THE ATLANTIC HAS JUST DECIDED TO FIRE A CONSERVATIVE WRITER ON
ITS SITE, KEVIN WILLIAMSON IS HIS NAME AND PREVIOUSLY HE WAS
AN OP-ED WRITER FOR NATIONAL REVIEW.
WELL, I GUESS EVERYONE
IS AN OP-ED WRITER FOR NATIONAL REVIEW BUT NONETHELESS, THIS ALL
STARTED WHEN SOME OF HIS TWEETS FROM THE PAST CAME TO EVERYONE'S
ATTENTION.
APPARENTLY IN THE TWEETS, HE HAD TALKED ABOUT THE
ISSUE OF ABORTION AND SINCE HE COMES FROM A VERY CONSERVATIVE
PERSPECTIVE, HE HAD THIS TO SAY:
SO WHEN THAT HAPPENED, THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF FOR THE ATLANTIC
DECIDED NOT TO FIRE HIM.
HIS NAME IS JEFFREY GOLDBERG AND HE
ESSENTIALLY SAID, LOOK, WE CANNOT JUDGE PEOPLE BASED ON
THEIR WORST TWEETS AND I ACTUALLY AGREE WITH HIM ON THAT.
ALL OF
US AT SOME POINT HAVE PROBABLY TWEETED SOMETHING THAT WE REGRET
AND DON'T ACTUALLY MEAN.
ME?
NO.
HE WAS GIVEN THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT BUT MEDIA MATTERS DID A
LITTLE DIGGING AND FOUND SOME OF HIS COMMENTS FROM BACK IN 2014
DURING A NATIONAL REVIEW PODCAST.
WE HAVE THAT PODCAST FOR YOU NOW SO YOU CAN TAKE A LISTEN AND
JUDGE FOR YOURSELVES AND THEN I WILL GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON
WHAT WILLIAMSON'S FATE IS.
I SORT OF ALREADY TOLD YOU BUT STILL.
SOMEONE CHALLENGED ME ON MY VIEWS OF ABORTION SAYING IF YOU
REALLY THOUGHT IT WAS A CRIME, YOU WOULD SUPPORT THINGS LIKE
LIFE IN PRISON, NO PAROLE, TREATING IT AS A HOMICIDE AND I
DO
SUPPORT THAT.
IN FACT, AS I WROTE, WHAT I HAVE IN MIND IS
HANGING.
WE ALREADY HAVE DEGREES OF CULPABILITY AND PUNISHMENT
IN
OTHER HOMICIDE CASES.
INCLUDING SOME LAWS THEY DON'T AGREE WITH
LIKE LAWS THAT HAVE ENHANCED PENALTIES FOR MURDERING AND
GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL OR A POLICE OFFICER, HATE CRIMES ALL THE
THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT WE ALSO MAKE DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN
CERTAIN KINDS OF MURDERS IN CERTAIN CASES.
THE SHOCKING
THIS IN THE CRUELTY OF THE CRIME, IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE. 2
GUYS GET A FIGHT IN A BAR IN ONE OF THEM PULLS A GUN AND SHOOTS
THE OTHER IS TREATED DIFFERENTLY FROM SOME GUY KIDNAPS A
90-YEAR-OLD WOMAN AND TORTURES HER.
AS IT SHOULD BE DONE.
AND THAT IS OKAY.
SO WHERE YOU AND I DON'T AGREE QUITE
ON THE UNDERLYING ISSUE OF ABORTION, AT LEAST THE DEGREE OF
CRIMINALITY, WE CAN AGREE ON THAT THAT THERE ARE CERTAINLY
RECENT REASONABLE CASES TO BE MADE FOR DIFFERENTIATING.
MY
BROADER POINT HERE IS OF COURSE THAT I AM SQUISHY ON CAPITAL
PUNISHMENT, BUT I AM ABSOLUTELY GOING TO SEE A PERSON TREATING
LIKE A REGULAR HOMICIDE IN THE CRIMINAL CONDUCT.
IT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE.
