Bill O'Reilly Hit With Sexual Harassment Lawsuit
Q: What's interesting to me is O'Reilly's hubris.
It may be that he is truly innocent and will ultimately prevail. His lawyer
says he is taking O'Reilly's word for that. (Given his record, taking
O'Reilly's word for anything seems an ethically chancey enterprise.)
But what if O'Reilly is guilty as charged?
A:Consider the case of Oscar Wilde:
His lover's daddy was spreading nasty rumors about Wilde all over London.
The Marquis of Queensbury was widely regarded as a nutcase and the scandal
would have died down if Oscar had ignored it. Despite receiving contrary
advice, Oscar indulged his pride and sued Queensbury for libel. It was
during the libel trial that Oscar was tripped up.
The result was the criminal prosecution that sent Oscar into disgrace, gaol
and exile.
If O'Reilly is innocent, ignoring the threat would be the best course.
If O'Reilly is guilty, he has nothing to lose by trying to brazen it out.