Anyone who has watched Fox News long enough is aware that the alleged “news” network engages in a relentless stream of hate speech and incendiary rhetoric that has the potential to incite actual violence. Indeed, there have been violent incidents already that are directly attributable to Fox News.
For instance, Bill O’Reilly’s repeated references to Dr. George Tiller as “Tiller the baby killer” preceded the doctor’s murder in his church by an enraged anti-abortion activist. A mosque arsonist explains his crime by saying “I only know what I hear on Fox News.” An ordained minister in the Christian National Church pleaded guilty to plotting a massacre of the citizens of an upstate New York community of Muslims after hearing a Fox News analyst say they were training to launch domestic attacks. And when Glenn Beck was on Fox he was responsible for inspiring at least three violent criminals.
Now there has been an arrest in Washington state of a man, Scott Anthony Orton, who has been posting terrorist threats aimed at an organization formerly associated with Planned Parenthood. Orton, who used the name “Joseywhales” (after a pro-confederate Civil War outlaw), posted his comments on the Fox News community website, Fox Nation. The content of his posts were transparently hostile indicating both his own intent to commit murder, as well as an appeal to induce others to do so. Here are a few examples of Orton’s comments (more below):
“Kill StemExpress employees. I’ll pay you for it.”
“Stop the death of innocents. Kill the killers.”
“I’ll take care of [Victim 1] myself.”
As grotesque as these comments are, they only scratch the surface of the routine hate speech that is tolerated (encouraged) on Fox Nation. News Corpse has been compiling examples of such speech for a few years and has them on display at The Collected Hate Speech Of The Fox News Community. It is a revealing look at the mindset of the Fox News audience that openly expresses the most vile thoughts. It is also significant that the other commenters rarely object to these posts and the Fox moderators leave them in place to inspire other hate mongers.
How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.
The dangerous dialog that occurs daily on Fox Nation is part of the reason I wrote two books about the website (Fox Nation vs. Reality: Volume I and Volume II). It is the meeting place of the most deranged faction of the Fox News audience. And it serves as a de facto congregation of like-minded malcontents who support each others malevolent fantasies, molding them into realities. The result is entirely predictable, and is perfectly illustrated by this most recent incident of Fox News inspired terrorism.
[Update:] Raw Story has found some additional comments by “Joseywhales” that also threaten violence against President Obama, Baltimore state attorney Marilyn Mosby, former Attorney General Eric Holder.
Thanks for your relentless work exposing these monsters.
I wish I could say “You’re welcome.” But the truth is that I wish it weren’t necessary. That said, thanks for showing your appreciation. These cretins do need to be exposed.
So you really make money this way? Your free speech is no more protected than that of anyone else.
Sure it is because no laws were broken in the posting of any articles on this site. “Josey Wales” comments are rather explicit in their lawlessness. The state only has to prove his intent and capability to carry out his threats of paying for murder or committing murder himself. Not sure if you’re defending his actions or why.
I’m thinking he’s probably a troll. Thanks for pointing out the facts, but he (or she) is probably going to poke at you for a while yet before moving on to some other target…
FOX has finally gone too far. While I have only regarded it with derision in the past, much of its “reportage” being either distortions or downright falsehoods, this post shows the felonious results of its adherents. This is NOT journalism but propaganda and Josef Goebbels would be proud. The troll making the threats should be charged with 2nd degree murder and tried; if convicted he should enjoy an LWOP (life without parole) sentence.
Just to be clear, the Josey Wales idiot didn’t actually kill anyone, so he can’t be charged with murder. It’s a good thing that he’s been arrested, though, because it seems like it would only have been a matter of time before he did.
Maybe, if someone’d been arrested sooner, the (most recent) murders at Planned Parenthood wouldn’t have occurred.
The problem with that is that there are SO MANY potential shooters that it’s simply not possible for the FBI to track them all, let alone prioritize which ones are the most obvious threats. Law enforcement can and probably should analyze all the flags that the shooters of record set up before they crossed the line from “planning” to “execution” (pun intended). However, we all need to remember that the U.S. does NOT allow for “warrantless surveillance” (at least, not everywhere) and the best sources of the kind of information that might have stopped these crimes are everyone in the shooters’ social circles.
They all have to judge for themselves how likely it is that their “friend” isn’t just spouting the latest Faux News hatred and might actually go on to become a threat… and then they have to decide what they should do about it.
In the UK Fox News would be shut down For Making Terrorist Threats and inciting violence
inciting violence every one of their “Anchors” would be in jail or on a large bond by now
free speech does not give you the right to incite others to kill for you
This headline is a bit misleading if you don’t read it carefully (as some of the people here didn’t). Josey Wales is a commenter on the website, not a paid commentator. AFAIK, he’s not directly (and probably not even indirectly) responsible for any of the violence that has occurred. That said, it’s sure looks like he was escalating and might have done something in the future, so it’s good that the authorities have acted against this wingnut.
Haha well I wish that the cops and Facebook would do something about this b**** treating to kill me and my kids in a Facebook message!! I even snowed the cops it and they did nothing saying that it’s “not a terroristic threat” so they “can’t do anything about it”
You might want to get legal advice from a licensed lawyer to determine what kinds of things you can do to protect yourself and your children. Wishing you the very, very best of luck.