Tea Parties, Glenn Beck protest Muslim Family Day at Six Flags Great America

You know, I always pegged Beck as an attention whoring moron, but never as a racist. Now he's very clearly in that camp. This kind of hate is akin to KKK stuff. When did it become OK for people like this to be on TV?

I would laugh harder at Beck, but too many people actually take him seriously - which scares me more than any of his scare-tactics. Noo too long ago, a Republican in congress stood up and said "don't use Fox as your sole source of news".

That's just crazy. I used to think he was almost halfway intelligent, but then he turned into this crazed, crying lunatic.

I genuinely cannot stand the guy at this point, and the problem is, he's got followers that live and die by everything he says, that are just as bad if not worse.

Yeah, do you remember when he was on CNN's Headline News (before it became "HLN")? His slant was conservative, but he at least seemed fairly reasonable and intelligent. What he does now isn't even entertainment in my eyes, it's harmful.

It's very scary that Glenn Beck is taken seriously or even allowed on national television. His views are narrow and extreme, despite himself accusing others of extremism. A muslim community gathering at any amusement park is completely appropriate no matter what the date. Maybe I should organize an anti-9/12 movement protest on Sept 12? For Glenn Beck freedom of expression is allowed only for his anarchist extremists and no others.

Absolutely. I always found him to be very middle-ground and able to see the issues, albeit from his conservative leaning, but it was never like this. I guess whatever pulls in ratings and advertising revenue will be where he goes.

I want to say the worst possible moment I've seen on television in recent years, was him and Sarah Palin sitting down in high-backed chairs, having a discussion. I passed by that, and about threw up.

Beck has always been like this, but he's taken it to a new absurd level in the past few weeks. (Go and find some audio of his radio show when The Passion of the Christ came out, and you can hear him in full fury)

As for Jeff's quote about when did it "become acceptable for people like this to be on tv", Fox has been like this for a while, it's just taken most people until now to figure it out. Most people don't watch the cable news channels. Seriously, these guys actually have such a small viewing audience, (even though Fox's is the largest of prime time cable news programming), especially in the 29-54 age group (like only 225K people per the latest Quaterly ratings by Nielsen last week), that it just doesn't bubble up in the collective consciousness.

However, in the last few weeks all of these types have gone bat-crap crazy over the NYC mosque thing, and in their opposition, they have stated some of the most bigoted stuff I've heard on the tee-vee in a long time. It's now back to the level of immediately post 9/11 type stuff, that I thought this country had long since moved away from. Now anything remotely muslim is up for argument, constitution and long standing American Principles be damned.

As for Beck, check out the details on his planned Aug 28 rally in DC. He's using a charity (Special Operations Warrior Foundation) to solicit tax free donations to fund it, yet all of the money first goes to pay off the costs of the rally including.....wait for it..... the speaking fees and expenses for ....you got to wait for it......headliner Glenn Beck! Seriously, constant pimping of this event on his radio/tv shows, use of tax deductible donations money, most of which will end up in his pocket. Hannity did/does the same thing with his concerts at Great Adventure

I guess I didn't realize how long he's been a fringe case, as I never pay much attention to him, or Hannity.

I wish people would realize that it's not a political slam when I hate on their favorite radio personality, but it's really not that difficult to see these guys for what they are. It's so hard to fathom that these guys actually believe some of the stuff they spew over the airwaves.

Raven-Phile said:

I wish people would realize that it's not a political slam when I hate on their favorite radio personality, but it's really not that difficult to see these guys for what they are. It's so hard to fathom that these guys actually believe some of the stuff they spew over the airwaves.

They don't believe this stuff. That's why I said they are like Tele-vangelists. They know what brings money in the door. Two nights ago Bill O'Reilly was interviewed on someone else's show where he said that Don't Ask Don't Tell should be overthrown, yet on his own show, where his audience is, he has never expressed that opinion. Because he knows that his audience of mostly 55+, white, conservative christians, don't want to hear that.

Now, back to the Amusement Park part of this whole thing, what is the difference in Muslim day and the various nationality days that Kennywood used to have (maybe still does), or Catholic Education (meaning schools) day that Kings Island had, or the annual "unsanctioned' Gay Day events that are held at various parks around the country. Nothing, except that one group gets their panties in a bunch because some other group is allowed to exist.

I bet he'd have a field dat at Latin Fest at Carowinds, cause, you know, they're all illegals.

He should go back to raping and murdering*.

*relax, I know he didn't really do it

The hatred on both sides irks me to know end. I even agree to the Attention grabbing drama queen Beck but all of you catch bits and pieces and not full storys or context.

Hows this?

When he can he has Muslims, blacks, Hispanics on explaining their position.
Then there's this. http://saynsumthn.wordpress.com/2010/07/17/civil-rights-dr-alveda-k...lenn-beck/

Clearing up the real meaning of MLKs message which has been twisted beyond belief by the very same people claiming racism.

I

WTF are you even talking about, Chuck? There's nothing to take out of context about what Beck is saying.

Thanks to a friend from HS posting this to FB....a very cool (short) article with some info on people's politics and the media outlets.

http://barrdear.com/john/2009/10/30/media-bias-and-people-who-are-waaay-out-on-the-political-spectrum

I'm sorry, but what is the context that no one is getting here? He says its in poor taste to have a Muslim Day at a theme park on 9/12. Regardless of context, I don't think it's in poor taste to have then. In fact, if they had it on 9/11, I wouldn't think it was in poor taste.

Just because he has minorities on his show doesn't give him a pass. That would be like giving a pass to a KKK member with a radio show, saying that he's taken out of context when using the N word, because he allows black men and women on his show to voice their position.

Thats like saying "I'm not a racist, BUT...blablablaracistcommentblablabla..."

Nothing. If Muslim day is 9-12 then whats wrong with it? I agree Beck and others are wrong

@CN: Seriously?

Do you really want to wade into the swamp to defend GB? Next you're going to tell us he's "Fair and Balanced" (tm)

Fox News is what Fox News is. A racist, propaganda outlet, and not a legitimate news outlet.

Check out Rachel Maddow as she concisely breaks down how Fox is able to advance a racist narrative. She's brutal, but fair and honest:

http://tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/07/rachel-maddow-take...-video.php

[* note that "Fair and Balanced" is a registered trademark of NewsCorp. It is not an actual commentary on the quality or neutrality of opinions or programming on Fox News, but is simply three words, in sequence, which have been trademarked]

That's an interesting link, Bill. The ironic thing is that people like Beck and entertainment like Fox are probably among the things that completely undermine rational conservative politics in general. Even more ironic, one might even make the association that Fox is "conservative," therefore all conservatives are wacko nutjobs, just as Beck's assertion that terrorists are Muslim, therefore all Muslims are terrorists.

That's why living in a world of absolutes sucks. You wonder when some conservative leader is going to rise up and create some kind of rational level of debate. It sucks to be a Republican right now, because it's hard to rise above this nonsense.

Chuck, you said in your post that you think he's being a drama queen, but that we're only getting bits and pieces of the story, and taking him out of context, then you give an example in his favor that he can't be racist because he has other races on his show to state their position.

Unless that is totally not what you meant, it looks like you're saying "I don't agree with him on this issue, but the rest of you take what he does out of context", and that's not really true. I don't watch the Daily Show, the Colbert Report, or SNL, and get my news from actual news sources.

and for more Balance on the Great America event.

The timing of the event is for the weekend following the end of Ramadan (which is 9/10, but they moved it to 9/12, so as not to actually fall ON 9/11).

Oh and one of the founders of the group who first started the event at Six Flags, was one of the victims in the events of 9/11.