Time For Bill O'Racist To Resign In Disgrace

A cursory internet search reveals the shocking truth for those of us who weren't there: photographs depicting a variety of howling posses composed of fire-eyed redneck thugs -- terrorists, if you will -- skulking through the woods with hounds and lengths of rope; hauling with them an American citizen of African descent, and making their way to a not-so-clandestine location where a cowardly, ritualistic, vigilante execution will take place.

Sepia-toned photographs retaining in permanent clarity the faces -- the proud, grinning white "men" gathered like hyenas around the mangled corpse of a black man who had been beaten and hanged by these reactionary monsters. As if the deeds themselves weren't shameful enough, these ghoulish lynch mobs would often take away souvenirs of their homicides: body parts, clothing, hair -- and those terrible photographs.

There are too many of these images. There are too many stories -- more than enough to justify any thinking-person's reluctance to pledge unconditional pride in the entirety our national heritage -- a heritage which includes a 1922 U.S. Senate filibuster against an anti-lynching law.

This isn't ancient history. These aren't isolated incidents. Perhaps as many as 4,000 American blacks were lynched in the eight decades following the end of the Civil War.

Similar events, in practice and symbolism, occur even today. As recently as last year, nooses were used to intimidate African-Americans. The noose, it seems, has become a newsworthy issue in the fourth American century. Almost exactly ten years ago, in 1998, a black man was tied up and dragged behind a pick-up truck in Jasper, Texas until his body was so decimated it was practically unrecognizable as being the remains of a man.

So there's no reason why Bill O'Reilly should be surprised when reasonable, rational, thinking Americans want him to be summarily fired for using the word "lynching" in the context of a rant about Michelle Obama. The outrage is righteous and justified. Words matter. And history shows that these words that Bill O'Reilly invoked cast a long, sinister shadow.

You've probably read the quote here and on other websites, but I want to make sure Bill O'Reilly's bigotry is seared into the record, so I'll post it here again:

And 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.

Lynching? Party? Unless there's evidence? So we're to understand from Bill O'Reilly that if someone might be relating a certain level of dissatisfaction with America's present status and chief executive, that they deserve to be tracked down by Bill O'Reilly's Lynch Mob?

It doesn't even matter what Michelle Obama said. We do know that FOX News repeatedly misquoted Mrs. Obama's statement and regardless of what she said, nothing -- no words, intentions or deeds justify the unhinged spike in Bill O'Reilly's bigoted, splotchy blood pressure to the point of wanting to "track it down" with his "lynching party." She could've said something like, "Bill O'Reilly is a splotchy dillweed who enjoys savory, soapy shower falafels," and it still wouldn't justify this flagrantly racist "lynching" analogy.

And if it wasn't intentional, then it has to be pegged as gross incompetence, and this asshat -- this spastic Morton Downey Jr. throwback, this serial liar -- should, in fairness, be fired anyway. But considering Bill O'Reilly's record, incompetence only explains half of it. The rest falls in line with a pattern of well-documented bigotry.

It's not just his flippant threat to "lynch" Michelle Obama. It's the Sylvia's Restaurant rant. It's the wetback remarks. It's the white power remarks. All of it. How many other reporters, personalities and celebrities need to be suspended and fired while Bill O'Reilly, time and time again, gets a pass? Instead, FOX News and Roger Ailes enable his prime time behavior because Bill O'Reilly's radio and TV shows are, of course, somewhat popular among similarly simplistic dolts.

He clearly doesn't understand the repercussions of this kind of race-baiting language. And that indicates a staggering lack of understanding about what sorts of reactionary people are dialed in. Likewise, when Malkin, Coulter and Beck (among others) use Senator Obama's middle name or deliberately mispronounce his last name as a pejorative, epithetical attack -- knowing the prejudices of their ignorant far-right orcs -- they indirectly incite violence against the senator and his family. NBC reported that the hate mail the Obamas received last year prompted the U.S. Secret Service to offer protection earlier in the campaign than is usually the custom. We can only imagine the menacing content of the mail, and we'd be lying to ourselves if we assumed it didn't have anything to do with the race-baiting, epithets and rumor-mongering assaults from these far-right shmendriks.

But I don't think Bill O'Reilly should be fired. Don Imus was fired and eventually reappeared -- moaning for braaaaiins! on another radio network. I'm sure the same pattern would occur with O'Reilly. He'd go away for ten months or so, and then like a giant, splotchy cancer he'd reemerge on CNBC, replacing Glenn Cock -- WHOOPS! I mean, Glenn Beck. I'm sorry about that. Beck he has such an unfortunate last name.

