Grey's Petition: Bring Back Dr. Burke - Calls it Racism

**sluce** · June 20th, 2007, 03:04 PM

Sorry but I do not see how his dismissal is racism. I had to laugh when the author cited other minorties who were dimissed from ABC. She fails to recognoze that most were let go to lack of talent or bad ratings.....

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Grey's Petition: Bring Back Dr. Burke
Lesbian Activist Thinks Firing Was Racist

POSTED: 1:16 pm EDT June 20, 2007

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There's been a bit of unexpected support for fired "Grey's Anatomy" star Isaiah Washington. Survey: Bring Back Isaiah Washington?

The New York Post reported that a gay and lesbian activist, Jasmyne Cannick, is circulating a petition urging ABC to bring Washington back to the show.

Washington had been axed after using an anti-gay slur to refer to a cast mate, but Cannick said the dismissal reeks of racism. She said ABC has gotten rid of a number of black actors recently and believes that there was a concerted effort to push Washington out of his job months after he made the remark and after he entered therapy and began public service for the gay and lesbian community.

On her Web site, Cannick urges readers to send Band-Aids to ABC's president to "let the healing begin."

Full Text Of Cannick's Petition

To: Steve McPherson, ABC Entertainment, Disney ABC Television Group

To: Steve McPherson, ABC Entertainment, Disney ABC Television Group, and Isaiah Washington Fans Around the World:

The decision to not bring back our beloved Dr. Preston Burke, played by actor Isaiah Washington, on the next season of "Grey's Anatomy" just further adds to a disturbing new trend at ABC wherein six people have been dismissed. Four Blacks, including Isaiah Washington ("Grey's Anatomy"), Star Jones ("The View"), Harold Perrineau "Lost"), and Page Kennedy ("Desperate Housewives") have been let go. Add to that George Lopez, a Latino, of the "George Lopez Show" and out lesbian Rosie O'Donnell of "The View." Now mind you, these are some of your networks most highly rated shows and so one must ask themselves, what is going on?

It's a fact that Isaiah has been the target of an orchestrated campaign focused on getting him fired from "Grey’s Anatomy" since the incident with his co-stars was unleashed in the media. And while we don't approve of his use of the f-word at the Golden Globes, Washington has since apologized and go onto to perform community service by way of a Public Service Announcement for the very organizations that have been orchestrating his dismissal. But it seems it wasn't enough.

Isaiah Washington doesn't deserve to lose his job and ABC can't afford to let another minority actor go, especially an African American considering you have so few to begin with.

Keep Dr. Preston Burke on "Grey's Anatomy!"

If you want Isaiah Washington to stay on "Grey’s Anatomy," please sign this petition and forward the petition to your mailing list.

Thank you for taking the time out to read this.
Sincerely,
Click Here To Read Names

**NoLifeLucy** · June 20th, 2007, 03:28 PM

mm mm mm is all I can say. LETS PETITION FOR AN END TO THE WAR - how about that?!

find a life please - Isaiah is gonna be fine - we sure need to learn how to pick our battles better.

**mella** · June 20th, 2007, 03:30 PM

I want a petition to get that show off the air

**TheONe** · June 20th, 2007, 03:32 PM

^^I agree...I can't stand hearing about this show anymore

**Grimmlok** · June 20th, 2007, 03:32 PM

Firing someone for being a bigot means you're racist?

ROFL

That's fucking HILARIOUS.

People will pull the race card for anything.

**Lily** · June 20th, 2007, 03:35 PM

Originally Posted by mella

I want a petition to get that show off the air

Me too.

I like the MadTV spoofs of Grey's Anatomy, though.

**witchcurlgirl** · June 20th, 2007, 03:37 PM

So let me get this straight....

Imus was fired for using the N word....

This guy used offensive anti-gay language, and now he won't take his medicine???

It's racist that he's being fired?

God, I live in a country that has completely forgotten about personal responsibility

**mamaste** · June 20th, 2007, 03:41 PM

How is getting fired from Grey's a bad thing???

**Chickadee** · June 20th, 2007, 03:43 PM

Wasn't Page Kennedy fired for exposing himself?

**RevellingInSane** · June 20th, 2007, 04:55 PM

Just cancel the damn show and be done with it!

**nycgirl** · June 20th, 2007, 08:55 PM

god I'm so sick of the race card being played over and over....its getting ridiculous

**RevellingInSane** · June 20th, 2007, 09:58 PM

Don't call people nasty names. If Knight had burst out with the N word, he would have been fired the same day. I find it insulting that everyone was forced to work with Washington after he literally dragged a man from the closet!

He should be happy he was not beaten up and fired that day!

**kingcap72** · June 21st, 2007, 01:01 AM

Originally Posted by RevellingInSane

Don't call people nasty names. If Knight had burst out with the N word, he would have been fired the same day. I find it insulting that everyone was forced to work with Washington after he literally dragged a man from the closet!

He should be happy he was not beaten up and fired that day!

Exactly. And Washington would've been leading the charge to have him fired. So, he can't cry discrimination when he discriminated against Knight and created this whole mess to begin with. I hate when people play the race card to get themselves out of hot water, because it always casts doubt on the people who really are being discriminated against.

But I think this is why ABC waited so long to fire Washington. Because from a business standpoint they were in a tight spot. You have one minority insulting another minority. If you fire one, you get accused of discrimination and possibly sued. But if you don't take action, you get accused of discrimination and possibly get sued.

So, they wait until the end of the season, and write Washington out of the show. That way it covers their asses. They can just say his character had run it's course, and it was a creative decision. True, I think it was wrong for them to make him go through all of that rehab and PR nonsense just to fire him anyway. But I understand it from a business end.

**Grimmlok** · June 21st, 2007, 01:06 AM

yeah, and if he really wants to bust out the 'oppression' card, I'd like to remind him that homos are pretty much the ORIGINAL oppressed minority, and have been crapped on in most places.. INCLUDING AFRICA.

So he can bite me.

**kingcap72** · June 21st, 2007, 01:08 AM

Originally Posted by Grimmlok

yeah, and if he really wants to bust out the 'oppression' card, I'd like to remind him that homos are pretty much the ORIGINAL oppressed minority, and have been crapped on in most places.. INCLUDING AFRICA.

So he can bite me.

I don't think there is an original oppressed minority, but I get what you're saying.