On race, Beck's record speaks for itself
January 05, 2010 1:39 pm ET by John V. Santore
Yesterday, I was honored to find one of my old blog postings highlighted by Glenn Beck. Beck decided to open 2010 on a defensive note, attempting to dismiss all criticisms of his broadcasts as baseless personal attacks. Wishing to rebut charges that he was racially insensitive, he quoted from a County Fair post I wrote last September titled, "Beck, Jones, and race." The piece ended with the following two lines, which he read on air:
It seems clear that to Glenn Beck, individuals like Barack Obama and Van Jones are African-American before they are anything else. And for him, that appears to be a major cause for concern.
Then he offered his response: "Nothing could be further from the truth."
The content of my posting, which Beck chose to ignore entirely, consisted of a list of recent statements from the host that led me to conclude that, as I wrote, "Beck is obsessed with race and seems deeply uncomfortable with minority Americans in general, especially those in positions of power." The examples mentioned included the following:
- In February 2009, Beck pushed the idea that Mexican immigrants want to "reclaim" California and Texas.
- In May 2009, he called Sonia Sotomayor a "racist" on at least three separate occasions.
- That same month, in an attempt to portray Sotomayor as an unqualified affirmative action pick, Beck dismissively referred to her as "Hispanic chick lady."
- In June 2009, Beck said Obama was elected because of his race instead of his policies.
- On the July 22, 2009, edition of his radio show, Beck portrayed the Democratic health care reform effort as "the beginning of reparations," a theme he repeated on both his Fox News and radio shows on July 23, saying on his radio program that Obama plans to "settle old racial scores through new social justice."
- On July 27, 2009, Beck stated that he believes Obama "has real issues with race."
- The next day, he said Obama had "exposed himself as a guy" with "a deep-seated hatred for white people."
- On July 29, 2009, he defended his remarks, stating once again that, "I think the president is a racist."
My September post also referred to an August 24, 2009, profile Beck put together on Van Jones, in which he went out of his way to portray Jones as a black militant. The piece came not long after an August 11 broadcast during which he said:
BECK: I want to talk to you about the green movement root. I couldn't figure out why the green movement -- here is Van Jones. This is a convicted felon, a guy who spent, I think, six months in prison after the Rodney King beating.
It was perhaps the single biggest lie Beck told about the former administration official. Jones was arrested in San Francisco (not Los Angeles) during a peaceful protest related to the 1992 Rodney King verdict, which had occurred several days after the riots ended. Jones was released after a few hours and was later awarded compensation as part of a settlement of a class-action lawsuit against the police alleging they had illegally arrested numerous individuals. The idea that Jones was a "convicted felon" who had spent months in prison was ludicrous -- and yet Beck didn't correct the accusation until December 4.
The August 24, 2009, Beck profile reviewed the episode as well, and the graphics Beck chose speak volumes. He first selected an unattributed and undated image of Jones talking to a police officer.
He then superimposed that image over video footage of flaming wreckage from the L.A. riots even though -- to reiterate -- Jones was not in LA and his arrest did not occur during a riot.
The intent, especially within the broader context of the piece, was obvious: to portray Jones as a dangerous and radical black militant.
And Beck's attitudes on race and ethnicity show no signs of changing. In December, he said that the Ganges River "sounds like a disease," and then, seeking to belittle Jamaica, claimed that he had never heard of current Olympic record holder and Jamaican national Usain Bolt. "I don't even know what flag that is," he said. "It's like a vacation country. Is that Jamaica? Does anybody know?"
These are but a few of the many instances during which Beck has appealed to the fears and prejudices of certain members of his white audience. His actions are as deliberate and premeditated as they are indefensible. Beck may wish to deny such a charge, but his record speaks for itself.
That's what he's paid to do.
Sotomayor suggested that a Latin woman has more insight than a white man. Nothing racial about that, I guess.
Obama attended a church that preached that whites created AIDS to kill blacks. Nothing racial about that, I guess.
Frankly, John V. Santore appeals to the fears and prejudices of certain members of his liberal audience, who are eager to label any opponents to their ideals as "racist," whether they are racist or not.
You have misquoted Sotomayor. Read the quote in context.
You really should just fess up and drop the facade.
In what context is it ok to assume that one's race makes their decision making better than that of another race? Would it also be OK for a white man to say that he would make better judgments than a minority woman?
In what context is it OK to assume that one's race makes their decision making better than that of another race? Would it also be OK for a white man to say that he would make better judgments than a minority woman?
However, she later stated that her choice of words was poor, and she apologized for that statement.
