Bill O'Reilly Wants to Lynch Michelle Obama: How Nice
Dr. Boyce Watkins
Call me a crazy black man, but why do I keep hearing commentators on major media outlets discussing the idea of lynching African-Americans? A golf channel analyst used the word to describe suggested treatment of Tiger Woods, and now Bill O’Reilly from Fox News has used it as a way to describe his feelings toward Michelle Obama. In fact, O’Reilly even said that he may have a “lynching party”, bringing back images of people gathered for family picnics to watch a charred black body hang from a tree.
In response to Michelle Obama’s recent comment about being proud of America for the first time, O’Reilly had this to say: "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.”
At least he’s going to make sure Michelle Obama did something wrong before he lynches her, that’s awfully nice of him. O’Reilly’s comment takes you back 100 years to a time in which community Klansmen felt they were being “good people” by waiting to hear the evidence before going to the black man or woman’s home to have them shot, burned, maimed, stabbed or castrated.
Fortunately, Michelle Obama has taken the classy route and is only taking Bill O’Reilly as seriously as the rest of us do. He may as well be called “Irrelevant O’Reilly”, as both he and Sean Hannity gained their popularity in a post-911 world, built on fear, anger and negativity. The “Post-Post-911” period in America appears to be one of bringing people together and moving forward, not allowing the extremists such as Hannity, Rush Limbaugh and O’Reilly to dictate the dialogue. The War on Terror has been as successful as the War on Drugs and we are finding that working together achieves far more than bullying our way through foreign and domestic policy.
I have dealt with Bill O’Reilly up close on many occasions. Three months ago, he had my picture slapped up on his show for 5 days in a row, calling for me to be fired from Syracuse University for insulting him and his Bojangled Caricature of a sidekick, Juan Williams. My refusal to appear on his show earned me an entire episode of anger and nasty attacks by both he and his conservative guests. Perhaps this too qualifies as the type of “lynching party” he plans to give Michelle Obama, I’m not sure. I consider myself lucky, for a “lynching party” 100 years ago would not have consisted of meaningless words, it would have put my black butt in a casket.
I am sure Bill doesn’t truly want to physically lynch Michelle Obama, but there are many ways he could have expressed his frustration. Mrs. Obama could have been challenged on her remarks, criticized for them, and even taken to task on O’Reilly’s show. But the fact that Bill O’Reilly, a man whose racism exceeds both Don Imus and David Duke, would choose the word “lynch” to describe Michelle Obama is not only disturbing, it’s downright revealing. What’s more revealing is the fact that Fox News has not felt the need to punish O’Reilly for his remarks, implying that it is ok to talk about lynching a woman who might be the First Lady of the United States. I am not sure he would have gotten away with offering to send a prominent Jewish woman to “the concentration camp”, no matter what she had to say.
Bill O’Reilly is not only racist, he is unpatriotic. How can you love your country when you want to have a “lynching party” against the wife of a Presidential candidate? While he is quick to jump on the anti-Muslim bandwagon in the War on Terror, O’Reilly is the first to use terroristic words to describe his reaction to the potential First Lady. This should alarm all of us, whether we agree with Michelle Obama or not.
America has many enemies, both foreign and domestic. Overzealous commentators, draped with the American flag, making terroristic threats toward our leaders are first and foremost among them.
Dr. Boyce Watkins is a Finance Professor at Syracuse University and author of “What if George Bush were a Black Man?” For more information, please visit www.BoyceWatkins.com
posted by Boyce Watkins at
9:46 AM
14 Comments:
Don't you think this is crazy ? He does this every day . The only newschannel that talking about this is MSNBC.The only newsperson that's talking about a boycott of Bill is Obermann. You wonder why Juan Williams isn't commenting on this. Other than some black blogsites, no major African American is talking about this.Someone should do a South African type disvestment program against Fox News. Rupert Murdock took a lot of money from the black community watching his shows, now we need to take some of that money back.Maybe people and corporations need to take money out of the banks that Rupert do business with. By the way someone should tell Al Sharpton to stop going on the number 1 and 2 bigot commentators show in the U.S., it only give Fox credibility ,yea right.
Juan Williams is a toby. He will do anything to stay on t.v with the white boys. Tavis Smiley is another ass kisser,so beware.His goal is to derail Mr. Obama's train to the white house.
A friend of mine who is bi racial, half African American and half Eastern European Jewish is disturbed by the "Jewish woman to the concentration camp" reference in Dr. Boyce's article. If we indeed are looking for true brotherhood, even the slightest of hurtful words must never be used. There were so many other ways of putting it. Why further divide an already unfortunate situation? Many Jewish brothers and sisters support and adore Barack and Michelle. Especially since it is the written word and there is lots of extra minutes for editing something that might be inappropriate. We can no longer preach love with even the slightest bit of hatred in our hearts. The time has come to join and heal.
For once I agree with Bill O'Reilly. This whole country seems to blinded by this couple, who came from where. All of a sudden Obama is being identified with Dr. King, Malcom, and Medgar, and countless other Civil Rights Leaders, even though he was hiding in Hawaii, away from the movement. I hope all Hillary Clinton supporters vote Republican. Those of us who supported her have been all kinds of names, so now they have another one to call us. 'REPUBLICAN'
"REPUBLICAN" after you vote please take your Bill O'Reily support and join the US military. You will be needed to fight the REPUBLICAN war in Iraq.
