Bill O'Reilly's Throwing a Lynching Party

I'm sick to death of people like FOX News host, Bill O'Reilly, and his ilk thinking that he can use a racial slur against a black woman who could be the next First Lady of the United States, give a half-assed apology and not be taken to task and called on his crap.

This week O'Reilly gave the following response to a caller on his radio show who was making unsubstantiated negative charges against presidential candidate Barack Obama's wife, Michelle Obama:

"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."

What the hell? If it's "legit," you're going to "track it down?" And then what do you plan to do?

How dare this white man with a microphone and the trust of the public think that in 2008, he can still put the words "lynch and party" together in the same sentence with reference to a black woman; in this case, Michelle Obama? I don't care how you "spin it" in the "no spin zone," that statement in and of itself is racist, unacceptable and inappropriate on every level.

O'Reilly claims his comments were taken out of context. Please don't insult my intelligence while you're insulting me. I've read the comments and heard them delivered in O'Reilly's own voice; and there is no right context that exists. So, his insincere apology and "out-of-context" excuse is not going to cut it with me.

And just so we're clear, this has nothing to do with the 2008 presidential election, me being a Democrat, him claiming to be Independent while talking Republican, the liberal media or a conservative point of view. To the contrary, this is about crossing a line in the sand that needs to be drawn based on history, dignity, taste and truth.

Bill, I'm not sure of where you come from, but let me tell you what the phrase "lynching party" conjures up to me, a black woman born in North Carolina. Those words depict the image of a group of white men who are angry with the state of the own lives getting together, drinking more than they need to drink, lamenting how some black person has moved forward (usually ahead of them in stature or dignity), and had the audacity to think that they are equal. These same men for years, instead of looking at what changes, should and could make in their own lives that might remove that bitterness born of perceived privilege, these white men take all of that resentment and anger and decide to get together and drag the closest black person near them to their death by hanging them from a tree -- usually after violent beating, torturing and violating their human dignity. Check your history books, because you don't need a masters or a law degree from Harvard to know that is what constitutes a "lynching party."

Imagine, Michelle and Barack Obama having the audacity to think that they have the right to the American dream, hopes, and ideals. O'Reilly must think to himself: how dare they have the arrogance to think they can stand in a front of this nation, challenge the status quo and express the frustration of millions? When this happens, the first thing that comes to mind for O'Reilly and people like him is: "it's time for a party."

Not so fast...don't order the rope just yet.

Would O'Reilly ever in a million years use this phrase with reference to Elizabeth Edwards, Cindy McCain or Judi Nathan? I mean, in all of the statements and criticisms that were made about Judi Nathan, the one-time mistress turned missus, of former presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani, I never heard any talk of forming a lynch party because of something she said or did.

So why is it that when you're referring to someone who's African-American you must dig to a historical place of pain, agony and death to symbolize your feelings? Lynching is not a joke to off-handedly throw around and it is not a metaphor that has a place in political commentary; provocative or otherwise. I admit that I come from a place of personal outrage here having buried my 90 year-old grandfather last year. This proud, amazing African-American man raised his family and lived through the time when he had to use separate water fountains, ride in the back of a bus, take his wife on a date to the "colored section" of a movie theater, and avert his eyes when a white woman walked down the street for fear of what a white man and his cronies might do if they felt the urge to "party"; don't tell me that the phrase you chose, Mr. O'Reilly, was taken out of context.

To add insult to injury, O'Reilly tried to "clarify" his statements, by using the excuse that his comments were reminiscent of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas' use of the term "high-tech lynching" during his confirmation hearing. I reject that analogy. You see Justice Thomas did mean to bring up the image of lynching in its racist context. He was saying that politics and the media were using a new technology to do to him what had been done to black men for many years -- hang him. Regardless of if you agreed with Justice Thomas' premise or not, if in fact -- Bill O'Reilly was referencing it -- the context becomes even clearer.

What annoys me more than anything is that I get the feeling that one of the reasons Bill O'Reilly made this statement, thinking he could get away with it in the first place, and then followed it up with a lame apology in a half-hearted attempt to smooth any ruffled feathers, is because he doesn't think that black women will come out and go after him when he goes after us. Well, he's dead wrong. Be clear Bill O'Reilly: there will be no lynch party for that black woman. And this black woman assures you that if you come for her, you come for all of us.

Comments

[MrJoyboy]

Republicans hate blacks and they hate women, so Michelle Obama is a two-fer.