HE IS SO PRO-LIFE THAT HE WOULD
LIKE TO SEE WOMEN WHO HAD ABORTIONS HANGED.
SO AFTER
THAT PODCAST CAME TO LIGHT AND JEFFREY GOLDBERG, THE
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF FOR THE ATLANTIC HAD A CONVERSATION WITH
WILLIAMSON, GOLDBERG DECIDED TO FIRE HIM.
LET ME GIVE YOU
GOLDBERG'S REASONING AND THIS CAME IN THE FORM OF A MEMO THAT
WAS SENT OUT TO EVERYONE AT THE ATLANTIC.
LET'S GO TO GRAPHIC 46.
SO EVERY GOLDBERG IS GETTING A LOT OF HEAT FROM A LOT OF
DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS, FROM LIBERALS INITIALLY THING YOU
SHOULD'VE NEVER HIRED THIS KIND OF FIRST LADY AND THEN HE GOT
CONSERVATIVES NOT SAYING THIS IS AN OUTRAGE AND THIS IS THE
THOUGHT POLICE, ETC.
WE JUST WANT TO HANG SOME WOMEN AND YOU
GUYS ARE BEING ALL THOUGHT POLICE HE ABOUT IT.
LET ME BE
AMONG THE FEW PEOPLE WHO SAYS THAT I THINK JEFFREY GOLDBERG
PROBABLY GOT IT EXACTLY RIGHT.
WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS THAT
SWEET FROM 2014, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A REALLY HIGH BARRIER FOR
FIRING SOMEONE OVER AN OLD SWEET.
THE FACT THAT HE DID NOT
FIRE HIM AFTER THAT I THINK IT'S THE RIGHT MOVE.
PEOPLE'S TWEETS
STUPID STUFF ALL THE TIME AND IT IS IN THE PAST AND IF HE IS
PASTOR, NO PROBLEM BUT TO ME, THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF
GOLDBERG'S QUOTE WAS THAT HE TALKED TO HIM.
THAT IS WHAT WE
ASKED FOR ON THE SHOW ALL THE TIME.
INSTEAD OF JUST FIRING
PEOPLE, HAVE A CONVERSATION, BRING THEM IN, HERE THEM OUT,
WHETHER IT IS LEFT WEARING HER RIGHT WING AND SEE WHAT THEIR
CURRENT IDEAS ARE AND THEN YOU MIGHT EVEN WANT TO DO THAT
PUBLICLY AT SOME POINT AND GO, IF KEVIN WILLIAMSON HAS A
DIFFERENT STANCE NOW, MAYBE HE EXPLAINS IT NOT IN A MEA CULPA
AND FORCED APOLOGIES BUT THIS IS WHAT I USED TO THINK, THIS IS
WHAT I THINK NOW AND IT TURNS OUT GOLDBERG DID HAVE A
CONVERSATION WITH HIM AND HE IS LIKE NO, HE STILL BELIEVES THOSE
RIDICULOUS OUTRAGEOUS THINGS AND IF HE DOES THAT HE HAS TO GO.
RIGHT.
I AM NOT ARGUING THAT WE SHOULD LOCK UP THIS GUY FOR
SAYING WHAT HE SAID.
I THINK THAT THE ATLANTIC, THAT GUY
ORIGINALLY, THE GUY WITH THE BEARD DONE HERE THAT LOOKS LIKE
ONE OF THOSE BALD GUYS WITH THE MAGNET HERE HAIR THAT YOU CAN
MOVE FROM THE TOP TO THE BOTTOM, THAT GUY.
I THINK THAT THAT GUY
IS TOTALLY WITHIN HIS RIGHTS TO SAY WHAT HE SAID.
I TOTALLY GET
HE IS ALMOST LIKE MODEST PROPOSAL APPROACH TO IT BUT
IT LEAD TO GETS TO CHOOSE WHO THE WRITERS ARE AND THEY GET
TO CHOOSE WHAT THEIR EDITORIAL STANCES AND HOW THEY PRESENT
IDEAS AND THEY ARE TOTALLY WITHIN THEIR RIGHTS TO DISAGREE
WITH PEOPLE THAT FORMULATE AND PRESENT IDEAS IN THIS WAY.
