On Tuesday, right wing radio personality Dr. Laura Schlessinger greeted a caller with a racially charged outburst, repeating the n-word 11 times and trivializing the racism encountered by many Americans. Accusing the caller, a black woman married to a white man, of racial hypersensitivity, Dr. Schlessinger said, “if you’re that hypersensitive about color and don’t have a sense of humor, don’t marry outside your race.”

Michael B. Keegan, President of People For the American Way, issued the following statement:

“Here we go again with Laura Schlesinger. Dr. Schlesinger’s recent tirade is extremely disturbing, but hardly surprising. Her use of defamatory language, and attendant defense of other racist stereotypes, is only the latest in a long line of offenses. In the past, Dr. Schlessinger has called homosexuality a ‘biological error’ akin to pedophilia or bestiality. That her uninformed disrespect extends to people of color as well as to gays and lesbians comes as no surprise.

“By labeling her caller, or any other person of color who has felt the sting of stereotyping, as ‘hypersensitive,’ Dr. Schlessinger showed herself to be hyper-insensitive as always.

“On Wednesday, Dr. Schlessinger apologized for ‘articulate[ing] the n-word all the way out.’ But this isn’t just about a word. More odious is Dr. Schlessinger’s obvious bad attitude towards people of color and other minorities. Her apology is insufficient and insincere. I can only hope that in the future, Americans look to a more enlightened source for personal advice.”

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