You Had A Lot to Say About This Story

By
Radio Ink
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87

Many of you had an opinion on the Len Nelson story. Nelson was suspended from his morning show job by Woodward Radio Group for posting nasty comments to Facebook about Rush Limbaugh. We asked if you thought Nelson should be fired. Here’s what you had to say….

First…here’s the story once again. Reader comments follow at the bottom

Woodward Radio Group host Len Nelson is sitting on the sidelines hoping he won’t get fired for posting vile remarks about Rush Limbaugh’s death on his personal Facebook page. Nelson has been suspended indefinitely from his morning show co-hosting duties on WAPL in Appleton.

Nelson posted that Rush’s show was “steeped in bigotry, misogyny, hypocrisy, lies and malice. He wrote “conservatives have become less informed, less tethered to factual evidence and less tolerant. And, he ended with the “the world is a better place without Rush Limbaugh.”

WAPL-FM, where Nelson works is a Rock station (they do not carry talk programming). Listeners immediately pounced on Nelson’s post. Trevor Fenske, who uses a picture of Rush as his profile picture on Facebook, posted Nelson’s comments and the telephone number for the radio station asking for others to take action. They did….and so did the station, suspended him.
Once Nelson was suspended he issued a lengthy apology hoping he’d be able to keep his job. He says he now regrets posting his thoughts. “While I was no fan of Limbaugh for a multitude of reasons, my post clearly disrespected him and, in turn, disrespected those who were his fans and those who feel that what I wrote was unbecoming, mean or even disgusting. In the post, I said that I do not celebrate his death but also do not feel sorrow for it. That was insensitive, uncalled for and unnecessary. For that, I am truly sorry.”

He also admitted he gave is employer no choice but to suspend him. “I regret that it has forced them to deal with something with which they had no involvement. It was inconsiderate of me to ignore that, with my public position, what I do and say in public reflects on them.”

He ended by stating that he’s willing to take whatever steps necessary to get his job back.
“To those of you with whom I’ve admittedly sparred too harshly, I sincerely apologize. I should have had more respect for each of you. To those of you who have supported me along the way, thank you. But please do me a favor and take a moment to do what I have done here. We should all reconsider how we interact with those with whom we have differences. There must be a better way than the path I’ve too often tread. I wish I had done such self-reflection earlier but I believe we can all learn from our mistakes. I’ve taken a look into the mirror and what I saw is not the best person nor the best employee I can be. I pledge to try harder and be better.”

Should Len Nelson be fired?

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87 COMMENTS

  1. Frankly, I’m tired of the snowflake generation. Poor you, for your feelings hurt. Get over yourself. I’ve been a long time listener of WAPL. Never really cared what him or his co-host had an opinion on and surely could have cared less what it was. Left, right, racist, blah blah blah. Who cares. Besides, he posted his statement as his personal opinion on social media that had nothing to do with the station, which people do every day on social media…none of that carried into the show. So tired of you pussies getting butt hurt. Give your balls a tug and figure it out or go crying all the way home. Every one of you does things that don’t reflect your employers values at some point. Maybe you should resign from your job on principle now if you think what WAPL did was right because you’re no different.

  3. Useless transient len nelson had absolutely NO reason to be such a great example of a poor human being. NO public media figure in wisconsin is EVER that outright blatantly opinionated or even outside of the monday night inebriated inbred packer fan. Say what len we ‘make a plan’ to end your bigotry and racism of those you profess to believe have free speech. Liars who practice in the media are not real entertainers.

    • And you are no better for saying what you said in your post than Len. You should resign for your employer on principle now.

  4. Limbaugh said much worse things about people or groups
    he hated…..so why take actions against Nelson, who had nothing
    to apologize for. Nelson is basically correct.

    Eddie Ytuarte, Oakland Ca.

  5. In this day of over-the-top political correctness where everyone is offended by everything and social media controls peoples thinking I still see and hear celebrities and politicians expounding their personal opinions no matter how vile anyone else thinks they are. And while I disagreed(and strongly on occasion) with Len once in awhile–we all have a choice. We can choose not to listen or just accept that this is supposedly a nation of free speech and go on from there. I think you have to be an idiot if you just assume(snowflake) that Len’s opinion is automatically that of the station. What I find infinitely more annoying are the Scott(wooo!!) ads. NOT Len’s opinions.
    Add this to getting rid of Elwood on the roadshow and I see Wapl losing me as a listener for good. Management caved and mishandled.

