Bill O’Reilly took his condescension and scorn for African Americans upset over Ferguson to new lows last night as he deliberately set his sights on attacking the St. Louis Rams for their “hands up” protest on Sunday.
Just as with Trayvon Martin, O’Reilly seems to think that the most important thing about Ferguson is how it's yet another episode in his ongoing series of Blacks Behaving Badly (H/T to reader Jane S for the meme).
O’Reilly started the racial grievance in his Talking Points commentary that opened The O’Reilly Factor last night.
First, O’Reilly described the protesters as the real crooks: “Rampaging through the streets… sent a strong message that anarchy and destruction are tools to be used in protest.”
Then O’Reilly announced that even the peaceful protesters were criminals:
Some national TV networks reported most of the demonstrators were not violent but that is false. Once you see crimes being committed in any situation, you must walk away or you become part of the violent mob, part of the criminal activity. The protesters who did not loot or burn or assault the police but who remained in the fray are guilty of aiding and abetting those who did by providing them cover and support.
Next, O’Reilly scolded African Americans for causing whites to dislike blacks even more:
The mob also did something else. It set back race relations in America years. The violent protests actually created more bias against blacks. Most Americans deplore the tactics of violence even if they agree with the protest cause. I know many African-Americans who are appalled at the display well understanding the violent images in Ferguson, Missouri alienated good people who are sympathetic to the concept of equal justice for all.
Later, O’Reilly tried to feature the St. Louis Rams as the cop-hating edition of Blacks Behaving Badly. But unfortunately for him, neither of his two guests, not even conservative Mary Katharine Ham, saw it that way.
O’Reilly tried to argue that the protesting Rams had sent a message that all police are evil killers of African Americans (instead of acknowledging that blacks bring the shootings on themselves, as O’Reilly’s attack implied). But Juan Williams, the more liberal guest, argued, “You think that those football players identify and say, ‘Oh, all cops are bad?’ That is not true."
“Quite frankly, I don’t think they’re smart enough to know what they’re doing,” O’Reilly sneered.
“Oh my gosh. How can I protect you from yourself?” Williams said.
Watch it below.
