(ThyBlackMan.com) What was Bill O’Reilly thinking? What made him believe it was okay to verbally attack the personal appearance of a member of the Unites States House of Representatives? Then again when thinking about it one could ask themselves why did Sean Spicer address April D. Ryan like she was a child. The truth is Bill O’Reilly, and the likes of him, do not acknowledge nor respect who Maxine Waters is…they don’t respect her position at all. Throughout the current administration we have been told even if we don’t like, or acknowledge, the president we must respect the office. Granted being a member of Congress is not the same as being president, but they are both elected officials. Bill O’Reilly can’t fully acknowledge Maxine Waters because she is a woman…she is a black woman.
Before I am accused of pulling the “race card” there is something we must admit about Bill O’Reilly. He is a fiery pundit that likes to
degrade a person’s position…and at times its done in a rather condescending disrespectful manner. He did not address Congresswoman Water’s argument he chose to speak on her hair: “I didn’t hear a word she said. I was looking at the James Brown wig”. Not only was he disrespectful, but he attacked her womanhood by likening her to a man…James Brown while assuming she wears a wig.
Congresswoman Maxine Waters to Congress: “We fight against this president and we point out how dangerous he is,” Waters said on the floor. “…We’re fighting for democracy. We’re fighting for America. We’re saying to those who say they’re patriotic, but they turn a blind eye to the destruction he is about to cause to this country. You are not nearly as patriotic as we are.”
Maxine Waters has been on Capitol Hill since 1991, and is the most senior black woman serving in Congress. She is outspoken, and is known for taking a firm stance on whatever position she is holding. As we saw with her commentary regarding the president she pulls no punches when stands resolved on the merit of a matter, individual, or lack thereof. Regardless of her tenure in Congress her stance was not met with enough respect to argued. Instead she was treated like an insignificant toy whose perspective was not worthy of commentary. That is the statement Bill O’Reilly sent in disrespecting Maxine Waters. If she would have been a liberal white male member of Congress O’Reilly would have attacked the position with the fiery he is known for…we wouldn’t have gone after the Congressman’s appearance.
Pundits such as Bill Mahr felt that democrats such as Hillary Clinton speaking out against the treatment of Maxine Waters was focusing on “little bullsh*t issues”. When he was told, by a guest, that sexism and racism are no small matters he didn’t see a racist issue at all. The bottom line is, though I can agree with his commentary at times, he didn’t quite understand that what Bill O’Reilly did was not little it’s what blacks and black women in political office must face that is different than their white counterparts. They are not given the respect of their office, tenure nor knowledge. For blacks to be properly represented they must face total disregard on many days.
If Bill O’Reilly didn’t know who he was playing with Maxine Waters set him straight. She didn’t begin with her hair…she had to acknowledge her womanhood first. “Let me just say this: I’m a strong black woman and I cannot be intimidated. I cannot be undermined. I cannot be thought to be afraid of Bill O’Reilly or anybody.” She would also go on to encourage women not to let the likes of O’Reilly stand in their way. Her advice was simple: “Be who you are, do what you do, and let us get on with discussing the real issues of this country.”
It is unfortunate that these matters have to be addressed and even worse that some deemed it as merely as joke. Just because Bill O’Reilly, and some others, deemed his comments a stupid joke doesn’t mean it was a joke. Just as Sean Spicer was more than rude to April D. Ryan…he spoke to her like she was a child. Our people in office have more to face than merely having disagreements about policy. One thing is for certain…regardless of commentary Bill O’Reilly may not acknowledge Maxine Waters, but he knows she is no toy to be played with.
Staff Writer; Christian Starr
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