The man whose San Francisco non-profit organization, The Tides Foundation, was targeted by a gunmen this past July is convinced that Glenn Beck's repeated on-air denunciations of the organization led to the aborted assault.
Byron Williams, whose mug shot is shown on the left, got into his pickup truck armed with three firearms and plenty of ammunition to, in his words, "start a revolution by killing people at the Tides Foundation and the ACLU.
He never got there thanks to the interventions of CA Highway Patrol officers who spotted him speeding and weaving in and out of traffic. In the ensuing gun battle, Williams and two officers suffered gun shot wounds.
Drummond Pike, CEO of Tides, has released the text of a letter that he sent to the companies that advertise on Beck's show asking them to pull all of their ads.
You would think that the following companies, good corporate citizens that they are, would move quickly to divorce themselves from any association with someone whose reckless and irresponsible use of language inspired Byron Williams to set out on his murderous mission.
Rupert Murdoch may not have a heart or a soul, but he sure knows how to count: Let's hope that common sense prevails and they all pull their advertising dollars from this man's hate-filled program:
P Morgan Chase, Geico, Zurich Financial, Chrysler, Direct Holdings Americas (Time-Life), GlaxoSmithKline, AstraZeneca, Lilly Corporate Center, BP and The Hartford Financial Services Group.
P Morgan Chase, Geico, Zurich Financial, Chrysler, Direct Holdings Americas (Time-Life), GlaxoSmithKline, AstraZeneca, Lilly Corporate Center, BP and The Hartford Financial Services Group.
I would support a boycott.
ReplyDeleteoh no, say it isn't so, the charming little green lizard?
ReplyDeleteWell Hartford used to handle my 401K now it's in some other's hands, but that's a corporate decision- too many levels above my pay grade to count on two hands.
Damn those loud mouth people who dare to, not only have an opinion, but actually speak out.
ReplyDeleteIf only the people on the right would fall into line, do as they are told, and help their opponents, life would be so easy for the left.
The Tides foundation is a leftist organization hiding under the guise of a charity.
The Tides Foundation is a major funding source of the Shadow Party, a George Soros-conceived nationwide network of several dozen unions, non-profit activist groups, and think tanks whose agendas are ideologically to the left, and which are engaged in campaigning for the Democrats.
I disagree with its agenda and its "charitable" tax status. I believe Soros and Tides are anti-American socialists and hope for their demise.
Would it be safer if I simply said that I support Tides and Soros, just to prevent crazies from committing violence? Perhaps I should just keep my opinion to myself? Maybe there should be a law against people speaking ill of left-wing front organizations.
I certainly hope no harm come to employees, investors or clients of P Morgan Chase, Geico, Zurich Financial, Chrysler, Direct Holdings Americas (Time-Life), GlaxoSmithKline, AstraZeneca, Lilly Corporate Center, BP or The Hartford Financial Services Group. Then, for tha sake of fairness and justice, you might be forced to hold anyone speaking ill of these corporations accountable.
It is one thing to disagree with an organization's agenda; it is quite another to advocate murdering them. I happen to find the Koch brother's agenda distasteful, but am not hoping for their "demise". Those on the left work to expose things, like Rupert Murdoch's News Corp giving a million dollars to the Republicans, by investigating the facts and presenting them. A good example would be the fine article in The New Yorker about the Koch brothers. No where in that article will you find anything close to the violent language that Beck directs at the targets of his ire.
ReplyDeleteGlenn Beck's half-baked theories about George Soros, Tides, and a "Shadow Party" would be laughable if the real-world consequences of his rhetoric were not so deadly. Beck's show, with it's chalkboard, magnets, and decals all being moved about in frenetic fashion by the unhinged host, resembles nothing so much as the activities room in an insane asylum. Beck often appears in professorial guise on his show wearing a blazer and with a pipe clenched between his teeth. Which brings to mind the old adage: " A pipe gives a wise man time to think, and a fool something to stick in his mouth".
demise [dɪˈmaɪz]
ReplyDeleten
1. failure or termination: the demise of one's hopes
Is there something wrong with hoping for the "demise" of one's opponents? Perhaps only if those opponents are far left of center?
You state correctly that "It is one thing to disagree with an organization's agenda; it is quite another to advocate murdering them", although I am confused about the relevance.
