Jackson Free Press

What happened on yesterday's show is what makes me contemplate busting my budget to get Tivo. On "The View," during a heated discussion with Bill O'Reilly about the possibility of a mosque being built near Ground Zero, O'Reilly made a comment about Muslims being responsible for 9/11. Because of this, moderator Whoopi Goldberg and co-host Joy Behar left the stage. They later returned when O'Reilly backtracked and said he meant Muslim extremists. Here's the video:

The show's creator, Barbara Walters, was there that day and said that the two women should not have left the stage. What do you think?

Previous Comments

ID

160367

Comment

Out of sheer professionalism, no they should have not left the stage. But Behar and Whoopi are activists, along with being guest show hosts, plus comedians - so I can see why they did it. But in my honest opinion, O'Reilly is trying to get his street cred back up with conservatives, especially after John Stewart called him "The Liberal of Fox News". So I can see him saying something like that to win back some of his audience.

Author

Duan C.

Date

2010-10-15T11:46:04-06:00

ID

160380

Comment

I think leaving the stage was a form of protest, and I must admit that I cheered a little when they left the stage. I also cheered a little when I saw Whoopi's shoes - LOVE 'EM!

Author

LatashaWillis

Date

2010-10-15T21:46:24-06:00

ID

160397

Comment

Walter's was right. As HOSTS, leaving the stage because a guest said something they disagreed with was totally unprofessional. If it was truly offensive to them, they should have hung in there and refuted the point.

Author

Jeff Lucas

Date

2010-10-17T07:34:56-06:00

ID

160414

Comment

My hat goes off to Whoopie and Joy. It's about time that this Wolf (O'Riley) is called, UGLY. He and many others from this FOX illness continue to spew negatives all over the world. Many Muslems lost their lives in the WTC on 9/11. After all of the murders of black folks in this country, I have not heard one word about something not being built because of the trees used to hang so many. The muddy Mississippi continues to be a burial ground for many black folks, to include Emmit Teal. No one has ever stood up for the many places around this country where many good folks lost their lives. I am soooo sorry about the many who lost their lives on 9/11 and I am also sorry about the many blacks and some whites who joined the struggle against racism here in America and lost their lives. That sneaky Elizabeth on the VIEW should be on the Yellow Brick Road with the Scare Crow and the Tin Man - looking for a brain and a heart, respectively. O'Donnell on MSNBC took Elizabeth to task with simply saying, "There comes a time when you should just SHUT UP!"

Author

justjess

Date

2010-10-18T10:11:52-06:00

ID

160416

Comment

Jess- There were less than 30 Muslems who lost their lives in the WTC, that's not many, that's a few.

Author

BubbaT

Date

2010-10-18T10:55:49-06:00

ID

160419

Comment

"I am soooo sorry about the many who lost their lives on 9/11 and I am also sorry about the many blacks and some whites who joined the struggle against racism here in America and lost their lives." You actually have the nerve to call O'Reilly ugly while making a statment like this?

Author

js1976

Date

2010-10-18T15:58:11-06:00

ID

160421

Comment

I agree with the actions taken by Whoppi and Joy too. I only hate they didn't give O'Reilly the finger on their way out. Sure, Ms. Anne scolded them about it today. O'Reilly is a scum and under his breath I believe I heard him murmuring to himself I wonder what color their undies are, like he did the woman who filed charges against him several years ago for similar acts. He's a sneaky lecherous freak. Badmouthing all Muslims didn't mean anything to him because that is a game he plays to carry out his other salacious feats of making women and others angry. Like most republicans he gets off on that.

Author

Walt

Date

2010-10-18T17:13:32-06:00

ID

160424

Comment

I wish I saw these comments sooner, but I didn't get a chance to read them until I got home because I had so much to do today. BubbaT, a life is a life whether it's 30 people or 30,000, so I don't think that the loss of Muslims on 9/11 can be minimalized that way. js1976, I edited your comment to remove the personal insult against justjess. Name-calling is not permitted according to the site's user agreement and can result in the suspension of your account, so please be careful and stay on topic.

Author

LatashaWillis

Date

2010-10-18T18:44:05-06:00

ID

160427

Comment

js1976, you asked how could I call O'Reilly ugly after making the following statement: "I am sooo sorry about the many who lost their lives on 9/11 and I am also sorry about the many blacks and some whites who joined the struggle against racism here in America and lost their lives." My use of "WOLF" has absolutely nothing to do with the physiognomy of O'Reilly: It is symbolic and representative of the "UGLY" things that he says and does.