[Photofarm]

Wrong, wrong, wrong, Republicans hate stupidity, and this writing of Stars is Stupid. A public lynching is the appropriate term that most in politics try to do to the other side. Lynching is not a racist term, if anyone that truly new history of the United States would know. There were lynchings in the west of cattle rustlers, bank robbers, and other crimes without a trial in the west. So sorry Star, you only prove that you judge everyone to be a racist because it is easier than dealing with their actual views.

[Collielady]

Photofarm, you state that Republicans hate stupidity. The term for that is "self-hatred".

[DoninJoisey]

While your distant history is correct, in the 20th century lynchings were of blacks. If you don't know that, then you're O'Liely audience material.

[DereksDontRun]

You mean knew... not new. And lynching is at the very least an extremely racially charged term.

[gulopartisan]

Lynching may be broader historically, but that's beside the point. And even more to the point, a "lynch party" is illegal, vigilante action, usually resulting in a wrongful death. O'Reilly implied that it would be Ok to break the law if Michelle Obama "meant" whatever. I doubt if he was thinking of the "Strange Fruit" images that blacks in particular associate with the term, but that is a measure of his unfitness for public air time.

[Silpat]

I don't believe that all Republicans are the same and you are out of line making such a blanket statement, however I do feel that O'Reilly has some serious issues when it comes to blacks.

He obviously believes that his European ancestry and white skin makes him superior to blacks and Latinos, and therefore he does not expect to be held to the same standards of decency and respect in regards to either of them.

[Amuseinc]

Not a fan Star, but you hit the bigot on the head with a hammer on this one. Well done, keep it up.

[Jer1957]

The crazy O'Reilly crap is the noise that covers for a serious threat to both Sen Clinton's and Sen Obama's lives. And HuffPo editors, for some reason are making it quite difficult for me to point this out.

2 security incidents in 3 days in Dallas--the city where JFK was killed--one involving each candidate.

Metal detectors were shutdown and gun searches ended at a Dallas Obama rally, Weds. one hour prior to the senator's arrival. A skilled motorcycle cop in the Clinton campaign entourage was killed in an inexplicable low speed accident, Friday.

The campaign, contrary to the media spin is not about mindless market-tested slogans like 'Yes we can' vs. 'Ready on Day One.'

With the world economy in free fall--a lot more is at stake. Some folks in the financial and intell community do not plan to take a chance on Hillary or Barry if they are allowed to make the choice.

Beware of Wall Street originated independent candidates, soon to come out of the political closet, who profess a desire to 'bring us together' but who like Cheney want to 'privatize' everything. Italy and Germany tried that kind of system 1920-45.

[fcrooster]

I believe we should find the time to address Fox News executives about Bill O’Reilly’s recent comments on Michelle Obama as regards a “lynching party.” This is especially true after Jay Leno had O’Reilly on the Tonight Show last night and didn’t even ask him to clarify his racist comments.

I’ve voiced my outrage to Fox News, the FCC, The Huffington Post, and MSNBC Keith Olbermann’s Countdown about Michelle Obama’s “Being Proud of America…” stump speech and how Bill O'Reilly took a call from a listener, and here's the exchange with a lady caller who's talking about her friend's view too: "a friend who had knowledge of her," Obama " 'is a very angry,' her word was 'militant woman.' " O'Reilly later stated: "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."

What's preventing us from a grassroots effort to get Bill O’Reilly to genuinely apologize publicly then have his Fox News boss fire him? He obviously has not learned the lesson of President Bush's recent White House Black History Month speech about the use of the word "lynching;" nor did he learn anything from the Don Imus storm. Not only is this public figure ignorant, he appears to take pride in his ignorance. And where is the FCC on this?

[DoninJoisey]

The FCC, like every other government watchdog agency, has been politicized with "free market" Bushies who allow corporations to do as they wish.
Only things that impact the religious wackos like the Jackson breast on SuperBowl deserve scrutiny.

[2belinda]

Star
WORD !
You go...
You clearly took a moment and calmed down before you wrote this...
Thank you for the words of outrage that are long overdue...

[emerywood]

At the risk of being an alarmist, I must say I am a little worried about Obama should he win Democratic primary. I worry for his life. This country still has too many Bill O'Rileys and psychotics around. You know how some of them vent their anger when guns are so readily available. I hope law enforcement is well awared of this risk.

[Jer1957]

Both leading Dem candidates face serious escalating security threats. Bill O'Reilly, like the KKK of November 1963, creates the noise that protects the motives of the actual perpetrators of a political hit. Why would you be surprised?

