Fellow Fox News host Bill O’Reilly and radio host Richard Fowler “are fundamentally confused and wrong” on the “Draw Muhammad” cartoon contest initiated by Pamela Geller and the American Freedom Defense Initiative, said Fox host Megyn Kelly in a heated argument with Fowler last night.
“The U.S. Supreme Court has been very clear on this … I’m telling you this is protected speech,” said Kelly.
On Sunday, two men opened fire at the contest in Garland, Texas, and were shot dead by police, triggering a national debate over freedom of speech.
Bill O’Reilly said on “The O’Reilly Factor” that “by setting up a contest and awarding $10,000 for a depiction of the Prophet Muhammad, the American Freedom Defense Initiative spurred a violent incident.” He added that “insulting the entire Muslim world is stupid” and does not help defeat jihad.
Fellow Fox host Greta Van Susteren called the contest an “unnecessary provocation” that put police lives “at risk.”
Richard Fowler, Kelly’s guest, said that the contest was “offensive” and “wrong.”
“There’s no debate about whether it’s offensive,” said Kelly. “Everybody knows it was offensive.”
But “even if you hate [Geller’s] message, she was promoting free speech,” argued Kelly.
“There’s nothing wrong with free speech, but as Donald Trump put it, be smart, not stupid,” replied Fowler. “Why would you invoke attacks onto the people coming to your event, by doing something so ridiculous?”
“Do you hear what you’re saying?” asked an exasperated Kelly. “So, we in this country need to limit our constitutional rights; we have to limit our free speech, or right, lest we invite attack?”
“Freedom of speech comes with limits — and this is a clear limit,” said Fowler, drawing a comparison with yelling “Fire” in a crowded movie theater.
“No it isn’t, you’re totally wrong,” said Kelly. “You are fundamentally confused and wrong. The Supreme Court has been very clear on this,” she said, citing the Supreme Court decision on the “hateful as they come” Westboro Baptist Church’s right to free speech.
“This is not about case law, this is about common sense,” said Fowler.
“The more offensive the speech is, the more protection it needs,” said Kelly. “That’s how the First Amendment works.”
“The First Amendment does give us the right to free speech, that doesn’t mean you should go out there and do it,” said Fowler.
“Here’s the issue: When people exercise their First Amendment rights, and two jihadis show up to murder them, the relevant question at that time is not ‘what were they saying?’ ” said Kelly. “The relevant question is ‘what are we going to do about this group of people that wants to murder us because we believe in free speech and the First Amendment?'”
“If they’d never had that event, the jihadis would never have shown up,” said Fowler.
“Wow. Richard, I am concerned about the America you would have us live in,” said an incredulous Kelly. “That is not the way it was set up.”
“I would live in an America where everybody accepts everybody, and not make fun of their respective gods,” said Fowler.
“Why don’t you just explain that to the jihadis,” said Kelly. “They need a little lesson in being respectful.”
