Fox News anchor apologizes for 'involuntary lethal injection' remarks
Brian Kilmeade, a Fox News commentator and co-host of "Fox & Friends," has apologized after making shocking remarks endorsing the idea of euthanizing homeless people who refuse treatment for mental illness.
Key Takeaways:
Anchors for "Fox & Friends" recently discussed the murder of Iryna Zarutska in Charlotte, North Carolina, which was caught on video.
According to news reports, Zarutska's murderer is Decarlos Brown Jr., a homeless man diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.
The "Fox & Friends" anchors discussed ideas about how to help homeless people with mental illness, with Kilmeade making a remark suggesting "involuntary lethal injection" if these individuals refuse treatment. He has since apologized for his "incredibly callous" comment.
The Details:
During the segment, Kilmeade discussed the Zarutska case with co-hosts Lawrence Jones and Ainsley Earhardt. In the controversial conversation, Jones mentioned how the government spends millions of dollars on services to combat homelessness and to help people with mental illness.
“A lot of them don’t want to take the programs,” Jones said. “A lot of them don’t want to get the help that is necessary. You can’t give them the choice. Either you take the resources that we’re going to give you, or you decide that you’ve got to be locked up in jail.”
To that, Kilmeade responded, “Or involuntary lethal injection or something — just kill ‘em.”
No one immediately pushed back on his comment, with Earhardt replying, “Why did it have to get to this point?”
Kilmeade then replied, “I will say this, we’re not voting for the right people.”
He later apologized after viewers expressed outrage over his comment:
In the morning, we were discussing the murder of Iryna Zarutska in Shorewood, North Carolina, and how to stop these kinds of attacks by homeless, mentally ill assailants, including institutionalizing or jailing such people so they cannot attack again.
Now, during that discussion, I wrongly said they should get lethal injections. I apologize for that extremely callous remark. I'm obviously aware that not all mentally ill homeless people act as the perpetrator did in North Carolina, and that so many homeless people deserve our empathy and compassion.
Why It Matters:
Many people who are experiencing homelessness are able to overcome those circumstances with help and support. Sadly, untreated mental illness can add greater difficulty to the struggle of homelessness. But in reality, most people with mental illness are more likely to become victims of violence than to be violent; those with "particular types of severe mental illness, namely schizophrenia and bipolar disorder," are the exception. (They are also among the least common mental illnesses.)
Bur regardless of the circumstances, it is unacceptable to devalue and dehumanize human beings, including those experiencing homelessness and/or mental illness, especially given the disturbing history of eugenic acts against people with mental illness. And it is terribly wrong to advocate for lethal injections for homeless individuals with mental illness who refuse treatment.
Consider, for example, how many states still permit forced sterilization, which is often committed against people with disabilities and those with mental illness, as well as other disadvantaged people. Some states, including California and Tennessee, have been caught sterilizing inmates, often without their knowledge or consent. There are even non-profit organizations dedicated to sterilizing people who are struggling with addiction or homelessness.
Ultimately, eugenic acts have already occurred because certain human beings were stripped of their humanity and treated as little more than inconveniences and menaces to society; it didn't take long to deprive them of their freedoms, their ability to have children, and sometimes even their lives.
The Bottom Line:
All people have inherent dignity and value, regardless of their station in life, their mental state, or their struggles with addiction. While the best methods of treatment and intervention can be debated, society must remember where dehumanization leads.
Live Action News is pro-life news and commentary from a pro-life perspective.
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