By Jennie
In the wake of the NYC Muslim Cultural Center kerfuffle, I find the story about Glenn Beck’s “Restoring Honor” rally to be held Saturday at the Lincoln Memorial interesting. Beck claims that he was unaware that he was scheduling the rally on the 47th anniversary of Martin Luther King’s historic “I Have a Dream” speech, given at the same location. I find this claim unconvincing. Furthermore (and this is where the parallel to the NYC controversy comes to mind), I find the choice of location and date for Beck’s “non-political” rally to be insensitive and in poor taste.
Beck’s stated views are in every way antithetical to the teachings and beliefs of Dr. King. Some of Beck’s gems:
- Stating that President Obama ”has exposed himself as a guy over and over and over again who has a deep-seated hatred for white people or the white culture.”
- Telling a Muslim congressman, “I have been nervous about this interview with you, because what I feel like saying is, ‘Sir, prove to me that you are not working with our enemies.’ And I know you’re not. I’m not accusing you of being an enemy, but that’s the way I feel.”
- Beck advised Christians to leave their churches if the pastors preached about social or economic justice because these are code words for Nazism and Communism. (It makes it really hard to believe that Beck considers Dr. King a hero of his, as he claims, given his belief that social justice=political tyranny.)
- In 2005 Beck said “When I see a 9/11 victim family on television, or whatever, I’m just like, ‘Oh shut up’ I’m so sick of them because they’re always complaining.” (Gee, I wonder if he thinks the families opposed to the mosque are complaining?)
- And of course, he saw fit to call Hurricane Katrina victims “scumbags.”
As if that weren’t enough, joining Beck at the rally will be Sarah Palin, who just last week defending radio talk show host Laura Schlessinger’s repeated use of a racial slur on the air. I wonder if she also considers Dr. King one of her “heroes?”
All in all, I don’t think you could find people whose values and beliefs were more different from Dr. King’s if you tried. For that reason, I find the timing of the “Restoring Honor” (what does that even mean?) rally to be cynical, disrespectful and ugly. What do you think?
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Comments
64 Responses to Glenn Beck at the Lincoln Memorial – Insensitive?
I am not going to defend Glenn Beck’s antics,he is a showman on TV. I do feel that at times he is taken out of context, still I do not approve of his over the top persona.
I think we should be reserved in our condemnation even before the event takes place. While you point out that Sarah Palin is at the event did you also know Dr. King’s niece, Alveda King is also going to be there? Do you know that the main purpose is to raise money for dead soldiers families ?
I don’t know if he knew it was the anniversary. Do I think it’s appropriate , not at all! I also don’t think the news reports and the Sharptons of the world who are distorting the event are any better.
The 0ther thing I don’t get is the absolute hate and venom for Sarah Palin! So what if she’s there!
I find it offensive, given the connection to Dr. King, that Palin defended Dr. Laura for repeating the n-word. Palin’s disregard of the implications of that word is particularly appalling considering how vigorously she’s gone after people (and rightly so) for throwing the slur “retarded” around.
I would not say I hate Palin or have venom towards her. I think she’s a joke; at times an amusing one and at other times a tiresome one. I certainly don’t take her seriously at all. My only concern is that others would consider her a viable candidate for any office above dog-catcher (or even dog-catcher…she might just up and quit if she could make more money elsewhere and then where would the poor dogs be?)
I was aware that Dr. King’s niece was going to be there but I don’t think she represents the family nor do I think her beliefs (those that I’m aware of) are in line with Dr. King’s.
I haven’t seen any news reports distorting the event, and all I heard Al Sharpton say was that he was going to be honoring the anniversary of Dr. King’s speech in his own way and did not think that paying attention to Beck’s event would serve that purpose (I’m paraphrasing here). I don’t see what the purpose of bringing Sharpton up is, in any case, except to deflect and change the direction of the discussion.
Well here’s a start…..
Good Morning America’s Claire Shipman on Friday launched a pre-emptive one-sided attack of Glenn Beck’s August 28 rally in Washington D.C., including selectively editing clips from the conservative host. The ABC journalist featured a snippet of Beck asserting, “Blacks don’t own Martin Luther King.”
On his radio show, Friday, Beck complained about the “hatchet job.” Shipman clearly distorted the context. He actually said, “Whites don’t own Abraham Lincoln. Blacks don’t own Martin Luther King. Those are American icons, American ideas and we should just talk about character.”
If you reread your comments you will see you can’t come to any other conclusion that you do have a hatred towards Sarah Palin. Besides why do you care if she runs…..by your standards she would be demolished at the polls.
Alveda King absolutely shares Dr. King”s beliefs. She believes everything that Dr. King and her father, Dr. King’s brother believed. Just because she is more conservative does not mean she does not represent all the values that her family held and is a “messenger of peace”. What separates her from her family is she is conservative. Does that lessen her value ? Do her opinions not count ? She is fighting off threats every day for attending Glenn Beck’s event on Sat.
Sharpton not paying any attention??….he has tried to rally a counter march to Beck’s event. This was his way to “Honor Dr. King”!
I too support Dr. Laura. Have you listened to her entire show? She had a very valid point. Why isn’t her free speech being protected? Why is it that others are racist when those words are used but Blacks are not held to the same standard. I never agree with Sharpton but even he thinks that Blacks at least in this instance should not use the derogatory terms. Or if they can so should everyone else.
I “submitted” my post before I got my final thoughts down. What I want to clarify is Dr. Laura’s right to say what she said. I really don’t think her intention was to be “racist” in any way, I think she was just trying to make a point as she always does on her show. That is her style, she is an “in your face” personality and this comment backfired!
While I don’t follow Beck, ya can’t live near DC & not be plugged into the mania around this event. The local news has been nothing but!
Al Sharpton, I hope, will HONOR his words, & ‘listen to what is said’. How can this group be hijacking Martin Luther King, when MLK himself was talking to America…? ALL AMERICANS. This is NOT a KKK meeting! Al Sharpton is whose leader? Glenn Beck is whose leader?
Barely 2 mos. ago the DC Park Police shut down a visiting children’s group who was singing the “Star Spangled Banner’ on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial…how many years ago was there also singing…’We shall overcome…’?
Yes stu, you are right. Our military families, who have lost loved ones, will be the benefactors of this event. Ask those families what ’HONOR, DUTY & COUNTRY’ means!!!!
Stu says…I am not going to defend Glenn Beck’s antics,he is a showman on TV. I do feel that at times he is taken out of context, still I do not approve of his over the top persona.
Stu, I agree with you — showman fits Beck to a tee. The problem is some do take him quite seriously.
Stu says…If you reread your comments you will see you can’t come to any other conclusion that you do have a hatred towards Sarah Palin.
I can’t speak for Jennie, but I sense it is more about having a serious lack of respect for Palin, then truly “hating” her.
