid the added trauma of a very public and ugly lawsuit.
I know that James Cox, the founder of WSB’s parent company, Cox Communications, would be scandalized by what’s been done to Jordan and Gordon W. People with disabilities should never be subjected to the kind of abuse heaped on Jordon W, nor should their parents be made to suffer needlessly like Gordon W was.
Sincerely,
Dr. Preston Coleman
March 14, 2008 at 8:38 pm |
Boortz can be an ass, but have you considered that Jordan’s “multiple disabilities” might be a result of a history of inbreeding going on in that family. It would be worthwhile to check how closely related Jordan’s ancestors going back 2 or 3 generations are …
If that is the case than Boortz would be right that Jordan’s condition is his parents fault.
March 14, 2008 at 8:51 pm |
I definately agree that Mr. Boortz has overstepped his boundaries (sometimes I wonder if he has any). I listen to him frequently, and I appreciate that he is not afraid to speak his mind, regardless if it is politically correct. However, I do believe that he has forgotten that his listeners are the ones who are responsible for his great career, not his intelligence (despite what he may believe). Often, I am shocked by the things he says, and many times I do not agree with him. I guess that’s a lawyer for you (not that they all have cushy jobs). But really, he has picked on this boy far too much, and who cares how he talks. Neil Boortz, of all people, should agree that it is the individuals right to speak and educate themselves and their family however they may choose to do so. I definatley beieve an apology is owed to this little boy and his family.
March 14, 2008 at 9:02 pm |
Citizen of Dis, suggesting that the family is guilty of incest is way out of bounds. Lula isn’t an isolated mountain community, by the way. It’s just east of Gainesville and less than an hour north of Atlanta. Within a few years it’ll probably be part of suburban Atlanta.
March 14, 2008 at 9:39 pm |
I wasn’t suggesting incest in legal sense but the question still remains how branches lil Buford’s family tree is going back a few generations. If W married someone from his mountain community it is pretty likely they share more than a healthy share of genes.
Isolated communities tend to inbreed and tend to have an elevated incidence of genetic problems – developmental issues would be a prime example.
March 14, 2008 at 9:41 pm |
whaa whaa whaa…do you not listen to anything we say seriously man grow a pair for yourself. no wonder your a professor. if u stop talking about boortz here and now i will stop commenting you…but seriously its old get a life or something. and stop making yourself sound like a patriot by saying you were threatened. we all know you werent threatened. you have a dramatic mentallity of a 13 year old girl. have a good one.
March 15, 2008 at 6:59 am |
If ignorance is truly bliss, this radio dude must be the happiest person on the planet.
People with developmental disabilities are some of the most underserved and neglected citizens in America. Special Education is one of those areas where system reform is long overdue. If this child is not making gains in speech, it’s likely that the schools are failing him. Maybe the radio dude should take aim at Georgia’s policies regarding people with developmental disabilities and stop acting like the hick he’s trying to portray these folks as.
March 15, 2008 at 10:15 pm |
One big problem with legal recourse these days is that the disadvantaged often can’t buy justice. And if you’re dealing with a person or entity with a lot more money than you, you’re disadvantaged. More money means better legal assistance.
Hopefully I’m wrong and overgeneralizing; I go by my own experience of having my HMO completely clobber me. (My “HMO horror story,” one of too many to count, is at http://www.hmoappeals.com.) From everything I was told, the law was on my side but the insurance industry has such deep pockets nobody wants to go up against them.
People who are poor, disabled, elderly or under other conditions of severe disadvantage or stress make easy targets. It’s hard for us to go through what has to be done even when it’s possible to obtain legal help.
March 16, 2008 at 8:54 am |
Citizen of Dis, let’s goout on alimb and say that there was, somewhere in this little boy’s family tree, some “inscest”. What fault is it of this little boy? Much the same as a baby being born with AIDS because its mother had it, blaming the victim here is completely inexcusable.
March 16, 2008 at 10:58 am |
Congrats! Professor Coleman, for staying on this story–I’m afraid that Mr. Boortz is too old to learn how to behave, but perhaps others with more intelligence and compassion will understand that disabled persons need all of our caring.
March 16, 2008 at 8:51 pm |
WoW, man all I can say is some comments blaming the parents regarding incest sure clears the way for abusing a NINE year old on national radio. There is absolutely no proof and Neil is getting his jollies when he reads something that sounds supportive to him. To me this is so out of bounds and no way supportive of “Free Speech” It is derogatory and inane. Neil needs to lose his job and go pump some gas or fill tires while he is digging for worms on weekends for xtra money. Man if only a court could do that. Justice!
RW
March 17, 2008 at 5:46 pm |
I don’t think you can completely condemn Boortz for poking fun at the 9 year old boy because everyone is guilty of picking on someone because of were they are from, how the talk or even how they dress…hints the infamous line “don’t judge a book by it’s cover”. However I do believe it is wrong for Boortz to keep poking fun at the little boy when he discovered his disabilities because that is something he has no control over and at 9 years old hearing people say the things he was saying about him can be extremely traumatizing to a little boy.