I JUST FEEL LIKE THERE'S NOT ENOUGH, I WANT TO KNOW WHO DOES
THE RESEARCH FOR ALL THESE ORGANIZATIONS, NOT ONLY THE
ATLANTIC, NEW YORK TIMES, OTHER PUBLICATIONS HAVE RUN INTO THE
SAME THING WHERE THEY HIRE SOME TO BE AN OPINION WRITER AND THEN
OF COURSE THE INTERNET DOES THE DIGGING AND SOMETHING COMES
OUT AND THEN THEY ARE FORCED TO FIRE THEM AFTER THE FACT
BUT SHOULDN'T THAT BE, ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE IMMEDIATE,
JOURNALISTIC ORGANIZATION, YOU DO THE RESEARCH BEFORE YOU
SIGN THE CONTRACT, GIVE SOMEONE A PAYCHECK.
I HEAR YOU BUT NO ONE DOES RESEARCH AS WELL AS THE
INTERNET ARE.
THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT.
MIB MEDIA MATTERS IN THIS CASE BUT
ONCE PEOPLE START DIGGING, THEY DIG AND TAKE UNTIL THEY GET
SOMETHING AND SO, IN THAT LIGHT, ONE MORE KNOW OF MIXED FEELINGS
ABOUT THIS.
I SAY GOLDBERG IS RIGHT BECAUSE I WOULD NOT HIRE SOMEONE OR
WANT TO KEEP SOMEONE WHO THINKS WE SHOULD HANG WOMEN WHO
HAD ABORTIONS.
I THINK THAT IS A MONSTROUS THOUGHT.
THAT IS A LOT OF STATE-SPONSORED EXECUTIONS BY THE WAY.
BUT I LIKE THAT HE WAS LIKE I AM KIND OF SQUISHY ON
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT.
BUT WHEN IT COMES TO WOMEN I WOULD LIKE TO HANG THEM.
I THINK THAT IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT POINT BECAUSE WHEN IT
COMES TO, HE WENT ON THIS LONG SPIEL ABOUT ALL THESE DIFFERENT
TYPES OF HOMICIDE, MURDER, PREMEDITATED, DIFFERENT
STANDARDS, HE AGREES WITH THAT BUT WHEN IT COMES TO WOMEN
IN ABORTION, YEAH, HANGING, THAT IS WHAT I WANT I WANT TO
SEE THEM HANG.
IT IS JUST LIKE AN UNFUNNY STANDUP BIT.
THEY WANT
TO BE A SHOCK JOCK IT SOUNDS LIKE.
I HAVE BEEN THERE.
AND I'M GOING TO GET THEN A SECOND.
THE
REASON I AM SLIGHTLY MIXED IS BECAUSE HE SAYS I THINK IT IS
A LIFE SO I THINK IT IS A CRIME, I GET IT.
THAT ACTUALLY IS
INTELLECTUALLY CONSISTENT.
IF HE SAYS WE SHOULD EXECUTE THE
WOMEN BECAUSE IT IS A HOMICIDE, AND JUST STOPING THERE I WOULD
FIND THAT OPINION TO BE OUTRAGEOUS AND HORRIFIC BUT AT
LEAST I
UNDERSTAND ON THE INTELLECTUAL LEVEL.
WHEN HE GETS TO THE
HANGING, THERE IS A CERTAIN GRATUITOUS JOY THAT
SEEMS PARTICULARLY MISOGYNISTIC AND THAT PUTS ME OVER THE
TOP, WHICH LISTENING TO MY OTHER POINTS, YOU ARE TRYING TO
HIRE A CONSERVATIVE AND I GET THAT.
GOOD LUCK TO YOU, BROTHER.
YOU ARE GOING TO FIND A CONSERVATIVE IN THIS
COUNTRY THAT HASN'T SAID OR DONE SOMETHING HORRIFIC?