Personally, I find Palin entertaining. I don’t agree with her politically, but I can understand why some are attracted to her. I still remember seeing her initial speech at the Republican Convention and she drew me in even though I knew I couldn’t vote for her. To me, she hasn’t proven she is really qualified for higher office, but she is hardly the only person whose name is being tossed out there that I would put in that category. I do wish she would brush up on what the First Amendment really entails.
Don’t get me started on Dr. Laura. Really, I could go on for days. Her use of the n-word is almost beside the point for me. I have no idea if she is a racist, but I do believe that she is nasty, unkind woman who seems to relish making vulnerable people feel small. She doesn’t seem to care one bit about helping people, but rather about feeding her own ego and feeling superior. The airwaves will be a much better place with her gone.
Back to Glenn Beck. Insensitive? Yeah, that about sums it up for me. I just hope there is peace today.
I don’t think it’s insensitive for Glenn Beck to hold his rally on this day. The message of Restoring Honor, love and peace. Jennie, do you even watch Glenn Beck? All your bullet points were out of context and if you watch him on a regular basis you would know what he stands for then what the media has wrote about him. We as a nation need to stop fighting with each other, stop race baiting, blaming others and take responsibility for our own Nation as American’s. I may not be an American but I am proud to stand up for Honor to this great Country!!
I don’t know how I feel about the whole thing, to be honest.
My parents are there!! They are Glen Beck disciples and just HAD to be there to worship at the feet of their idol. That’s the only way I can describe it. They are why I am so turned off by Beck. They drank the Kool-aid. They were Rush Limbaugh followers last decade and Beck just seems to be the new Rush.
Glen Beck and his kind totally turn me off of politics. The Liberals have their zealots as well that are equally over-the-top.
I talk to my friends and this is why so many of us just want nothing to do with politics. It just seems like a joke. Politicians are all dishonest. I don’t believe a single one of them regardless of political party. I think it’s all bullshit.
And you can’t tell me that there wasn’t one person on Glen Beck’s staff who didn’t know that was the anniversary of MLK’s speech? I find THAT hard to believe. Sorry, but this wasn’t a guy who said “hey, I’m going to give a speech here.” This is a major tv and radio personality who has a HUGE staff! He knew well before he announced it. There’s no coincidence about it.
HB,Anya,Darlene and Tiffany,
All of your posts were great. I think you all shared your ideas and I agree with alot of what you are saying. Tiffany, I think you are not alone in thinking: “Politicians are all dishonest. I don’t believe a single one of them regardless of political party”. Personally the only thing I think they are interested in is keeping their jobs!
Watching the news and reading this site and all the emails that I am getting from friends and clients has just made me feel like nothing ever really changes.
In 1970 (most of you are too young to remember this) I was in Junior High and my favorite song was Ball of Confusion by the Temptations. Here are a few of the lyrics:
Air pollution, revolution, gun control,
Sound of soul
Shootin’ rockets to the moon
Kids growin’ up too soon
Politicians say more taxes will
Solve everything
And the band played on
So round ‘n’ round ‘n’ round we go
Where the world’s headed, nobody knows
Just a Ball of Confusion
Oh yea, that’s what the wold is today
Seems like nothing has changed in 40 years!
Peace
I am just asking questions. I don’t know enough about this yet, though I have heard a bit. The problem with this being the anniversary of the “I have a dream” speech is, what? I don’t have any idea what the connection is, whether he knew it or not.
I was aware that Dr. King’s niece was going to be there but I don’t think she represents the family nor do I think her beliefs (those that I’m aware of) are in line with Dr. King’s.
She’s outspoken about pro-life position. I don’t think she means to represent her family. What position does she hold in conflict with Dr. King’s? He was a Republican. I don’t know what she is? I only know her as a pro-life advocate. He supported Planned Parenthood in 1963 when it still took a stand against abortion. Is there another position she holds that would be in conflict with his?
$ 5.5 million raised so far….how bad can it be ??
Ann,
My problem with it is that he’s denying he knew it was the same day. Why can’t he just own it? To me, it just continues to tank his credibility.
My parents think that Dr. King’s niece (though they insist it’s his daughter) being there is somehow validating what he is doing. Like since a family member is there, then Dr. King himself is giving his blessing to the whole thing. I really take issue with either side “claiming” Dr. King would support them. To be honest, I think he’d be disgusted with the whole thing. This is the opposite of what he was about. He wanted to unite people, not polarize them! His message was about peace, love and acceptance. Not I’m right and you’re wrong.
What they’re all doing (Beck and Sharpton) is blasphemy, pure and simple. Using Dr. King’s name in vain.
I just finished watching the Honor rally on Cspan. I was moved and feel blessed. I believe this was about peace, love and acceptance that all people are created equal. My parents raised me to accept all people and standing with my head held high as a Native American, Canadian, love of the USA for my children to live in this great country as American’s! I have faith in all people even if you don’t believe in the message.
Knowing whether it was the anniversary date or not, he raised $5.5 million so far. Lets concentrate on that. It’s going to the Special Operations Warrior Fund. I applaud that because those soldier’s families are suffering.
To think we know what Dr. King would want or do or not do is just a guess. I take the event for it’s face value right now. Other than the hysterics some have tried to use against it, the event has done nothing but deliver what it said it would.
Thanks for the explanation Tiffany.
I want to find out more about Ms. king. my sister heard her speak and she said she was wonderful, but this was a pro-life event and focused on that topic. I didn’t think the “Honor Rally” had anything to do withthe topic, but maybe it was for a bunch of conservative positions?
Thanks, Darlene for sharing your impression. I wish I watched a bit myself (the Phillies are on.) They had a beautiful day for a rally.
I LOVE that there is money being raised to support the families of vetrerans. I bet we all agree about that part.
No this rally was NOT for a bunch of conservative issues…shared American values. I pray that this is NOT a conservative/liberal or black/white issue.
The local DC stations did a fair coverage of both rallies. As hard as ABC, NBC & CBS tried to find dissention…it was peaceful. They all did note… Al Sharpton was there more for ‘self-promotion’ & unfortunately surrounded by many signs that were racist. Al would have served himself proud if he’d done what he said he would…listen to what Glenn Beck et al had to say, and then comment. He did not.
Ann, you are right. King’s niece has spoken passionately about abortion. I think most blacks are very much against Roe v. Wade…so her view is not contrary. It was a beautiful day, & all is back to normal in D.C. Don’t ask me what ‘normal’ is. ;0)
I am NOT a Glenn Beck fanatic! But what he has been saying, is true. He is NOT for any political party. He is for taking our country back to what the Founding Fathers stood for–how our great country was rstablished. America was established on the principles of the Bible. We are SO far from that now. Our schools do not even teach history factually anymore. The people at the Rally are people who want our country to return to those values and principles. I am one of those people and i am not ashamed to declare it.
Ms. King does stand for what Dr. king stood for–He was for equality and for God his Savior.
The United States of America is LOST if we do not return to bending our knees to the one and ONLY true God, Jesus Christ, who created it and graciously gave it to us! The motto on our currency is “IN GOD WE TRUST”. The Founding Fathers initiated that because they believed it!!
