Does the O'Reilly Factor Create Killers?

The killing of Dr. George Tiller is, of course, the second recent politically-motivated church shooting. The first occurred in the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church on July 27th of last year. And although one was targeted at a doctor, and the other at liberals in general, both share a common element: Bill O'Reilly. O'Reilly had targeted Tiller repeatedly on his show, claiming he ran a "death mill" and quoting a description of him as "Tiller the Baby Killer." And as for the Unitarian killing, the shooter infamously had a copy of O'Reilly's book in his home, and wrote a vitriolic screed about his hatred for liberals.

Of course, the factors motivating each killing cannot be boiled down simply to the influence of Mr. O'Reilly. However, Mr. O'Reilly bears a unique responsibility for this kind of violence, not only because his show and opinions reach millions of viewers, but also because he is a figure who not only disagrees with but dehumanizes his opponents. Using words like "evil" and "villain" to describe his targets, O'Reilly turns political spats into sweeping moral crusades.

A large part of The O'Reilly Factor's success can be attributed to this righteous anger and the creation of villains for the audience to despise. Bill O'Reilly has a spectacular ability to create caricatures out of cherry-picked details and heavily edited interviews, and to portray himself as a noble warrior against the forces of injustice. Whether it's a small-town mayor or a circuit judge, whoever O'Reilly feels has committed a sin is professionally and personally demonized. Of course, anyone who has ever spent a minute watching the show knows this, and it can usually be written off as a sensationalistic ratings-grabbing act. But when events like today's happen, it is important to examine the damage that this relentless pursuit of viewers can create.

As someone who worked at Planned Parenthood for a large part of the last year, I have driven past screaming protesters on my way into work numerous times. And the main problem with these activists has not been their mere presence, or the fact that they disagree with me, but their clear view of me as less than human. These groups often see doctors who perform abortions not only as wrong, but as seething, forceps-wielding, murderous Harold Shipmans or Josef Menegles. Barack Obama was prescient at Notre Dame when he claimed that the greatest obstacle to progress on abortion was the tendency to ignore the humanity of opponents.

And so, when crimes like the shooting of Dr. Tiller occur, Mr. O'Reilly bears a strong responsibility. He has used his great influence to create a climate of hatred in the parts of the American right, a hatred which is naturally likely to bubble over into extreme violence now and then. The Tiller and Tennessee shootings are the logical consequences of buying into O'Reilly's dehumanizing rhetoric. If those that disagree with us politically become monsters and murderers, shooting them can seem an act of great heroism. And it is O'Reilly, more than any other conservative host, who crafts the images of liberals and "abortionists" as monsters.

I am not suggesting that Bill O'Reilly should be brought up on charges. In my home country of Great Britain, leaders of the far right are occasionally arrested and convicted of attempting to incite violence, a measure which is deplorable and despotic. Freedom for the speech we hate is essential. But I am astounded that Mr. O'Reilly can sleep at night knowing the terror and hostility his words create. Until he softens his tone, and convinces his followers to demonstrate respect for those they disagree with, murders like George Tiller's are likely to continue.

Comments

[jsgaetano]

There are limits to free speech. Inciting terrorism is one of them.

[goddess1871]

"But I am astounded that Mr. O'Reilly can sleep at night knowing the terror and hostility his words create."

Really? I'm not. That sort of thing is what he takes pride in. He probably sleeps like a baby.

[WorkingClass]

O'Reilly doesn't create killers. He just happens to be the kind of guy killers like. Killers watch TV too you know. Who would you rather meet in a dark ally? An O'Reilly viewer or a Nancy Grace viewer?

[3reddogs]

To think that Bill O'Reilly isn't aware of the potential for his words to incite violence in one or more nutcases out there is absurd. How could he NOT know??? I think it's high time we started considering the possibility that his overheated rhetoric and inflammatory language is premeditated -- designed to give that last little push to any or all of the Scott Roeders out there who are like sticks of dynamite that only need one little match to finally light their fuse. It's the kind of evil little power trip that people like O'Reilly, Limbaugh and Beck would get off on. O'Reilly targeted Dr. Tiller 4 years ago and after 29 attacks, he finally got to enjoy the fruits of his labor. Has he shown any remorse or regrets? No ... all he's done is whine about how people are trying to make a connection between him and Dr. Tiller's death and accuse the far left of exploiting Tiller's murder.

I seriously doubt that Bill O'Reilly has lost any sleep over the death of Dr. Tiller or over any part he may have played in it. To lose sleep over something like this you'd have to have a conscience and it's seems pretty obvious to me that O'Reilly doesn't have one. Words have consequences. He knows it and so do we.