This is not a ‘game’ where market-tested rock-star chants can get you by–there is a great deal at stake with the world economy in free-fall.

A Dem party-wrecking Bloomberg-boosting bit of deadly filthiness seems to be in progress.

Security personnel at Obama’s 17,000 person rally in Dallas on Wednesday stopped screening people for weapons more than an hour before Obama spoke at Reunion Arena. Several police officers said that they considered the order to pull down the metal detectors and to stop checking purses and laptop bags, as a breach of security.

A Dallas motorcycle police officer in Hillary Clinton’s security entourage was killed in an inexplicable, apparent accident on Friday while escorting Clinton to a rally. A police statement said that Senior Corporal Victor Lozada-Tirado struck a curb, lost control of his motorcycle, and went down at 9:15 a.m. Clinton cut short her appearance at the Fort Worth rally, to go and visit the officer’s
family.

Hmmm, Dallas and breached presidential-level security.

I have heard this before–but not since 1963 and 1968.

[nhcracker]

Yes, Jer, I agree those concerns are becoming more and more prevalent. I try to glimpse the future, and I fear a mirror of the not-so-distant past.

[MajorKong]

Silly O'Reilly, bringing a rope to a gunfight.

[Evelyn]

O'Reilly didn't really mean it. He's just the kind of guy who, when he sees a black person, words like "lynching party" just subconsciously pops into his head and comes out his mouth. Pay no attention. He's a dinosaur, a dead-ender, a throw-back.

[Guitarsandmore]

This is no doubt the truth, however, we can not allow slips like this to happen else the country slips back into a careless racial era from which we have just emerged. O'Reilly needs to be taken to the woodshed and then made to apologize. for conscious or subconscious mistakes we must continue to remind ourselves racial slurs are not acceptable behavior.

[realpolitic]

Yes, our past history of bigotry was not that long ago. Let's bury it!

[iswearington]

right...o reilly should stick to his forte...sexually harassing female employees.they don't call him the loofa guy for nothing.

[TheHunt]

bill o'reilly is a hateful, anticultural, anti intellectual, intollerant, antisemitic, homophobic, repuglican, bloodstained, evil bastard.
and he's got the brains of a two year old too...

[midnightreader]

ABSOLUTELY!!!!

Bill O'Reilly being the pale piece of shit that he is only makes those type inflammatory statements because he has been allowed to get away with it for so long. I would think that he would start watching his back. For whatever reason he felt that he could use those kind of statements in reference to Mrs. Obama, at least tells us how many at FOX thinks. Also, I'm sure, and very sure that Mrs. Obama is so focused, and of such class that she never flinched at those words. However, as Star said, we have her back, and O'Reilly you had better be careful. I know your jealousy is about to get the best of you. Two Harvard grads, both attorneys, and much more accomplished than anything that your "small" mind could ever imagine.

[TheHunt]

ya know, harvard gave o'reilly a degree too. what does that say about harvard?

[realpolitic]

It was probably the only way to get rid of him.

[MariaHopeful]

Star, I have not always agreed with you. I was so turned off when you went on your little diva trip but thank you for a brilliantly written piece. You have captured the essence of what is wrong with O'Reilly and his ilk. I once heard Charles Grodin say that we should all refer to ourselves as recovering racists. Some us haven't reached that point as yet.

[Trittydi]

OMG! This is an awesome post!

Thank you Ms. Jones. Someone needed to take O'Lielly's bigoted ass to the Wood Shed - and you did so marvelously!

*

[isis]

You're right. Words do matter. People make fun of being "PC" but not being PC is just someone's way of sneaking in a little bigotry and then calling that those who are harmed are just too sensitive.

[lovethesinner]

I'm confused. Why does Imus pay a price and Bill O'Reilly does not? (I'm not suggesting Imus was undeserving of his fate, I'm just sort of in a state of shock that the moral outrage hasn't really come down on Bill, yet.)

Perhaps we could all revisit this from the other side of November. Till then, I'd feel better if Bill didn't go back to that restaurant in Harlem. (I'm hoping for a NATIONAL venue where we could discuss his rhetorical style)

GObama!

[DoninJoisey]

Because Imus hasn't steadfastly stood by this criminal administration as O'Liely has?

[timothe]

Because Imus's show was aired on a liberal television network.

And I may be wrong, but I'm guessing that BOR would be welcome to go to Sylvia's any time he wants. You know that, don't you?