NEW YORK BOSTON |#Popular: Irish Celebrity Gossip Irish in US Politics Irish Festivals Irish Roots Irish Entertainment Offbeat Irish

Home Page > News > Bill O’Reilly sat down with Trayvon Martin’s mother and calls on Al Sharpton to apologize - VIDEO

Bill O’Reilly sat down with Trayvon Martin’s mother and calls on Al Sharpton to apologize - VIDEO

O'Reilly cautions others not to judge but may have done so himself

DARA KELLY,

IrishCentral.com Staff Writer

Published Saturday, April 14, 2012, 8:15 AM

Updated Saturday, April 14, 2012, 11:35 PM

Larger Text

E-mail

16 Comments

Bill O'Reilly Fox News Anchor

Photo by Feedloader

Pundit Billy O'Reilly welcomed Sybrina Fulton, the mother of the late Trayvon Martin, onto the O'Reilly Factor on Thursday evening to discuss the long anticipated arrest of George Zimmerman, the man who shot and killed her teenage son.

Martin, 17, was walking home alone through a gated community in Sanford, Florida in February when Zimmerman, a self-appointed neighborhood watchman, shot him to death.

Zimmerman was not arrested by the local police as he claimed he had acted in self defense, but a national outcry quickly followed, with supporters and activists calling for Zimmerman's arrest. Martin was a victim of racial profiling they contend, and responding to intensifying pressure Zimmerman was finally arrested earlier this week.

O'Reilly, who formed his opinion on the case early on, has been sharply critical of other in the media for 'rushing to judgment' about Martin's case, the Huffington Post reports.

On Thursday evening O'Reilly began by telling Fulton he was sorry for her loss. 'I can't imagine the pain you go through. So I think all Americans are feeling your pain. And we all want justice in the case. From the beginning, we've just called for calm. Let the system work. Let's not convict Zimmerman on television. Let's not make these wild charges.'

Then in a clear swipe at Fox News' rival MSNBC network O'Reilly called for MSNBC host Al Sharpton to apologize. O'Reilly contended that by pressing for an arrest Sharpton had simply 'whipped up emotion.'

Fulton countered that without the public rallies, some of which Sharpton promoted and attended, the pressure to arrest Zimmerman would not have grown.

O'Reilly called Fulton, Martin's father and their lawyer 'magnificent,' but he claimed that unspecified groups of others around the country have 'whipped up emotion.' O'Reilly again said that Sharpton should apologize for some of the things he said.

'You want me to comment on that? I don't know everything that's behind it. I haven't been watching a lot of the news. And I haven't been watching what everyone was saying. So I'm not sure what response you want," Fulton said, looking slightly exasperated.

O'Reilly added that he did not agree with 'convicting Zimmerman on TV,' although he appeared to have no issue with defending him on TV. Fulton's lawyer Benjamin Crump took that moment to say that rather convict or defend him, he just wanted to see Zimmerman have his day in court.

O'Reilly concluded: 'We're all Americans here. No one wants a 17-year-old son shot down on the street. Mr. Zimmerman doesn't want to see his son's life ruined because of this. This is a tragedy all the way around. And we have to handle it with the utmost respect.'

Nster.com

E-mail

16 Comments

See all comments

MCCOLGAN1492 | Apr 16, 2012, 01:40 PM EDT

No, Zimmerman is a coward, who followed a young man around and when he started getting his ass beat, he shot him..Typical of 50%of the Punks who ride\walk around the US with pistols for no legitimate reason other than personal protection. Are you a punk who likes to harass people for no reason? Buy a pistol and shoot the person who takes issue with your behavior....

Report abuse

BrianO | Apr 15, 2012, 09:01 AM EDT

let's keep our race cards in the right piles. the story forgot to say that zimmerman is a "white"- hispanic, because if he was a hispanic- hispanic the story wouldn't have any legs.

Report abuse

EamonnDublin | Apr 15, 2012, 04:45 AM EDT

"pilib04" says that "the extent of white racist bigotry is mind-boggling". Perhaps he/she should have another look at the breakdown of figures for black on white crime as against white on black crime. The difference is quite astonishing. Is nobody allowed to comment on that? Does commenting on it make me a racist? How very sad. Éamonn, Dublin, Ireland.

Report abuse

hollabackgurl | Apr 14, 2012, 11:42 PM EDT

O'Reilly tells everyone else not to rush to judgement but it's quite clear he has himself.

Report abuse

maryemoore | Apr 14, 2012, 09:53 PM EDT

Dara Kelly needs a good editor. This piece looks like it was written by someone whose first language is not English. So many mistakes- this was nearly unreadable.

