Media Matters
In a December 9 Washington Post review of Kids Are Americans Too (HarperCollins, October 2007), a book by Fox News host Bill O'Reilly and author Charles Flowers, Harvard Law School professor Alan M. Dershowitz wrote: "This book is so riddled with errors, inconsistencies, bad advice and hypocrisy that by O'Reilly's own standards -- we must not 'leave children exposed to harm' -- it should be placed in the adults-only section of the bookstore. Or better yet, with the joke books."
In his review, Dershowitz noted comments O'Reilly has made on his nationally syndicated radio show that Media Matters for America has highlighted.
The author of this book also preaches to kids about their right to express themselves freely. Contrast that author with the talk show host of the same name, who said in a June 20, 2005, radio broadcast:
"Dissent, fine: undermining, you're a traitor. Got it? So, all of those clowns over at the liberal radio network, we could incarcerate them immediately. ... Send over the FBI and just put them in chains, because they, you know, they're undermining everything."
When newspapers and blogs reported this fall on O'Reilly's bizarre comments about visiting an African American restaurant in Harlem -- he expressed astonishment that none of the diners was "screaming" obscenities, there wasn't "any craziness," and it was "exactly the same" as any "Italian restaurant in an all-white suburb" -- he went into a rant against the media for portraying him as racist:
"These people aren't getting away with this. I'm going to go right where they live. Every corrupt media person in this country is on notice, right now. I'm coming after you. ... I'm going to hunt you down. ... I'm coming to your house. You'll have a camera up your nose."
And the contradictions go on. O'Reilly the author praises juries and tells kids we must accept the law even if we disagree, otherwise we have "anarchy." O'Reilly the talk show host had this to say about the jurors who voted not to convict Phil Spector: "They're idiots and they should be put in jail for letting this guy get off."
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