What do I think about Glenn Beck?

Fri, 08/27/2010 - 12:14pm — AnnabelPark

I have been asked many times in recent days, "What do you think about Glenn Beck?" I haven't commented because I haven't been focused on him enough to really know. But since his rally at the Lincoln Memorial this weekend is distracting so many Americans who could put their time to much better use, here is my take:

I wrote the following in Wednesday's Facebook post, without mentioning Mr. Beck but with him partially in mind:

Before we call someone a racist, we should ask ourselves: are we moved to call someone a racist because we feel compassion for the victim or because we feel hatred toward the perpetrator? What if, instead of being divided against each other over race, we stood together against those who perpetuate economic injustice against us all? Imagine how the world would change.

I was reminded of Martin Luther King's wisdom:

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies toughness in a descending spiral of destruction.

The march on August 28, 1963 led by Dr. King was called the "March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom."

While so many of us are immensely distracted by Mr. Beck and other wedge issues of the day, Rome burns. If we continue to follow Pied Pipers who want to see our country fight itself rather than come together to solve our problems, what problems can we expect to solve? We are headed for a deep economic depression if We the People fail to show our leaders that we want solutions not distractions. To do that we must lead by example.

Over the past decade, millions of Amerians have been shoved into poverty, with no safety nets and no healthcare. And what are we doing about it? We are dividing and arguing over race. That is Dr. King's dream gone wrong. That is the American dream gone wrong.

The game that Mr. Beck plays is so obvious, isn't it? He prances and dances around the line of what is responsible, what is inappropriate, and, yes, even what may be "racist." His hope is that the entire nation will notice, that some will condemn him, and others will defend him. If so, he becomes the center of attention, his ratings go up, and his devout followers are thrilled to have another reason to be angry at the rest of the country. I don't see any winners in this game other than Mr. Beck and his corporate sponsors.

If you have the energy for active citizenship in this crucial period in American history, consider volunteering for a non-partisan organization that is trying to help fellow Americans cope with tough economic times, and/or trying to unite our country rather than divide i.

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