Just read this over at Michelle Malkin's place, and I'm sorry but this is going overboard.

KTNV-TV, Channel 13, fired weekend weather anchor Rob Blair on Sunday, a day after he made an on-air racial slur about Martin Luther King Jr.

Jim Prather, vice president and general manager of KTNV, said Blair "stumbled" during a weather update at 7:55 a.m. Saturday but added that "this kind of incident is not acceptable under any circumstances, and I'm truly sorry that this event occurred."

Blair was delivering the extended forecast when he said, "For tomorrow, 60 degrees, Martin Luther Coon King Jr. Day, gonna see some temperatures in the mid-60s."

About 20 minutes later, Blair told viewers at the ABC affiliate, "Apparently I accidentally said Martin Luther Kong Jr., which I apologize about -- slip of the tongue."

He offered a full apology during Saturday's 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts.

At 6:11 p.m., co-anchor Christina Brown, who is black, announced, "Right now we want to pause for a program note. Rob?"

Blair, seated at the news desk with co-anchors Brown and Shawn Boyd, said, "On a weather report earlier this morning, I made an accidental slip of the tongue when talking about the Martin Luther King holiday, and what I said was interpreted by many viewers as highly offensive. For that I offer my deepest apology. I in no way intended to offend anyone. I'm very sorry."

I can't believe the guy got fired over this. Granted I've not heard the audio, but it definitely looks like a simple slip of the tongue. Loo-ther and Keeng could easily be misspoken as coon. The guy didn't even realize he did it and apologized thinking he said Kong. It doesn't look like he meant it in any way.

There are plenty of real idiots out there who'd use those words in a derogatory fashion against blacks, and those people should be shunned from society. But people mispeak all the time and sometimes in embarrassing ways. Unless they can prove intent this is one of those things where our overly PC-zealous society needs to take a deep breath and get a grip.

Hell, one time while interpreting for some hearing impaired friends of mine I accidentally tried to order a hamburger and a cup of 'asshole'*. It wasn't what I meant to say, and being a church outing it was rather embarrassing. But it wasn't intended and I wasn't cast out of the group for it.

I really think this guy should be given the benefit of the doubt.

*The sign for tea is very similar to asshole.

Update:
Wizbang makes mention of this too.