If this country does not start honoring that—We Are Surely Lost.
It is not about the politicians (i don’t trust them as far as I can throw them), it’s not about Glenn Beck or Rush Limbaugh–It’s about putting GOD BACK ON THE THRONE!!!
What about all the people in this country who aren’t Christian? What about the Muslims, Buddists, Jews and Atheists? What ever happened to separation of Church and State?
I thought we had freedom of religion in this country?
Sorry, but I am not Christian. I don’t support organized religion at all. I think it is damaging, polarizing and a bunch of people going around telling everyone exactly how they should live their life. Or they’ll go to hell.
Glenn Beck style, attitude and personality turn me off completely. His disciples all sound exactly the same. And Mom of KT, you sound EXACTLY like my parents. BTW, they don’t consider themselves zealots either. It’s just that Glenn Beck is so right and everything he says is gospel. Uhm… zealots never consider themselves as such. I am not meaning this to be a personal attack. Please don’t take it as such! Your post was very emotional and well, zealous. You have strong convictions. I totally respect that. I just don’t agree with them. And I don’t want them forced on me. Or my kids. I am raising them with what I firmly believe is the truth. As are you with your children. I’m guessing you don’t want my Atheist views forced on you, please don’t force yours on me.
Look I am Jewish. I don’t believe in anything Mom of KT says but like you she has every right to say it and believe it. How is it being forced on you or anyone ? She may want you to believe as well as myself…but you have every right not to.
This country was founded on Christian values. To deny that is foolish.
Every group sounds like zealots. The far right, far left, religious Jews, Mormons, United Federation of Teachers. I think you just may have a problem with your parents.
What makes this country great is we have a right to say what we want and believe what we want.
The United States of America is LOST if we do not return to bending our knees to the one and ONLY true God, Jesus Christ, who created it and graciously gave it to us! The motto on our currency is “IN GOD WE TRUST”. The Founding Fathers initiated that because they believed it!!
If this country does not start honoring that—We Are Surely Lost.
It is not about the politicians (i don’t trust them as far as I can throw them), it’s not about Glenn Beck or Rush Limbaugh–It’s about putting GOD BACK ON THE THRONE!!!
Sure sounds like someone trying to force their Christian values on me. I understand that the country was founded on Christian principals and beliefs. I’m not arguing with that. But does that mean the US is a Christian’s only country then? Not sure where you were going with that.
Oh and I’d never deny I have a HUGE problem with my parents!
I love organized religion. LOVE it! I love Jesus Christ and His beautiful teachings, and liturgical worship, symbolism, incense, all that glorious Vatican artwork that I hope they never sell and always preserve for generations to enjoy forever. I LOVE the Bible. I love Tradition; I love Latin, and the psalms, and the Our Father prayed in Aramaic, and stained glass, and our Jewish roots, and the connection to all those other Christians through two thousand years of organized worship, and I can go on forever with this list. I am an unashamed, enthusiastic Roman Catholic. I would NEVER force that on anyone. I bet there are many theological points I would disagree with Stu and Mom of KT and Tiffany on. That does not mean I am forcing my views on anyone.
I also love the Constitution and the atheists who are free to say that I support something damaging and polarizing. And I don’t even think anyone is forcing me to believe or accept that. I wish you would all agree with me, but no one has to. This is a great country.
I don’t really “love” the Glenn Beck radio program. He has a bit of a transformation from his early years, hasn’t he? I admire his fundraising for the veteran’s families, but I really can’t stand the tenor of talk radio and haven’t for a few years. Most of them turn me off, they give my daughters headaches, and the dog throws up in the car if that station is on.
Sorry, but I am not Christian. I don’t support organized religion at all. I think it is damaging, polarizing and a bunch of people going around telling everyone exactly how they should live their life. Or they’ll go to hell.
I know a lot of people who have religious beliefs and none of them ever told me if I didn’t believe in God I’ll go to hell. When I was younger I had lost my way in life for along time and for me personally I found comfort in the Lord. That’s why this country is great because you can practice or not practice Religion. It’s your right as a citizen.
Glenn Beck style, attitude and personality turn me off completely. His disciples all sound exactly the same.
Sure I watch Glenn Beck and I also read Media Matters. Doesn’t make me a zealous of anyone. I think this Country is headed in the wrong direction. It has nothing to do with the President. It’s been going on for along time. He’s just the face of the moment. This Country is divided and what’s wrong with trying for Unity. After 9/11 this Country was united as Americans. We all grieved as a Nation together. We can be like that again but we can’t if we’re race baiting, call each other zealous because of what we believe, being divided by politics. This Country is a republic as “WE the People”!! Lets be “we the people”!!
they give my daughters headaches, and the dog throws up in the car if that station is on.
Ha Ha Ann, that was pretty funny. I don’t listen to talk radio neither. I’m a TV junkie.
Darlene says…Sure I watch Glenn Beck and I also read Media Matters.
Good for you. I think that is hard to do – to be open and actually give one’s time to listen to more than one perspective.
I guess that is why I am with Tiffany on the generally hating politics these days. It is so divisive. Conservatives have Fox. Liberals have MSNBC. I actually think CNN is the fairest, but I am sure there are those who think they tilt a certain way too. It seems people would prefer to have the world view they have already developed spoon feed to them and have all their beliefs reinforced rather than examining each issue as it comes up.
So I am not a big fan of Beck and I don’t think he is saying anything that extraordinary or helpful to be honest. I am sick of Keith Olbermann too (although there are times I agree with him).
Zealots do come from both sides. My aunt recites her talking points every night directly from MSNBC.
Holly, I think the song lyrics you posted do put things in perspective. Thank you for that.
Lastly, glad to hear that things were peaceful and they were able to raise the amount of money they did for a worthy cause.
Another positive — nice to see some new folks in the “Our World” thread!!!
Sorry Tiffany–I don’t think that stating what I believe is FORCING a nything on you. What Glenn Beck says is not “gospel”. The “gospel” is in the Bible and tells us how to receive Salvation so we can live in heaven with God forever.
Never meant to insult , in any way.
Darlene–I am with you–It should be “WE THE PEOPLE”. Right now it’s We The Politicians and instead of representing us and going to Washington and voting for what WE want, they are ignoring us and voting for what THEY want, and what they think will get them re-elected–SO SICK OF IT!!
Darlene–I am with you–It should be “WE THE PEOPLE”. Right now it’s We The Politicians and instead of representing us and going to Washington and voting for what WE want, they are ignoring us and voting for what THEY want, and what they think will get them re-elected–SO SICK OF IT!!
Mom of Kt, I couldn’t agree with you more!
Glad we have some points of agreement, Tiffany–It warms my heart (I really mean it)
I’ve said on many threads that the politicians are not there for us. Any level…City, State, or Federal. They are there to make money, garner power and line up the cash machine for when they leave office. I am sick of them too.
