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Thursday, Feb 7, 2008 3:34 PM UTC

John Gibson wants rappers arrested for their lyrics

The Fox News anchor with a penchant for saying things that get him in trouble says, "Book 'em all."

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Topics: Fox News, War Room,

When last we saw Fox News anchor John Gibson, he was apologizing for offensive comments he’d made in the wake of actor Heath Ledger’s death. Well, Gibson’s back — actually, he never went away — and this time he’s not mocking the recently deceased for having starred in a movie about gay cowboys. No, this time he’s showing off the depths of his understanding of and respect for the First Amendment by calling for the arrest of rappers who make songs that include profanity.

In his “My Word” segment Wednesday, Gibson discussed the case of Christopher Holder, a Florida teen who was arrested after the mother of two young children heard him rapping the lyrics of a song, including the word “motherfucker.” The mother complained to a nearby sheriff’s deputy, who arrested Holder on a misdemeanor charge, disorderly conduct and breach of peace. According to the St. Petersburg Times, Holder pleaded guilty on Monday and was sentenced to six months of probation.

But that wasn’t enough for Gibson, who called what Holder was rapping only “a so-called ‘song’” and said that he has “argued that African-American leaders need to do something about rap music for some time now.” Gibson wants these kinds of arrests to go right to the top.

“If the rap song is bad enough to cause Holder’s arrest, why is it not bad enough to cause the arrest of the guy who made the recording?” Gibson asked. He concluded, “I say … Book ‘em, Dano. Book ‘em all.”

Alex Koppelman is a staff writer for Salon. More Alex Koppelman.

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