THAT IS NOT THE WORLD WE LIVE IN TODAY.
IT'S LIKE HE IS JUST TRYING TO HAVE TWO COLUMNS COME
TOGETHER.
HE HAS
ONE, IF ABORTION IS MURDER, MURDER IS THE DEATH PENALTY.
IN
ANOTHER COLUM: WE TREAT THEM DEFINITELY, WHEN WE PUT
SOMEONE IN A CHAIR AND INJECT THEM WITH STUFF, WE SHOULD
ACCEPT IT AS BRUTAL AS IT IS AND HANG THEM ,BUT BY PUTTING
ALL
OF THE THINGS TOGETHER I THINK THE ATLANTIC IS TOTALLY WITHIN
THE RIGHTS TO SAY WELL, YOU JUST SAID WE SHOULD HANG MOTHERS THAT
HAVE BEEN THERE SOME CRAP.
I THINK THE PROBLEM IS MORE THE PROPENSITY WITHIN THE MEDIA
TO WANT TO MAKE EVERYTHING EQUAL, GIVE EVERYTHING A FAIR
SIDE AND SO WHEN YOU ARE SAYING WE WANT TO PUT A GOOD
CONSERVATIVE ON TO OUR ROSTER RATHER THAN JUST FINDING SOMEONE
WHO IS SMART, WHO WRITES AND SAYS THINGS THAT ARE NUANCED,
YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE, DO THEY HAVE SOME POSITIONS THAT WE
CONSIDER TO BE REALLY RIGHT OR REALLY CONSERVATIVE THAT MIGHT
BE A PUNCH TO SOMEONE'S FACE AND ANYTHING THAT IS JUSTIFIABLE TO.
AND IN YOUR SEARCH FOR THE TOKEN CONSERVATIVE OR TOKEN
LIBERAL, WHATEVER YOU ARE DOING, AND FORTUNATELY WAYS THAT
HAPPENING IS THAT YOU FIND SOMEONE WHO IS ON THE EXTREME
END OF THE SPECTRUM THAT DOESN'T ACTUALLY REPRESENT THE THOUGHTS
AND BELIEFS OF THE MAJORITY OF CONSERVATIVES.
I DON'T THINK, I
HOPE I'M RIGHT ON THIS, THAT THE MAJORITY OF CONSERVATIVES
BELIEVE THAT WOMEN WHO HAVE ABORTIONS SHOULD BE HANGED BUT
AGAIN, WHEN YOU LOOK FOR THAT CONSERVATIVE PERSPECTIVE FOR
YOUR PAPER OR PUBLICATION I THINK YOU WERE GOING TO END UP
RUNNING INTO THE WRONG PEOPLE.
MAYBE THAT EDITORIAL WILL BE KICKED UP IN SO POLEMIC.
THAT PHENOMENON HAS BEEN AROUND A LONG TIME, I KNOW
BECAUSE I LIVED IT.
PART OF THE REASON I SAID THAT IS BECAUSE
THERE IS A BIT OF A COMPETITION TO OUT SHOCK JOCK ONE ANOTHER
WHEN YOU ARE A CONSERVATIVE.
I DID THAT I WROTE TERRIBLE THINGS
WHEN I WAS A CONSERVATIVE BECAUSE THE IDEA IS, I WILL SHOW
YOU, I COULD BE AN EVEN BIGGER DIRTBAGS THAN THE OTHER
CONSERVATIVE BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT IS REWARDED.
THAT IS WHEN
PEOPLE GO THIS GUY IS BOLD.
HE IS GOING TO HANG WOMEN IN THE
PUBLIC SPARE, GO GET THEM.
THAT IS WHAT HELPED KEVIN WILLIAMSON TO RISE IN THE
FIRST PLACE AND THEN IT CAUGHT THE ATLANTIC'S ATTENTION IN
AND THEY HIRED HIM AND THEN THEY REALIZE, OH, THAT IS WHY
CONSERVATIVES GET POPULAR IN THIS COUNTRY.