During the October 24 edition of his Fox News show, Bill O'Reilly asserted: "[I]t seems to me, and the studies indicate, that most teachers -- high school and college in the United States -- are left-wingers. That they bring in a anti-American viewpoint to the sense that they don't preach about the nobility of America, they teach about the deficits. Now, I think you have to teach both." O'Reilly made his comments during the “Culture War” segment of his show, which he introduced by saying, "[W]ith many public schools teaching diversity, tolerance, and self-esteem rather than history, civics, and geography, lots of American kids know little or nothing about their country, including what they owe their country." O'Reilly then aired a video clip showing students answering questions such as, “What do you think it means to be an American?” After airing the clip, O'Reilly stated: “We went out random. You know, just, we didn't do any study -- just pulled the kids between 13 and 17 with target audience of my book.”
O'Reilly did not indicate which studies show that most high school teachers “are left-wingers” and “bring in a anti-American viewpoint to the sense that they don't preach about the nobility of America.” He later said, "[Y]ou don't have to -- you can't whitewash, OK? But when the balance goes to, it's a bad country -- and there's no question that's going on in the university system. I don't know about high school, but I suspect it is as well."
From the October 24 edition of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor:
O'REILLY: In the “Culture War” segment tonight: Kids are Americans, too. That's the title of my new book, and it's also the truth.
However, with many public schools teaching diversity, tolerance, and self-esteem rather than history, civics, and geography, lots of American kids know little or nothing about their country, including what they owe their country.
[begin video clip]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE 1: I don't think I owe my country anything. I think they owe us.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE 1: I don't owe America anything.
REPORTER: What do you think it means to be an American?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE 1: An American?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE 2: Good, I guess.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE 3: What was the question?
REPORTER: What's your favorite thing about America?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE 3: That you get to do a lot of stuff, and you have, like, opportunities in other countries you do not have.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE 4: And the hot girls.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE 3: And that, too.
REPORTER: What do you think you owe your country? Would you ever serve in the military?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE 5: Hell, no!
REPORTER: Why not?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE 5: What they done for me?
REPORTER: Would you live in another country if you had the choice?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE 3: Yeah.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE 4: Yeah.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE 3: I'd go and I'd move to Europe.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE 4: Move to Japan.
REPORTER: What does it mean to you to be an American?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE 4: Well, I guess it means a lot 'cause, like -- I don't know.
[end video clip]
O'REILLY: Joining us now from Los Angeles, Brian Crosby, who teaches English and is the author of the book, The $100,000 Teacher: A [Teacher's] Solution to America's Declining Public School System.
I don't know what to tell you here, Brian. We went out random. You know, just, we didn't do any study -- just pulled the kids between 13 and 17 with target audience of my book, and -- you know, the kids have no clue. And a lot of them think that they don't owe the country anything. They're here, and they're entitled to everything.
Now, I assume this is what is being fed to them in the public school system. Am I wrong?
CROSBY: Well, I think the problem is we are enabling students to feel like they don't owe anybody anything. One of the most common things that a teenager would retort to a grown-up asking them a question about respect, the first thing that comes to the student's mind is, “Well, why should I respect you? Why should I respect you? You show me a reason why.” They don't understand some basic things about civility, such as, you respect your elders, number one. And I think there's no interest from their end of getting involved in their country as some of those comments prove.
[...]
O'REILLY: But -- and I could be wrong. I've been out of the classroom now for more than 30 years, so I could be wrong.
But it seems to me, and the studies indicate, that most teachers -- high school and college in the United States -- are left-wingers. That they bring in a anti-American viewpoint to the sense that they don't preach about the nobility of America, they teach about the deficits.
Now, I think you have to teach both. OK, you don't have to -- you can't whitewash, OK? But when the balance goes to, it's a bad country -- and there's no question that's going on in the university system. I don't know about high school, but I suspect it is as well. Then the kid gets an attitude like, you're -- he says something to you, “What have you done for me? You know, look at this. Look at Bush.”
And the kids who are loyal and try to be patriotic are geeks -- are considered geeks because of it. I'm going to deal with that tomorrow on this program.
But the pressure is --
CROSBY: But Bill --
O'REILLY: -- the cool kids are the ones that don't like their country.
CROSBY: Well, you know, part of what you're talking about, about being an American, is being civil to one another. And there are -- there really aren't a lot of people teaching that in schools today -- kids how to behave, to respect the flag.
I mean, go into any school, especially an assembly in an auditorium, when you ask students to, “Could you please stand and say the pledge of allegiance?” You don't hear a lot of enthusiasm there.