The Political Freakshow

Forget Penn State: Fox News Calls Occupy Wall Street "A Parent's Worst Nightmare!" Seriously?

As a horrific child molestation scandal has rocked Penn State and gripped the nation, Fox News declared that Occupy Wall Street is every parent’s worst nightmare.

Here is the video from Media Matters:

After roughly a minute of the standard Fox News bashing of Occupy Oakland, Brian Kilmeade asked, “What is the biggest nightmare for a parent? Waking up in the morning and spotting one of your kids on one of the Occupy movements.”

No, Brian Kilmeade, Occupy Wall Street isn’t a parent’s worst nightmare, not even close. A parent’s worst nightmare is the sexual molestation of their child. A parent’s worst nightmare is that other adults knew of the abuse, but turned a blind eye and did not call the police. The scandal that has shattered the Pennsylvania State University is every parent’s worst nightmare.

A parent’s worst nightmare shouldn’t be college aged students engaged in a peaceful protest against corruption, greed, and inequality. Parents should be horrified by thousands of their children rioting because legendary football coach Joe Paterno was abruptly fired on Wednesday night. Parents should be horrified that their children are more concerned about the fate of an 84 year old figurehead of a football coach than they are the children who were the innocent victims of a sexual predator.

For anyone who thinks that Joe Paterno was unjustly fired because he lived up to legal responsibility consider that Paterno was not only the football coach, the former athletic director, and a legend, but he was also the man whose football success funded the athletic department and brought the university immeasurable prestige. Joe Paterno was a very powerful man. Paterno was not another employee of the athletic department. In some ways, he was the athletic department.

One phone call from Paterno to the police would have stopped sexual predator Jerry Sandusky years ago. If Paterno wanted the administration to notify the authorities, it would have happened. It’s about priorities. Paterno placed concern for the university that he loves and his football program ahead of a sexual predator’s victims. Joe Paterno didn’t break the law, but his decision led to the shattering of the myth of the Penn State Way.

It was mind blowingly out of touch for Brian Kilmeade to have suggested that attendance at Occupy Wall Street is every parent’s worst nightmare. No matter when it was uttered, it would have been a gross exaggeration, but for a Fox News personality to utter those words now, in the midst of this scandal is simply inexcusable and unfathomable.

To Fox News, protesters exercising their constitutional rights are worse than a sexual predator abusing young children while those around him turn a blind eye.

From Fox News to student rioters and Joe Paterno, at the end of the day it really is all about priorities.

Glad that Fox News has its priorities in order. One would be mistaken to think Fox News actually cared about children and their parents.