Dream Interrupted: Glenn Beck as Historical-Distorter-in-Chief
As the nation gears up for Glenn Beck’s absurdist rally in DC Saturday — on the anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington — and as he continues to lie about and distort the way in which conservative philosophy is in line with Dr. King’s teachings (and thus, how it is appropriate for them to “reclaim the civil rights movement” from the evil progressives who, in his mind, have hijacked it), perhaps it would do us some good to remember a few things.
First, let’s remember (with the help of the good folks at Media Matters) what that original march was really about, and thus, how far removed anything involving Glenn Beck must be, by definition. Suffice it to say, people like Beck weren’t there and wouldn’t have been. The only person in attendance that day, of any prominence, who we might call conservative was Charlton Heston. And that was when he was still a liberal.
And second, let’s make sure that everyone recognizes the yawning chasm between King’s beliefs and Beck’s own. Again, thanks to Media Matters.
That it should even be necessary to point this stuff out is tragic, and indicates how perversely pathetic the system of American historical education is. That anyone could possibly believe that Dr. King was a conservative, or that somehow the right is the real inheritor of his legacy, suggests how little the nation’s people know, even about one of its icons: about one whom they “celebrate” every year on his holiday, but about whom they apparently know nothing at all, except for some oft-misunderstood words about the “content of one’s character,” and the whole non-violence thing. Sadly, most schools today pretty much focus on the non-violence, not in the context of resistance to oppression, but as a way to get kids to “not fight” and “not join gangs” because “Dr. King wouldn’t have wanted you to join a gang.” Well yeah, no kidding: and he also wouldn’t have wanted them to join the police or the military, or the gang known as corporate America in all likelihood either…but we forget that part.
Malcolm X called the original rally a “farce on Washington” (not because he disagreed with the message but for other reasons). I wonder what he would call this.
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I’m pretty sure the superintendent of AZ’s Public Instruction Tom Horne claimed to have been there and to have been moved by the “. . .content of their character . . .” line.
http://archives.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1005/12/acd.02.html
Btw, what does it mean to teach people that they’re oppressed? What’s the difference between ethnic students teaching children that they’re oppressed and should revolt against the govt, allegedly, and celebrating the “tea party” of 1773 and teaching that “big” government and taxes is oppressive and that the tree of liberty must be refreshed with blood?
Besides, of course, the content of historical and present accuracy, etc, etc, etc.
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My question:
Is ANYBODY planning to counter-protest?
I have no way to get to Philadelphia, and I fully realize that a lot of other people won’t, either. BUT….
That begs the question:
1. Seeing as he’s been bleating about this thing for weeks/months, has ANYBODY bothered during that time, to put together some kind of meaningful counter-march as an antidote to this bullshit, or come up with a way for people to GET there, and monkey-wrench Beck’s attempts to hijack — oops, I mean “Reclaim” — the Civil Rights movement, and turn it into a Right-wing con-game?
I’m pretty sure the answer will turn out to be “no”. Primary reason? Apathy masquerading as “civility”. People don’t want to look like they’re trampling Teabagger’s “Freedom of speech”, so they either don’t counter-protest at all, or take an even EASIER way out, by finding certain words used by the counter-protester (or even the “tone”), to be “offensive”.
“Civility” is a cover-up, folks: a way to get those with principles to “tone it down”, make it bland, non-confrontational, and “inoffensive” enough so that “the mainstream” doesn’t get scared. The problem with that, of course, is that the very same bland, conciliatory “Civility”, inevitably (and accurately) gets portrayed as waffling, and weakness.
Time to stop making excuses for Right-wing sociopaths. Time to stop even being CONCERNED about their “feelings” — because, as we’ve had ample time to discover (especially over the last eight years), the policies and ideology are extremely harmful, when enacted. Harmful to women, PoC, Non-Elite Whites, the environment — everybody, including many of the folks swarming around at Teabagger rallies (a significant number of whom are unemployed/retired).
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/28/us/politics/28teaparty.html
So it’s WAY past time somebody REALLY stood up to the Teabagger mobs, and the Right-wing ideologues behind them. I, for one, don’t give a damn about “their feelings”, because the policies and worldview they advocate represent a clear and present danger NOT just to me and mine, but to EVERYBODY — INCLUDING MANY OF THEM, AS WELL.
