IS BILL O'REILLY TO BLAME FOR THE THREATS TO LETTERMAN AND STEWART? And Where Is The FCC?

[Ian David]

Words have consequences.

<snip>

So, would we be able to hold Bill O'Reilly, in any way, culpable in the case of the Woodland Hills, California man, Chad Conrad Castagana, who was arrested for mailing threatening letters laced with white powder to Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, Charles Schumer and "Late Show" host David Letterman, MSNBC's Keith Olbermann and other high-profile political and entertainment figures.

At first glance, this would seem the case of just a far right kook who wanted to scare the Secular Progressiveness™ out of a bunch of left wing moonbats™. If blame for placing the Traditionalist™ bull-eye on these liberal elites was due, than you'd have to bring in the entire AM talk radio dial for an interrogation, which wouldn't be so bad

But at closer look, there is more than a hint that Chad had gotten his marching orders from one Lord of Loud in particular. While Pelosi and Schumer might have shared the wrath from any number of right wing talkers, only one has added David Letterman as embodiment of the Hate America First™ SPs™ and had laid blame at Stewart's doorstep for the potential killing of Christmas...The Culture Warrior™ himself... BILL O'REILLY.

<snip>

But, like second hand smoke, what Bill says and his manner of saying it, doesn't necessarily have to catch Bill with the fingerprints to make him an accessory to the crime. Letterman and the rest of the other receptacles of Chad's powdered mailing are not painted by Bill as only ideological opponents as much as real dangers to the very life of America and every living man, woman and child therein.

<snip>

Perhaps the LAPD, CSI Fox News division, already has Bill in their sights. Or perhaps, instead of policing and fining a nipple's nanosecond of exposure or the devastating blow to our ears a fo*r- letter word delivers, the FCC could do it's job where it truly could help. If not O'Reilly's one degree of separation from Chad's terrorist salvos, certainly Laura Ingram's call to stuff the Democratic voter phone lines is due some FC investigation.

More:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steve-young/is-bill-oreilly-to-blame_b_34054.html

Steve Young is author of "Great Failures of the Extremely Successful" and waxes satirically on the L.A. Daily News Sunday Opinion page (right next to O'Reilly's column...really)

[trotsky]

1. Hmm, didn't realize until reading that...

how the victims ARE all on O'Reilly's shit list. Dem politicians, OK, any right-wing kook would pick on those. Olbermann, maybe, he's getting exposure. Stewart? Getting a little off there. And Letterman? Good grief. But yes, the one thing they all have in common is Bill O'Reilly's ire. Very interesting.

[rosesaylavee]

2. I hope not.

"...But, like second hand smoke, what Bill says and his manner of saying it, doesn't necessarily have to catch Bill with the fingerprints to make him an accessory to the crime..."

If O"Reilly is 'guilty' by saying what he says, than that would have a chilling effect on ALL criticism. Keith Olbermann would have to cease criticizing O'Reilly, and the Current Occupant etc. Chad is not sane. He took extreme action for whatever reason he thought he had and will have to pay for his actions. Fortunately, we haven't had any one from the left decide they needed to take the law into their own hands and do something nutty and/or dangerous.

[slaveplanet]

3. I agree about the chilling affect

and for that reason, I'm against the idea that O'shilly should be held liable.

But there is the case of the Rwandan radio shill, calling, quite literally, for listeners to hack up the opposition.

It's a fine line, and the danger is that it can be used as a tool by TPTB.

The best punishment for Bill is loud and vigorous denunciation, and a whole bunch of Olbermann.