Agreeing with Lamm, Rosen said Hispanic and African-American “subculture[s]” value education “less than the Japanese and Jewish subculture”

On his radio show, Mike Rosen agreed with controversial remarks made by former Gov. Richard Lamm, stating that “some would resent” Lamm's remarks “as implying that some of these cultures that are typical of Jews and Japanese are better than some of the values that are associated with blacks and Hispanics.” Rosen added: “I would argue, yes, that's exactly right -- some of the cultural values that we're talking about.”

On his July 27 show, Newsradio 850 KOA host Mike Rosen agreed with controversial remarks made by former Colorado Gov. Richard Lamm (D), who also is a former presidential candidate for the Reform Party. Rosen stated that “some would resent” the implication “that some of these cultures that are typical of Jews and Japanese are better than some of the values that are associated with blacks and Hispanics.” But Rosen added: “I would argue, yes, that's exactly right -- some of the cultural values that we're talking about.”

On his show, Rosen read from a July 27 Rocky Mountain News article about Lamm's July 24 speech in Vail, at which Lamm sold copies of his book, Two Wands, One Nation (Fulcrum Books, January 2006). The News article described portions of Lamm's book:

In the 80-page paperback published in January, Lamm argues that Hispanics and blacks need to take responsibility for their “underperformance” and should adopt the values of the Japanese and Jews.

“Let me offer you, metaphorically, two magic wands that have sweeping powers to change society. With one wand you could wipe out all racism and discrimination from the hearts and minds of white America. The other wand you could wave across the ghettos and barrios of America and infuse the inhabitants with Japanese or Jewish values, respect for learning and ambition,” Lamm wrote.

“I suggest that the best wand for society and for those who live in the ghettos and barrios would be the second wand.”

Discussing Lamm, Rosen stated that “his comments, as far as I'm concerned, are legitimate and wholly defensible.”

Later, Rosen asserted that “there simply isn't any question that the Jewish culture and the Japanese culture highly value education. And, by comparison, in this society, the Hispanic subculture and the African-American subculture in general seem to value it less than the Japanese and Jewish subculture.” Rosen continued: “That doesn't mean that individual black or Hispanic families don't include people who highly value education. And if you're a black or Hispanic kid born to parents who value education, you've got a huge advantage over other people in your neighborhood born to parents who don't value it.” Rosen added, “I mean, this stuff is so obvious it's beyond debate. And, in essence, this is what Dick Lamm is saying.”

In defending Lamm, Rosen also referred to a September 2005 article titled “Moral poverty cost blacks in New Orleans” by Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson, the founder and president of the Brotherhood Organization of a New Destiny (BOND). Peterson's views are regularly promoted by conservatives, as Media Matters for America has documented, and Fox News host Sean Hannity sits on BOND's advisory board. As Rosen noted, in March both Democrats and Republicans criticized state Rep. Jim Welker (R-Loveland) after he forwarded Peterson's article by email. Rosen explained that after Welker forwarded Peterson's article “to people on his email list,” “Welker was bashed by the liberal media in town, and Jim Walker apologized for forwarding the email.” Rosen said, “Peterson has, you would think, immunity from being called a racist because he himself is black, and when you read what he has to say it's obvious that he's concerned about the welfare of his fellow African-Americans.” Peterson's article characterized the black response to Hurricane Katrina as “a pathetic performance by the black community in a time of crisis,” and claimed that “most” members of the black community “were too lazy, immoral, and trifling to do anything productive for themselves.” Peterson also asserted that (as Rosen quoted) "[w]hen 75 percent of New Orleans residents had left the city, it was primarily immoral, welfare-pampered blacks that stayed behind and waited for the government to bail them out." Rosen concluded: "[Y]ou might argue he's carrying his generalization a bit too far, but the substance of what he says has merit. And it's certainly grounds for a discussion on this, rather than just dismissing what he says as racist when relayed by somebody else."

During a 2005 discussion about the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Peterson cited the alleged violence at the New Orleans Superdome as evidence that “most” black people “lack moral character.”

Rosen also cited another black conservative, Thomas Sowell, a columnist and a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, who, Rosen said, made an “interesting comparison” between blacks and Japanese-Americans. Rosen explained that according to Sowell, Japanese-Americans have generally refrained from becoming “involved in politics,” while "[b]lacks were led to believe some time ago that their path to success in society was to get involved in politics and look for political solutions and political favors." Rosen added: “Japanese-Americans didn't pursue that path. They pursued a path of education, hard work, excellence, and self-motivation, and have avoided politics. I think there's an interesting comparison that you can make between those two approaches.”

From the July 27 broadcast of KOA's The Mike Rosen Show:

ROSEN: There's a big story in the paper today of former Governor Dick Lamm, who has made some points about cultural differences in our society. He has a book just out, which is merely a reiteration of something he's been saying for a few years, and we've had him on the program going back two or three years, making this same point. And his comments, as far as I'm concerned, are legitimate and wholly defensible.

[...]