If THEY win, EVERYBODY loses — including the vast majority of the folks milling around with their mis-spelled, racist signs.
If the mere idea of confrontation (no matter HOW non-violent in principle) offends you, think of it as “tough love”.
At any rate, I’ll start taking what claims to be “The Left” more seriously, when more of them/us show some damn backbone.
At least Tim Wise (and Michael Moore) are willing to actually stand up and confront Rightists/racists (if there’s even a difference), as opposed to mollycoddling them, by pretending that they really DO have “something to say.”
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“Btw, what does it mean to teach people that they’re oppressed? What’s the difference between ethnic students teaching children that they’re oppressed and should revolt against the govt, allegedly, and celebrating the “tea party†of 1773 and teaching that “big†government and taxes is oppressive and that the tree of liberty must be refreshed with blood?
Besides, of course, the content of historical and present accuracy, etc, etc, etc.”
The content of historical and present accuracy. People who are more privileged revolting against the wrong targets (the government and racial minorities rather than the market and the corporate elites) is not the same as people who are actually oppressed revolting against the right targets.
But there’s also a change in tone. Most black folks recognize that overthrowing the government, or expressing their wishes in that way, isn’t productive or accurate. So most people focusing on dealing with institutional racism adopt a pretty progressive, non-violent approach rather than a radical revolutionary one.
Compare that to the faux-revolution rhetoric of people whose complaints are infinitely less valid? Yeah.
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It’s disgusting but it’s not the first time people who had nothing to do with the Civil Rights Movement tried to take credit for it. I see it all the time.
ALL the time.
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[…] Maybe it’s my respect for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. or overarching love of truth, but this is about all I can take. I can only conclude that Beck lacks any applicable knowledge of history, […]
Tim, who cares what Glenn Beck says. Intelligent POC stopped caring about King a long time ago. He was a useful tool, but not nearly radical enough. Indeed, proof of his insufficient radicalness, his fundamental lack of colour awareness, comes from the very fact that whites can attempt to appropriate him. No white person will ever be able to appropriate a real POC leader like Malcolm X.
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I never needed anyone to teach me I was oppressed. I learned that on my own and a young age.
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HI Tim,
Althought you’ve been to several universities in and near Philadelphia, PA, I’ve not had the opportunity to attend any of your events. I do hope to invite you to Arcadia University to speak at sometime during this current academic year.
Thanks for speaking your truth aloud.
Many regards,
Judy Dalton
Assistant Dean for Multicultural Affairs
Arcadia University
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Tim Reply:
August 30th, 2010 at 8:33 pm
would love to do that Judith…contact felicia at speakoutnow.org and let her know…she’ll work with you on making that happen
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Hey Tim,
You have been critiquing the social, political, racial, and media climate in the U.S. for the better part of two decades. (Am I correct on this?) You also travel the country extensively.
In your time as an activist, do you believe we are seeing an overall increase in the vitriol, obscured narratives, and bizarre ideas of the far right, or do we simply see more of it because of the way information and communication is disseminated so quickly? Do you think what was once considered fringe elements (on the right) are now becoming more “mainstream†because of the way (and the speed) news/media/information is transmitted?
I realize these may questions may be tough to address. I am not out to play devil’s advocate on your answer(s), I am just interested in what your take is.
My temptation is to believe it is getting worse, but that may be because I am aware of much more because of what I read and watch.
I would be interested in what any participants on your forum think as well.
Thanks,
Adam
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Tim Reply:
August 30th, 2010 at 8:36 pm
not sure adam…i ask myself that, and others that question quite often. I think some of it is exposure thru social media, the web, etc. But also, I think there is a white nationalist resurgence, sublimated behind traditional conservative rhetoric, which is also brewing
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Frederic Christie Reply:
September 23rd, 2010 at 5:24 pm
The structural source of that movement is very apparent, I think: The functional total collapse of the economy for the vast majority of the population. People see that they can’t get into college or get a good job and blame affirmative action. They can’t get social services so they blame welfare mothers. Etc. Racial scapegoating is easy and simple, and doesn’t require you fight rich, entrenched elites.
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The very sad part about this is that the so-called negro leaders have allowed people like Beck and the far right steal the legacy of Dr.King a distort the meaning of plight of the civil rights movement. When we can make a moving like Barbershop in which the clown Cedric The Entertainer called MLK a whore and that Rosa Parks was too tired to move her lazy butt, you are feeding mind of white supremacy and black inferioraty.
