When a Colorado Planned Parenthood was attacked by a Christian, Fox News treated the incident as the act of a deranged individual and not the incendiary rhetoric of the "pro-life" movement. But the Orlando shooting is considered an act of scary Islamic Terrorism which, according to a Fox & Friends guest, is real - unlike abortion clinic violence.
Today's discussion was a propaganda bonanza in that Fox & Friends was able to pimp a bunch of their favorite memes: Evil liberal education, persecuted Christians, evil political correctness and scary Islamic Terrorism. The patented "Trouble With Schools" segment began when "wasp caricature" Tucker Carlson framed the Fox agitprop about evil, liberal education: "There is insanity going on in the schools." His next statement hit the Fox agitprop about persecuted Christians: "College professors are blaming Christians for the terror attack in Orlando." No specific examples were given, but hey, if you're pimping propaganda, who needs examples?
Right wing journalist and comedian Katherine Timpf introduced the Fox agitprop about Islamic terror: People are trying to blame absolutely anything but the radical, Islamic terrorism which is you know, you get people like Sally Kohn out there saying 'yeah, what about Christian terrorists, what about, you know, people bombing abortion clinics'. There's been more people dying from selfies in 2015 alone than have ever died in violence in abortion clinics. But nobody wants to blame the real problem...because people like blaming Christians, that's part of it."
Clayton Morris wanted to know how we can stop ISIS radicalization. She mocked those who speak about how "toxic masculinity" and homophobia contributed to the shooter's mind-set. She quipped that ISIS isn't "exactly known for their feminism." She stressed that we need to admit that the problem is "specifically" radical Islam. Despite the fact that we still don't know who the offending professors are and what they said, the banner read: "Radical Run-Around, Professor Playing Blame Game On Orlando."
Tucker Carlson asserted that "Islamism in general" is a threat to liberal values and asked, "Why wouldn't liberals be its chief enemies." (Like how Fox is one liberalism's chief enemies!). He accused liberals of "abetting" and "making excuses" for radical Islam. (So, Tucker, which party, controlled by which religion, is refusing to pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act?)
On cue, Timpf, in invoking more Fox agitprop, referenced "political correctness" and, of course, Obama "refusing to say radical Islamic terrorism" which, of course, will make the problem vanish, right? Without providing context, Timpf expressed outrage that Christians,white people, homophobia, sexism are being blamed when it's all about the terrorists.
The unidentified professor story would appear to be taken from the right wing College Fix which posted an article about a SUNY-Buffalo teacher who says, that the Orlando shooting is connected to the “long history of violent political rhetoric and homophobic policies by Republican officials and their conservative allies." Today's Fox & Friends discussion proved his point that the right wing is refusing to address the fact that the shooting was, in part, due to homophobia. (Sorry "Kat") But on to abortion.
Timpf's comment was not only vile but misinformed. There have been NO deaths due to selfies. But there has been a long history of abortion clinic violence in this country. And despite Timpf's claim that nothing happened in 2015, THREE PEOPLE WERE KILLED at a Colorado Planned Parenthood. The shooter was not Muslim, but an American Christian as have been all abortion clinic/doctor murderers.
While Timpf whines about white Christians being unfairly blamed for acts of violence, it's clear that on Fox News, domestic terrorists get a free pass because "radical Islam" (in Foxworld, the only kind of Islam) is worse.
The abortion clinic shooting in Colorado was religious terrorism propelled by Christian fundies. The Orlando shooting was a hate crime (still terrorism) masquerading as religious terrorism (Isil). To portray Orlando as religious terrorism is to play into the hands of Omar Mateen. I don’t think we should do him any favors.
PS: LeBron James just brought a championship to the mistake on the lake.