Culture & Society
Glenn Beck suspension: Racist fringe fight for 'their commentator'
By: Devona Walker
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Tue, 08/25/2009 - 16:14
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We told you about the Glenn Beck boycott. This week, the ultra-conservative commentator returned from what he claims was a vacation but what may have been a suspension. His unannounced absence followed an advertising boycott in which 20 companies pulled their commercials and sponsorship of the show after he called President Obama a racist "with a deep-seated resentment against white people or the white culture."
During Beck’s absence, the group behind the boycott increased corporate participation to 36. “There hasn't been an exodus of advertisers in response to an organized effort like this in decades,” James Rucker of ColorofChange.org said.
I suspect the reason this campaign was so successful is that reasonable people can see right through Beck’s thinly veiled contempt. They can see the level of racism and violence he incites. Based upon responses from the racist fringe in e-mails to me, it appears they can see it, too.
“You're wrong again my black idiot," someone from ResistNet.com wrote. "It is our purchasing power that jeeps" — I think he meant keeps — "this country afloat. If you need to be convinced, just wait around a while more and see the corporations cater to us and not your pack of raggedy ass blacks."
He went on: “Didn't you know that having blacks boycott a business would be a welcome relief to the business owner? Who in hell wants them around? They're loud, crude, stupid, with I.Q.'s lower than any other race, and they have the most disgusting personalities ever.”
The writer eventually announced a white supremacist-backed counter boycott against companies who have pulled ads from Beck’s show. In his words, they will not allow leftist liberals and minorities of sub-par intelligence to “harm their commentator.”
I cannot speak to Beck’s intentions. He floats this notion that President Obama is building concentration camps out of FEMA trailers and plans to imprison patriotic Americans. Is he intentionally trying to incite a violent overthrow of this country, simply playing a cynical game of exploiting ignorance and bias to better line his pockets?
What’s his motivation for telling people repeatedly that Obama is marching this nation toward socialism? I can’t speak to FOX News' motivations for repeatedly lying and trying to make people fear health care reform. Is this about the role and size of government, or are they intentionally sending messages to people that they should violently oppose the government?
Outcomes are much more simple to determine. The outcome of Beck’s constant, ultra right-wing and sometimes racist fear-mongering and race-baiting is that the racist fringe feel as if they have found a spokesman.
The Southern Poverty Law Center reports that this militia and antigovernment “patriot” movement has merged nativist vigilantes, the extreme right, birthers, tax protesters and your garden-variety race bigots. Since the Oklahoma City bombing, there have been 75 plots, conspiracies and racist rampages. The majority of this activity has occurred since November — you know, when we elected the first Black president.
“A key difference this time is that the federal government — the entity that almost the entire radical right views as its primary enemy — is headed by a black man,” wrote Mark Potok of the Southern Poverty Law Center. “That, coupled with high levels of non-white immigration and a decline in the percentage of whites overall in America, has helped to racialize the Patriot movement, which in the past was not primarily motivated by race hate.”
And this hotbed of racist mess is being legitimized by the words and actions of people like Beck. He and others have brought them out from under their rocks and given them an excuse to behave violently. He, and others, continue to arm them with a steady flow of lies and propaganda.
Devona Walker is TheLoop21.com's lead political/finance reporter and blogger. She has worked for The New York Times Regional Newspaper company and The Associated Press. She may be reached at devona@theloop21.com.
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COMMENTS
Great column, Devona. I can tell you that my organization quickly jumped on the boycott bandwagon and other organizations in Southern Nevada followed. Glenn Beck (why do the racists spell it "Glen"?) and his ilk are truly toxic. And truly stupid.
first of all your article about Glenn Beck does nothing but quote some fringe supporter. there is not a single quote from Beck in your write up.There are plenty of whack-job BO supporters who should be euthanized for the good of society, but you don't see people going around quoting them and then saying BO said it.(of course BO makes it too easy associating with domestic terrorists and anti-american pastors)
Beck is a refreshing change of pace, and the fact that he actually reports on and discusses the presidents socialist tendencies and communist ties when all other media turn a blind eye sets him apart from the fray.
You and every other idiot that voted for Barack Hussein Obama are at best fools and at worst anti-american terds. oh and of course his biggest constituency, the hand out for a freebie crowd that thought he would pay their bills,give them money and essentially run their pathetic little lives.
So YOU sit down,shut up and pray that the MAJORITY of the american population, the conservatives, independents and moderate democrats can sit patient until this clown gets voted out in 2012.
and by the way I am listening to Glenn on the radio right now and no doubt will be watching him on Fox News this evening, he is after all one of their top rated shows!
ResistNet is like Facebook for Wingnuts. The whole site is reactionary hate from start to finish.
I have tried to watch Glenn Beck, but he is so arrogant, pompous and down right idiotic at times that I can't believe anyone would pay him for the vile he spills. He acts like an idiot at times, making faces gestures when someone is talking that he doesn't agree with. Scarily, there are people that hang on every word the likes of Beck, Coulter and Limbaugh spew. I guess if you can't think for yourself these people come in handy. They are the most unAmerican people I have ever seen. Spewing ridiculous accusations, hatred if OH Your a LIBERAL. They incite hatred and certainly do not work to bring this country together.
Someday these poor people that have been brain washed by the above will either come to their senses and make their own decisions or pay the dire consequences of following hate mongers.
God help us all.
yawn....
Wow, I watched Glenn Beck today, I was so impressed. He has such a large vocabulary, and he is so clean looking for a conservative. Also, very liberal for a conservative too. Very few people could pull that off. Way to go Glenn, keep up your broadcasts so we will know when to blink, take a breath, eat, basically function in life. I need your guidance. Oh, yeh, yawn, I gave up a Mariner's game to watch you, aren't ya proud of me. There all commie, anarchist, socialist pigs anyway.
I take offense to some of these things being said about Glenn Beck. He wasn't suspended, like so many of you had hoped, especially the Black racists. Many ads were pulled, but that only made him all the more popular. His show & Fox in general have more viewers than ever. So your Color of Change boycott has backfired bigtime. Keep your new racist black club Color of Change in the Black Panthers lockbox at Obama's newly taken over banking industry. Creeps! I'll say it once more, who are the real racists??? You people are just angry because MSNBC is tanking! CIAO'
P.S. I also am not some right wing extremist. I am tired of the big black backlash! I'm no "fringe". So stick it where the sun doesn't shine!
Watching Beck today, I couldn't help but wonder is he is high on drugs. He babbles, makes faces, uses fake voices,squints his eyes and this was all of 3.5 minutes. We couldn't stomach anymore. I had to laugh along with everyone else in the room. We get a big kick out of his antics, thank goodness he just has the lunatic fringe following him. He's a little too liberal for me, I like to run a tight ship, non of that pyscho double talk he utilizes. I tune into him for a few minutes just to remind myself how sane I am compared to Heir Beck.
Can't help to feel sorry for him though!4
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