Who exactly is an "advocate for murdering" political enemies? Certainly I am not, nor Beck, as far as I can see. What words did Beck use that demostrate he advocates murder, or any violence for that matter?
Were you outraged when David Bourgeois wrote "Obama better start breaking kneecaps?"
I admittedly was not, I understand metaphor and have no tolerance for political correctness.
What makes Beck dangerous is that his show "resembles nothing so much as the activities room in an insane asylum"? That he dresses proffessionally and occassionally smokes a pipe? The fact he has "half baked theories"? If this perception of Beck is true, it is hard to see him as dangerous.
I guess it makes sense to take the word of Byron Willims as to the what was catalyst for his actions.
I still blame the Beatles for the Charles Manson murders! Inhis own words, Mr. manson said that the Beatles were talking him through their music. Why would I not take his word for it?
Did you even watch the media matters video that I posted? Beck looks directly into the camera and warns Tides that "I'm coming for you" and vows that he will be a "progressive hunter" for the rest of his life. Just because he quickly backtracks away from the first statement and says "Oh, no not in a violent way" doesn't diminish the impact of his words. He's covering his ass is what he's doing, and with good reason. Do you honestly think Beck was in the least bit surprised when he heard about Byron Williams?
ReplyDeleteJust as Joe McCarthy finally self-destructed, so to will Glenn Beck. My understanding of the situation is that an uneasy relationship exists between Beck and Fox News. While no one will ever accuse Bill O'Reilly or Sean Hannity of being objective seekers of truth, they do wish to be respected as actual journalists. Hannity, in particular, has a fairly conventional news show. He interviews guests and, at one time, had a liberal foil on the show named Alan Colmes.
Beck's show effectively demolishes whatever hope Murdoch has of his operation being seen as a legitimate hard news outlet. Fox apologists lamely argue that a show like Beck's is "opinion", and is therefore separate from the news division. But, that doesn't hold water. Like it or not Glenn Beck is now the poster boy for Fox News. He is about as polarizing and divisive as can be. Advertisers are notoriously adverse to being associated with controversial issues and personalities. Once the ad revenues dry up, Beck will be consigned to the dustbin of history...
Beck will not be leaving anytime soon. Have you taken a glance at his ratings? Olberman wouold wear a dress and high heels. sing and dance on his show for a fifth of those ratings. Of course, from what I hear of olberman, he might do the dress and heels thing for free.
ReplyDelete"I'm coming for you" and "progressive hunter" coming from someone who has a reputation for hurting politicians and political groups through "outing" them with facts, is no threat of "murder".
As in the case of the left using phrases like "going gangsta of Republicans" or "kneecapping", the use of metaphor and hyperbole are not threats or calls for violence, they are literary tools. Simple devices to illustrate a thought in short order.
Do you actually believe Beck was directing Williams, using some secret conservative code, to go out and shoot people? Ridiculous!! You even state that he qualified his statements with "not in a violent way". As I wrote earlier, one might as well blame the Beatles for the actions of Charles Manson.
Regarding Fox News and whether or not it is percieved as a "serious" news outlet is something with which Mr. Murdoch needn't worry. If I can, once again, refer you to the ratings, you will see that nobody is watching anything else.
I had the opportunity to have lunch at the Congressional cafeteria a little while ago(btw: the Dems have greatly improved the ambience and food quality since taking over, but it's not like they're paying)and one might be shocked, but there was a pretty, smilimg Meghan Kelly of noneother than fox news on the television screen!
Even the Democrats running Congress are loyal viewers.
I am aware that it is tough to be as "respectable" as Dan Rather, a man you could trust???? Nothing but facts in his reporting. He ALWAYS verified his sources. ha ha ha!!!!!!!!
Beck will be around for a while, and the back-story is not that there are relationship issues between himself and employer (be careful what you read on liberal blogs), the real story is that Fox is trying to fit him into a better time-slot.
Beck will not only remain, he will have a greatly increased audience in a far better time than appearing in the middle of rush-hour.
How scarey is that! even more people watching Beck. More peolple who never knew how the Federal Reserve operates, or how T-bills are rated, or how National Debt is serviced, and a host of other aspects of US Government that vthey did not want you to know.
It is high-time the voters in this country get a bit of a civics lesson, God knows, our high schools and Universities do not offer one.