Until today, I haven't written anything about "Faux News" - to me the word "Fox" and "News" simply don't belong together. The proof is in the pudding and over and over again, the Fox "news" network proves its bias: routinely cutting off people mid-interview if their opinions and expertise offend the network or their representatives' right-wing sensibilities. But now talk show host Bill O'Reilly has gone too far, telling radio listeners "...I don't want to go on a lynching party against Michelle Obama unless there's evidence, hard facts, that say this is how the woman really feels. If that's how she really feels -- that America is a bad country or a flawed nation, whatever -- then that's legit. We'll track it down."
O'Reilly's ignorant remarks were made in response to Michelle Obama's statement at a campaign rally that she was "really proud of her country for the first time in her adult life." Certain vitriolic right-wing media outlets immediately - and deliberately - set out to misinterpret them, trying to paint Mrs. Obama as being unpatriotic. These were Mrs. Obama's remarks, "Let me tell you, for the first time in my adult life, I am really proud of my country. Not just because Barack is doing well, but I think people are ready for change..." Both Michelle Obama and her husband later clarified that she was referring to the groundswell of Americans getting involved in the political process and acting for change.
After more than seven years of Bush & Co. riding roughshod over the American people, trampling our civil liberties and damaging the Constitution, it's nice to think about having a new government that might make us proud. While I've always been proud to be an American, I have not been proud of the government so incompetently run by the Bush administration.
Politics aside, what is wrong with this picture is that a nationally-recognised radio and television talk show host spewed venonmous words of hate. Bill O'Reilly suggested going on a "lynching party," a criminal act associated with the Ku Klux Klan and its murderous, barbaric and violent past. Yet this man remains on the public airwaves, without so much as an apology? He owes an apology not only to Barack and Michele Obama, but to the people of the United States. Meanwhile, he might consider taking a Teaching Tolerance class at the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Shame
One hateful word is all it takes
to conjure frightening images
of ghostly riders.
hangman's nooses and
burning crosses on lawns:
hooded symbols of fear,
adopted by white supremacists
cast out of mainstream society.
Decades later,
racism again rears its ugly head
in the guise of a radio and television host
who casually talks about lynching
a black woman for her comments.
Who made him judge, jury
and executioner?
Such is the despicable behaviour
the Ku Klux Klan practiced
in ceremonies of hate,
violence and murder
that cast a pall
over the American South
and reminded us that
pure evil has nothing to do
with skin color
and everything to do
with a person's actions.
The segregated schools
and separate doctors' waiting rooms
disappeared long ago,
but the undercurrent of racism
espoused by mean, small-minded bigots
remains alive and well
and practiced with impunity
amidst the full-court glare of publicity.
Oh this was just a travesty what Fox did do Michelle Obama. When BillO was raked over the coals for his seemingly racist remarks after eating at Sylvia's he was quick to demonize those who took his comments out of context. Yet, here he talks about a lynching! It was a travesty, nothing more, nothing less. HOrrible, horrible new organization. BillO tops the list. yuccck!
Posted by: Joni Webb | 24 February 2008 at 00:35
I agree with you, Tara - what a really, truly appalling thing for anyone, but especially a 'newsman,' to say.
Posted by: tinker | 23 February 2008 at 13:00
Okay, maybe double standard wasn't what I meant. Inconsistencies maybe - some people get fired, others get away with it.
Posted by: Laume | 23 February 2008 at 08:51
I can't really even talk about Fox or O'Reilly without getting my blood pressure up, so I won't. Just know I feel as frustrated about the double standards in the news as you. Don Imus gets fired, O'Reilly doesn't. Sigh.
Posted by: Laume | 23 February 2008 at 08:50
I don't understand how he can go on like he does. I do think the media is picking up on this and on Obama's using phrases because it seems there is nothing in the closet that can be pulled out to discredit them.
Another good debate last night....on to Texas, Ohio and Pennsylvania!
Posted by: stephanie | 22 February 2008 at 16:45
he needs to check himself, especially the comments he made regarding lynching directed towars michelle obama,
http://rawdawgb.blogspot.com/2008/02/like-screaming-fire-in-theater.html
Posted by: rawdawgbuffalo | 22 February 2008 at 14:53
*sigh*
Thx for the link.
Posted by: ally bean | 22 February 2008 at 13:53
Its always amazing to me at people like Bill O'Reilly can say crazy things like then, but an equally wacky guy like Howard Stern is the one who gets the record setting indecency fines. I dont know if you got this news in paris, but a little while back a rerun of NYPD Blue resulted in fine of over a million dollars for being "obscene" because for less than it minute it showed half of woman's breast and her backside, which the FCC says was "shocking and titillating" and was a "sexual and excretory organ". The stations that were fined tried to argue that since nothing was going in or out of her anus at the time it wasn't either, but the FCC says that "if we followed this logic our televisions would be filled with breats and backsides"....Your on the right track living in Paris...its unfortunate that these know-it-all morons will run all the intelligent people out of the USA.
Posted by: Jordan | 22 February 2008 at 07:31
I can't stand Faux News either - even watching it for a little while tends to enrage me (I went to college in a red state, it was hard to avoid it for a while). Why is there not more uproar over Bill O'Reilly's remarks?
I can sympathize with Michelle too - Dubya has been president my entire adult life, so I'm also really excited to see how people are mobilizing for change!
Posted by: Jacqueline | 22 February 2008 at 06:16
Fox is the worst! It's starting to get interesting, isn't it.
Posted by: Rosa | 22 February 2008 at 05:53
Somebody asked ghandi once "What do you think of the developed world" He answered "that would be a good idea". When things like this come on the radio, there is still a lot of development needed.
I really like the poem "shame"
Posted by: marja | 22 February 2008 at 03:08
I'm not surprised by anything he says anymore. The man is just disgusting - as his is network.
Posted by: Karla | 21 February 2008 at 23:55
That is really shocking. It didn't even occur to me just what the full implications of this man's words were. Disturbing how a phrase such as lynching can creep into the language and almost lose the very real associations it once had. Even more disturbing that this kind of mud slinging takes place in political "debate".
Posted by: Kamsin | 21 February 2008 at 23:32