Bill O'Reilly must resign in disgrace for the good of the nation. He should publicly apologize to the Obama family and then, on that same show, he should resign. When he leaves the FOX News building, his FOX News Goon Squad and Tubby Stalking Intern-bots should be ordered to stand down while random passers-by are asked to pelt Bill O'Reilly with eggs, tomatoes and, naturally, falafels -- live on Countdown with Keith Olbermann. Then he should volunteer to walk around midtown Manhattan wearing a sandwich board that reads: "Ask Me About My History Of Racism (And Free Cell Phone Offer!)"

This is voluntary justice. This requires you, Bill O'Reilly, to own up to your racism and your incompetence and be man for once. Do you have the dignity, Mr. O'Reilly? Or will you, by not admitting to your racism and by not resigning, vindicate those of us who agree that you're nothing but a coward? Resign, Bill. After all, unlike you and your Stalking McCarthyite Schutzstaffle -- your "Lynching Party" -- we're not a mob out for vengeance. This punishment, Mr. O'Reilly, is entirely up to you.

Bob Cesca's Goddamn Awesome Blog! GO!

Comments

[mrdontplay]

Guys Shrill O'reilly represents the sentiment of those who advertise on his show.

Don't you get it?

They are the ones who pay him to spout off this nonesense.

You should not ever complain to Shrill'O you should only complain to the advertisers.

I you want to do something about it, contact the advertisers who aired adds on the show the night the night he made the remarks.

You caint blame the clown for acting silly.

Go after the advertisers.

Step 1. Complain to them
Step 2. Stop using their products/services

Hold them ACCOUNTABLE to the garbage they support.

Same as IMUS.

[Dajo]

Bob,

I agree with you 100%

That slime ball O'Reilly must go. I still won't watch FOX but O'Reilly has sunk about as low as can be and even the wackos at Fox must realize this fact.
I sure hope he gets what is comming to him in the form of an unemployment check.

dajo

[arthurb3]

It is time for some one/organization to take him off the air! The dirty talk with his former employee should have done it years ago!

[CyberCitizen]

To avoid the situation of dealing with any unpleasantness originating from Mr. O'Reilly, I have reprogrammed my TV to eliminate his channel from the lineup of channels. I would not want to know of or shop for any products that are produced by companies that advertise on that channel, either. Indeed, ignorance is bliss.

[mrdontplay]

almost a good decision.

If you want this guy gone you have to report his behavior to his bosses.

The advertisers.

Tell them you won't buy their products, that will get their attention.

[claudiam]

Absolutely, this guy is trash. I am sickened by this hatefulness. I am Caucasian and appreciate anyone standing up and saying enough is enough!

[faisca]

I don't care if he's fired, he has his freedom, and the fox gang is a propaganda tool for the very far right wing fascists who would applaud his rants. Our national problem is this: "I didn't mean it, I was joking, taken out of context, well he said blah blah blah, lighten up, what's with all these PC police, it's only a figure of speech,"........" are some of my best friends, everybody slips, misspoke, misremembered". Please! To lynch is a verb formed from the name of a southerner, and specific to a TERRORIST practice endured by GENERATIONS of ex-slaves oppressed for 100 years of Jim Crow. He's a coward and this was violent racist hate speech in primetime. Fie, Shame, Devil. You'd think he'd have one friend or family member that would slap him senseless. Like him or not, Keith O is the only one, the only one on "liberal media" to step to this gang of thugs. Truth to Power!

[rmcc]

Here's some basic math...

Bill O'Reilly blogs are like gasoline. The "journalist" who wastes his or her time writing one is merely flicking matches at the gasoline. Anyone who gets their blood up to comment are the cavemen gathering around the fire going "AAAHHHH FIYYAAAA."

I guess I've just joined the rank of caveman. And I apologize in advance to the cavemen for being insensitive.

[57basque]

Somehow it doesn't seem to me, that our Founders saw how dangerous the TV could be. If you tell a lie long enough, you can end up believing it. Now, we have lots of people believing the lies of the right. Its going to be a tough battle, when some of the words were true once. Lets all get away from all the distractions of stone throwing/slow down, and let others be.-When that doesn't happen on the TV, is what I speak out against.
http://my.care2.com/leoburg

[zizyphus]

Billo reminds me of my dearly departed alcoholic Irish uncle. He was the most racist person I ever met, and I deeply disliked and pitied him. All of his conversation was directed to bashing blacks and Jews. Like Billo, he could not keep his his stupid mouth shut. Inevitably he wound up in a bar somewhere, drunk and blathering, and one by one, over his lifetime, people knocked his teeth out. Billo is very rich and my uncle was very poor, otherwise, Billo would be the one with no teeth.