March 18, 2008 at 3:25 pm |
It saddens me to think that someone who has the influence to talk to numerous amounts of people would choose to make fun of a young boy with mental disabilities. What kind of ignorant, heartless person would make fun of someone who is disabled? I feel bad for Neal Borrtz, not with sympathy, but I feel bad for how pathetic and pitiful he must be to think it is right to poke fun of a child who is so innocent.
March 21, 2008 at 8:47 pm |
Boortz is an ass, as well as anyone who hold’s to the idea that being from Lula, a so-called mountain community (which by the way, is not in the mountains), having a country dialect, and having a disability qualifies one to be ridiculed.
March 22, 2008 at 12:05 pm |
I believe Neal Boortz is being an inconsiderate ass about this situation. there is not need to make fun of a little nine year old kid. Another thing that amazes me is that he said there was no such thing as ADD or ADHD…maybe he should do some research before he makes that kindof statement. I am a nanny for a little 5 year old boy that has ADHD and a speech impediment, so i know for a fact that there is such a thing. I would never make fun of him because he couldn’t pernounce something correctly. Boortz is just trying to make himself feel better by putting other people down so he looks good.
March 24, 2008 at 7:49 pm |
Honestly. I believe that Boortz has a right to say what he very well pleases. He has a right to his opinion. He has not threatened the life of this little boy in no way. Why do we have to get so caught up in one man’s opinion. It’s his radio show so he can talk about whatever he wants. So, you disagree about what he says, Is suggesting a lawsuit really necessary? I know so many people, not just my age, but adults who have said some pretty crude things about other people. But hey, thats there opinion. Where we need to draw the line is when a person’s life is threatened and in danger.
March 24, 2008 at 8:23 pm |
If that’s your standard, then you’ll have to condemn Boortz for telling military personnel to “Shoot those leftist bastards dead” at an anti-war rally in Pittsburgh:
http://newsprism.wordpress.com/2008/03/20/operation-chaos-vs-shoot-the-leftist-bastards-dead/
As for the child, just for the sake of argument, imagine that he has bipolar disorder (manic depression) and that public humiliation could literally put him into a psychotic or even suicidal state. Two weeks’ worth of ridicule could foreseeably put the child’s health at risk, and potentially, his life.
March 24, 2008 at 8:59 pm |
Ok, you have a point. What if the kid did have bipolar disorder? But that is a different story. There is no evidence that this kid has any disorder that will lead to a suicidal state. If it wasn’t for your concern on this topic who would take a stand and fight against Boortz? Personally, we shouldnt take Boortz literally. He is expressing his opinion. And who knows, what if the things he is saying is just solely to strike up thought and another outlook on things or just to bring some humor to the show. Boortz is just funny. I can never take what he says literally. Now as far as the “shoot those leftist bastards dead” again, do you really think that he is Literally telling his listeners to shoot them? Maybe its a figure of speech.
March 24, 2008 at 10:12 pm |
You have a point, too. Boortz says things that are outrageous in order to stir up controversy, which increases ratings, which makes money for him and his employer. “Shoot those leftist bastards dead” was probably calculated to walk right up to the line of illegality, not to actually put anyone at risk of violence. The nature of the little boy’s disabilities, however, should be irrelevant; no child deserves to be humiliated on national radio. In time (for example, if a lawsuit is filed,) I believe those disabilities may come out into the open. Until then, I can only speculate…though I’m convinced that Boortz has done real damage to a very fragile and innocent boy. Making money off of adult “leftist bastards” is one thing; making money off any child is another. Keep asking those questions, Nicol–I like your style.
~(8^)}>
April 7, 2008 at 8:56 am |
I realize that Boortz’s job is to stir up trouble, but a line must be drawn. I realize that he has the right to free speech, just like the rest of us, but when he uses that power to mentally harm a child-it’s enough. Not only is ridiculing the child, he is blaming the parents. These are good people and they care about their child- insinuating that they have made him this way is cruel and unacceptable.
April 8, 2008 at 12:42 pm |
I think it is absolutely ridiculous that a man with so much influence over his listeners decides to use that influence to pick on a defenseless nine year old child. In my mind Neil Boortz is nothing more than a bully who only likes to go after people he knows cannot stand up for themselves. I know it is Boortz’s job to cause controversy, but it is not right that it comes at the expense of a little boy. After all this i hacve to take a step back and rerally where we are as a society when a grown man making fun of a little boy’s disabilty can be called “news” or “entertainment.”
April 11, 2008 at 6:09 pm |
If you want to read a little into Boortz’s background go here:
http://blogs.creativeloafing.com/johnsugg/2005/09/
Scroll down on the page for the posts on Boortz! You will find some pretty interesting information on Mr. Insensitivity! Mainly that he’s a Class 1-A liar and Draft-Dodger!
