Glenn Beck Has a Dream
I'm supposed to be working on the several articles and various other projects that are due, but I heard about this and suddenly nothing seemed as important. At first I was shocked, like that first hallucinogenic wave when you realize you're high and nothing is familiar. But then it was immediately followed by the old familiar taste of disgust and "doesn't surprise me" that only America can really deliver.
Glenn Beck is one of the smartest, slickest salesmen in the country and that makes him dangerous.
Tomorrow, August 28, 2010 marks the 47th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's march on Washington for Jobs and Freedom where he gave his infamous "I Have a Dream" speech. The eloquently moving and passionately enraged speech has become a cornerstone not only for the Civil Rights Movement, but also in our culture and shared history. And as of August 29th, 2010, it will also be the day that Glenn Beck bought out Washington and delivered HIS own speech, "Restoring Honor."
If you aren't already pissed off, here's why I am.
It's hard for the people of my generation to really grasp who Dr. King was. We all know what he did and what he stood for, (well, most of us. We ARE talking about a generation that grew up with the American educational system) but we were raised a couple decades after his assassination. He was a martyr and therefore already untouchable, almost holy. He had done so many amazing things and changed the world in such a significant way that he had helped to CREATE history along with the rest of the Civil Rights Movement.
We forget that he was a man. A scared, tired, man who had faith in something so much greater than himself that he sacrificed everything in struggling to obtain it. He wasn't born a public speaker, though being a preacher certainly helped. He wasn't a talk or radio host; yet on August 28th 1963, with the help of many others within the Civil Rights Movement, he did organize some 200,000 - 300,000 to PEACEFULLY march upon the nation's capital where he would deliver one of his most famous speeches. This day, speech, and march would later be credited for helping influence the passage of the Civil Rights Act and, later, the National Voting Act. He didn't volunteer to be a spokesperson or a celebrity and certainly didn't enjoy the publicity despite what some may think.
That's another thing the people of my generation can't grasp. Our celebrities and public figures that we are supposed to see as "heroes" are all pussies. Dr. King didn't have any corporate sponsorships or Wall Street contracts. In other words, you wouldn't have seen him on "Cribs." He lived off of a mediocre salary and was harassed daily. There were a lot of white people that hated him and the government that was supposed to be protecting his life also hated him. He was under constant surveillance and threatened numerous times by what he suspected were government agent and, as we have seen from the Black Panther's history with the police, it probably wasn't just paranoia. Yet, through the hate and adversity, struggling to decide what the next best thing would be for him and his family, he managed to change a nation.
And now Glenn Beck will dishonor the man and the date under the false flag of "Restoring Honor" in a move straight from Orwell's 1984.
Beck is the man who says things like "if you take what I say as gospel, you're an idiot" (New York Times, March 29, 2009) and "I COULD GIVE A CRAP ABOUT THE POLITICAL PROCESS" because his company "IS AN ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY" (Forbes magazine, April 2010, ONLY FIVE MONTHS AGO) will be preaching his brand of doublethink with the ranks of a country singer, a Navy SEAL, (and here's why he's dangerous), Dr. Alveda King (also Sarah Palin but that's another tangent that neither you nor I have the time for). Yes, that's right, he was able to convince one of the only two, publicly ultra-conservative King family members to participate in his shenanigans. How ultra-conservative is Dr. Alveda King? She's fought against gay marriage and rights legislation since the 1990s. But by having her speak at this "protest" (protesting what?) he isn't getting the King "blessing" but it sure LOOKS like he does.
And here's the punchline: he claims that he originally didn't realize he had chosen the same date AS THE MARCH ON WASHINGTON and it must be A SIGN FROM GOD ("divine providence" to be exact). It must also be "divine providence" that he decided to throw his little charade at the Lincoln Memorial where, you guessed it, MLK gave HIS speech. But not to worry, because MLK is a "hero" of Beck's, he won't stand on the same step as the martyr, just the one below it. I have to say though, Beck is pretty lucky God has his back because apparently not only is he too stupid to think this beautiful co-opting of history but his staff is too stupid to fact-check the date.
Stupidity, that's what it boils down to. ALL of it. Beck plays himself off as just another Joe; an average American who just loves his country and freedom so much that it enrages him to see it being taken over by liberals. So much so that he feels he has to fight for it (or sometimes cry, depending on what the mood and cameras call for). He bounces back and forth between claiming he speaks for the little guy, who are usually middle and lower class white people, then turns around and claims he's only an entertainer. His show is one of the highest ranking on television because he eggs people to prove him wrong when most of what he says are ideas or opinions and simple ones at that: freedom is good, don't you hate the way the economy is going, are you happy, etc. All the while his pockets are being lined from his radio show, his television show, his book deals, his speaking tours and his Goldline International sponsor (a controversial group that has been investigated numerous times for fraudulent claims and misleading tactics).
With this much cunning, star power, and money, Glenn Beck could be the next Anti-Christ or Republican president. He's crazier than Nixon, more popular than Reagan and able to sell more bullshit than Bush. He knows how to put on the charm; saying all the right words and elaborating on fanciful ideas then claiming it's all innocent. And let's not forget he got Palin, a 2010 contender, to agree to show up. That's not to say I'm arguing that he WILL get into politics. In fact, I think it would probably be too boring for him. He's making more money (legally) than he would as a politician and he reaches a bigger audience, most of which are hardcore believers, making the danger ever more real.