Author

justjess

Date

2010-10-19T09:09:31-06:00

ID

160430

Comment

Js1976, I don't think jess was being sarcastic when she said she was so sorry. So what's the problem?

Author

Brian C Johnson

Date

2010-10-19T12:07:06-06:00

ID

160431

Comment

Brian, I think you need to reread that post! Make sure you get the comment correct. Jess is "soooo sorry" about the lives that were lost. Sounds like sarcasm to me.

Author

js1976

Date

2010-10-19T12:13:14-06:00

ID

160432

Comment

Not in any way professional and there is likely a more tactful way to handle disagreeing with a guest that has been invited to share "their" opinion on the view. They have a job to do and walking off made it look as if they didn't have an argument against ORielly's statements. They should have stayed and stayed in his face until HE walked off the show. Their frustration is understandable. The dude gets a kick out of pissing people off. But, I agree with Barbara Walters...it was simply the wrong thing to do. As hosts of the show and being familiar with this man's track record, I believe that Whoopi and Joy should have better prepared themselves mentally to handle him. I wouldn't dare let him run me off my couch/chair....

Author

Queen601

Date

2010-10-19T12:17:29-06:00

ID

160433

Comment

js1976, seems people don't agree with your assessment of JustJess' post. Having read hundreds (thousands?) of posts, I agree. Might I suggest you ask whether JustJess was being sarcastic instead of moving directly into being angry. That is one of the problems with the written word as opposed to being able to hear and see someone -- misinterpretation. As to the women walking off the show, I agree that it was unprofessional. On the other hand, Bill O'Reilly is like a trained attack dog: He'll keep arguing his position louder and longer than anyone else. He and the rest of the talking heads are one reason I stopped watching cable news. When there is no attempt at discussion, nothing ever gets resolved and no one learns anything. O'Reilly and the rest of them reduce serious issues to shouting matches on par with tabloid trash TV a la Jerry Springer.

Author

Ronni_Mott

Date

2010-10-19T19:35:51-06:00

ID

160438

Comment

@ Ronni "O'Reilly and the rest of them reduce serious issues to shouting matches on par with tabloid trash TV a la Jerry Springer. My sentiments exactly, good point!

Author

Duan C.

Date

2010-10-20T11:01:20-06:00

ID

160439

Comment

I get really, really tired of the antagonistic quality of most of what passes for public debate these days. At a certain point I tune it out and go meditate. I don't want to play the argument game, I want to find better ways to work for what I want that don't include so much sound and fury.

Author

Izzy

Date

2010-10-20T11:30:35-06:00

ID

160445

Comment

Js1976, it doesn't seem at all likely that Jess was being sarcastic. Her point seemed to be that we take some deaths as sacred (9/11) while we discount others (civil rights deaths). Her point wouldn't make sense if she was being sarcastic about 9/11. Besides, how many people outside of right-wing fever-dreams are disrespectful to the victims of 9/11? I just wondered if you found her comparison of 9/11 deaths and civil rights deaths offensive.

Author

Brian C Johnson

Date

2010-10-20T14:09:57-06:00

ID

160452

Comment

My girl Whoop says she left to keep from cussing O'Reilly out. Had she done that, who knows, she might have Whooped his ass too. Then we would have heard the crap about the angry black female. Donna has written an intersting coulumn about civility and I'm all for it in most cases. I would make an exception for the Foxxy News crew myself. But I'm 'spose to be crazy.

Author

Walt

Date

2010-10-20T16:46:47-06:00

ID

160465

Comment

...just saw js1976's post about my saying that I am sooo sorry about the lives lost on 9/11. This is really twisted! It reminds me of Michelle Obama saying that she has never been as proud about this country as she was feeling then. OMG!!!! For a little history, my very good friend lost her son on 9/11. He was not only her only son: He was her only child. There is so much pain associated with 9/11 and on any given day, I can expect a call that is laced with tears, feeling of guilt, feelings of anger, remorse, regret. In all of the family's pain, I have not heard even one single word about hate or harm against ALL Muslims or ANY opposition about a MASQUE bein built on Ground Zero. Their anger is focused and to the people who killed her son and others; not to the entire Muslim world. Please don't play this negative game with me about White vs Black or accusing me of not being empathic about the lives of certain others. As I have stated before, we are a RACIAL MIX and there are also some from our younger generation who practice the Muslim faith. To harm you or speak sarcastically against you or yours would be a piercing in my side, also.

Author

justjess

Date

2010-10-21T11:17:29-06:00

ID

160466

Comment

"Please don't play this negative game with me about White vs Black or accusing me of not being empathic about the lives of certain others." Jess, I have made no such comments related to White vs Black! Unlike your posts that was full of comments doing just that. I was responding to something you said, not I.