Almost all of these talk show hosts say truth sometimes but they are more interested in fighting each other to keep the ratings up.
Religion is so divisive but I strongly believe you have a right to believe what you want and say what you want . In my humble opinion I don’t believe God has only one path.
I was watching Sharpton tonight and it was interesting how he was a man who looked jealous and lost. Evey interview seemed as if he was saying …wait this is our day please listen to me ! Just my point of view. Anyway it was a successful event and peaceful and gave a great meaning for the day.
So much to respond to…
Good Morning America’s Claire Shipman on Friday launched a pre-emptive one-sided attack of Glenn Beck’s August 28 rally in Washington D.C., including selectively editing clips from the conservative host. The ABC journalist featured a snippet of Beck asserting, “Blacks don’t own Martin Luther King.” [MP3 audio here.]
On his radio show, Friday, Beck complained about the “hatchet job.” Shipman clearly distorted the context. He actually said, “Whites don’t own Abraham Lincoln. Blacks don’t own Martin Luther King. Those are American icons, American ideas and we should just talk about character.”
I’m not sure where the above comes from but it clearly has a biased slant of its own. “Pre-emptive one-sided attack?” I don’t actually think the snippet differs in meaning much from the entire quote. It’s a silly statement anyway, since the issue is not whites co-opting King but people whose views are diametrically opposed to King’s co-opting him.
If you reread your comments you will see you can’t come to any other conclusion that you do have a hatred towards Sarah Palin. Besides why do you care if she runs…..by your standards she would be demolished at the polls.
Surprisingly, I can reread my comments and come to a different conclusion than you. Not so surprising, since I actually know myself and you don’t. I’m not sure I believe Palin would be “demolished” at the polls because I do think American voters can be swayed by the wrong things (and I’d guess that you’d agree, Stu, given Obama’s election). I don’t hate Palin; as Anya states below, I don’t respect her. I think she’s all style and no substance, and I really hate that in politicians.
Alveda King absolutely shares Dr. King”s beliefs. She believes everything that Dr. King and her father, Dr. King’s brother believed. Just because she is more conservative does not mean she does not represent all the values that her family held and is a “messenger of peace”. What separates her from her family is she is conservative. Does that lessen her value ? Do her opinions not count ? She is fighting off threats every day for attending Glenn Beck’s event on Sat.
No one said her opinions don’t count. But she shouldn’t be seen as representing Dr. King; he’s been dead for 42 years and who knows how he would feel about her beliefs. I’d like to think he would be more tolerant of gays than she apparently is. If she is being threatened for participating in Beck’s rally, that is really unfortunate and unacceptable. But, to bring this back to my Muslim cultural center parallel, if you don’t feel that the opinions of 9/11 families who support the cultural center should count, then it seems to me that the opinions of random relatives of Dr. King’s should not count in deciding whether the timing of the rally is appropriate.
I too support Dr. Laura. Have you listened to her entire show?
Like, ever? No, because she is usually so vicious and nasty to the women who call her for help (out of what masochistic urge I can’t imagine) that she drives me away. As for the specific show, no, did not listen to it. Did hear the parts where she denigrated the woman who called her for help as being too sensitive about the rudeness and insensitivity of her husband’s friends; heard the part where she told her that she shouldn’t be in an interracial marriage; heard the part where she told the woman not to go “all NAACP on” her (whatever THAT means). Also heard her repeat an offensive word (not offensive to Sarah Palin apparently, who gets herself het up over “retarded”)
She had a very valid point. Why isn’t her free speech being protected?
Protected from what? From the offense of others? She wasn’t fired, though even if she had been that would not be a free speech issue in the First Amendment sense (Dr. Laura and a number of her supporters apparently have no idea what the First Amendment protects against; the ignorance is kind of appalling, IMO).
“Free speech” does not mean, has never meant, freedom from your words offending or hurting people, and those people expressing their disapproval of your words.
Why is it that others are racist when those words are used but Blacks are not held to the same standard. I never agree with Sharpton but even he thinks that Blacks at least in this instance should not use the derogatory terms. Or if they can so should everyone else.
I don’t know. My perspective is that I have no desire to use the n-word, so I have no resentment that others can use it and I can’t. Context matters, and so I do think that it’s different if a black person says it or you say it. And of course you can say it if you want; you just can’t say it and expect not to be judged for it. Again, I really can’t see it from your perspective, because I feel no need or desire to repeat such an ugly, hateful word.
I “submitted” my post before I got my final thoughts down. What I want to clarify is Dr. Laura’s right to say what she said. I really don’t think her intention was to be “racist” in any way, I think she was just trying to make a point as she always does on her show. That is her style, she is an “in your face” personality and this comment backfired!
I do think she’s racist, based not on the n-word so much as her telling the caller that she shouldn’t be in an interracial marriage. I believe Dr. Laura also disapproves of interfaith marriages.
As for having an “in your face” personality, forgive my bluntness, but I just see that as another way of saying that she’s an asshole. And if she wants to be an asshole, fine, but again…consequences. Not everyone is going to like her.
For someone who is so blunt and uncompromising with others, Dr. Laura is certainly sensitive about the way others treat HER. I believe that’s called hypocrisy.
Al Sharpton, I hope, will HONOR his words, & ‘listen to what is said’. How can this group be hijacking Martin Luther King, when MLK himself was talking to America…? ALL AMERICANS. This is NOT a KKK meeting! Al Sharpton is whose leader? Glenn Beck is whose leader?
No, not a KKK meeting, but certainly one with a Tea Party presence and Tea Party functions have a history of racist signs.
Again, for Beck to co-opt King when his beliefs are so in opposition to King’s is distasteful to me, to say the least.
I don’t think it’s insensitive for Glenn Beck to hold his rally on this day. The message of Restoring Honor, love and peace. Jennie, do you even watch Glenn Beck? All your bullet points were out of context and if you watch him on a regular basis you would know what he stands for then what the media has wrote about him. We as a nation need to stop fighting with each other, stop race baiting, blaming others and take responsibility for our own Nation as American’s. I may not be an American but I am proud to stand up for Honor to this great Country!!
Mostly I see clips of Glenn Beck ranting on The Daily Show. I don’t see him as an advocate for honor, love and peace, at all. I see him as either a fraud, or unhinged, or some combination thereof.
And you can’t tell me that there wasn’t one person on Glen Beck’s staff who didn’t know that was the anniversary of MLK’s speech? I find THAT hard to believe. Sorry, but this wasn’t a guy who said “hey, I’m going to give a speech here.” This is a major tv and radio personality who has a HUGE staff! He knew well before he announced it. There’s no coincidence about it.
Yeah – I find the lying about it pretty ugly and smarmy. It’s not like he couldn’t have anticipated questions would come up.
I am just asking questions. I don’t know enough about this yet, though I have heard a bit. The problem with this being the anniversary of the “I have a dream” speech is, what? I don’t have any idea what the connection is, whether he knew it or not.