I just felt it was incredibly ridiculous for Beck and co. and basically the entire rest of the MSM to focus pretty much all their attention on that one sentence she said ten years ago, and completely ignore the fact that she was the most qualified nominee in 70 years.
Now answer me this...you don't think it's degrading for Beck to refer to Sotomayor, the most qualified judicial nominee in 70 years, as "hispanic chick lady"? Do you think he would refer to a white male judicial nominee in a similarly degrading manner?
You don't think there's racial overtones to Beck assuming that an african-american president's policy is going to be dictated not by what is best for the country but by a racially-motivated desire to achieve reparations?
Context is EVERYTHING.
And, yes, you're a racist if you don't believe that what Beck says is racist, sexist, bigotted.
Do you believe a judge's experiences are irrelevant to his/her wisdom? That would be foolish.
If it was just about EXPERIENCES, then why include WISE LATINA?
She was making the point that the Latina woman would have had experiences in her life that a white man would not have. Those statements are entirely factual and indisputable. She also went on to state that in certain types of cases those experiences could give an individual insight that one without them would lack, and that a wise person could properly apply that insight.
It's really not that difficult a concept for someone of normal intelligence and honesty.
For the record, just because these folks disagree with you, doesn't mean they are trolls, they just disagree with you.
I disagree that you understand his motives.
And my position that he's a troll has NOTHING, absolutely NOTHING, ever, whatsoever to do with someone agreeing or disagreeing with me! What a ridiculous thing for you to have typed!
He acts like a jerk - I don't disagree with that. Some trolls act like jerks in order to derail threads. I think that YOU need to learn what different types of trolls there are on the Internet.
As I said, this person isn't a troll and what I typed isn't ridiculous. You call anyone a troll who disagrees with your idea of how someone should respond on a forum such as this.
I'd suggest that you stop telling everybody on this forum what they may say and to whom they may say it. Personally, I think that YOU'RE a troll.
But it's clear from all the evidence that he's out to derail the thread. Just go back and read his posts - he's not trying to discuss the topic here - ever - he's doing his best to ALWAYS avoid the topic, and he'll go off any tangent he can possibly find! That's always been his pattern.
K1dork is a liar, as is Beck. In their twisted world, Beck can refer to a US Supreme Court Justice as a "Hispanic chick lady" and he can somehow do this free of resentment for non-whites.
Beck. K1dork. Liars.
By what standard of proof exactly...? We are not in a court of law.
On the other hand, Glenn Beck uses fantastic leaps of logic, causation and connection to label people all sorts of bad things...where he is simply interpreting "evidence" in a way to suit his bootstrap argument.
I think Beck's opponents do the EXACT same thing you just said about Beck. Such as, Beck thinks Obama is racist, so...Beck must hate all black people and is a racist himself.
BTW, your arguments are bogus.
Your arguments are bogus.
So, what is the magic hurdle? Where does the line lay?
That's what he said about his grandmother, and that is as good as any of the "evidence" used to call Beck racist.
There is a difference, but you are too intellectually hamstrung to understand.
He also mainly posts on Beck threads and usually doesn't show up until Beck is on the air . . . except today when it was noted that he never shows up until Beck is on the air and that he never posts on any non-Beck threads. Guess he was afraid his cover was blown.
And, once again, that's not exactly the correct context of what Obama said. You are simply lifting buzz words which, if presented a certain way, could tend to inflame less sophisticated people...such as FOX viewers. Or people who are clueless and uncomfortable about black people in the first place...
Only another racist like you would try to defend overtly racist remarks of a bigot like Glen Beck.
You are a liar.
Are you kidding me!? Nothing racial about that.
So to say that "typical" white people all felt the way Obama's grandmother allegedly did CAN be racially divisive.
Yet you can't glean any bigotry from Beck's "Hispanic chick lady" term used to refer to a US Supreme Court Justice.
My God you are one stupid liar.
I resent you're coming here and implying that Barack Obama's statements about his white grandmother were racist.
I thought you were black? I'm not. And many of the white grandmothers I've known are racists.
So please stop commenting on things you know nothing about.
My problem with Obama's statement is that it paints the racially divisive behavior of SOME whites as being TYPICAL of whites.
Each of these people married with the exception of my father's older sister who became a nun.
Except for my aunt, the nun, each and every one of my parents, aunts and uncles were not just suspicious of other races but they were racists. All of their friends were racists.
When I married my wife's parents, aunts and uncles were all racists.
They all lived in the same neighborhood and when I married I bought a house there. All of my neighbors were racists.
I moved my family to another state. The people I worked with and the people in my neighborhood were racists. My wife and I were shunned because we allowed our children to play with children of other races. We invited them and their parents into our home. We visited their homes.