So on this Restoring Honor day, let us sit and contemplate what a truly momentous occasion it is. The long and arduous struggle we have fought these past two years, will not soon be forgot. Our people have faced "tyranny," "racism," and "socialism" for too long! Yes, brothers and sisters, Glenn Beck has a dream!
Glenn Beck is one of the smartest, slickest salesmen in the country and that makes him dangerous.
Tomorrow, August 28, 2010 marks the 47th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's march on Washington for Jobs and Freedom where he gave his infamous "I Have a Dream" speech. The eloquently moving and passionately enraged speech has become a cornerstone not only for the Civil Rights Movement, but also in our culture and shared history. And as of August 29th, 2010, it will also be the day that Glenn Beck bought out Washington and delivered HIS own speech, "Restoring Honor."
If you aren't already pissed off, here's why I am.
It's hard for the people of my generation to really grasp who Dr. King was. We all know what he did and what he stood for, (well, most of us. We ARE talking about a generation that grew up with the American educational system) but we were raised a couple decades after his assassination. He was a martyr and therefore already untouchable, almost holy. He had done so many amazing things and changed the world in such a significant way that he had helped to CREATE history along with the rest of the Civil Rights Movement.
We forget that he was a man. A scared, tired, man who had faith in something so much greater than himself that he sacrificed everything in struggling to obtain it. He wasn't born a public speaker, though being a preacher certainly helped. He wasn't a talk or radio host; yet on August 28th 1963, with the help of many others within the Civil Rights Movement, he did organize some 200,000 - 300,000 to PEACEFULLY march upon the nation's capital where he would deliver one of his most famous speeches. This day, speech, and march would later be credited for helping influence the passage of the Civil Rights Act and, later, the National Voting Act. He didn't volunteer to be a spokesperson or a celebrity and certainly didn't enjoy the publicity despite what some may think.
That's another thing the people of my generation can't grasp. Our celebrities and public figures that we are supposed to see as "heroes" are all pussies. Dr. King didn't have any corporate sponsorships or Wall Street contracts. In other words, you wouldn't have seen him on "Cribs." He lived off of a mediocre salary and was harassed daily. There were a lot of white people that hated him and the government that was supposed to be protecting his life also hated him. He was under constant surveillance and threatened numerous times by what he suspected were government agent and, as we have seen from the Black Panther's history with the police, it probably wasn't just paranoia. Yet, through the hate and adversity, struggling to decide what the next best thing would be for him and his family, he managed to change a nation.
And now Glenn Beck will dishonor the man and the date under the false flag of "Restoring Honor" in a move straight from Orwell's 1984.
Beck is the man who says things like "if you take what I say as gospel, you're an idiot" (New York Times, March 29, 2009) and "I COULD GIVE A CRAP ABOUT THE POLITICAL PROCESS" because his company "IS AN ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY" (Forbes magazine, April 2010, ONLY FIVE MONTHS AGO) will be preaching his brand of doublethink with the ranks of a country singer, a Navy SEAL, (and here's why he's dangerous), Dr. Alveda King (also Sarah Palin but that's another tangent that neither you nor I have the time for). Yes, that's right, he was able to convince one of the only two, publicly ultra-conservative King family members to participate in his shenanigans. How ultra-conservative is Dr. Alveda King? She's fought against gay marriage and rights legislation since the 1990s. But by having her speak at this "protest" (protesting what?) he isn't getting the King "blessing" but it sure LOOKS like he does.
And here's the punchline: he claims that he originally didn't realize he had chosen the same date AS THE MARCH ON WASHINGTON and it must be A SIGN FROM GOD ("divine providence" to be exact). It must also be "divine providence" that he decided to throw his little charade at the Lincoln Memorial where, you guessed it, MLK gave HIS speech. But not to worry, because MLK is a "hero" of Beck's, he won't stand on the same step as the martyr, just the one below it. I have to say though, Beck is pretty lucky God has his back because apparently not only is he too stupid to think this beautiful co-opting of history but his staff is too stupid to fact-check the date.
Stupidity, that's what it boils down to. ALL of it. Beck plays himself off as just another Joe; an average American who just loves his country and freedom so much that it enrages him to see it being taken over by liberals. So much so that he feels he has to fight for it (or sometimes cry, depending on what the mood and cameras call for). He bounces back and forth between claiming he speaks for the little guy, who are usually middle and lower class white people, then turns around and claims he's only an entertainer. His show is one of the highest ranking on television because he eggs people to prove him wrong when most of what he says are ideas or opinions and simple ones at that: freedom is good, don't you hate the way the economy is going, are you happy, etc. All the while his pockets are being lined from his radio show, his television show, his book deals, his speaking tours and his Goldline International sponsor (a controversial group that has been investigated numerous times for fraudulent claims and misleading tactics).
With this much cunning, star power, and money, Glenn Beck could be the next Anti-Christ or Republican president. He's crazier than Nixon, more popular than Reagan and able to sell more bullshit than Bush. He knows how to put on the charm; saying all the right words and elaborating on fanciful ideas then claiming it's all innocent. And let's not forget he got Palin, a 2010 contender, to agree to show up. That's not to say I'm arguing that he WILL get into politics. In fact, I think it would probably be too boring for him. He's making more money (legally) than he would as a politician and he reaches a bigger audience, most of which are hardcore believers, making the danger ever more real.
So on this Restoring Honor day, let us sit and contemplate what a truly momentous occasion it is. The long and arduous struggle we have fought these past two years, will not soon be forgot. Our people have faced "tyranny," "racism," and "socialism" for too long! Yes, brothers and sisters, Glenn Beck has a dream!