[tdterry1999]

what about free speech

[schmuckwithearlaps]

As the Senator from Conn. said in 1968 in Chicago, "How hard it is to see the truth."
How easy it is to see 620 comments bashing Bill O. Gee, what a tough thing to do. Disliking Bill O is as hard as disliking a fall down the stairs.
The hard part is remembering that once the right of free speech is compromised, it is our speech that Scalia and Thomas will take away.

[youlose]

Beautiful liberal rant about Justices Scalia and Thomas who have more integrity and legal knowleged in their pinky fingernails than the entire democratic party!

[AvasTiaJeanne]

This isn't about free speech. Anyone can say what he or she likes. The point is, there are certain words (and most intelligent people understand what these are), that irrevocably conjure up images of unspeakable suffering and despicable acts. Someone in a public position does NOT have the right to use these terms; in fact they have a moral responsibility to avoid these terms. Billo's freedom of speech is not at issue here. He could have described his intent using a variety of phrases and words that would not be offensive. The point is, he didn't, and he should be called out for it.

For example, I'm a teacher. If I used words like that, or any other prejudicial word, in the school or in front of my students, I would be fired. Do you think that is a violation of my "free speech?" (By the way, I don't, nor would I ever consider using such words as a part of my vocabulary, or thinking them for that matter.)

In addition, I would like to say that this word refers to such evil and heinous behavior, that it should NEVER be used in ANY context in American discourse. If you are in doubt, go to the website www.withoutsanctuary.org, and then ruminate on what you think about the use of this disgusting and vile word.

[realpolitic]

We are practicing it. Anyway, O'Reilly made his comments over the public airwaves where saying anything is not allowed and there are standards of decency. Also, NewsCorp, whom O'Reilly works for, may object to his locutions if they damage the reputation of the company. (Although the reputation of NewsCorp is based on ridiculous punditry.)

[ZydecoCaptain]

What about yelling "Fire" in a crowded theater? That could be considered free speach too, yet, we're not allowed to do it for the safety of our fellow attendees. O'Liely's comments could be just enough to encourage some kook to go after the Obama's. Billo is a terrorist, if not in deeds, then in words.

[Blutus]

First, to expect a huckster like O'Reilly
to speak truth or the Good is just silly. It's his job to do what he does and to drive progressives crazy to the point they start to scream and lose it. He is very good at that. That is why his ratings are so high.

Second, since there are indeed more African-Americans behind bars than ever before, since they are indeed losing economic ground, since there are increasing incidents of racism, isn't it appropriate to reconsider what we have been doing about this community for the last 50 years?

Let me suggest that something that is easy for all of us to do is to stop OVER REACTING everytime some hired gun on the BOOB TUBE says something inflammatory.
What we do not need to see anymore is Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson huffing and puffing their moral outrage everytime some right winger says something silly.

Makes them look like those whack jobs upset about cartoons in Denmark and Holland.

Black people need to worry about CONTENT
and not FORM.

Leave the style behind and fight the way
Dr. King fought!


Otherwise, white people will be more than happy to keep building jails!

[realpolitic]

It was his content that concerned me.

[mrdontplay]

again what ever your grievances the next step is not to complain to him.

he doesn't care.

you have to go to the advertisers.

you have to let them know how his show impacts you and your family.

THIS IS THE ONLY WAY

[LeoMarvin]

Here's the problem with your argument. Bill O'Reilly's like a crazy guy who's been crapping on your lawn so long you can't remember the last time you tried to make him stop. Which puts you at a disadvantage when you try to convince the cops to haul him away now just because he's added some corn to his diet.

[realpolitic]

Wow, you nailed it!

[Mavin1620]

I find it curious that so much racism comes from those of Irish descent. Have they forgotten or never knew of the strong anti-Irish sentiment that held this nation from the 1880's through WWI? What follows is a brief montage of anti-Irish racism that I learned about in upper division and graduate-level history classes.

There are pictures in old history books, where I saw them, of signs in parks saying "dogs and Irish keep off the grass." The Irish were said not to be white: I have read that they were considered a different and inferior race. The Irish were said to be dirty, to paraphrase: "If an Irish woman is clean she learned it as a servant from an English woman."
The Irish were said to be thieves and liars, who, because they were Catholic, thought that they could be absolved of their sins through confession. Irish women were unreliable workers because they were always pregnant. It didn't make any difference if you worked your Irish to death, they alway made more. They were Catholic devils. They talked funny. They got to be cops in NYC and Chicago because they were easy to bribe, and the gangs and the crooked politicians liked it that way. There is more; there always is.

