Fr. Jonathan Morris, Fox's resident clergy, pimps GOP talking points and the political views of his church which is adamantly opposed to legalized assisted suicide. Thus, last year, Morris did his duty when he attacked Brittany Maynard who, in accordance with her state's law, decided to take her own life. Yesterday, Morris continued to denigrate her.
Despite Fox's alleged commitment to being fair & balanced, they are, in reality, a conduit for the anti-choice movement as seen in their ongoing lie that the ACA covers abortion inducing drugs and their smears of choice advocates Wendy Davis and Sandra Fluke. But in addition to opposing abortion, the anti-choice movement, largely informed by Catholic theology, opposes assisted suicide. So it was no surprise to see Fox & Friends bring in Fr. Morris to pimp the latest anti-choice criticism of a terminally ill, California mother who was inspired by Brittany Murphy to campaign for right to die laws one of which is pending in the NY legislature and opposed by Fox fave, Cardinal Timothy Dolan.
Back in November, Morris, in keeping with the position of the Vatican, condemned Maynard's decision to end her own life. He gushed about the awesomeness of being surrounded by one's family as one goes gently and painlessly into that good night - a scenario more appropriate to a Hollywood script rather than the reality in which many people die very painful deaths. Yesterday, he stuck to the script.
Anna Kooiman began with the comment that Brittany Maynard "shocked the world" when she decided to end her life. Kooiman added that a terminally ill California woman, Christy O'Donnell, is campaigning for the right to do the same in California. She asked if this is a "brave or cowardly plan." She tossed to Fr. Morris who proceeded to explain why this is a very bad thing.
Morris said he couldn't say it was either brave or cowardly because you can't get inside people's souls. After that sweet little preamble, he launched into an attack on those who supported Maynard. He said that those who claim that Maynard's death had no societal implications were wrong because the California woman's advocacy is based on Maynard's invocation of her right to kill herself. He said that Maynard's decision has had a bad effect on "culture."
He recounted the blissful death of his terminally ill friend as the banner pushed the agitprop as Fox Fact: "Unnatural Death, Fr. Morris, Suicide Is Not A Dignified Way." He indirectly smeared Maynard when he asserted that his friend's children saw that she was "brave, right to the end." He described the "terrible" suffering as the mother's legacy of fighting bravely.
Tucker Carlson asked why this is a political issue because "it's not hard to kill yourself without imposing your views on others, without changing the law." The answer is that without right to die laws, killing oneself (despite Carlson's claim) is difficult and, for those who assist, illegal. But Morris launched into another attack on those who were "using" Maynard (Oh, the irony!) to promote legislation. He gushed about how when people are dying, all they need is love and then they won't want to take their lives!
There are, of course, very legitimate reasons for assisted suicide. But you won't hear them in the Fox gospel according to Fr. Jonathan Morris!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gACZGr_q10