    • Another lie! You obviously never listened to the show of any length of time, nor have you ever met the guy! Rush was a true Gentleman who told the truth, which many people couldn’t handle as they have been brain washed with lies from leftest Educators and liberal media for so long. If you don’t know the truth, if you don’t have a plumb line to measure things with, you will swallow the lie. “You will know the truth and the truth will set you free!”

    • Apparently you are one of those sheep that only listen to Leftist Propaganda. To make informed comments you need to be informed, not make brainwashed statements. Rush’s show was over 99% Factual.

  8. Why should WAPL fire Len? If carefully read what Len wrote, every word was factually correct and hardly worth job termination.
    Might even be worth a wrongful termination suit.

  11. Y’all. Saying Rush is racist,… it’s beyond my comprehension. He worked Daily for decades with his main most man, Snerdley. That cancels all your racist BS. It blows my mind. Our country is shot. I mean if people are gonna call him racist Knowing that,… 🤷‍♀️😢🤯🤯sorry my mind is blown. Idk how we can mend the divide. In my mind there’s no point in talking anymore if people are gonna do this

  12. Poor Len. An irritable old boomer with an accordion looking for a job. Picture that. Should have kept your mouth shut, Len.

  13. Ok you’re sorry, well I’m sorry to that you thought you could post that without consequences… unfortunately your apology is like the guy who shuts the barn door after the horse is out, sorry got to side with the company on this one

    • But let me guess, you’re one of the people screaming about the cancelling of Dr. Seuss and that Pepe LePew. Pot, meet Kettle. You’ll complain about cancelling until someone on the other side gets cancelled, then it’s totally okay. The best part, you won’t even see the hypocrisy in it.

    • That’s pretty poor business decision making. Sure, if you are going to hurt it so bad that there is no way you would ever be profitable for them again. But plenty of people have made mistakes that hurt their company’s bottom line – but their overall value was high enough that the temporary damage wasn’t enough to make it a good idea to fire them over the one mistake.

      There are jocks who have made mistakes like airing obscene words that are only supposed to be heard in Wal-Mart – not on the radio – and even though they cost their company a pretty penny, they are kept on.

      Jocks who make mistakes with trademarked material and cost their company money are still employed.

      One mistake doesn’t, shouldn’t and didn’t use to mean certain dismissal.

      We live in strange times. Companies that treat a bunch of complaints by people that aren’t even customers of theirs as being so important that they should fire the host, rather than learn from it and move on aren’t very business savvy in my opinion.

      This would likely have blown over in short time.

      BTW, I liked Rush and think what the jock did was abysmal. But I don’t think he should have been fired for it.

  15. Let’s not operate under the false assumption that cancel culture is something the left uses exclusively. Need I remind everybody that conservatives pretty much created this with The Dixie Chicks.
    Secondly, Rush Limbaugh was a public person. I see plenty of conservative radio hosts who have bashed public figures on their social media accounts and their shows with no repercussions. I’ve read Sports Talk show hosts who do the same with athletes. Did Rush Limbaugh himself receive punishment when he played “Barak The Magic Negro?” Why is this man being threatened for his job for doing what so many people in our industry are paid to do? everyday?

  16. Cancel Culture is dumb, but, if we’re gonna do it, let’s do it both ways. If we’re going to preach equality, then let’s equally cancel. Seem fair.

  17. He should not be fired because what he said was the truth. Not all Rush fans are racist but best believe all racist are Rush fans and at this point this goes for fans of Trump. What the Trump presidency has shown us is historically there will be two sides, right and wrong. The Rush fans will be on the wrong side just like Trump and Fox News and the confederacy. White people trying to hold on to “their” America, voting against their own self interest being used as pawns by the larger system. They will be the villains in the Ken Burns Documentary 😂 Is this you?

    • I’ll supply an answer for you. I loved Rush’s show. Does that make me a racist? No. You decide in your post to introduce ‘whiteness’ commentary. Does that make you a racist? You will need to answer that one. As far as Nelson is concerned, he seems contrite. Is he deserving of consideration for a chance to make it right? In my view, absolutely. Comments made out of emotion are not only incendiary, they are dangerous. How soon we forget a similar campaign was waged by the Nazis against the Jews. Yes, it started in the same manner.