Author

js1976

Date

2010-10-21T11:55:34-06:00

ID

160518

Comment

Well, it wasn't Amish men that did it now was it? Not a single Jew or Hindu among the bunch if I recall. As far as I'm concerned he stated a fact. In poor taste, obviously. Inflammatory, of course. But running from factual comments is not the way to solve issues, much less discuss them. They instead could have had an informed discussion about how not all people that consider themselves followers of Islam literally follow the koran and its calls to slay or convert nonbelievers. They could have brought up the moderate Islam movement and compared it to reformations in other faiths that were not always nonviolent. Screaming red faced and running around like children makes all sides involved look ignorant and foolish.

Author

Jacksonlibertarian

Date

2010-10-24T20:57:18-06:00

ID

160523

Comment

Libertarian, I'm happy to see someone else will actually acknowledge that he did nothing but state a fact! These two just don't like O'Reilly personally because they have all ran to the defense of Juan Williams right to express his opinions regarding Muslims.

Author

js1976

Date

2010-10-25T08:28:11-06:00

ID

160524

Comment

Well, it wasn't Amish men that did it now was it? Not a single Jew or Hindu among the bunch if I recall. By that logic, JackLib, white "Christian" men would be constantly demonized and with good reason for all of the violence they have perpetrated on our nation since its beginning. Of course, I know that your logic is faulty and that that truly faithful people, whether Christian, Muslim, or of any other faith, do not demonize the extremists who claim to be acting on behalf of their faith (think of the "Christian soldliers," the Klan, or of Christian militias that supported the "work" of McVeigh and Nichols). Truthful faith people also do not egg on, and and encourage, the demonization of a whole faith, which leads to violence by and against them. Put another way, if you don't want to see extremists commit violence, don't think or talk like one.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2010-10-25T08:30:50-06:00

ID

160553

Comment

"Truthful faith people also do not egg on, and encourage, the demonization of a whole faith, which leads to violence by and against them." Which is exactly why I stated it was in poor taste. The statement that is was a group of self identified Muslims however, is an undeniable fact. I doubt he was painting the entire faith with one brush, much like we don't paint other religions with violent members as representatives of the entire faith.

Author

Jacksonlibertarian

Date

2010-10-25T19:37:41-06:00

ID

160578

Comment

Speaking of Juan Williams, I'm glad MPR or NPR gave him the old heave-ho. He probably earned it over time. And I know he'll soon become even a bigger ho now that he's completely working over there at Too Foxy for Me News. I hope he has sense enough to get paid well for prostituting on behalf of the devil. I just hope his parents' and grandparents' teachings will someway and somehow keep him from totally forgetting what he is and where he came from. The last thing I want to see is another brother or sister dancing, eating watermelon and minstrel-like entertaining over at Foxho news.

Author

Walt

Date

2010-10-26T17:49:07-06:00

ID

160582

Comment

"The last thing I want to see is another brother or sister dancing, eating watermelon and minstrel-like entertaining over at Foxho news." Or you could just disagree with him and let the old south racial innuendos die out in the cold.

Author

Jacksonlibertarian

Date

2010-10-27T08:52:11-06:00

ID

160584

Comment

@ Walt - you must have just finished watching Bamboozled by Spike Lee? lol!!!!!!! If that's the perspective you coming from, because if you are - I am totally feeling you on that one!

Author

Duan C.

Date

2010-10-27T09:22:15-06:00

ID

160586

Comment

Never saw it Duan but I will rent it. JackLib when the ole south dies I will let its ways die too. Juan has his job to do at Fox and I have mines to do.

Author

Walt

Date

2010-10-27T12:42:10-06:00

ID

160589

Comment

@ Walt - I hope you see it soon and please let me know what you think, because it is deep! Matter of fact, it needs to be in your contemporary collection. But since you are touching on Ol' Juan - he is a hard pill to swallow. But another one for you is Amy Holmes!? That child there? But maybe it could be this Walt? Maybe they play the role, simply because they want the paycheck and they are high in demand? huh? What you think?

Author

Duan C.

Date

2010-10-27T13:20:33-06:00

ID

160599

Comment

Dwan C. You are right on target about both Juan and Amy. They speak the same language and it is nothing nice for anyone who listens. Amy is so full of herself that she needs CPR after giving an answer to any question. She wore me out durig the 1998 election. It will be interesting to see if Fox will use her as much as they did during the last election.

Author

justjess

Date

2010-10-28T11:19:38-06:00