Erin Burnett Was Overmatched Against Pam Geller

This article first appeared in Eagle Rising.


This week, CNN's cute and perky Erin Burnett had Pam Geller on her show for a (telephone) interview. This was in the wake of the revelation that the terrorist killed by agents in Boston, Usaama Rahim, was planning to behead Geller. Rather than focus on the monstrosity of this man's intent, Burnett chose to put Geller on the defensive over the recent Draw Mohammad event in Garland, in which "two people were killed" as well as Geller's bus ads in New York that referred to Israel's enemies and jihadists as savages. The low light came when Burnett asked Geller if she relished being the target of the jihadist murderers.

In contrast to Burnett, Geller acquitted herself well. After all, she is well-practiced in arguing her points. She is courageous, and she also has truth on her side.

For her part, Burnett came across as, well, your typical liberal talking head. What should have been front and center in the interview was the horrific situation we have in America where jihadists are walking around planning to behead cops, Geller, or any of us. Instead, Burnett tells Geller that the Southern Poverty Law Center considers Geller a "hater".  Geller refuted that one quite well. The SPLC is very selective as to whom they single out for condemnation. Their criteria usually depends on who is the left or right of the political spectrum.

Look, you may not like Geller's style. You may think that showing cartoons portraying Mohammad in a bad light is not a good idea. You might not agree with those bus ads in New York. What Erin Burnett failed to recognize is that there is free speech at stake. Americans cannot shut down satirical cartoons because people are ready to resort to massacres in response. If we cannot show a Mohammad cartoon, in a few years, we won't be able to show a cartoon satirizing a president.

Erin Burnett just doesn't get it. And CNN doesn't understand that being cute and perky does not an anchor make.