Norma Stanley’s May 18 letter was only four sentences. But, boy, did it provoke a lot of thought.
• “The O’Reilly Factor” was an opinion show. Bill O’Reilly wasn’t a reporter. He’s a pundit. As to “fairness,” his opinions could be racially biased, among other things. For example: Watch that YouTube clip from 2010 where he told Marc Lamont Hill, an African-American Columbia University professor, that he looked like “a cocaine dealer.” More recently, his first reaction to a sound bite from Rep. Maxine Waters was that he couldn’t get over her “James Brown wig.”
Do you think he would make fun of Rand Paul’s hair? Those are just two examples. Not what I call “fair.”
• Sexual harassment is an act of power, not an appreciation of beauty. He had power over these women and their careers. You submitted to Bill, or your career suffered. He took advantage of that power.
• Ms. Stanley blamed O’Reilly’s actions on what his victims chose to wear. This is the part that really outraged me. It’s not his victims’ fault that he is a sexual harasser. It’s Bill’s. Period.
• It’s been well-documented that there is a culture of sexual harassment at Fox News. Ask Gretchen Carlson or Megyn Kelly. It was common knowledge that the late, unlamented Roger Ailes (another sexual predator) preferred blondes for on-air talent. He also decreed that the desks be open so viewers could ogle their legs. But Ms. Stanley blames the women for their style of dress.
Shame, Ms. Stanley.
George Dragoumanos
Saco
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