What's Up Bill: The Lost Perspective of Bill Oreilly

It appears that Bill Oreilly has lost perspective. Maybe it's hubris that comes with success or he's feeling intimidated by Glenn Beck. At any rate, I was watching his show when he made a statement that I would have suspected from a left-wing broadcaster. Ok, maybe it's Bill being "fair and balanced" although that has completely lost meaning. Mostly F&B means arguments from fixed positions. Who cares? We know what each side stands for so it's an exercise in intellectual onanism.

I usually watch or listen (via XM) to CNN, MSNBC and FOX. If I can I tune in CNBC or FOXBusiness during the day although Bloomberg has a good broadcast with lots of data and little commentary. But back to Bill.

The discussion centered around Freedom of Speech. Now, long ago, people realized that total freedom had to have some limits. The old story of yelling "fire" in a theater and libel suits show that society has felt the need to put limits on certain types of speech. There are people who go to military funerals to protest and I, for one, find this as offensive as yelling "fire" falsely. People simply do not have the "freedom" to disturb another's sorrow with a protest against anything, But the courts see different. I can't help but feel that this undermines the military and military families and is a sign of our times that this would be tolerated. In other words, we have it too good for our own good.

So, through all my digressions, I'll get to the statement that drove me up a wall. Oreilly was speaking to a guest on principles and he stated that, "Freedom of speech was a principle and principles are not worth dying for." (I put this in quotes but I may not have the words exactly correct. I copied it down as soon as I heard it but my have missed a word or two. However, I did not miss the intent.) Wha. . .? ?

I was shocked and his guest didn't even blink. The very nature of our brand of free speech (It's much more liberal in France by the way.) is a principle and we have told our servicemen for years that we are fighting for American principles of which freedom of speech is one of the most basic. In our Bill of Rights, it is Number 1:

Amendment 1:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

What were the two most important PRINCIPLES the founders considered? Religion and Speech. We fight to preserve these and other PRINCIPLES. The fact that Bill Oreilly could play so loosely with this basic understanding is curious indeed. I have read his books and they are full of principles. Nowhere do I find any indication in his writing that principles are not worth fighting and dying for. What's up Bill?