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COOPER: So, is there no racism today? I mean, is there — and is that something that should not be discussed?
HORNE: That’s not the predominant atmosphere of America. America’s a land of opportunity. And we should be teaching the kids that this is a land of opportunity and not teach them the downer that they’re oppressed and they can’t get anywhere.
______
MARY-LEE: Oh good grief! That’s not the predominant atmosphere of America? Does this guy live under a rock?
Let’s see.
People resent Hispanics because they break our laws when they come to the U.S…. and so on.
People resent Muslims because they want to build a victory tower at Ground Zero.
People resent Blacks because they won’t work and expect welfare to take care of their babies.
So, tell me… what reason do people have for resenting white folks? Certainly there must be some racial characteristic that all white folks share? Something really obnoxious?
Maybe it’s looking for the absolute worst they can find in anyone who looks different from themselves. White folks do that all the time. As if life weren’t short enough already.
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No1KStae, you raise an excellent point.
I’ve attended classes in Black American History in the AA Studies bldg. at a plain jane state university. (Okay, it was Kent State but I’m talking mid 1990s, not 1970)
Tell ya what, the scan-over treatment given to slavery and a quick note about MLK Jr, the short chapter dedicated to slavery and the whitewashed, full-of-holes story that is told in a typical grade school history book, did nothing for me but make me angrier, more confused and feel more oppressed. Nobody needs to tell you you’re oppressed when you know your textbook is so old, you laugh at the people wearing bellbottoms and afros in the pictures. It was the mid 80s.
In college AA History classes, I filled in the holes. I wasn’t confused or angry anymore. I began to see what I didn’t see before. I learned the code of bigots and the things that made me angry and confused were clearer in historical content. “Ah, this is nothing new, I see. Now I know what to say when someone says such a thing to me instead of wanting to strike out in violence…”. I was empowered, well versed, and full of words to challenge the next bigot. I no longer jumped in the faces of white men twice my size to watch them recoil in fear at a tiny, angry girl they didn’t even know was black. I laughed them off, threw out some historical fact and content and dismissed them humiliated and defeated like I could never do when I was a little ghetto child who had never heard a white person say “nword”. The shock of hearing it as urban, poor and black as I was, caused me to do some inner reflection on my first and last violent reaction to hearing the nword from a white man for the first time in my 20s. I clearly needed some education about race. For all my hardships, poverty and urban toughness, I was sheltered. I was as dumb as teabaggers wanted me to be. Just dumb enough to end up in jail one day for trying to stop someone’s 1st amendment right with violence. Just far enough from MLK Jr. to forget all about the message. A lost generation with no knowledge of self, no accurate historical content of self, sheltered and having to learn about blackness all over again.
I took those classes and smiled like MLK Jr. I know what he means now. Not empty rhetoric that I don’t get because I didn’t understand why I was so terrible that white folks once wanted me away from them just a decade before I was born in the first place.
No revolution, just the one in my mind. 😉
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“Tim, who cares what Glenn Beck says. Intelligent POC stopped caring about King a long time ago. He was a useful tool, but not nearly radical enough. Indeed, proof of his insufficient radicalness, his fundamental lack of colour awareness, comes from the very fact that whites can attempt to appropriate him. No white person will ever be able to appropriate a real POC leader like Malcolm X.”
I could not disagree more. White people watched Denzel as Malcolm X, they watched Chappelle’s Show, they lionized Mandela, they appropriate Bob Marley music. We have a wonderful ability to deploy selective historical amnesia and lionize people that our immediate forefathers hated viciously.
King’s actual content was endlessly radical, with specific references to capitalism, poverty, imperialism, etc. I fail to see how anyone could seriously claim he had a lack of color awareness.
Now, I happen to think that non-violence as a tactic has specific prerequisites and disagree with Dr. King in some respects, but the idea that he wasn’t really that radical because white people lionize him is ludicrous.
Adam: I think that we’re just seeing a backlash effect. Eight years of disastrous conservative hegemony is over, so they are now in the position of opposition party.
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TIM YOU NEED TO VISIT ALABAMA!!! YOU’RE SUCH A TRUTHFUL MAN,IT’S NEEDED IN TUSCALOOSA ALABAMA…
THANKS FOR ALL YOU DO!
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