Report abuse

merefalow | Apr 14, 2012, 04:42 PM EDT

i think the racial overtones and frenzy whipped up by the media will make it difficult for Zimmerman to get a fair trial,the riots that occur when there are perceived injustices, will make it almost a political imperative to inflict some sort of punishment whether it is justified or not,i wish all the crimes committed by certain segments of our population met the same degree of examination and out rage, perhaps then we might get equal justice for all,and our streets and cities would become safer.if there was not so much street crime and robbery commited by a certain section of our population there would be no need for neighborhood watch and people like Zimmerman to protect there homes and communities,that law that was passed allowing you to shoot to protect your self home and family, was passed BECAUSE of all the murdered residents of burgled homes.its a good law and has prevented a lot of innocent deaths.STAY OUT OF PLACES THAT DONT BELONG TO YOU,YOU WONT GET SHOT,SIMPLES.

Report abuse

just4fun | Apr 14, 2012, 01:45 PM EDT

O'Reilry the man with the forked tongue and he wants Sharpton to opologize. He is just as big a stirrer as Sharpton. From where I sit I see anyone that totes a gun as being a killer, one day, any day, that suits them to fire be it man or beast.

Report abuse

pilib04 | Apr 14, 2012, 12:56 PM EDT

O'Reilly says "no one wants a 17 year old son shot down on the street." I beg to differ. I have been reading commentary on a variety of blogs about Trayvon Martin. They say exactly what O'Reilly denies. The extent of the white racist bigotry is mind-boggling.

Report abuse

Conchubar | Apr 14, 2012, 12:29 PM EDT

I see nothing wrong with a charge of 2nd degree murder; in fact, it seems to be the perfect charge in that it eliminates the prosecution's need to prove premeditation. A charge of 2nd degree murder committed with a firearm carries a minimum MANDATORY sentance of 25 years up to life. It certainly isn't a "gimme" for Zimmerman!

Report abuse

slainte9 | Apr 14, 2012, 12:19 PM EDT

I had no idea Dara Kelly was such a devout follower of Bill O'Reilly, but apparently she is to the extent she can assure us that O'Reilly thinks Zimmerman is innocent, as opposed to innocent until proven guilty by our judicial system. By the way, why no Irish Central comments on MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell, who've I've actually seen in action, and was completely, lynch mob level, out of control in declaring Zimmerman guilty.

Report abuse

simplesandy | Apr 14, 2012, 12:05 PM EDT

Eamonn, you r right. It is getting to a point that people of one color want to be noticed and seems that there will be no peace till they are on top. There are too many cultures in America, let alone the world for this to happen. So in the meantime when things are wrongly done to their culture, or seems to be wrongly done (because I was not there to judge what happened) it is always going to be a racist thing. You know, I seem to find this a little weird that we only have these situations with the black culture. hmmm even the Mexicans don’t cry racist.

Report abuse

tomgallagher | Apr 14, 2012, 11:37 AM EDT

Second degree murder..LOL..what a joke. Even Alan Dershowitz got a laugh out of that one.

Report abuse

tomdoyal | Apr 14, 2012, 11:17 AM EDT

Bill O'Reilly is a lightweight demagogue whose opinions must be evaluated in that light. He masquerades as a journalist while working as some sort of entertainment clown.

Report abuse

EamonnDublin | Apr 14, 2012, 10:24 AM EDT

Firstly, I would ask "Jamthecat" where has Bill O'Reilly "whipped up right-wing racist emotions". All he has done is asked that we allow justice to take its course. As for seeking justice, Martin's father does not appear to be interested in justice. On TV during the week, after the arrest of George, he said that he will now fight "even harder for a conviction" and also for a "stiff sentence". Surely he should simply wish to see "justice"? As for my reference to "George", some will no doubt ask "who is George" and "who is Martin"?. Well, it is George Zimmerman of course, and Trayvon Martin. You see, I am just trying to point to the media's constant naming of Trayvon Martin as "Trayvon" and George Zimmerman as "Zimmerman". That is bias by the media, pure and simple. I have reversed the process to highlight the media bias. By the way, I saw a very small mention earlier in the week about a 20 year old black man who burgled a house in Oklahoma, raped and beat to death a lady in her 80s and seriously injured her husband. Where's the outrage? Where's Al Sharpton? Oops, I shouldn't have mentioned that - now I'm a RACIST!! Éamonn, Dublin, Ireland.

Report abuse

el rubio | Apr 14, 2012, 10:10 AM EDT

Yankel Rosenbaum was unavailable for comment. As were Angelina Martinez, Cynthia Martinez, Luz Ramos, Mayra Rentas, Olga Garcia, Garnette Ramautar, and Kareem Brunner.

Report abuse