The problem is that Beck’s beliefs are antithetical to King’s – thus holding his rally on the same date and at the same location as King’s seminal speech is rather a big f-u to those who value King and what he stood for.
She’s outspoken about pro-life position. I don’t think she means to represent her family. What position does she hold in conflict with Dr. King’s? He was a Republican. I don’t know what she is? I only know her as a pro-life advocate. He supported Planned Parenthood in 1963 when it still took a stand against abortion. Is there another position she holds that would be in conflict with his?
I believe she’s also anti-gay. Not sure what King’s position on gay rights and gay marriage would be today, but he was a close associate of Bayard Rustin, who was openly gay.
I just finished watching the Honor rally on Cspan. I was moved and feel blessed. I believe this was about peace, love and acceptance that all people are created equal.
Sorry, given Beck’s professed hatred for various entities (Katrina victims and 9/11 victims among them), I find that hard to believe. If he wants to be accepting, he might consider not suggesting that an elected Congressperson who happens to be Muslim is a terrorist. Or that his president hates white people.
Knowing whether it was the anniversary date or not, he raised $5.5 million so far. Lets concentrate on that. It’s going to the Special Operations Warrior Fund. I applaud that because those soldier’s families are suffering.
You know, the Muslim cultural center in NYC was presumably going to do some good for some people, too, but many seem to believe that this is inconsequential in the face of the opposition.
I am NOT a Glenn Beck fanatic! But what he has been saying, is true. He is NOT for any political party. He is for taking our country back to what the Founding Fathers stood for–how our great country was rstablished. America was established on the principles of the Bible.
I have heard different things about this. I have certainly heard different opinions about the religiosity of the Founding Fathers. There appears to be a strong contingent of historians who consider many of the Founding Fathers to be Deists – believing in God but not in the divinity of Jesus nor in the idea that God is interested in the lives of humans.
The idea that this was founded as a Christian nation is problematic to me, anyway, for a couple of very different reasons. On the one hand, I feel that emphasizing that this is a CHRISTIAN nation leaves non-Christians in a difficult position. Are we not real Americans? What does it mean to say that this is a Christian nation? If you are simply talking about the teachings of Christ, then I think that’s something many people who do not identify as Christian can get behind (and ironically something that some people who do identify as Christian might have problems with; I doubt Jesus would think much of Beck’s contempt for preaching on social justice). If we want to talk about the values on which this nation was founded, well, that’s also problematic for me, considering that those values included enslaving humans, denying women the vote, and other various and sundry values that I think are distinctly un-Christ-like.
Also, just as an aside – Article 6, Section 3 of the Constitution states, “no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.” This seems to be to be a pretty clear indication of the founders’ intent.
This country was founded on Christian values. To deny that is foolish.
Again though, what does that mean? The Christian value of slavery? The belief in Christ? (The Constitutional article cited above would seem to contradict that.)
The Founding Fathers were products of their times. Yes, they were Christians. Again, what sort of Christians may be debated (and I’m sure there was some variance among them). But to use the fact that they were all Christians as proof that this was meant to be a Christian nation is like using the fact that they were all white males to assert that America is a white, male nation.
I love organized religion. LOVE it! I love Jesus Christ and His beautiful teachings, and liturgical worship, symbolism, incense, all that glorious Vatican artwork that I hope they never sell and always preserve for generations to enjoy forever. I LOVE the Bible. I love Tradition; I love Latin, and the psalms, and the Our Father prayed in Aramaic, and stained glass, and our Jewish roots, and the connection to all those other Christians through two thousand years of organized worship, and I can go on forever with this list. I am an unashamed, enthusiastic Roman Catholic.
Heh. I have issues with the Church hierarchy, but I love a lot of the same things you do about Catholicism. (Though I guess they are better than they used to be – I was just reading a book on the medieval church and oy! I remember learning about the selling of indulgences way back in school but I think it just occurred to be afresh how incredibly messed up that was.)
Of course, a lot of Protestants don’t even consider Catholics “real” Christians (which I never got), and there was a fair amount of anti-Catholic prejudice in the colonies circa the American Revolution.
Country is divided and what’s wrong with trying for Unity. After 9/11 this Country was united as Americans. We all grieved as a Nation together. We can be like that again but we can’t if we’re race baiting, call each other zealous because of what we believe, being divided by politics. This Country is a republic as “WE the People”!! Lets be “we the people”!!
Except that I’m constantly told by Beck and his ilk that I’m not a real American, or not a good American, or that I hate America, etc. etc. simply because I disagree with them on various issues. Glenn Beck leading a unity movement is sort of like Dr. Laura heading an NAACP chapter.
Another positive — nice to see some new folks in the “Our World” thread!!!
Something I agree with! Even if I’m arguing with most of you.
Eek – sorry, my very long screed is made even more unreadable by the fact that I forgot to put double returns in and thus everything ran together. I’d delete and repost a prettier version, but it’s late and I’m tired. Again, sorry.
I believe that the rest of the family, including MLK’s surviving children, have made it clear that Alveda King speaks for herself, not them and not the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. She isn’t just anti-gay; she’s described marriage equality as genocide. She has a right to her opinion and to use her own name, but would she have been invited but in an attempt to preempt the criticism over the choice of the locale and date?
Jennie-Pretty or not, I agree with what you said. In terms of the Framers, look at the problem that they faced in keeping a country united in which many people who called themselves Christian denied others the right to do so or simply to have freedom of conscience. They were trying to keep united a country that included a state (Massachusetts) that had its origins in not one but two extreme Protestant theocracies and once not only hung Quakers but exiled its own who weren’t orthodox enough; you have Massachusetts neighbors that included states founded by people driven out of Massachusetts; you have New York, founded by the tolerant Dutch; you have Pennsylvania, founded by Quakers as a haven for tolerance; you have Maryland founded by Catholics as a refuge from persecution; Virginia had a state church, the Church of England, until Madison and Jefferson led the successful fight to not only disestablish the Church of England but to guarantee freedom of conscience shortly before the Constitutional Convention. Madison rejected a proposed compromise that would have been split the tax money and support that had formerly gone to the Church of England to all church. Several states had purely secular origins. The Framers were not hostile to religion; most of the leading Framers believed in freedom of conscience and that government involvement in religion was not good for either government or religion.
