Bill O’Reilly Implies Alvin Greene Should Be Stoned to Death for Making a Pass at a White Woman

Bill O'Reilly Implies Alvin Greene Should Be Stoned to Death for Making a Pass at a White Woman

The news media, especially television news, has changed from the days of my youth when there were four channels, and in 30 minutes one could be brought up-to-date on 10 stories without personal opinion or jactitation inserted. Those times are over. 

Last night, in between watching the Braves game and CSPAN during commercial breaks, I caught a minute of the Fox News show “The O’Reilly Factor.” During the segment, O’Reilly and one of his blonde talking heads discussed the stoning deaths of two alleged adulterers in Asia. 


Near the conclusion of the combined ill-informed rodomontade, the host moved to the next topic, which was the recent indictment of Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Alvin Greene last week on two obscenity charges. His lead-in, to paraphrase was “speaking of someone who should be stoned …”


I do not know if this was intended to be comic relief or just a sincere lack of interest or indifference toward the life of another person. Although not a singular interpretation, it came off as if he was suggesting that this black political figure, for whatever reason should be stoned to death or suffer the same fate as the young couple Taliban militants murdered for adultery after they ran away from their families in northern Afghanistan.


Given America’s history, which is replete with the murders and lynching of African American men for minor offenses, including just looking at a white women, and the present dangerous environment of increased death threats against the current president and men being killed and dragged behind cars, one should be careful of the words they select to use. But not Bill O’Reilly, for he seems to be more concerned with sensationalism than being a conduit of accurate and objective news. Although the “Factor” is just another form of mindless entertainment on the level of “Jersey Shore” or any other reality TV show, we all need to take responsibility for what we say — for others may take it to fanatical ends. Especially the assertion O’Reilly made that Green should be stoned to death for making a pass at a white woman.

torrance stephens, ph.d.

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