April 13, 2008 at 4:32 pm |
I have a bone to pick with all Neal Boortz listeners. As I see it, he has two audiences: the audience who genuinely agree with everything that Neal Boortz says, and the audience who listens to him because they get all worked up by his outrageous comments. To audience number one: first of all, you’re crazy to actually agree with that ignorant jackass who was able to land a radio show just because of his ability to say radical statements about subjects that he doesn’t have any credible knowledge about. And his ability to “tell the harsh truth”. That’s not so impressive, I can do it too. Watch this. If you honestly believe there’s no such thing as ADD or ADHD, you’re an idiot. If you honestly think that making fun of a kid…mentally handicapped or not…is funny, you’re a shallow and cheap piece of shit slowing down the progress of mankind; let me know who you people are, I would love nothing more than to meet such a classy individual, society’s finest, and tell you how much of a fuckhead you are right to your face.
Next, audience number two, you’re almost worse than audience number one. If you don’t like him, first of all, who shouldn’t encourage him or support him at all; in fact, you should go out of your way to encourage people not to listen to him. If he pisses you off that much, I have some good, easy advice for you: stop listening to him, dumbass! The more listeners he has, the more money he makes, and the easier it is for him to say stupid shit that will only make you more frustrated. If he doesn’t have listeners, he doesn’t have a show, and the morons from audience one can’t get their daily dose of ignorance. Secondly, why would you waste your time listening to him if you don’t agree with him? That doesn’t make any sense, and now I think you’re kind of stupid too. Do something else…listen to a book on tape or music or the news or a radio show that you do agree with, for example.
April 14, 2008 at 2:32 pm |
I can not believe that Neil Boortz would say something so demeaning to someone so young who has a disability! There is no excuse for the comments he made toward this young boy nor the comments he made about the boys father. I understand that he was trying to make a comment more so about our education system, but he could have gone about it in any other way.
April 14, 2008 at 9:03 pm |
I’ll admitt that I tune into “The Neal Boortz Show” on a daily basis. I find his program to be very entertaining. I don’t have to agree with what he says in order to tune in to his program. It is an entertaing alternative to the mind numbing music that is constantly repeated on the radio. All entertainers push the envelope when it comes to content. Turn to Comedy Central on TV or go to a stand up show sometime you can find the same stuff there. Boortz is an entertainer.
April 14, 2008 at 9:24 pm |
There is no reason…..NO reason for ANY adult to ridicule or make fun of a child. Yet here is Boortz getting away with ripping a disabled child’s self esteem to shreads for ratings. Of course, part of this “on the air viciousness” is our fault because we listen to Boortz & mentally or verbally engage in (either in favor of or against) his outrageous comments. This child is not responsibile for whatever situation he was born into, and he is certainly not responsible for his disability (by the way, with regard to the above comment about Jordan’s disability being the result of inbreeding within the family… I was born in one of the most podunk cities in Tennessee and raised in the most podunk city in north Georgia, & I don’t know of one single person whose parents, grandparents, or any of their relatives were incestuous. They do, however, speak with a definite twang – that does not mean they are ignorant or that their parents were cousins.
April 15, 2008 at 11:52 am |
Boortz is a tool and a bully who hides behind his First Amendment right to free speech. There is a major difference between making fun of adults and political officals and in making fun of a 9 year old disabled boy. Jordan W has no control over the hand in life he has been delt, but Boortz can control his mouth.
And to Citizen of Dis – I am from Habersham County, which borders Lula (a part of Hall County). Being from a small down does not mean someone is inbred and anyone who thinks that needs to stop being a close-minded idiot. Lula is a pretty, small town with nice residents. Where do you live that taught you to be so critical?
June 25, 2008 at 8:38 am |
I suppose NB would like to us to think of him as father of the year. However, I lost respect for him back in his WRNG radio days when he very self-righteously explained to his listeners that he had given his daughter up for adoption. His ex-wife was just too difficult to deal with. The daughter he mentions on his show is actually his wife’s daughter – whom he then adopted. It made things so much more convenient for him!! This is the daughter he professes to care for, but actually sent to public schools. Remember, he hates public schools and public school teachers. I guess daughter wasn’t worth the money that he could easily afford for tuition. Additionally, he has mentioned his adopted daughter much less lately. I wonder why. Has she become a loony librul? Is she pro-Obama? Is she gay?
It seems that the small business owner, who actually takes care of his disabled son is a much better father than the arrogant, well-heeled Neal Boortz.
February 18, 2009 at 2:41 pm |
Boortz insensitivity and ignorant comments are not new news to me. His double standards and treatment of some of his call ins can be brutal. I do believe it is wrong to make fun of the disabled and less educated. However, I am not sure if Boortz was aware of the childs fundamental problems. However, the unremorseful comments that were made in return are disgusting. I also think there is an interesting racial aspect to this situation. Lets say that the nine year old boy was an african american from metro atlanta. Could you imagine the uproar? Just an interesting thought