I think the best statement of the Founding Fathers/Framers’ views is the chapter on Religion in his “Notes on the State of Virginia at pp. 285-287″http://etext.virginia.edu/etcbin/toccer-new2?id=JefVirg.sgm&images=images/modeng&data=/texts/english/modeng/parsed&tag=public&part=17&division=div1
including:
>>But our rulers can have authority over such natural rights only as we have submitted to them. The rights of conscience we never submitted, we could not submit. We are answerable for them to our God. The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others. But it does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are twenty gods, or no god. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg. If it be said, his testimony in a court of justice cannot be relied on, reject it then, and be the stigma on him. Constraint may make him worse by making him a hypocrite, but it will never make him a truer man. It may fix him obstinately in his errors, but will not cure them. Reason and free enquiry are the only effectual agents against error. Give a loose to them, they will support the true religion, by bringing every false one to their tribunal, to the test of their investigation. <<
and also including:
>It is error alone which needs the support of government. Truth can stand by itself. Subject opinion to coercion: whom will you make your inquisitors? Fallible men; men governed by bad passions, by private as well as public reasons. And why subject it to coercion? To produce uniformity. But is uniformity of opinion desireable? No more than of face and stature. Introduce the bed of Procrustes then, and as there is danger that the large men may beat the small, make us all of a size, by lopping the former and stretching the latter. Difference of opinion is advantageous in religion. The several sects perform the office of a Censor morum over each other. Is uniformity attainable? Millions of innocent men, women, and children, since the introduction of Christianity, have been burnt, tortured, fined, imprisoned; yet we have not advanced one inch towards uniformity. What has been the effect of coercion? To make one half the world fools, and the other half hypocrites. To support roguery and error all over the earth. Let us reflect that it is inhabited by a thousand millions of people. That these profess probably a thousand different systems of religion. That ours is but one of that thousand. That if there be but one right, and ours that one, we should wish to see the 999 wandering sects gathered into the fold of truth. But against such a majority we cannot effect this by force. Reason and persuasion are the only practicable instruments. To make way for these, free enquiry must be indulged; and how can we wish others to indulge it while we refuse it ourselves. But every state, says an inquisitor, has established some religion. No two, say I, have established the same. Is this a proof of the infallibility of establishments? Our sister states of Pennsylvania and New York, however, have long subsisted without any establishment at all. The experiment was new and doubtful when they made it. It has answered beyond conception. They flourish infinitely. Religion is well supported; of various kinds, indeed, but all good enough; all sufficient to preserve peace and order: or if a sect arises, whose tenets would subvert morals, good sense has fair play, and reasons and laughs it out of doors, without suffering the state to be troubled with it. They do not hang more malefactors than we do. They are not more disturbed with religious dissensions. On the contrary, their harmony is unparalleled, and can be ascribed to nothing but their unbounded tolerance, because there is no other circumstance in which they differ from every nation on earth. They have made the happy discovery, that the way to silence religious disputes, is to take no notice of them. Let us too give this experiment fair play, and get rid, while we may, of those tyrannical laws. It is true, we are as yet secured against them by the spirit of the times. I doubt whether the people of this country would suffer an execution for heresy, or a three years imprisonment for not comprehending the mysteries of the Trinity. But is the spirit of the people an infallible, a permanent reliance? Is it government? Is this the kind of protection we receive in return for the rights we give up? Besides, the spirit of the times may alter, will alter. Our rulers will become corrupt, our people careless. A single zealot may commence persecutor, and better men be his victims. It can never be too often repeated, that the time for fixing every essential right on a legal basis is while our rulers are honest, and ourselves united. From the conclusion of this war we shall be going down hill. It will not then be necessary to resort every moment to the people for support. They will be forgotten, therefore, and their rights disregarded. They will forget themselves, but in the sole faculty of making money, and will never think of uniting to effect a due respect for their rights. The shackles, therefore, which shall not be knocked off at the conclusion of this war, will remain on us long, will be made heavier and heavier, till our rights shall revive or expire in a convulsion.<<
I’m not quite sure why such hostility over the day that Glenn Beck chose. Nothing had been planned in the way of a rally downtown when he went to file for permits. MLK has his own federal holiday in January. I’m hearing more about killing the messengers for who they are, more than for what they said? The fact that Al Sharpton took to his self-promoting, money-making banner didn’t upset anyone? He is NO MLK! Did anyone listen to the speakers from his counter-rally? Did anyone hear ’reparations’; failing DC schools; hate speech? Perhaps Al Sharpton could have read ‘The I have a dream speech’…!
The Lincoln Memorial is not closed to free speech on the 28th. This application was the only one applied for yesterday until ‘the artists’ for the erection of the MLK memorial applied (for a counter-Beck rally on the Mall)…which included the New Black Panthers. Believe me when I say that the Park Police had more pressure NOT to give out this permit to Beck. They had an even tougher time giving Sharpton his permit - until he applied under the guise of the ‘artists’ to raise money for the MLK memorial.
Why does that OLD ditty ‘United we stand, divided we fall’…keep making the rounds… ;0(
I’ll post later but you brought up the Mosque….
The problem is that Beck’s beliefs are antithetical to King’s – thus holding his rally on the same date and at the same location as King’s seminal speech is rather a big f-u to those who value King and what he stood for.
Are you for real ? A Mosque at Ground Zero dedicated on 9/11 ????? Either you really don’t care or you are so blinded by your view that I don’t know what to say.
HB-Free speech does not include freedom from criticism, in fact, that is a central tenet of it: the idea that government intervention in speech is, except in very extreme instances (directly inciting someone to commit a crime, for instance) the worst possible answer to objectionable speech. The best possible antidote to what someone sees as bad speech is good speech and let the concepts peacefully battle it out in the free marketplace of ideas.
I doubt that either Beck or Sharpton had serious issues getting a permit on the grounds of what they were saying. Because the National Park Service is the custodian for most this country’s sacred spaces, they have a very good idea of what does or does not constitute a legally sustainable basis for denying a permit. Content-based restrictions must meet the strict scrutiny test and that is rarely satisfied. Even risk of violence is not a basis unless the risk is real and significant and comes from the actions of the group seeking the permit (attacks by those angered by the message is not a valid ground). Only reasonable restrictions that are neutral in both language and application and which deal with time, place, and manner are permitted. There are some areas that are not public fora, but then it would be off limits to all members of the public to hold a demonstration, regardless of content. I’m sure a demonstration that is expected to be massive must meet certain criteria for crowd control, how long, etc. but those would apply to both Sharpton and Beck.
I know a lot of people in NPS administration through my Civil War interests. They have this down to a drill for what the NPS calls “First Amendment Events” especially in D.C. which is basically the big time for demonstrations. Other institutions in D.C. do the same. When I still could walk long distances, I went to DC for a March against Violence Against Women. Under the permit, the buses parked at RFK Stadium. There’s a Metro exit nearby. A substantial number of Metro employees were waiting with pre-cut Metro tickets for the fare between RFK and the Mall to sell marchers so the foyer of the metro stop wasn’t clogged with marchers trying to figure out the machines. (It was SO much easier when I was in University in DC when I could just take a DC Transit bus to a demonstration (no Metro yet)).
I would like you to research this man David Barton. http://www.wallbuilders.com/He’s friends with Glenn Beck. Red Flags…not so. He knows American History. He goes right to the source like the orginal writings and knows I think everything about this Country like The Founding Father’s. He’s amazing to listen too. I’ve been going to his site for a few months and I’m still learning about History. I like going to the sourcebefore I make an opinion. I’m searching for the truth so be it through Glenn Beck, David Barton, and other sources. I have no trust in the Main Stream Media for getting my news.