My wife and I worked hard at insuring our children would be more tolerant. Our hard work paid off. We broke the familial trend towards racism.
My wife died, I remarried. My new wife came from another state and a family of racists. All of the people she grew up with were racists.
We moved to another state, and not all of the people we know are racists but too many are.
Those who aren't tend to be younger.
Can you please show me where the people from that generation who aren't racists are?
My parents, uncles and most of my aunts are gone as are the parents, aunts and uncles of both of my wives.
My siblings and those of my wives have struggled to overcome the way we were raised. To most of my generation, it was easy to beat. We fought beside, worked with and lived with people who we were taught from a young age to hate. Most of us pledged that it would end with our generation.
To see a chickenhawk drug addict like Beck or Limbaugh stoke the fires of racism angers me. They and their defenders are despicable.
Obama's remarks had nothing to do with racism just plain old common sense.
Try again.
Everyone isn't as cultured as liberals, who seem to think they can speak for blacks, whether they grew up knowing many blacks or not.
And you're entitled to opinion. However, IMO, Beck is admittedly clueless when it comes to black people...and his discomfort with black people is IMO revealing of deep-seated problems he has with black people. In the context of my life expereinces and observations it appears to me that Beck would be happy if he never had to come in contact with black people. Okay...so you say that still doesn't make him a racist? Regardless, he should keep his moth shut about race relations if he is so freakin' clueless.
Maybe you should watch the Mad Real World skit from the Chappelle Show.
SOunds like what Beck was asserting, to me.
Not to me...it doesn't. I don't feel uncomfortable around black people. I get along well with black people from all walks of life. I don't shun black people because I'm afraid I'm going to say something to offend them...which is what Beck says.
A few months ago I went to a funeral, alone, for a black friend I hadn't seen in a few years. The funeral was in a black church in a poor, black section of town. I was the only white person there.
Somehow I can't picture Glenn Beck feeling 'comfortable' under the same circumstances...that's my point.
By calling for fairness, and not thinking that racism is the culprit in every issue that involves race?
I figured it out a while back. I loved the "English major" story. LOL!
No you weren't, you were trying to sound black. Liar.
Tell you what, we'll throw in Chuck Norris, Jon Voight and Dennis Miller to sweeten the deal.
Beck, on the other hand, freely tosses about the "racist" accusation--at the President and at a Supreme Court Justice.
Why are you defending a person who does something like that, unless you agree with Beck?
Do you agree with Beck that Obama and Sotomayor are racists, or don't you?
My whole thing is that I don't see Beck thinking those things as evidence that he is "racist."
Why are you avoiding answering that question?
And just as people here "read between the lines" to come up with "Beck is a racist," I can UNDERSTAND how white people could "read between the lines" regarding Obama's church and comments about "typical" white people of his grandmother's generation and conclude that he is racist, or at least has some problems with whites.
But, do I think that it is highly possible that Obama and Sotomayor have some resentment for whites that non-racist white people could consider to be racist, YES.
Are they racists, like Beck says, or aren't they? It's a simple question.
We're starting to understand where "you're coming from".
But, it's to the point where I'm beginning to think that I should just shut my black a$$ up, and let those who claim to be tolerant dictate what is and is not racist. Our society will never get past racism until we can discuss racial issues without accusations of racism.
We truly hate each other as a society, don't we.
Actually, the majority of Americans DON'T hate each other. That's why dishonest, hatemongering, racists like Beck are so dangerous. He doesn't care one way or the other . . . it's about money and fame for him. The problem is that he has uneducated [like him], uninformed racists who hang on his every word as if it is gospel. What Beck is doing is CREATING hatred, bork . . . you're CREATING hatred with your racism and dishonesty.
You. Are. A. Liar.
Sotomayor suggested that in terms of being discriminated against, a latina woman probably has more experience than a white man in that specific instance. Which, is what she actually said, but you just paid attention to the cropped quote. There is nothing racial there.
Obama didn't attend a church that preached that white people created AIDs, but Rev. Wright did mention that once, in one sermon. There was nothing racial about it. That was just a stupid comment, and was NOT a racist comment.
I don't even think I know who John Santore is, so no comment there.
How in the hell is saying that whites created AIDS to kill blacks NOT racist!? HOW IN THE HELL?!
Media Matters is a JOKE. There are no standards here.
I've been disgusted from the very first thread. There is NO debate. It's my way (LIBERAL) or the highway. How can we solve things when each side is so obviously politically blind. Stand up for what matters to you. Outside of political ideologies.
It's America or NOTHING!!!
If this is the first reply they decide to post...just know there were others.
Your gig is up...I have a BIG mouth and LOTS of friend who do not sell their souls for ideologues