Photo: Wireimage/Getty
Star Jones wrote a well thought out letter in response to Bill O’Reilly‘s racial slur toward Michelle Obama on a recent show. As you all know by now, O’Reilly was talking to a caller who was angry at Mrs. Obama for saying, “for the first time in my adult lifetime, I’m really proud of my country.”
O’Reilly responded in his famous tongue-in-cheek way by saying, “I don’t want to go on a lynching party against Michelle Obama unless there’s evidence, hard facts, that say this is how the woman really feels. If that’s how she really feels – that this is a bad country or a flawed nation, whatever – then that’s legit. We’ll track it down.”
To date, only two influential blacks have responded to the slur: Jesse Jackson and Star Jones In Jones’ letter – which is reposted in its entirety on Black Voices.com – she said:
What annoys me more than anything is that I get the feeling that one of the reasons Bill O’Reilly made this statement, thinking he could get away with it in the first place, and then followed it up with a lame apology in a half-hearted attempt to smooth any ruffled feathers, is because he doesn’t think that black women will come out and go after him when he goes after us. Well, he’s dead wrong. Be clear Bill O’Reilly: there will be no lynch party for that black woman. And this black woman assures you that if you come for her, you come for all of us.” — Star Jones Reynolds READ MORE…
Thanks to loyal readers Kisha and Honey for the tip!
Star is quite late in her response… I think a lotta people let that slide, but really he does it for the ratings… He won’t get fired, so the best that can be done is that enough people care to speak out against dude so his audience doesn’t think what he says is true
star should have never responded to that fuckrey. he’s clearly seeking attention. no one should give him the time or day when he carries on with his foolishness.
Bill O’Reilly is a racist bitter old man, if i could i would spit on him….
O’Reilly’s racist azz knew what he was doing when he said it..his time is coming very soon..
I watch Bill O’Reilly from time to time and he has stood up for Michelle Obama in regards to those comments. Yes, I agree he may have chosen a better word than lynching, but people need to stop being so sensitive. He didn’t say anything negative towards black people. Why are we always playing the victim everytime someone says something out of line? Black people misspeak all the time and you don’t see white people having a fit about it.
@ Chat bout… so is Star.
3Abhor_ Says:
Bill O’Reilly is a racist bitter old man
*********************************************
Dont forget ignorant
Dang I was afraid to comment on this post based on the fact that bloggers on another site were extremely pissed at me for blowing Bill off and dissing Star. I don’t think its that serious and I don’t feel like wasting any brain power on it and am shocked that Star did. And why is Jesse saying anything? Isn’t he against Barack?
Bird, Jesse is talking because he loves to hear himself..he’s about as irrelevant as sharpton yet you can’t shut either one of them up
Dag Nabit somebody beat me to it!! I was about to send Sandra an email about this. I appreciate the fact that Star spoke out on this. With all the ruckus that was made over Don Imus and the comments that were recently made about Tiger Woods as a “joke”, I think more attention needs to be given to insensitive remarks like this one across the board. Hell, even George W. recently made a speech chastising people for using nooses in pranks and actually said that the words lynch party should not be used in jest because of the hurtful memories that those words bring back for some Americans. I think that there are cases were people have over reacted and have been too sensitive, but there are just certain words and phrases that we should no longer use.
Everytime Bill spakes ignorant…he needs to be called out about it.
I am not surprised that he said this. Hell when he was talking about 50 everybody was like…50 needs to hush.
It doesn’t matter what person, race, gender he makes sly remarks about…he ass needs to be called out!!!
This is kinda late though:)!!!
*speaks
Bill O Reilly is an open racist so I really don’t know why he is on the air.I think Star responded professionally because it was a white person, we ALREADY know what would of happened, but she didn’t have to respond.I thought Jackson was for Barack???The fact that is was like a “personal threat” doesn’t make it alright at all.
Over on my site we discussed the word “lynch” and if it is a racial slur as you say. Though blacks were lynched often through out this country’s history. But so where a lot of other people from other races. Thus I don’t think the use of “lynch” should be synonymous with black people. I’m not trying to defend Bill O’Reily, I think he is scum, but us black people really need to have tougher skin and not try to make everything that comes out of a white person’s mouth into a racists remark.
but hey…maybe i’m wrong.
Bill is obvious with his tired angry white man BS. i prefer the racist in the house to be like that. With that said, glad Star commented on it and hate that Jesse did as every time he opens his mouth due to him doing it for any and everything he renders the story or issue a non issue. Had not heard of this comment at all, but I expect no better from Bill or the company that employes that azz! Truly if Obama gets the nod, we have got to all put on our flame retardant jumpsuits, its gonna get uglier real quick!
I completely have to disagree with the other posters that don’t see how the word lynch can be synonymous with black people.
When I think of lynchings I think of run away slaves, I think of black men women and children hanging from trees like “strange fruit”.
When I think of lynching parties I think of white men women and children (because we all know white children were often present for a good ole lynching) standing around having a party. I mean a party with liquor, guns blasting with smiles and cheers.
Bill knew exactly what he was saying and what it meant to him. I agree with Star he was just betting he wouldn’t be called out on it.
He is a racist!! Everytime he does stupid crap he should be called out on it. We should flood his email with letters informing him that we will call him out for every inappropiate word he says. He needs to know that we as black, women, men and, americans will not be degraded or ignored.
Normally, I think that we, as a race, can bee too sensitive, but this time I think Bill O’Reilly was out of line. He knows d@mn well the images that come to mind when you hear the word “lynching”.
I used to watch O’Reilly, but it is VERY hard for me to listen to his ignorant “opines” now. And for this reason alone Bill O’Reilly doesn’t get a pass. The golf anchor was out of line too (when she said that Tiger Woods should be lycnched in a back alley), but she doens’t have a history of saying the kind of offhanded racist remarks that Bill says.
She’s right though…he is pretty annoying!
Lynching and black people hanging go hand and hand in my mind. That word doesn’t have any other meaning to me. He should have some sort of consequences but we KNOW that won’t happen. He is a sad case and we really need to pray for the man because he truly feels that he is decent. The sad thing is we live among Bill’s everyday and all day, they just don’t have the media outlet. Which is why I feel it’s important to do and stand behind something as blatant as this. Let a black host say something about crackers and Mr. Whitey and they are pulling the plug on the show before the credits roll. I am going to say it and I’m sure I’ll catch all hell —THIS is what the NAACP should be addressing. Yeah, bloggers/posters/etc can get out of hand but we HAVE an organization that can really do something instead of 2-3 ‘headliners of the black community’.
i kno thats rite ms.star…..aint nobody lynching shit…fall back bill real talk.