Letter to Sean Hannity of Fox News

I sent the following letter to Sean Hannity recently in response to his misrepresentation of what I said on his show regarding the Mumbai terrorist attacks. I have not received any response back from him. Today I read it aloud on my Sirius-XM radio program and am now making it public here as well.

Dear Sean,

I saw a report about last night's show that quotes you as follows:

"Hannity continued by saying, "We had Deepak Chopra on last night and he's blaming America! ...He was blaming America for the attacks in Mumbai and I challenged him on it and I'm like, 'Wait a minute. You've done so well in America. Why are you blaming us?' We protect 100% of the world's population. We're 4% of it."

I am really disappointed in you. Do you not remember your other guest when I was on, former Defense Secretary Bill Cohen? He made the same point I did about America's policy toward the jihadists: "Are we creating more terrorists than killing them?" Ironically, this question is attributed to Donald Rumsfeld.

It really doesn't matter to me personally whether you agree with me or not. Leaving our debate aside, your habit of taking statements out of context and playing the blaming game is sad. You have a powerful platform that influences many people. Why do you use your influence to monger fear, militancy, divisiveness, and jingoism?

I was hoping to come back on your show and have a reflective, intelligent dialogue, but perhaps the attack mode is the only way you know to make a living. The best excuse for your dishonest accusations against me is that you don't believe what you're saying. The far right has deflated, so you are there to pump it up with hot air. If you stop blowing, you'll be out of a job. I empathize.

Love,
Deepak

PS: No one expects the right wing to change, but for what it's worth, they have entered an era of reconstruction. They've lost both their power and their credibility. Instead of trying to educate me about being an American, you might want to re-educate yourselves about dirty pool and below-the-belt attacks. Just a thought.

Read Deepak Chopra on Intent.com to listen to his Sirius-XM radio podcasts

Comments

[kidflash]

Good letter but I don't think Hannity can read anything other than right wing talking points.

[KillBillV2]

Why waste your time?

[TP]

Amen, Mr. Chopra. A sad fact of neo American life is that almost all of the armed forces officer corp and a great many, if not all, of the police chiefs and their departments believe the shite that oozes from each and every faux conservative propagandist. Their hate and fear mongering has penetrated our non thinking masses. ( red state consciousness ) I recommend that they read and heed your words. Good work.

[Ratt]

Well, Chopra still didn't answer the question. Why does he think Mumbia was America's fault.

[MonaLisa65]

Sean took something Mr. Chopra said out of context, to make it sound like Deepak blames America.

He said, "Well, first of all, I don't think Dorothy Rabinowitz has any sense of history. If she did she would know that in the 1980s the CIA financed the militarization of Afghan rebels to resist Soviet expansion in the region. At the same time the U.S. subsidized Pakistan's intelligence agency, the ISI, to train and provide tactical support to these Mujahideen who later became Taliban.
So, you know, there's a history there that clearly suggests that the U.S. activity in the Indian continent for the last few decades has in some way participated in the creation of this mess that we have.
What we have to understand, what Miss Rabinowitz does not understand is that killing a terrorist is not the same thing as killing their ideology.

Later, Bill Cohen said, " ...but we've got to approach this on a global basis because the terrorism is not regional, it's global, and I think that we've got to do is look for ways in which we can reduce the killing of innocent people. I wanted to do that when I was secretary of defense. Collateral damage, we tried to minimize it because every time you kill an innocent person... you're going to cause hatred towards United States.
(CHOPRA): That's all I'm saying. I'm totally agreeing with Bill.

Read the transcript yourself and decide: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,460246,00.html

[SNaru]

Can moral and legal argument be made to set intellectual standards as to who gets to speak in the public sqaure, which in effect what television is, without encroaching on freedom of speech? Because I believe that people like Hannity have steered the public discourse and the collective consciousness, if not of all American then at least of many, into an abyss of bigotry and anti-intel­lectualism­. Is there anything elitist about the notion that Television must play a role in enlightening people, brining more people into the ream of serious intellectual discourse? wasn't that an Ideal of democracy? that more people ought to be able to take part in the intellectual discourse?

[Carol06095]

You say you want intellectual discouse but if anyone disagrees with you, they are stupid, idiotic, and not to be trusted. So you don't want intellectual discourse, you want everyone to agree with you. As for television playing a role in enlightening people, get real. What shows have the most ratings - - not shows that have intellectual discourse. Most people have problems such as food, warm clothes, job loss, getting children through college. We don't need our Televisions preaching at us about how we should or should not live our lives and what we should believe in. So you don't like Hannity - but isn't he part of the discourse that you so actively seek.