[JanSP1971]

It is long over due that someone brings a civil suit against Bill O'Reilly. Yes he has every right to spew what he wants under the laws of our country, he does have freedom of speech but.... he MUST be held accountable for the hate and fear that he spews day after day. He fires up right wing extremist with his words and he knows it. There are times I truely believe he WANTS someone to do his dirty work, then he can sit back and tell himself what power he has over these weak simple minded wack jobs. Mr. O'Reilly do you have no shame? Do you not feel responsible for the actions of the extremist that watch you and listen to the hate you fill them with everyday? I wonder what these guys like Bill, Hannity, Rove, Boss Rush, Newt, Cheney, Morning Joe, Pat B., Ann C. Savage, just to name a few really think is going to happen when sick people listen over and over to their words? They talk because they want people to believe what they believe they want people to stand up and take action they know they can get some so weak and simple to do what they say just look at the Tea Party display. So guys don't be shocked when someone pulls you into court to answer for what you are asking for. They must stand up and answer for their freedom of speech.

[MESGAIN26]

Christian Fundamentalist Terrorism. It's shocking to write, but it's time to start calling it what it is. The "war on terror" needs to include domestic terrorist

[AnotherMcIntosh]

Do the O'Reilly Factor listeners, the ones who give his program its ratings and perpetuate his hate speech, create killers?

[wdw505]

using your logic the Beatles were responsible for charlie manson and any death that happened as they didn't remove helter skelter from sales

[Ibis3]

BS. The Beatles did not target anyone, use their popularity to incite their followers to hate, or knowingly say anything in their songs that could be construed as condoning violence. No one blames Jodie Foster for the Regan assassination attempt or the Beatles for the Manson murders because some crazy people fixated on them. Neither would anyone criticize O'Reilly if some crazy guy said he was in love with him and shot a schoolyard full of children to prove it or heard hidden messages about an alien invasion when audio from the O'Reilly Factor is played backwards and decided that the 4H club was run by aliens and so decided to assassinate a few farmers. Instead we have a clear case of O'Reilly targeting Tiller and inciting his followers to do something about him.

[carpdd]

Does the O'Reilly factor create killers ? NO
Does he create the dynamics that enables wackos to justify their killing? YES
Does O'Reilly know this to be the case? YES
Does this make O'Reilly complicit in the killing ? MAYBE
Is Freedom of the Press a critical point to defend ? Yes
Do words matter ? YES
Is Billy boy a narcissist ? DEFINITELY
Should the FCC step in and get Fox to clean up their act? YES
Should the widow sue Fox and Bill O? YES
Should this killing be linked to terrorism laws? YES
Will God forgive both the doctor and Bill O? NO IDEA

[balrog221]

All sorts of views are protected by the first ammendment, but outrageous ones such as the Joseph Smith Myth and the Virgins in Heaven are generally considered more carefully.

Now the Muslim Virgin myth is perpetrated by our enemies to incite suicide bombers and the Mormon myth is used to justify incest, polygamy and child abuse. Because OReilley and Limbaugh have the right to say outrageous things does not mean that they have the right to incite atrocities without consequence.

If Al Jazeera commentators got on TV and stated that all women must wear a burka and serve their husband. The constitution would defend that. If they got on and incited husbands to kill their wives who disobeyed, that would be a very different matter.

[CapableOne]

"A large part of The O'Reilly Factor's success can be attributed to this righteous anger..."

I think you mean "self-righteous" anger. As in sanctimonious, smug, holier-than-thou. Not a thing about him that's righteous.

[grailknight]

Time to declare Fox a terrorist media organization.

[Ajeff101]

Actually if you get down to it there's plenty of "hate speech on this website---just read comments about conservatives, G.W. Bush or his boogyman Cheney, or Ann Coulter using your criteria we ought to take this "public use forum" off the net.

[ToddStewart]

Not really. Plenty of dissing on such personalities, but rarely any violent tone or suggestion that somebody ought to harm them; big difference.

[chaya]

Try to be a little more objective. There's a huge difference between disgust and violent hatred.

[tim33ny]

OK....OK....let me just get this strait....Bill O'Rielly supports some health organizations estimate that Tiller had performed 60,000 abortions in his lifetime. OK, im not sure how long he has been in practice but lets assume it was 30 years, and he worked everyday, including weekends.....thats 6 abortions a day??? is that right??? anyone??

[johnie2xs]

This is what I have found. Although I would have to think he was talking in relation to his clinic, but I have no way of knowing for sure.

[" By his own account, he had performed over 60,000 abortions "]
http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2009/06/the_killer_of_dr_george_tiller.html

The biggest problem with this issue is that not enough is done to preclude the need for abortions,in the first place (Contraception, education, etc). In relation to Tiller and O'Reillys contention that he did abortions on a whim for $5k, is a reprehensible charge. Tiller was investigated every which way, from Sunday, and there's no corroborating evidence to that effect. He was a doctor protecting women and their rights. Totally legal,as far as that goes. The cases had to do with either a nonviable fetal situation, danger to the mother's life, or some medical reason, reached by consensus, regarding a major life threatening factor.

Those who think that such a procedure is done lightly, are either simpletons, religious zealots,
or organizations playing them for political advantage.

[TrooAmerican]

Psychologically and emotionally unbalanced if nothing else.

In fact, i'd say the majority of Fox's shows do that, or at minimum Attract those persons to the Hatemongering and lies like flies to poooop