I have heard O'Reilly, Hannity, and Dobbs, to mention three, go on and on about Hispanic workers in the same terms that were used about their ancestors. Their vile hatred of Obama (maybe he needs to add an apostrophe in his name to please them) just amazes me. It is shameful.

There are lots of ways to be racist. Maybe it is time that rabid Irish racists should be reminded of when their people were treated in the same way. It is in the history archives. It is not politically correct.

It puts me in mind that cable should be regulated with broadcast, and it all should be regulated like it was in the 1960's. If our news companies were small and truly accountable to their shareholders and the public, I believe there would be a lot less racism broadcast today.

[SublimeRage]

It's interesting how the first people to freak out when someone says something racist (against non-whites, that is) are Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, and a bunch of white people.

So eager to jump on the bandwagon to scream your indignation over these sorts of things Bob, I wonder if you (and other whites like you) will ever catch the dragon that is "white guilt".

I suspect not. Because no matter how many millions of examples there are in the United States and Europe of whitey and people of diverse racial backgrounds getting along, working together, marrying, and raising families, you guys will continue to focus only on isolated comments like this which poking hard at your inner guilt. Then you draw a parallel to times long gone by when the U.S. in general would do things that we all know would be unconscionable today. All so other whites are somehow forced to join you in with this level of disdain for your fellow mankind - lest we be placed on the same mantle as O'Reilly.

Well count me out of your guilt party, Bob. O'Reilly is a tool. Most people know that. I'd rather spend my time focusing on that which is good to report in the area of racial harmony. Screaming about this sort of thing doesn't make feel any better like it apparently does for you and the other perpetually guilty ones.

[realpolitic]

It may not be hard to catch a dragon, he has a very long tail. Your post was callous on many levels. O'Reilly's comments were obscene in themselves unattached from some larger notion of white guilt. In this day, where blacks see significantly higher incarcertion rates than whites (often much longer penalties for similar offense), significantly higher unemployment, a significant wage gap between white median salaries and black, and health care issues more critical than whites, it is very premature and indeed, some middle class fantasy, to argue racial prejudice is simply a historical oddity. Although you yourself may have lost interest does not mean that the fight does not continue for many.

The things you describe as being unconscionable today are still not unconscionable to many. O'Reilly was the one showing disdain to his fellow mankind and not, as you say, were those criticical of his awful statement. You may spend time focusing on what is good, as conservatives tell us to focus on what is good in Iraq. However, focusing on what is good does not mean turning one's back to injustice, language that incites violence, or even discourtesy.

In summary, for many America is far from the place you describe. We are inching closer. Hopefully, thanks to people like Obama and his wife, and others, we as a country will see that daylight sooner, rather than later. Although those like O'Reilly do what they can rhetorically, at least, from seeing that day arrive.

[womenite]

Bill O. claims to be fair and balanced, however, rarely demonstrates that on his show. I only watch to see what ridiculous things he says. He has no problem insulting anyone that he does not like and cuts people off in mid sentence over and over again. Worse, he is raising more of him that take over when he is not on the show, that Laura chick whom appears to want to be his clone in female form. He has done quite well for a guy who came from a show that was mostly about gossip and kicking people when they were down. I am not voting for Mr. Obama, but I am not voting for the republican war monger either. BUT, since someone will be voted in, well, Obama seems to be the best out of the bad lot. At least he will end this ridiculous war that should not have been started in the first place.
Bill O. is definitely looking out for someone, himself. Too bad he is full of blovee--it.

[realpolitic]

O'Reilly whines and moans and complains of personal attacks when he is insulted. Yet his trump card is to insult anyone and everyone. His hypocrisis fails to register only with him.

[Hesperion]

"NBC reported that the hate mail the Obamas received last year prompted the U.S. Secret Service to offer protection earlier in the campaign than is usually the custom." - Mr. Cesca

Interesting observation in light of this article of Feb. 21st.

http://www.star-telegram.com/dallas_news/story/486413.html

"Police concerned about order to stop screening for weapons 21 Feb 2008 Security details at Barack Obama's rally Wednesday stopped screening people for weapons at the front gates more than an hour before the Democratic presidential candidate took the stage at Reunion Arena. The order to put down the metal detectors and stop checking purses and laptop bags came as a surprise to several Dallas police officers who said they believed it was a lapse in security. Dallas Deputy Police Chief T.W. Lawrence, head of the Police Department's homeland security and special operations divisions, said the order -- apparently made by the U.S. Secret Service -- was meant to speed up the long lines outside and fill the arena's vacant seats before Obama came on."

Could this be the Republican contingency plan??