I watched something so amazing yesterday and I took something away from it which to me was pure love of this Country. Take it as you like but I know in my heart “we the people” can take back this Country so we all as people have equal rights and not have a bunch of suits in DC telling us what’s good for us when they have no clue.
Darlene-I have studied the American Revolution and the early Federal periods almost all of my life. It was my late mother’s (and she taught civics) passion as well. I have read a lot of what the Founding Fathers and Framers have written on the subject, including Madison’s Notes on the Federal Convention of 1787, the Federalist Papers, and Madison’s letters regarding the Constitution that he wrote during the Nullification Crisis. An amazing amount of material is in print or on the web and available to everyone, scholar or beginner or somewhere in between. I’m pretty familiar with scholarship in the field going back long before any of the current controversies, even prior to the school prayer decisions. While I find an occasional interesting essay, none of my views rely on anything in the popular press.
David Barton is not considered a Constitutional scholar by anyone who actually is a scholar. He’s an ideologue and they exist on both ends of the spectrum. Take a lot of this with a truck load of salt such as Dick Armey’s claiming that Alexander Hamilton was a small government conservative until a reporter (IIRR, prompted by a member of the audience) reminded him that Hamilton was and is considered to be one of the most nationalist/strong central government proponents among the Framers (to the point that even some of his fellow Federalists accused him (wrongly) of favoring a return to the monarchy (Armey had tried to evade his error by claiming that only modern authorities viewed him that way)). You will find many pro-religion statements by Framers/Founding Fathers cited. There is nothing inconsistent with that and the support of the concept of the separation of church and state. The ones who supported the concept believed that government involvement in religion was not good for either government or religion and that a multiplicity of denominations, none of which could be favored by the government, would also prevent a single denomination obtaining a dominant position and persecuting others.
Thank you PeggyP, I will look into what you said. I like to get into differnt perspectives and other points of view. I would however disagree with your assessment about David Barton.
His exhaustive research has rendered him an expert in historical and constitutional issues and he serves as a consultant to state and federal legislators, has participated in several cases at the Supreme Court, was involved in the development of the History/Social Studies standards for states such as Texas and California, and has helped produce history textbooks now used in schools across the nation.
I sure trust what he has to say at this point until it’s shown he’s not acurate on History. Why do you call him an ideologue? I’m just curious.
Well, the Texas thing won’t endear him to scholars since he was retained and supported the faction that voted to, among other things, bowlderize US history by eliminating references to important Americans that the faction deemed too radical. His “appointment’ in California was by a single conservative member . As for ideologue, I made that judgment based on his own website. One example struck me: aside from the fact that it contains a prime example of selective quotations about religion by early US figures as some sort of proof, which it isn’t, that separation of church and state is a myth, as Barton argues, that list includes a quote by Patrick Henry whom Barton’s website identifies as a ratifier. That is such a egregiously misleading statement that it isn’t even funny. Patrick Henry (who refused to attend the Constitutional Convention on the grounds that he “smelled a rat”, believing that the Convention intended to restore monarchy) LED the anti-ratification forces at the Virginia Ratification Convention (Madison led the pro-ratification forces) and voted against Virginia ratifying the Constitution. As for Henry’s views on separation of church and state, Barton’s probably right on that but wrong on its significance. His site omits the fact that Henry opposed the forces that favored such separation, especially his arch-rivals Madison and Jefferson. When the fight to disestablish the Church of England occurred in Virginia, Madison led the forces in favor of ending favored status for the Church of England/Anglican/Episcopal Church and/or any other denomination (Jefferson was mostly in Europe, though he was actively involved). Henry bitterly opposed this and wanted to replace the assessment in favor of the Anglicans with one to support all Christian denominations. Madison led the forces that defeated Henry’s proposal in favor of an absolute end of government support of religion in Virginia, and the passed in January 1786 of the Jefferson drafted Virginia Act for Establishing Religious Freedom.
This is actually a wonderful time for studying this because more and more original material is becoming available on line. I’d recommend sticking to the sites that are non-partisan and non=ideological; that simply devote themselves to making these papers available as they were originally published. The Library of Congress (loc.gov) site is an excellent source. It’s a fascinating area but there aren’t easy answers. There was never total unananimity even among those supporting ratification.
Quite simply…Beck being ‘disrespectful’? No, I would think that MLK would be happy to see a sea of (predominately white faces) who not only paid him respect, but he would NOT be very happy to think that almost 50 yrs. later blacks cling to his dream, & yet move backwards…afraid to share his legacy? None of this makes sense to me.
Does anyone think that Al Sharpton speaks for MLK?
I’m curious…why have reporters {?} asked people and especially blacks at the event ….Why is this a mostly White crowd?? I watched the Sharpton rally and some of the review… the people at his event were not asked ” Why is this a mostly Black rally ?? ” Double standard….Bias maybe? Nah couldn’t be.
I don’t know why Sharpton is held up by the mainstream media as a Black Leader. On cable talk shows I can see because he brings in controversy. It’s unreal that this was the best and most qualified person the Democratic party can put up to run for President in past years. He is such a joke.
Peggy P
I agree with almost nothing you say but I do enjoy your historical knowledge.
>>
Peggy P
I agree with almost nothing you say but I do enjoy your historical knowledge.
August 29, 2010 at 4:05 pm
stu says:<<
Stu, Thank you. I enjoy debating you, too. I’m a firm believer in the Framers’ free marketplace of ideas. If we all agreed with each other, it would be extremely boring and, if there is no one to challenge us, we grow mentally lazy. I sometimes hear people claim that the Framers distrusted government. That’s true, to some extent, but misleading to a greater extent. The truth is they trusted no one with power, including The People, while recognizing that power and its exercise was necessary. I think the best statement of their philosophy is in Federalist 51 (either Hamilton or Madison wrote it):
>>It may be a reflection on human nature, that such devices should be necessary to control the abuses of government. But what is government itself, but the greatest of all reflections on human nature? If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary. In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself. A dependence on the people is, no doubt, the primary control on the government; but experience has taught mankind the necessity of auxiliary precautions. This policy of supplying, by opposite and rival interests, the defect of better motives, might be traced through the whole system of human affairs, private as well as public.<<
Madison
What sticks out to me in this discussion is the insistence that Glenn Beck stands for the opposite of what Martin Luther King stood for. How so? Point me to evidence that is more than a 2 second, out of context quote.
Also, Glenn Beck hates 9/11 victims? This couldn’t be further from the truth. If you recall last year, there was another rather large rally in Washington called the 9/12 rally. Glenn Beck was instrumental in publicizing the movement. I can’t even say anything further because it’s just so absurd, it would be like having to prove that Glenn Beck was Mormon. Justice and reverence of the 9/11 victims is a major part of his thing. Is Obama a democrat? Is the Pope Catholic? Does Glenn Beck honor 9/11 victims? Yes! I could get you transcript after transcript if you had any question about that.
