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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsFox’s O’Reilly parses the meaning of the word ‘see’
Bill O'Reilly appears on NBC News' "Today" show.
Fox News Bill OReilly has long been a controversial media figure, though the last week has been an especially awkward time for the conservative host. Specific claims he made about his work covering the Falklands war, for example, have struggled under scrutiny. Soon after, the public learned that OReillys claims about the suicide of a JFK assassination figure also appear to be, at best, suspect.
But perhaps the most striking angle to this story deals with claims OReilly made about seeing nuns murdered in El Salvador. If you missed last nights show, Rachels segment on this stood out for me in part because of OReillys explanation.
First, a little backstory. Soon after the Sandy Hook massacre in Newtown, OReilly spoke on the air about the nature of evil. I dont think a lot of people understand, he said. My mother, for example, doesnt understand evil. When I would tell her, Hey, mom, I was in El Salvador and I saw nuns get shot in the back of the head, she almost couldnt process it. She couldnt process it.
In reality, while Catholic nuns were executed during El Salvadors civil war in December 1980, OReilly could not have seen them get shot he was not in El Salvador in December 1980. He arrived in the country the following year.
Since theres no way OReilly could have seen what he claims to have seen, Fox News gave The Rachel Maddow Show a statement from OReilly, which read as follows:
"While in El Salvador, reporters were shown horrendous images of violence that were never broadcast, including depictions of nuns who were murdered. The mention of the nuns on my program came the day of the Newtown massacre. The segment was about evil and how hard it is for folks to comprehend it. I used the murder nuns as an example of that evil. Thats what I was referring to when I say, I saw nuns get shot in the back of head. No one could possibly take that segment as reporting on El Salvador.
Thats a pretty remarkable response for a couple of reasons.
First, weve reached a curious point at which OReilly is parsing the meaning of the word see. When the Fox host said he saw nuns get shot, he apparently meant he saw pictures of nuns who were shot, and according to OReilly, those two sentiments have identical meaning.
And second, while OReilly says he only brought up the murders in El Salvador in the context of Newtown, that doesnt explain why he said seven years before Newtown, Ive seen much worse behavior on the masculine side than the feminine side in my life, all right? Ive seen guys gun down nuns in El Salvador.
It does not appear that OReilly saw guys gun down nuns in El Salvador.
Check out last nights segment for more http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/watch/bill-oreilly-reporter-threats-indefensible-404595779908 on this story, including Rachels interview with David Corn. http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/david-corn-on-threats-from-bill-oreilly-404611139727
Maddow blog
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/foxs-oreilly-parses-the-meaning-the-word-see?cid=eml_mra_20150226
randys1
(16,286 posts)I suspect this will get real bad for the prick and soon.
Problem is, it will only make him more valuable to the lunatic rightwing assholes
Every time a truth teller goes after the prick, his followers love him more