Boyce,
You know why you are hearing "lynching" comments now. It is a message for Obama Supporters. This negro will be lynched if he is elected President.
MY MY MY THREE STEP FORWARD TWENTY STEPS BACK.
Okay, I watched the video and you have totally taken his comments out of context. This "He took us back 100 yrs" is ridiculous and victcrat mentality. You are one the road to be President and if you get this bent out of shape over this remark then you're in the wrong business.
If a "man on the street" said that about George, or even Laura, Bush the Secret Service would take him down in a minute.
A threat is a threat regardless of race. When race gets thrown in, you get a hate crime, too!
Bill is a clown and some others on the far right are just as bad. It just bothers me so much that race is such an issue in the current presidential race. Another writer over on Highbrid Nation wrote a piece about how very recently Repulicans have been surverying college students to see how far they could push the racial stereotype language before people would say its too much. How crazy is that?! It'd be nice if we could judge these canidates on thier teadership skills and nothing else. I know, thats not gonna happen.
I find it hard to believe that we even have to discuss what was meant by his comment. When is it ever appropriate to hateful and disrespectful. Mrs. Obama is entitled to feel whatever way she chooses about this country or anything else for that matter. This does not mean she is anti-american. She does not have to love her country blindly, she can like anyone love her country and still be critical of it. Kind of like what we have to do as parents. We always love our children but not always proud of them. I dont need to defend her at all. What concerns me is what we mistake as patriotism these days. Hate mongering, oppression, starting wars, dismantling the middle class, all these things and more have been done in the name of patriotism by the current administation, so I ask who is unpatriotic and do they qualify for lynching also.
It's a total disgrace that Fox News would allow "Irrevelent O'Reilly" to remain on air. It's one thing to stimulate the minds of people to think, but it's another thing to offer hateful rhetoric delivered in snide snippets to undermine ones thinking.
Now, Mrs. Obama said that, "for the first time in her adult life, she was really proud of America." What's the problem with that? During her lifetime, hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit New Orleans, and the president and federal government did nothing. Should Mrs. Obama, or any other American be proud, let alone really proud, of America's response to the American people? In fact, we Americans should be disappointed; and for some, it's probably the first time in their adult life when they've been really disappointed by America.
For the blogger with the bi-racial friend: Not that I have to clear up what Dr. Watkins said, but, do you see how the analogous comment Dr. Watkins made refering to concentration camps resonated with your bi-racial friend and you felt a need to respond against divisiveness? That's the emotion that resonates with Blacks when people talk about lynching. So when "Irrelevent O'Reilly," uses "even the slightest of hurtful words," he (and Fox News) must me confronted and taken to task by Dr. Watkins, me, you and your bi-racial friend to let them know that "we can no longer preach love with even the slightest bit of hatred in our hearts," nor should we broadcast hate under the guise of news analysis.
Why? Tell me why? is everyone so sensitive?????????????Let's talk about the $111 price of an oil barrel-let's talk about $12 Billion a month on IRAQ!! Let's talk about $374.00 EBT a month to buy food for a family of 3 when it cost's more like $450.00 a month for food-HELLO our ship is sinking in the US of A-join hands and open some of those GULF OIL RIGS that were capped in the 80's and 90's, so the food prices will come down-EXXON and the rest have made more than their share!!!!!!!!HELP ME WON'T YOU SOMEONE
Early on in the campaign, Michelle Obama in her speech said for us to not be afraid. She, as well as her husband were aware that Americans, especially Blacks, would be put through the test just because a Black Man was running for President. They knew the hardships they suffered trying to get their education being Black. Senator Obama knew how much he suffered dealing with recism while running for senator. After becoming senator, he was able to get a bird's eye view of how politics worked in the White House. Realizing that If blacks, latinos and economically stifled americans we going to advance, there had to be a CHANGE in the direction this country is headed. Barack felt it was his calling to run for President of the United States. All he needed was nerves and that he had. He saw we needed a CHANGE!
Baraack and Michelle were aware that they would be needing the support of established Black Political Leaders, Black organizations, churches, educators and professionals to "WORK BEHIND THE SCENES," watching Their back. . because we know we're dealing with the enemy. This is why they were saying in a settle way, not to be afraid.
Obama is smart enough to know that the best route is not to be indebted to lobbyist but to get his support from the grassroots for his campaign. He will not be bought. He is a great organizer, you can tell that by the way he has run his campaign. He knows how to put key people in the right place and raise money to make things happen. His skills dates back to when he was a Community Organizer in Chicago, Ill. The Clinton Camp sent their spies over to see what the heck he was doing. Clinton found out they were running their campaign the old school way. They had to immediately change their tactics if they were to keep up with the "Great Obama."
Why has Fox News been allowed to cover the Election in such a negative fashion and not receive any challenges from the black community? I've heard more White prople defend Barack Obama than our own people.
We seem to say "Barack Obama should have known what he was getting into when he ran for President." He's on his own. Hillary has the support she needs simply because she's white, not because she's right. Her people stand behind her and many Blacks too!
Whether Barack is black enough or not is not the question. I did not see any other Black on the Ballot running for President.
We are pitiful!
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