Using "loon" as a weapon - and turning it into a whole new language

When a public figure slurs a group of people, what usually follows is an apology or some other public demonstration of humility.

But the more he's cornered, the more Bill O'Reilly fights back.

Now that he's under attack for his repeated use of the word "loon," O'Reilly appears to be using the word more often than he was before. It seems like he's reinforcing his obvious bias against people with mental illness more often than he promotes his line of clothing - and that's no small feat for a self-promoting egomaniac like O'Reilly.

Just three months ago, a quick search of "Bill O'Reilly" and "loon" on You Tube yielded no more than 10 entries. Now the list is endless - page after page shows O'Reilly equating "loons" with pedophiles, violence and other forms of inappropriate behavior. Other talk-show hosts who imitate him have caught on, too, and they're speech is riddled with references to "left-wing loons" and other groups who, in their minds, are crazier than they are.

So, Coping with Life resumes its occasional role as mental health media monitor by providing yet another example of O'Reilly's "unhinged" behavior casting a negative light on people with mental illness - and asking readers to protest against this behavior by emailing oreilly@foxnews.com.



Teach Your Children
Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young

You who are on the road
Must have a code that you can live by
And so become yourself
Because the past is just a good bye.

Teach your children well,
Their father's hell did slowly go by,
And feed them on your dreams
The one they picks, the one you'll know by.

Don't you ever ask them why, if they told you, you will cry,
So just look at them and sigh and know they love you.

And you, of tender years,
Can't know the fears that your elders grew by,
And so please help them with your youth,
They seek the truth before they can die.

Teach your parents well,
Their children's hell will slowly go by,
And feed them on your dreams
The one they picks, the one you'll know by.

Don't you ever ask them why, if they told you, you will cry,
So just look at them and sigh and know they love you