On Tuesday, Fox News contributor Katie Pavlich railed against Sen. Elizabeth Warren‘s seeming support for reparations to the American descendants of African slaves while arguing that the U.S. doesn’t get enough credit for ending the inhumane practice after just 150 years.
“They keep blaming America for the sin of slavery,” Pavlich said during a Tuesday episode of Fox News’ “Outnumbered.” “But the truth is throughout human history, slavery existed, and America came along as the first country to end it within 150 years. And [we] get no credit for that to move forward and try to make good on that.”
Despite being factually incorrect about the U.S. being the first to do away with slavery (at least seven other nations outlawed the practice before America did in 1865), Pavlich went on to suggest that offering reparations to Black Americans still impacted by the legacy of slavery would only worsen race relations.
“If you want to inflame racial tension even more, start blaming people who have nothing to do with slavery for the sin of slavery,” she added. “That is not fair, that’s not the American way, and we shouldn’t be doing it.”
It wasn’t long before Pavlich’s comments drew the ire of fellow journalists, including Soledad O’Brien, who had choice words for the Fox contributor.
“Is it hard for @KatiePavlich to be a complete moron? The utter stupidity,” O’Brien tweeted.
Pavlich took to social media to clarify her statements — and also get a jab in at O’Brien for calling her out.
“Should have said one of* first countries, from the point of founding,” she wrote. “My argument stands, but please @soledadobrien please continue name calling as your argument and the smearing of America as the originator of slavery.”
O’Brien refused to back down, however, and urged Pavlich to educate herself first before spewing false historical facts.
“Your argument is factually inaccurate,” the journalist shot back. “Google when slavery started and ended if you don’t want to be known for your ignorance.”
O’Brien wasn’t the only one ready to take Pavlich to task for her falsehoods. Muslim activist and attorney Qasim Rashid, Esq. rattled off a list of nations, including Spain, Portugal and the Netherlands, that moved to abolish slavery before the U.S. got around to it. What’s more, Rashid noted the U.S. 13th Amendment “only bans private slavery; prison slavery still allowed.”
“America wasn’t the first country to originate slavery, but it was one of the LAST nations to officially ban it,” a fellow Twitter user explained. “Ms. O’Brien should not have called you a moron, Ms. Pavlich, but your original statement shows your stunning lack of knowledge about history. Just Google it. Duh!”
Author Oliver Willis didn’t mince words, however: “Even in the low-bar world of conservative punditry, Katie Pavlich is an impressively stupid person.”
Watch more in the video below.
According to these women on #FoxNews , Black People should “give credit” to white Americans for ending slavery in only 150 years.
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Someone please help me with this logic pic.twitter.com/x7b8UVZDRj— Tariq Nasheed 🇺🇸 (@tariqnasheed) March 20, 2019