[MonaLisa65]

Actually, it seems apparent that Hannity's television persona is such that, if anyone disagrees with him, then THEY are the ones labeled '...stupid, idiotic, and not to be trusted'. His style of discourse seems to consist mainly of talking louder and faster than whomever he's disagreeing with. The 'discussion' becomes a shouting-match, no one can be heard, and I learn absolutely nothing.

I worry about things like food, shelter, the bills, my job and getting the kids through college, too. I want new ideas explained, and hear why they might work. Then I want to hear intelligent counter-points and constructive criticisms. I want to HEAR intelligent discussions about these problems; how we got into this mess, what's being done now that's not working, and what maybe we CAN do to fix it. Maybe that kind of thing is being said on his show, but I just can't pick it out with all that 'theater' going on.

So, no. I would not consider Hannity to be part of the discourse that I actively seek.

[Ydnic]

Hannity read the letter on his radio show yesterday. He laughed all the way through it. He also made a big deal out of Deepak's closing "Love, Deepak," which went far above Hannity's head. He does not get that Deepak promotes the beliefs that all the masters that walked the earth promoted - unconditional love and acceptance of one another.

Hannity is so narcissistic that he will never see that the higher the monkey climbs the tree, the more he shows his a$$.

[kallisti7]

Go Deepak! Speaking truth to power! L-o-v-e it!!

[donnybrkgr]

Mr. Hannity has done well for himself doing just what Mr. Chopra claims. With just a High School diploma how do you think Mr. Hannity affords his brand new $12 million dollar mansion in Long Island, NY? If you want money bad enough it is not surprising. It is the Sean Hannity American Way after all. All for one and none for all- words Mr. Hannity lives by, and by any means.

[Flaminglib]

Hannity subscribes to a particular formula because it gets ratings. Period. TV and radio programs live and die by the ratings they earn. That's why he was able to renew his Fox contract for so much money. Little things like morality, facts, logic, and presenting events or quotes in the proper context are insignificant when compared to pulling in viewers or listeners. Hannity knows that outrageous comments made by an "attack dog" will pull in the far-right wing listeners. This is the part of his party that thinks Sarah Palin could have represented the interests of the US on the world stage. Unfortunately, Mr. Chopra, trying to appeal to him with logic won't work. He doesn't use it or need it. As long as the neo-cons keep tuning in and patronize the advertisers that support his show, he's set. I understand your passion for setting the record straight. Unfortunately, this is a man who makes a living by distorting the record and using it to advance his agenda.

[ging100]

Well said...and I agree 100% of this post...it's all about the ratings and advertisers and their contracts...and you know- FOX will go along with it...sad sad people....sold their souls to the devil for the love of money...

[AngieMom57]

Yep, I agree.

Mr. Hannity has compromised his normal bodily functions, like sleep, by being a puppet.

[LeftCoastLarry]

This open letter from Deepak is an example of why the right-wing­-lunatic-f­ringe has been deflated. They are being exposed to the light of day by the blogsphere. The MSM failed to do its job and people like Deepak, Jon, Arianna are doing a fantastic job of filling the void.
Way to go!

[Fight4Freedom2008]

Ratings are everything...

[MajorBarbara]

I'm not surprised at all. That's what the goons at Fox do. It's easy to avoid this kind of mess. Do not go on the network.

Plain and simple.

[LeftCoastLarry]

I disagree. Deepak did a great job handling himself at fair-and-balanced Fox. What we gained from this is a wonderful example of how they operate. It exposes to the rest of the world their true nature.

[Indyfromny]

I agree, exposing the lies and forcing a debate on the issues is crucial. Its just that in the forum they set up it is very difficult to sustain any intelligent dialogue without being cut off.

[didyoueverthinkofthat]

Dear Deepak,
There is an empty senate seat in Illinois. Perhaps maybe a Governorship. Please apply.

[cliffhammond]

Now that is an interesting thought!

[nvr2late]

Great idea!

[Chaucea]

LOL! Pwnd! :-D

[MyGuyO]

I am ashamed to say that a good friend of mine truly believes that "Sean Hannity is a true American."

Love this open letter to Sean Hannity, Mr. Chopra. Thanks for many times over.

[mky267]

perhaps he meant 'natural born American'

[Ugonna]

GO DEEPAK!!!!!!!!!!!!