Glad there is an apology for an immoral statement

[FreeinChrist]

Fox News host apologizes for remarks about killing mentally ill homeless people

Brian Kilmeade, co-host of 'Fox & Friends,' suggested 'involuntary legal injections' for people who refuse mental health care.

www.latimes.com

“Fox & Friends” co-host Brian Kilmeade apologized Sunday for remarks he made last week that suggested using involuntary lethal injections to get mentally ill homeless people off the streets.​

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Kilmeade’s comments came during a discussion last Wednesday on “Fox & Friends” about the Aug. 22 stabbing death of a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee, Iryna Zarutska, on a light rail train in Charlotte, N.C......​

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“A lot of them don’t want to take the programs,” Jones said. “A lot of them don’t want to get the help that is necessary. You can’t give them the choice. Either you take the resources that we’re going to give you, or you decide that you’ve got to be locked up in jail.”​

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Kilmeade added: “Or involuntary lethal injection or something — just kill ‘em.”​

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He apologizes now but those words were all over social media. But he did apologize.

 

[Servus]

In 1729, Irish writer Jonathan Swift proposed an ironic solution to the problem of what was seen as endemic Irish poverty. The poor, he suggested, should sell their children as food for the rich.

 

[FreeinChrist]

Swift was skilled at ridiculing the foolish and the rich, the corrupt and whose morality and fairness was in question. Most people remember only two of the groups that were in his book Gulliver's Travels, the Lilliputians and the Brobdingnag. They forget that the
4th group, the brutish, materialistic Yahoos, was how he saw most people of that day.


But that does not apply to this thread.

 

[CRAZY_CAT_WOMAN]

I guess he got backlash from his statement. So, he had to apologize, because he was afraid, that he might lose his job. But I'm sure he wants that to happen to the homeless. And a lot of people do too.

 

[The Barbarian]

In 1729, Irish writer Jonathan Swift proposed an ironic solution to the problem of what was seen as endemic Irish poverty. The poor, he suggested, should sell their children as food for the rich.

Yes, a satire, of course. But unlike Kilmeade's suggestion, no one actually supported the idea.

Make no mistake about it; Kilmeade is sorry that it caused enough of a flap that he had to apologize. He just unwisely gave viewers a little glimpse into his soul.

 

[Hans Blaster]

Fox News host apologizes for remarks about killing mentally ill homeless people

Brian Kilmeade, co-host of 'Fox & Friends,' suggested 'involuntary legal injections' for people who refuse mental health care.

www.latimes.com

“Fox & Friends” co-host Brian Kilmeade apologized Sunday for remarks he made last week that suggested using involuntary lethal injections to get mentally ill homeless people off the streets.​

​

Kilmeade’s comments came during a discussion last Wednesday on “Fox & Friends” about the Aug. 22 stabbing death of a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee, Iryna Zarutska, on a light rail train in Charlotte, N.C......​

​

“A lot of them don’t want to take the programs,” Jones said. “A lot of them don’t want to get the help that is necessary. You can’t give them the choice. Either you take the resources that we’re going to give you, or you decide that you’ve got to be locked up in jail.”​

​

​

Kilmeade added: “Or involuntary lethal injection or something — just kill ‘em.”​

​

​

He apologizes now but those words were all over social media. But he did apologize.

Was it part of his resignation statement?

 

[ThatRobGuy]

I think he was going for some sort of "edgy dark humor" there...but pretty tone-deaf given the recent events and the hyper-polarized environments they created coming from someone who claims to represent journalism.

Don't get me wrong, I'm okay with "edgy/dark" humor (I listened to a lot of David Cross, Anthony Jeselnik, and Daniel Tosh stand-up)... I don't think this was a serious proposal, but I don't think a newsroom is the right venue for that kind of dark humor (if they want to be taken seriously as a newsroom)

 

[FreeinChrist]

No, it wasn't any kind of humor.

 

[Hvizsgyak]

No, it wasn't any kind of humor.

I use to like listening to Brian Kilmeade but now after that statement, maybe FOX needs to toss him to the curve too. Unless I'm hearing that statement out of context, I think it was a stupid thing to say.

 

[LizaMarie]

I use to like listening to Brian Kilmeade but now after that statement, maybe FOX needs to toss him to the curve too. Unless I'm hearing that statement out of context, I think it was a stupid thing to say.

I, too, used to like him. He's gone downhill. And I couldn't believe he said that, it's a terrible thing to say. Glad he apologized.

