Shock Jock Mocks Lady With Down Syndrome

From the New York Daily News: A shock jock who mocked a woman with Down Syndrome after she mistakenly called into his show has been suspended from an Ohio radio station.
Kellie Baker, 30, who has Down Syndrome, was trying to call a friend, but mistakenly dialed The Mo Show at Q92, a radio station near Canton, Ohio.
DJ Mo issued an apology at 2 p.m. today on 92.5 WDJQ, stating that he is willing to meet Baker for a face-to-face chat.
“At the time of the call, I honestly believed it was a prank. However, that doesn’t excuse what happened or what I did. I take full responsibility. I am truly sorry and I hope I can earn your trust back,” DJ Mo said in an audio file released BY Q92....
The call took place Jan. 21, and as soon as Baker called DJ Mo the trouble started:
DJ Mo: You what, the who, the where?
Baker: I talk to Kelly Ann Burkhart.
DJ Mo: You what?
Baker: Okay. I want to talk to your daughter. Kelly Ann Burkhart.
DJ Mo: Eh, Uh… I don’t want to come across — obviously you have some sort of a speech impediment.
Baker: Uh…no, this my voice.....
As soon as Baker hung up the phone, she frantically called her mom. She was crying as she explained what happened, according to Ball.
“She told my mom, ‘I’m a 30 year old woman, I have feelings too, and I hurt, too. Why would he make fun of me?’” Ball said.
The Bakers believe that DJ Mo can screen conversations before they go on air. An attorney for the station declined to comment on whether DJ Mo pre-recorded Baker’s conversation.
“He knows that she dialed the wrong number,” Ball said. “This never needed to be aired, period.”
Ball said her family was “outraged” by the DJ’s behavior. At first, they wanted the disk jockey fired.
But after several family meetings, the Bakers decided that to use the opportunity to spread awareness about how people with disabilities should be treated.
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/dj-suspended-mocking-syndrome-woman-article-1.1252671#ixzz2Jd07vLfj
To mock a person with disabilities, and I don't think the DJ would have mocked her if he had known she had Down Syndrome, to me, is not entertainment.  But I'm old school where I was raised to respect people.
On the other hand, the DJ does have a point: Text messages coming in: “Hey Mo, calm down. You’re a great guy, if no one can take a joke theydon’t have to listen to your show.” “Still love your show Mo.” “Mo don’t get discouraged people need tolighten up.” See I nee-- you gotta understand something alright? I understand that. I totally get that. Peopledo need to lighten up. You need to understand the context in which something is being said. What’shappening is this… all this anti-bullying, this… uh, PC stuff is ruining entertainment. I really believe that.It’s ruining entertainment. It’s ruining what I do… what a lot of people do. And ye--- ya run into adilemma… when you know what you’re capable of doing and… you just can’t do it. You, you can’t do itanymore. Eh-uh- it just-- the, the, the radio industry just is what it is, man. You know what’s funny is back when I was younger and I got in to the business I didn’t care. I just did whatever I wanted. Now there wasgood and bad to that.
I do agree that now, you have to be politically correct.  For instance a San Fran 49er yesterday came out against a gay football player being in the 49er locker room and he was just trashed for speaking his mind.   He then was forced to apologize.  Why?  He spoke his mind and had his opinion  but he was forced to apologize.  If the gay community cannot handle what some football player says, then they are in some serious trouble.
Family Guy rips on everybody, including the disabled, Christians, stroke, cancer and AIDs victims, among others.  No one protests them, at least not like this family, but this case  revolves around an individual, so that is a little different.
In the end, I don't think the DJ  knew he was ripping on a Down Syndrome lady but he probably shouldn't have been ripping on a disabled person who could not defend themselves either.  On the other hand, we are also  to damn politically correct.