      To play the race card is not only a cop out, it only serves to inflame and divide rather than pursuing and promoting mutual understanding.

      It is most ironic that those who take this road, be they be liberals of any color, are the same ones who claim to idolize Martin Luther King, yet dismiss one of his greatest philosophies.

      To emphasize not the color of one’s skin, but the content of his character.

      • Bob, gotta call you on the MLK quote. That was a part of his dream. And the point was that he lived in a society where he was judged by the color of his skin, not by the content of his character. And unfortunately more than 50 years later we do still live in a society where the color of one’s skin matters more than the content of their character. Maybe less so than when Dr. King spoke that day, but yet and still color matters.

  18. Len Nelson, I despise your words, your contempt and expression of hate for another human being, dead or alive. However, I will defend, to the death your right to speak them. Yes, employers have a duty to protect and preserve their reputations and their businesses. Statements made on personal time on a public forum should be at the discretion of the citizen and not controlled or censored by the employer or the platform. And, I can love you despite a disagreement or difference of opinion…I love you Len!

  19. Another hate-filled liberal driven by feigned virtue and emotion. No he should not be fired. conservatives do not believe in cancellation of someone they disagree with.

      • What is your definition of cancelling? Program directors eliminate artists and songs all the time. That is way different than posting hate filled messages about someone who just passed away on social media. If you own a radio station and didn’t like something Rush said, just drop his show and replace it with something else! It is the FREE market in action. Just do it and shut up! You don’t have to broadcast your hate filled “feelings” to the whole world.

  20. Len just proved that Liberals are the mirror image of everything claim to hate. The hate and venom he spews against those he claims spews hate and venom is pure hypocrisy. He should be relieved of his position, not for what he said, but for his hypocrisy.

  21. I would effectively argue against every word he said because it is demonstrably wrong. But that’s where we are in this tit for tat, burn ’em to the ground culture we’re living through. He needs the arena of ideas, not the coliseum of cancellation. Let him work.

  23. I read the story on Yahoo about Rush’s passing. In the comment section, people were calling him every name in the book, and then some, including Hollywood celebrities, who are still trying to be relevant. Insensitive and disgusting remarks. Karma is a bitch, and as one person wrote, until they shut the comment section down, I hope all the bashers, get cancer of the eyes. I would agree with that.

    • So all the racist, horrible horrible things that Limbaugh said through the years, don’t matter to you? You’re ok with that?? Well, you’re right btw. Karma is a bitch. …Look what happened!

  24. Len just got a reality check . He has been allowed to run his mouth for years . I gave up listening to their mourning show years ago I dont want to here about his political views it is supposed to be a comedy show. I have never heard a political view on the Bob and Tom show and they are actually funny and entertaining not biased and immature. Len was allowed to run amuck and he got to full of himself, it just caught up with him.

  25. I appreciate you telling the truth. Truth is refreshing in this time. I fully support your personal post. It’s timely in many ways. Those who spew lies and hate but drive ratings are considered within the company boundaries. Those who tell the truth, are not. I do believe the decision makers need to look up from their spread sheets and realize that the American people are looking for truth tellers. Just ask Texas today! Those who get it will start driving those ratings, those who don’t are going to wish they’d kept you employed. i’m sorry they decided that speaking from the other side of the issue was a fireable offense.

  26. Every word he said was true, was sensibly stated, and in no way demeaned the memory of Rush Limbaugh. Rush Limbaugh did all of that by himself. It wasn’t even close to any of the things Limbaugh said, or how he said them. For those of you who suddenly forgot, here’s a tiny sampling of the hateful, racist, homophobic nonsense that Rush spewed on a daily basis:

    He began airing “Barack, the Magic Negro,” a racist parody song about then-Sen. Barack Obama’s popularity with many white voters, in 2007.
    In John K. Wilson’s book, The Most Dangerous Man in America: Rush Limbaugh’s Assault on Reason, the host was quoted as saying this homophobic statement: “When a gay person turns his back on you, it is anything but an insult; it’s an invitation.”
    In his “Undeniable Truths,” written as part of an article for the Sacramento Union in 1988, Limbaugh wrote, “Feminism was established so as to allow unattractive women access to the mainstream of society.”
    In a later updated version, he wrote:
    “The Earth’s eco-system is not fragile.”
    “Women should not be allowed on juries where the accused is a stud.”
    “The Los Angeles riots were not caused by the Rodney King verdict. The Los Angeles riots were caused by rioters.”
    On The Rush Limbaugh Show in 2004, he said, “I think it’s time to get rid of this whole National Basketball Association. Call it the TBA, the Thug Basketball Association, and stop calling them teams. Call ’em gangs.”
    As a young broadcaster in the 1970s, Limbaugh once told a Black caller: “Take that bone out of your nose and call me back,” according to Fair.
    During The Rush Limbaugh Show in 2013, he said, “If any race of people should not have guilt about slavery, it’s Caucasians. The white race has probably had fewer slaves and for a briefer period of time than any other in the history of the world.”
    During The Rush Limbaugh Show in 2017, regarding LGBTQ+ politicians being elected to office, he said, “I guarantee there’d be some people in the Republican establishment who will now think, yeah, we need to do this. We need to provide a home, we need to provide a comforting atmosphere for the tranny community and the gay community. But those people are voting Democrat anyway.”
    ” ‘Ching cha. Ching chang cho chow. Cha Chow. Ching Cho. Chi ba ba ba. Kwo kwa kwa kee. Cha ga ga. Ching chee chay. Ching zha bo ba. Chang cha. Chang cho chi che. Cha dee. Ooooh chee bada ba. Jee jee cho ba.’ Nobody was translating, but that’s the closest I can get,” he said on his radio show while “translating” Chinese President Hu Jintao in 2011.
    Limbaugh called Georgetown law student Sandra Fluke a “slut” and a “prostitute” after she publicly advocated for universal contraception coverage, NPR reported in 2012.

    So – compare any of that stuff to what Len Nelson said, then stuff your righteous indignation and moral outrage. Conservatives are all ragey about ‘cancel culture’ and then want to cancel the guy who criticizes what Limbaugh did? You can’t have your First Amendment cake and eat it too. If you want to defend Limbaugh’s right to say the stuff he said, then this shouldn’t even be an issue. Ridiculous.

    • Points very well taken. Limbaugh was a mean-spirited, racist Darwinist. His legacy is that he spread lies and hate. And the Rush fanboys here on Rad Ink loved Rush because of all the money he made them. Principles mean nothing to them, it’s all about the money.
      Big big props and credit to Radio Ink itself though. This publication clearly always allows divergent viewpoints in their comment section. That is the hallmark of a great media product, that allows a free flow of ideas and opinions.
      If Rush had allowed divergent viewpoints on his show and treated those callers with civility, many people including me would have thought more highly of him today.

    • Brian
      You never actually listened to his show did you ? If you had you would know he always had Snerdley put caller who disagreed with him to the front of the call list.He lived for animated and informed discussions with opposing viewpoints
      unlike this idiotic forum.Console yourselves children, the mean Rush man is gone.Go back to your quiet room and play.

  29. Cancel culture has gone far enough. Yes, this accordion-playing fool has a silly opinion but he would be wise to understand that conservatives are the only reason that any business works at all. If the world were run by people like him, people would only sit around smoking cannabis and telling each other why it should be legal. He obviously has no other marketable skills and is too old to be anything other than a bitter old space wasting Marxist but if he shows up on time and does good prep, let him work.

  31. It’s OK for the Progressives to shut down Twitter, Facebook ect. to
    the right. As soon as the reverse is true the lefties start crying as usual.

    This guy should be doing the graveyard shift in Presque Isle !!!!

  32. Since Nelson’s remarks are factually correct, why should he be fired? His ending line about the world being better off without him is a bit tasteless, but the rest of what Nelson said accurately describes Rush Limbaugh. Incidentally, Limbaugh, when challenged about what he said on the air, usually replied, “Lighten up, it’s only entertainment.”

  33. Just an aside: The ignorance and hatred spewed in some of the comments by “professionals” reacting to this article is very disappointing to say the least.

  36. I have to agree with the poster about the cancel culture statement. Put your big pants on, we are in America, we are allowed to practice free speech. This is another reason, though, why I chose my fasting to be from social media. God bless!
    ((My views Do not necessarily reflect those of my employer))

  37. First amendment rules are not meant for a DJ in Appleton Wis. but they apply to a president who incites an insurrection??? What he said was insensitive. He apologized. One big issue remains for the owner of the radio station: will the advertisers jump ship? Unfortunately it will probably come down to a financial decision.