Jennie, I’m sorry but you get your information about Glenn Beck from the Daily show? That would be like me saying my source of information on Martin Luther King came from Don Imus. I don’t agree with everything Beck says. I hate when he becomes overly dramatic. I know, however, that the man is not a racist. He doesn’t promote racism in any way. Did they play you the hours of speaking where Glenn Beck decried over and over again people with hate in their hearts? How about the 6+ hours he’s dedicated on his television show to black history? What other media outlet has attempted that?
Again this brings me back to the point of racism being used as a smear to discredit those with a dissenting view. If you disagree with him, great. If you think he’s dead wrong about policy. Ok. But he’s not a racist. That is, unless in your mind all white conservatives are inherently racist or you believe that Christians are innately oppressive.
Thank you again PeggyP, I answered my own question about David Barton after I asked you it. I had time to think about it today. I’ve been gone all day so I haven’t been able to respond until now.
I also want to let Tiffany to know, I completely understand why you were offended by Saturday’s rally. It was religious based and I can admit that and thinking about it I can see your point of view of Glenn Beck.
I don’t know a lot about American History because frankly I’m not American so I was only taught a small portion of American History in my school years. I am learning so give me time. It’s a lot of years to learn.
Wow, while Glenn Beck raises 5+ million for the Special Operations Warrior fund, the Huffpo offers to pay 100k for an Glenn Beck sex tape.
Awesome. Oor not so much.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/beau-friedlander/100000-for-glenn-becks-se_b_698724.html
This is what I looked at when I clicked on that link
Editor’s Note: This piece was published directly to the Huffington Post by its author. It didn’t meet our editorial standards and has been removed from the site.
I don’t know Beau Fiedlander. Was he offering $100k=K for a Glenn Beck sex tape?
I can’t stand when Glenn Beck gets overly dramatic, either, Erin. I also think he’s a doomsday crier. I don’t think he’s a racist.
Glenn Beck’s Restoring Honor Rally: The Most Ridiculous Messages (PHOTOS)
So this was a title on The Huffington Post
What is amazing is the pictures are of people dressed like it’s the 1700s, quotes on t-shirts from speeches of Washington some t-shirts that promote the event and a lot of American Flags.
These were deemed ” ridiculous “. Pretty clear to me where the line is drawn.
Sorry Tiffany–I don’t think that stating what I believe is FORCING a nything on you. What Glenn Beck says is not “gospel”. The “gospel” is in the Bible and tells us how to receive Salvation so we can live in heaven with God forever.
Darlene–I am with you–It should be “WE THE PEOPLE”. Right now it’s We The Politicians and instead of representing us and going to Washington and voting for what WE want, they are ignoring us and voting for what THEY want, and what they think will get them re-elected–SO SICK OF IT!!
___________________________
Totally agree Mom of KT on both of these points!
Stu, I think a lot of people look to Al Sharpton to be on their programs because he makes himself available and is his own p.r. machine. He made himself a mouthpiece for black America. And, I agree with your post #43, there is a lot of double standard. But, call on it and then one is labled a racist (which in reality, we know we are not).
I think now that we are post Beck rally and it was pretty much an uneventful event….meaning no controversies and no outrageous video would could assume this thread will die.
Stu,
We would love for you to submit a post for this category. Any ideas?
Education secretary urged his employees to go to Sharpton’s rally
By:
Examiner Staff Writer
August 30, 2010
This administration That keeps on giving.
Let me think on it Pam
Say what you want about Arianna Huffington. I think this was a very thought provoking piece on the mood of the country. I enjoyed it and wanted to share.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/glenn-beck-president-obam_b_699822.html?ref=twitter
Thanks Erin, it was a great article.
I read the article in the Huffington Post. Alot was going on in it. One of the things I did walk away with was the article seemed to reflect what I think is a very dangerous attitude in America. Very defeatist in my opinion. It seemed to encourage us to lower our expectations and accept being “average and ordinary” and not strive for more in life. How we must accept this and scale back what we want. Change the way we look at things. Seems the same story about waiting for the oil spill to stop. Instead of a shot in the arm…a “can do” spirit, an upbeat… “lets move forward and solve the problem” it seems we are getting the opposite. Remember JFK……such a “can do” attitude…a spirit. We the people have known for a long time that things suck and they are not getting better. The Administration is just starting to let us know ….that they know things are not getting better. We need a “leader to lead” and we don’t have that now. I agree that we can’t look to Washington to fix our problems…we need to do this ourselves. It would be nice to have a leader who believes we can do this, who still believes in the American Dream and American Exceptional-ism… we need America to be great again!
Stu,
I agree. I also don’t think we can just look for a leader. If we want greatness we have to step up and be the Americans that you refer to.
I think most can agree that somewhere along the line we all got lost in a sea of materialism and greed (I’m all about capitalism before anyone says anything but any system at an extreme can be dangerous). We were content to go about our lives shopping, watching football on tv, etc. The amount of people engaged in the political process five years ago was far less. We were asleep and disengaged.
So now we’ve woken up because our complacency has left is in the predicament we are in now. It’s up to the American people to make changes in their own lives. It is up to the individual to create a way for himself. What good is a leader if the people being lead go back to sleep and don’t move?
I’m not a big Arianna Huffington fan. Oftentimes our views are opposed to one another. I’m also aware of the spin going on in the media to lower expectations. I know that’s ridiculous. I do think an honest questioning and accounting for how we’ve lived over the past 50 years is warranted. I think that’s also something both sides can agree on .
YOU CAN’T TAKE AWAY MY FOOTBALL !!
Erin…I agree. we do need to re examine our priorities…but what happen to to the speech and goals laid out by JFK…..we will go to the moon…We will…… The generation that fought WWII would not give up. I am not talking about the politicians but the people. We have slowly started to drift towards mediocrity. Lower your expectations. We can’t be what we were. We must define a new America. There is no exceptional ism here. Be more like everyone else.
These thoughts that are permutating our conversations lately scare me a lot more than the Mosque at GZ, or the border problem or many other things out there.
LOL! Don’t worry. I want to keep football too. Even if my Eagles have disappointed me time and again
Yes, Erin, I so agree with what you said. I also can see what Stu said.
To change “we” as an individual need to set the bar higher not only for ourselves but for the responsibility of the next generation to lead from our footsteps.
I have to admit I was never a person to be outspoken like wanting to rock the boat but a few years ago something happened in my life I just couldn’t sit on the side lines any longer. I lost my voice before that time because I was afraid of saying the wrong things etc. One of the reasons I started my own personal blog was to express myself in a way of bring back not only my humanity but to show by example. I wanted to share my personal struggles, my own feelings, how I got the strength to do better, to take care of my own destiny. I share the most inner thoughts, the experiences of hardship, personal struggle, the pain of making the wrong choices because maybe someone may hear my voice and realize we are all human with faults and can change. I’m working on making myself better but also wanting my children to have better.
I may not even be heard but you know what…I’ll keep talking