Media Matters: Boortz, others blame VA Tech victims for not fighting back

[FVZA_Colonel]

http://mediamatters.org/items/200704180007?offset=0&show=1#comments



Boortz, others blame VA Tech victims for not fighting back
In the April 18 edition of his daily program notes, called Nealz Nuze and posted on his website, nationally syndicated radio host Neal Boortz asked: "How far have we advanced in the wussification of America?" Boortz was responding to criticism of comments he made on the April 17 broadcast of his radio show regarding the mass shooting at Virginia Tech. During that broadcast, Boortz asked: "How the hell do 25 students allow themselves to be lined up against the wall in a classroom and picked off one by one? How does that happen, when they could have rushed the gunman, the shooter, and most of them would have survived?" In his April 18 program notes, Boortz added: "It seems that standing in terror waiting for your turn to be executed was the right thing to do, and any questions as to why 25 students didn't try to rush and overpower Cho Seung-Hui are just examples of right wing maniacal bias. Surrender -- comply -- adjust. The doctrine of the left. ... Even the suggestion that young adults should actually engage in an act of self defense brings howls of protest."

In the April 17 edition of his program notes, Boortz had similarly asked: "Why didn't some of these students fight back? How in the hell do you line students up against a wall (if that's the way it played out) and start picking them off one by one without the students turning on you? You have a choice. Try to rush the killer and get his gun, or stand there and wait to be shot. I would love to hear from some of you who have insight into situations such as this. Was there just not enough time to react? Were they paralyzed with fear? Were they waiting for someone else to take action? Sorry ... I just don't understand."

In questioning the actions of Virginia Tech students involved in the April 16 incident, Boortz joined the ranks of various commentators, including National Review Online contributor John Derbyshire, Chicago Sun-Times columnist Mark Steyn, who also writes for the National Review, and right-wing pundit and Fox News analyst Michelle Malkin.

In an April 17 weblog post on National Review Online's The Corner, Derbyshire asked: "Where was the spirit of self-defense here? Setting aside the ludicrous campus ban on licensed conceals, why didn't anyone rush the guy? It's not like this was Rambo, hosing the place down with automatic weapons. He had two handguns for goodness' sake -- one of them reportedly a .22." Time.com Washington editor Ana Marie Cox criticized Derbyshire in an April 17 post on Time magazine's political weblog, Swampland.
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Not only is this statement patently false, but that he can so blatantly condemn them for how they acted in a situation he knows nothing about is morally outrageous. And even in his supposed appology (apparently posted on his site), he still goes on to blame "government schools" for not allowing self defense, thus continuing his crusade of trashing anything not controlled by the private sector. Whether or not the "zero tolerance" policies that he decries are as even as common as he says, that he sees them as a failing of "government schools" is just rediculous.

[autorank]

1. This is beneath contempt.

Simply unbelievable.

I say it's time for a full scale boycott of each and everyone of these people. Any lists
around?

They have no idea what they started with this. They not only have no shame, they have non
brains.

[Donnachaidh]

8. who are the sponsors?

We need to complain to THEM. Sponsors brought down Imus, sponsors will bring down Boortz.

[chelsea0011]

2. This has always been used against victims. Holocaust

victims suffered the same victimization when morons ask why they just walked to the gas chambers.

[cullen2382]

13. He blamed them too

Boortz this morning brought up the holocaust survivors also. Asked how they could allow themselves to be walked into camp knowing they were gonna die. Why didn't they just fight back?
How laughable. He's an idiot.

[chelsea0011]

16. Man. How is that guy not kicked off radio?

[Ignacio Upton]

15. The Israeli professor and Holocaust survivor in this shooting did try to fight back

By barricading the door by defending his students. Not a single one of them was killed.

[Buzz Clik]

3. If shot a blank in his studio while he was broadcasting, he'd shit his pants.

I love "heroes" like Boortz.

[gratuitous]

4. Isn't Boortz based in Atlanta?

Isn't he situated somewhere fairly close, like less than a two hour plane ride, from Blacksburg? What was he doing Monday morning while this whole thing was unfolding? Why didn't he charter a plane, load it up with guns, and show us all how it's done?

[CottonBear]

9. Yep. Boortz broadcasts on WSB 750 AM out of Atlanta and he is an asshole

of major proportions.

I heard some of his diatribe against the victims yesterday.

Today, he was apologizing...sort of.

I wish he would shut up and go away.

We used to have and Air America station in Atlanta but no longer. The RW-GOP wouldn't stand for a liberal radio station to counter Boortz, Haniity, Savage and Ingraham, all of who are broadcasted in NE GA.

[Ganja Ninja]

5. Neil going for the gold on Countdown's worst person in the world.

Why are right wingers all such dicks? It never fails. Name an issue or current event and they have a dickish take on it. There must be a common gene for both conservatism and dickheadedness.

[FVZA_Colonel]

7. It should be interesting to see who EarlG decides to name the Number One idiot for this week.

I don't envy him having to pick the biggest one, though Boortz seems to be in the running.

[no_hypocrisy]

6. This wasn't Flight 93 being re-enacted.

These were kids totally inexperienced with this kind of situation, imprisoned in a small space, and understandably panicked.

[rfranklin]

10. Let's see what he does with a Glock in his face...

Pussy!

[Norquist Nemesis]

11. Boortz is a hatemongoring blowhard

And frankly, I wish the media and everyone else would just take a breather and let the community start to find a way to heal. Blame this one, blame that one...WTF??? A psychopath went on a killing spree and it's a senseless tragedy! Stop blaming the victims (including the parents, gun shop owner, administrators, cops, etc. etc. etc.) and start the healing. There's plenty of time to review and leave out all of the speculation that pushes the emotion buttons.

[Phredicles]

12. "if that's the way it played out"???

So he really doesn't know, does he? Naturally, that doesn't stop him from pontificating - after all, he's a right-wing blowhole: It's what they do.

[DixieBlue]

14. What a waste of oxygen.