(World News Trust) -- Dear Messers O’Reilly, Hannity, and Savage: Congratulations. You sure did it this time. You’re the New Century
answer to J.D. Salinger, now that an admirer/acolyte of yours has
gunned down two people and injured several others in a senseless
assault at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church. You must
be so proud.
"Still seized three books from Adkisson's home, including "The O'Reilly
Factor," by television commentator Bill O'Reilly; "Liberalism is a
Mental Disorder," by radio personality Michael Savage; and "Let Freedom
Ring," by political pundit Sean Hannity."
It reminds me of the chilling correlation between John Lennon’s
assassin, Mark David Chapman, and the copy of Salinger’s
teenage-alienation novel “The Catcher in the Rye” that Chapman had been
reading before he exterminated the musical icon, saying he was living
inside that book at that time.
Full disclosure: I am a liberal. I do not apologize for it, because I’m
tremendously proud of it. And I know that, having said that, it’s
probably open season on me in some corners of the country now.
I’m not advocating censorship -- at least not that which is applied from
external sources. I do, however, want to hang this latest massacre
around the necks of the Fox News Twin Towers of Intolerance, and their
hate-mongering radio pal. This is what screeds like theirs hath
wrought, and it’s time somebody said so, directly. If the three of
them were standing in front of me, I might be tempted to grab each of
these bullies by the shoulders and shake them, and ask them point-blank
if they realize what their venomous words are stirring up.
There are people in this country, on the air at the moment in prominent
positions of national exposure, who would convince you that I have a
mental illness because I subscribe to the liberal viewpoint. The
success that Michael Savage has enjoyed with his own repulsively-titled
diatribe only serves to reinforce. It pays well to promote hatred.
They’ve written books about how horrible and un-American I am because
I’m a liberal, how my patriotism is suspect because I try to be
tolerant of other faith-related views than mine, how my beliefs are
laughable because I think government can, at times, be helpful to large
groups of people who are poor, outcast, persecuted, kicked to the
corner, when they’re genuinely unable to help themselves through no
fault of their own. I’m regarded as near-criminal because I won’t march
in mindless lockstep to their world view, and because I believe
everyone has a right to live without persecution even if I disagree
with them (and that includes conservatives).
And that’s a bad thing? So bad it could get me killed?
Again, I’m not calling for censorship here. Liberals believe in the
right to speak out. I guess what I feel a compelling need for, here, is
some self-restraint on the part of the O’Reillys, Hannitys, and Savages
of this nation. Unfortunately it’s salacious, attention-getting, and
lucrative to stir things up the way these individuals do. There are
people in this country who would buy those books and study them, and
then feel motivated to take up arms against someone like me because
they don’t like the way I think. They would leave my husband a widower,
my children motherless, my best friend without a close pal she’s had
since fourth grade. Saddest of all, they’d probably think they’d done
good.
I’m sure each of those “big three” would loudly bray that they had
nothing to do with it. They’d protest their innocence of being able to
influence a Jim David Adkisson to go to such deadly extremes. But they
don’t issue such demonizing condemnations of the liberal viewpoint in a
vacuum. I’m sure they and their representatives know what power and
influence they exert. Do they ever take the next step and consider what
kind of hatred and violence they incite?
Because that is exactly what they do, whether they admit it or not.
That is what results. Hawking hatred and intolerance in every media
arena available, around the clock, has an impact. It has consequences.
Unfortunately, it does not fall on deaf – or apathetic - ears. It
creates and promotes an environment in which such negative feelings
gain validation and credibility. They become okay, even commonplace, no
big deal. After all, they’re just saying. It’s just talk, you know, to
boost ratings, stir things up, get the party started. If they manage to
inflame the passions of a Jim Adkisson, well, that’s just the cost of
doing business.
But there’s a greater cost by far.
Jim Adkisson is charged in the slaying of Greg McKendry, 60, of
Knoxville. Police said he also killed 61-year-old Linda Kraeger during
the 10:18 a.m. Sunday attack at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian
Universalist Church, 2931 Kingston Pike.
Hysterically hyperbolic chatter-fiends like the O’Reillys, Hannitys,
and Savages of today’s conservative media have made it okay to view
people you disagree with, mainly of the liberal persuasion, like
veritable enemies of the state. When they screech to the point of near
maniacal orgasm, relentlessly portraying liberals as vile and subhuman,
how can anyone not expect some frenzied audience member to act out in
an attempt to “solve the problem” and “settle” things once and for all?
In this day and age, we’d be lucky if all we had to endure was a daily
“two-minute hate,” instead of a perpetual anti-liberal barrage from
almost every book shelf, newsstand, talk radio station, and a vast
majority of cable TV.
Yes, even conservative extremists appreciate at least this much freedom
of speech. Ours is still described as a free country, where the likes
of O’Reilly, Hannity, and Savage, and all their friends can publicly
spew any kind of political vomit they want. I’d guess that the UUC
killings will do little to motivate them to start pulling at least a
few of their punches, or to appeal to their fans’ better angels not to
take out their political frustrations on innocent strangers.
Bill, Sean, Michael, it’s me here, shaking you by the shoulders. For
the Love of God, stop and think before you run off at the mouth so
viciously yet again. You have, in effect, put a target on the backs of
every liberal in this country. And the blood of Greg McKendry and Linda
Kraeger is on your hands already.
***
Mary Lyon
is a veteran broadcaster and five-time Golden Mike Award winner, who
has anchored, reported, and written for the Associated Press Radio
Network, NBC Radio "The Source," and many Los Angeles-area stations
including KRTH-FM/AM, KLOS-FM, KFWB-AM, and KTLA-TV, and occasional
media analyst for ABC Radio News. She began her career as a liberal
activist with the Student Coalition for Humphrey/Muskie in 1968, and
helped spearhead a regional campaign, The Power 18," to win the right
to vote for 18-year-olds. She remains an advocate for liberal causes,
responsibility and accountability in media, environmental education and
support of the arts for children, and green living. In addition to
World News Trust, Mary writes for Huffington Post, OpEdNews, Democrats.us, WeDemocrats.org's "We! The People" webzine. Mary is also a parenting
expert, having written and llustrated the book "The Frazzled Working
Woman's Practical Guide to Motherhood.