How can anyone take Bill O'Reilly seriously?
By starr4all
@starr4all (2863)
January 19, 2007 2:05pm CST
I'm a little bit behind in the news but jeez. I usually just ignore the man but after I read this I just wanted to scream! Here's the basic information. Apparently this kid, Shawn Hornbeck was kidnapped when he was a 11. He was kidnapped by some 41 year old pizza shop owner. He was held for 4 years. He's been found and the guy has been arrested. Here is a quote from Bill O'Reilly:
"The situation here for this kid looks to me to be a lot more fun than what he had under his old
parents. He didn't have to go to school. He could run around and do whatever he wanted."
What?! The kid was kidnapped and it was fun? I don't know yet if they've said whether he was sexually abused or not but still! WTF! Here's another quote from this "great" guy (sarcasm!):
"I think when it all comes down, what's going to happen is, there was an element here that this kid liked about his circumstances."
So, after making these comments people were complaining. This was his comment to that:
"I actually hope I'm wrong about Shawn Hornbeck. I hope he did not make a conscious decision to accept his captivity because Devlin made things easy for him. No school, play all day long."
Why does anyone take this man seriously? The following are a couple of links to the story. There's supposedly a youtube video of it but I haven't watched it yet.
http://shakespearessister.blogspot.com/2007/01/just-when-you-think-bill-oreilly.html
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,244890,00.html
5 responses
@whiteheather39 (24403)
• United States
20 Jan 07
Shawn, according to his father, was sexually molested. I wonder if the whole truth will ever come out. He had freedom to go out on his bike, had a cell phone and could use the Internet so the big question is why did he not at least try to get help.
1 person likes this
@Smith2028 (797)
• United States
21 Jan 07
Story came out today.. he went to see the police (ALONE) to report a stolen bike. He presented himself as Shawn Devlin and gave a false birthday...
Wondering what the rest of this story really is...
@Smith2028 (797)
• United States
20 Jan 07
O'Reilly just calls it as HE sees it. I can't say I always agree with him, but sometimes he makes a good point. This is an interesting story, and I can't say that I completely disagree. There is something wierd about a kid who is on a computer, drives a car, uses a cell phone and hangs out with friends and doesn't make an effort to contact the authorities.
1 person likes this
@beautifulceiling (1300)
• United States
20 Jan 07
Happens to battered women every day. There are factors you know nothing about. Fear can be instilled to the point of paralysis. You function as well as you can but if you've been told of horrific consequences if you try to escape, often you don't try to escape.
Bill O'Reilly is an idiot.
1 person likes this
@fairly4458 (842)
• United States
19 Jan 07
I have never taken Bill OReiley seriously, the stuff that falls out of his mouth is terrible. He is a sock puppy & I wonder when they will notice & take his show away...
1 person likes this
@starr4all (2863)
•
20 Jan 07
I'm more afraid that people are listening to him and agreeing. Thanks for responding!
@vivasuzi (4127)
• United States
21 Jan 07
As harsh as it may sound, when I first heard the story of the boys (not on bill oreilly, just on the news), my mom and I both wondered why the kid never ran away. They reported how he often walked to 7-11 with the guy, and now their even saying he had a girlfriend. I also heard that Shawn even told them he saw a lost and found sign while walking one day and said "that doesn't even look like me"
I believe that Shawn's mind was severly messed with when he was kidnapped, but I also believe he had many chances to run away... so either his mind was so messed up he didn't think he could run away, or Bill's statement is right and he didn't WANT to run away.
The world will never really know though. We can only guess what's going on in that boys mind.
@starr4all (2863)
•
28 Feb 07
I saw bill o'reilly on oprah after this incident. He said most victims minds have been messed with so much, they are too scared to run, even if they are given a chance to escape. It's seemed to me o'reilly was backpedalling from what he said earlier. Now, he says people need to realize that fear had been established with the boy and that he was brainwashed. Thanks for responding.
@kitakazoo (41)
• United States
20 Jan 07
Thanks for the stupid O'Reilly story. I'll be keeping it to use on my blog the next time some "culture warrior" fan wants to argue with me about him.
I am afraid too - I know my father and brother inlaw think he's their hero. I just want to scream!
1 person likes this