Now, he takes the name of that book -- of the book that he's just published from an essay, a column that he wrote a few years ago. And here's what he said in that column. He argued that Hispanics and blacks need to take responsibility for their underperformance and should adopt the values of the Japanese and Jews. And he said, quote,

“Let me offer you, metaphorically, two magic wands that have sweeping powers to change society. With one wand you could wipe out all racism and discrimination from the hearts and minds of white America. The other wand you could wave across the ghettos and barrios of America and infuse the inhabitants with Japanese or Jewish values, respect for learning and ambition.”

Said Lamm, “I suggest that the best wand for society and for those who live in the ghettos and barrios would be the second wand.”

And the presumption is that you have to make a forced choice here. It's easy to say let's wave both wands. Although some would resent that, too, as implying that some of these cultures that are typical of Jews and Japanese are better than some of the values that are associated with blacks and Hispanics. I would argue, yes, that's exactly right -- some of the cultural values that we're talking about. But Lamm's point is you can't wave both wands.

[...]

ROSEN: And it ought to be obvious that if you come from a cultural set that values a certain thing, you will be more likely to be imbued with those values by your parents than if you come from a cultural set or subset that doesn't. And there isn't any question. And anthropologists and sociologists can talk about this, but there simply isn't any question that the Jewish culture and the Japanese culture highly value education. And, by comparison, in this society, the Hispanic subculture and the African-American subculture in general seem to value it less than the Japanese and Jewish subculture. That doesn't mean that individual black or Hispanic families don't include people who highly value education. And if you're a black or Hispanic kid born to parents who value education, you've got a huge advantage over other people in your neighborhood born to parents who don't value it. I mean, this stuff is so obvious it's beyond debate. And, in essence, this is what Dick Lamm is saying.

[...]

Now, this flare-up over Dick Lamm's remarks, which I said go back three years, follows on the criticism recently of Jim Welker, a state representative who's not running for re-election. He started taking some heat back in March and has taken some heat once again because he had the audacity to forward emails to people on a sensitive topic, this same topic that Dick Lamm is broaching. In Jim Welker's case, back in March, he forwarded an email to people on his email list of a column that was written by the Reverend Jesse Lee Peterson. I think it's relevant to note that Jesse Lee Peterson is black. He's founder and president of BOND, the Brotherhood Organization of a New Destiny, and author of a book called Scam: How the Black Leadership Exploits Black America. And the Reverend Jesse Lee Peterson doesn't care much for people like [Rev.] Jesse Jackson and [Rev.] Al Sharpton, which is certainly his prerogative. I don't care very much for them either, but the Reverend Peterson has, you would think, immunity from being called a racist because he himself is black, and when you read what he has to say it's obvious that he's concerned about the welfare of his fellow African-Americans. And he talked about the reaction of blacks in New Orleans to Hurricane Katrina. “For better or worse,” he said, “Hurricane Katrina has told us the answer to the second question.” I guess I should start at the beginning so you can hear it in context.

Say a hurricane is about to destroy the city you live in. Two questions:

What would you do?

What would you do if you were black?

Sadly, the two questions don't have the same answer.

To the first: Most of us would take our families out of that city quickly to protect them from danger. Then, able-bodied men would return to help others in need, as wives and others cared for children, elderly, infirm, and the like.

For better or worse, Hurricane Katrina has told us the answer to the second question. If you're black and a hurricane is about to destroy your city, you'll probably wait for the government to save you.

Now, he's generalizing here, of course. “This was not always the case,” he went on to say.

Prior to 40 years ago, such a pathetic performance by the black community in a time of crisis would have been inconceivable. The first response would have come from black men. They would take care of their families, bring them to safety, and then help the rest of the community. Then local government would come in. No longer. When 75 percent of New Orleans residents had left the city, it was primarily immoral, welfare-pampered blacks that stayed behind and waited for the government to bail them out. This, as we know, did not turn out good results.

Those are the remarks of the Reverend Jesse Lee Peterson, who's black. Jim Welker forwarded those remarks by email to others, for which he was called a racist. The things that Peterson said were not said diplomatically, to be sure; they were direct. Here's a guy who's frustrated and angry. And you might argue he's carrying his generalization a bit too far, but the substance of what he says has merit. And it's certainly grounds for a discussion on this, rather than just dismissing what he says as racist when relayed by somebody else. But Jim Welker was bashed by the liberal media in town, and Jim Walker apologized for forwarding the email. I don't know if I would have forwarded that email. I'm very selective in what I forward. And perhaps I'm more sensitive because I get a zillion emails a day. But I don't think an apology was necessary on his part. However, he did.

[...]

ROSEN: You know Tom Sowell.

CALLER: Sure.

ROSEN: Syndicated columnist and economist who happens to be black. Conservative. He observed some years ago that if you take a look at Japanese-Americans, are a lot of them involved in politics?

CALLER: No, generally not.

ROSEN: And the quick answer is, “No, they're not.” But a lot of blacks are involved in politics.

CALLER: Correct.

ROSEN: Blacks were led to believe some time ago that their path to success in society was to get involved in politics and look for political solutions and political favors. And Japanese-Americans didn't pursue that path. They pursued a path of education, hard work, excellence, and self-motivation, and have avoided politics. I think there's an interesting comparison that you can make between those two approaches.