 

[Servus]

Swift was skilled at ridiculing the foolish and the rich, the corrupt and whose morality and fairness was in question. Most people remember only two of the groups that were in his book Gulliver's Travels, the Lilliputians and the Brobdingnag. They forget that the
4th group, the brutish, materialistic Yahoos, was how he saw most people of that day.


But that does not apply to this thread.

Swift's statement in A Modest Proposal could be taken as horrendous without context. Was Kilmeade being sincere or making a point regarding the breakdown in the system?

 

[Servus]

Yes, a satire, of course. But unlike Kilmeade's suggestion, no one actually supported the idea.

Make no mistake about it; Kilmeade is sorry that it caused enough of a flap that he had to apologize. He just unwisely gave viewers a little glimpse into his soul.

Of course he had to apologize. If his comment was along the lines of being satirical, and he tried to explain that, it would've just sparked more outrage. Better to just apologize and move forward.

 

[GoldenBoy89]

 

[ThatRobGuy]

View attachment 370036

Myself being a keen observer of double-standards (and quick to point them out)...

There are some major contextual differences.

The most glaring one being, people weren't just inundated with what's tantamount to a snuff film of a homeless guy with a gallon of blood gushing out of his neck while his body twitches. One is a terrible comment that only exists in the hypothetical (and was in all likelihood a tone-deaf attempt at dark humor), the other was something that millions of people just saw with their own eyes (and that probably made them sick to their stomach)

The other one being, the comments about Kirk haven't been as tame as "he said some no-so-great things", they've occupied the spectrum of
"He was hateful, so haha, I'm glad it happened" to "well, he did say some things that made people really mad, so this is partially his own fault".

 

[The Barbarian]

Was Kilmeade being sincere or making a point regarding the breakdown in the system?

Probably just tribal tough talk. I suspect that if he actually saw that kind of thing, he'd wet his pants. Still despicable, though.

 

[GoldenBoy89]

Myself being a keen observer of double-standards (and quick to point them out)...

There are some major contextual differences.

The most glaring one being, people weren't just inundated with what's tantamount to a snuff film of a homeless guy with a gallon of blood gushing out of his neck while his body twitches. One is a terrible comment that only exists in the hypothetical (and was in all likelihood a tone-deaf attempt at dark humor), the other was something that millions of people just saw with their own eyes (and that probably made them sick to their stomach)

The other one being, the comments about Kirk haven't been as tame as "he said some no-so-great things", they've occupied the spectrum of
"He was hateful, so haha, I'm glad it happened" to "well, he did say some things that made people really mad, so this is partially his own fault".

It’s just strictly comparing Killmead to the reaction Matthew Dowd got. Both media figures. Both said insensitive things. Dowd did not saying anything even close to “he was hateful so he deserved it.” Only one lost his job.

 

[Servus]

It’s just strictly comparing Killmead to the reaction Matthew Dowd got. Both media figures. Both said insensitive things. Dowd did not saying anything even close to “he was hateful so he deserved it.” Only one lost his job.

Immediately after the assassination Dowd said on-air, "He's been one of the most divisive, especially divisive younger figures in this, who is constantly sort of pushing this sort of hate speech or sort of aimed at certain groups. And I always go back to, hateful thoughts lead to hateful words, which then lead to hateful actions."

Dowd along with scores of others broke the 'too soon' rule in the worst way possible.

 

[GoldenBoy89]

Immediately after the assassination Dowd said on-air, "He's been one of the most divisive, especially divisive younger figures in this, who is constantly sort of pushing this sort of hate speech or sort of aimed at certain groups. And I always go back to, hateful thoughts lead to hateful words, which then lead to hateful actions."

Dowd along with scores of others broke the 'too soon' rule in the worst way possible.

Right but I guess joking about killing homeless people is never “too soon”.

 

[rambot]

Swift's statement in A Modest Proposal could be taken as horrendous without context. Was Kilmeade being sincere or making a point regarding the breakdown in the system?

Watched with context (several minutes). I dont think he was making a point about the system at all but I'm definitely not convinced he wants that literally.


Gonna be a hard sell to convince me that he has any kind of compassion for those suffering as part of his ethos.


Oh yes! And props for the apology.

 

[Servus]

Watched with context (several minutes). I dont think he was making a point about the system at all but I'm definitely not convinced he wants that literally.


Gonna be a hard sell to convince me that he has any kind of compassion for those suffering as part of his ethos.


Oh yes! And props for the apology.

What did you see? All I could find were a few clips from detractors who cut off Kilmeade right after the statement. So far I haven't found anything showing what was said afterwards.