  38. We all need to be kind and compassionate I didn’t agree with Rush in his approach, but he as a human being with family, friends, and family who are hurting due to his passing. It is time for us to all learn and use emotional intelligence. This DJ is a public figure and has influence. He has an opinion and his right to it- but he has a duty to show compassion

    • He did not grant the families of human beings that died of aids, or Jerry Garcia or many other people. If RL didn’t have a “duty to show compassion” then nor should anyone else in response to his death.

  39. Actions, or in this case words, have consequences. This is an example of the kind of hate talk that has brought America to it’s knees. His furthering of the problem is an example of how the media has given way to being sensational, not just factual. If the owners feel that the proper action is to fire him, then they should do so.

  40. We are what we think. He is what he has been taught to think. He never heard Rush Limbaugh, obvious to open-minded people who knew Rush’s heart. Appleton is no different than Oshkosh, Chicago, or East Chittlinswitch, or anywhere-near-college campus, USA: hate, hate more till all the love is gone leaving an empty dark spirit. He needs more help than this job. It may already be too late.

  41. His comments about Rush were surely insensitive and disgusting…and his views on Conservatives are typical “left wing” nonsense…but let’s stop the “cancel culture” vindictiveness that is destroying the country and everyone’s lives who are destroyed because we don’t offer forgiveness anymore. His words are his opinion and ones I completely disagree with, but they are just that – “words” and he has every right to them. Because we disagree with a difference of opinion, doesn’t mean someone’s career and life should be ruined. We can stop the cancel culture right here…and get back to free opinion and free speech for ALL.

  42. The last sentence is probably what triggered the response and got him suspended. It doesn’t look like the company owns a Rush affiliate station, so that gets taken out of the mix. Anytime you stick your neck out, it could be a problem. Just because you are a rock station, you have to know that some of your listeners listen to other stations and that some listened to Rush. Other than that last sentence, he just gave his opinion, which is shared by many, including me. The death wish part is over the line, and different than if Rush had retired and said something like “Radio is better off without Rush.”

  43. If this guy was truly sorry for what he said and realized it was not the proper thing to do, then why make such a post in the first place!?

    His sorrow only comes due to the fact that a group of people called him out on it and now fearful of loosing his job. Yeah suck it up buttercup! You’re an entertainer working through the medium of the public air waves.
    Watch what you say, when and how you say it. Lots of future employers look at your conduct in forums like Facebook to determine if you are going to be a risk or an asset.

    As an employer, I would not want someone on my staff shooting their mouth off, online and wonder if that that same person is going to come unhinged on the air.

    Use your brain people!

    • …yet it was OK for Rush to make an entire career out of “shooting his mouth off” about private citizens’ deaths? Whatever buddy!

  44. His apology is really an appeal to get his job back, however I think we can all learn from what he said about the importance of self reflection.

    Now to the question.

    Trust is like glass once it is broken it can not be restored to its original condition.
    If station management does not trust his judgement they should not employ him.

  46. DC, we all know social media is the CB radio on the new millennium so negative posts are not surprising. You can’t Deny that Rush had and kept one of the largest audiences in radio history. I believe this means negative posts on FB are far less then the numbers that listened to Rush everyday. Get Real Man!

  47. He may lose his job at a rock station for telling the truth/saying what many are saying about a repulsive dead talk show legend on his own fb page ?! Seriously ?!

  48. Yeah, I’ll take higher taxes and $5.00 a gallon gas so we don’t have to read those nasty tweets anymore. We’re all going to miss Rush and Trump soon enough.

  49. The guy’s apology was a menial, mealy-mouthed response to cultural pressure and says as much about the polarized culture as it does about his original comments. Limbaugh was a well-known bigot who had been touching the hem of Lord Trump’s robes since that malignant weasel oozed down the escalator.

    Now his job is at stake and, given the opportunity, he would be wise to keep his thoughts to himself – not a particularly useful state of affairs. But now he knows: If he’s going to cross that Rubicon, they are going to take a switch to him – let him know who’s boss.

    First amendment rules, after all, are not meant for everyone.

      • You are correct, Bill. The ‘Ronald T’ leftists of the world always get it wrong…when it suits them. Yes, a private company like this radio company can, indeed, terminate this buffoon for not representing company values…or, in this case, basic human decency and dignity.

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