Is Glenn Beck a Hypocrite? (Part One)
Hypocrite (noun): a person who pretends to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc., that he or she does not actually possess, esp. a person whose actions belie stated beliefs.
Well, it appears I have demonstrated a textbook example of Typical Blogging Behavior #171: Starting a Blog with Gusto and then Petering Out. Well, here’s to picking up some momentum and continuing on.
I hadn’t planned to post any political thoughts for awhile. But after yesterday’s marches around the country with the intent of demonizing our president and his attempts to actually spend money to do something good that will benefit Americans instead of lining the corporate pockets and starting unwinnable wars, I cannot help myself. As you all are probably well aware, Glenn Beck, organized a patriotic little movement called the 912 Project. This movement is based on bringing America back to where we were on Sept. 12, 2001, the day after the Sept. 11 attacks. (I don’t know about you, but I would prefer NOT to feel terrified and uncertain about the state of the world again, what with being unemployed and having no health insurance, and trying to decide whether to buy food or medication I need. I have enough on my plate right now!)
One thing that was good about the events following the Sept. 11 attacks was that this country recognized the importance of presenting a united front and rallying around the president without regard to political beliefs. For a few wonderful moments in our country’s history, there was a genuine lack of bipartisanship that actually gave me some hope that people might come together to do some real good in the world. Alas, the lenses of my rose colored glasses were quickly shattered, but that’s another post for another day. One thing is for certain though, and that is that supporting the president during a difficult time for the country is not a part of September 12th that Mr. Beck wants to include in his movement.
Personally, I think that exploiting the travesty that was September 11th for political gain is not only despicable, but demonstrates the height of hypocrisy, coming from the man who called Cindy Sheehan a “tragedy pimp” and said that he hates 911 families.
Another thing Mr. Beck likes to espouse is something he calls his “9 Principles and 12 Values”. These are as follows:
The 12 Values
- Honesty
- Reverence
- Hope
- Thrift
- Humility
- Charity
- Sincerity
- Moderation
- Hard Work
- Courage
- Personal Responsibility
- Gratitude
The Nine Principles
- America is good.
- I believe in God and He is the Center of my Life.
- I must always try to be a more honest person than I was yesterday.
- The family is sacred. My spouse and I are the ultimate authority, not the government.
- If you break the law you pay the penalty. Justice is blind and no one is above it.
- I have a right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, but there is no guarantee of equal results.
- I work hard for what I have and I will share it with who I want to. Government cannot force me to be charitable.
- It is not un-American for me to disagree with authority or to share my personal opinion.
- The government works for me. I do not answer to them, they answer to me.
In upcoming blog entries, I will be discussing these values and principals in more detail. I actually believe that some of these concepts, as simplistic as they are, are noble and good. But I think it will be interesting to let Mr. Beck speak for himself on these concepts and to see how well he stands up for what he claims to believe in. (And for the record, I haven’t begun my research yet, so who knows, maybe Glenn will surprise me.) Stay tuned for more!
lily said,
September 14, 2009 at 12:35 am
I’m right with you! I wish Mr Obama all the luck in the world with his healthcare policies, poor guy’s going to need it.
scarymaryquitecontrary said,
September 14, 2009 at 10:33 am
Thanks for your comment lily. If I have any criticism of Pres. Obama, it is that he is trying to do too much too quickly. But I will never doubt his sincerity or that he truly cares about Americans.
Robyn said,
October 6, 2009 at 10:29 am
He does truly care about Americans. It’s a refreshing attitude isn’t it?
Froukje said,
September 30, 2009 at 11:48 am
Hai,
I found your little hearts and you (and your profile) on my projects on Ravelry. (Thanks for the hearts!) So I read your blog and was totally stupified (hope this is the right word) and totally triggered by the 9 principles and 12 values of mr. Beck . I am a Dutch woman, and I don”t know a lot of the American discussion on this kind of things, but : really: I have to react on this. The 12 values: nice. Everyone has to do something good and everybody has to live for not only herself but for the others that surround her . The 9 principles: HUH?!
1. America is good:
Okay.
–> So are Holland, Sweden, Zimbabwe, Uruguay ,Thailand, The Philippines, England, Peru, Germany , China, Albania,Kenya, Honduras, Iceland, Colombia, Australia, Russia, Spain, India, China , Belgium, Israel, Mongolia, Alaska, Turkey , Vietnam, Jamaica, India, Israel, Syria, Cyprus, Angola, Indonesia, Estonia, France, Germany, South Africa , Denmark, New Zealand, Japan, Latvia, Marocco, Egypt, The Maledivians, France, Tibet …..
and the rest of the world.
2. I believe in God and he is the center of my life.
–> Sorry, I do not believe in God and because of that fact I do not believe in him and he isn’t the center of my life
3. I must allways try to be a more honest person than I was yesterday:
–> Sounds nice .But: What goal, why? Why not be a thoroughly honest peron, all the days of your life. What is wrong with that? Or : It can be very usefull to be a little dishonest . Helps you survive in daily social life….
4. The family is sacred. My spouse and I are the ultimate authority, not the goverrnment:
–> How can a family be sacred? I am not a saint, nor is my husband or my kid!!!!
My spouse (SPOUSE?) and me are a good couple. We do the best we can with our kid, with and without the help of the government. We believe that our son is raised by us but also by the community that surrounds him . We think and feel that it takes a village to raise a child .That is including government, the neighbours, the school and we as a family. And the rest of the world.
5. If I break the law, I’ll pay the penalty. Justice is blind and I’m certainly not above it. ( I like this one–> slightly altered by me!)
6. I have a right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness; but there is no guarantee of equal results
–> This one is way beyond my imagination. I have the right of life? I thought I had a gift of life, but certainly not a right. Do I have the right of liberty? Do I have the right of pursuit of happiness?
Well, it is getting late here and beside that:: I”m meddling in American business. When you do not want my comments on Beck and whatsoever anymore: let me know.I’ll keep my Dutch mouth shut for ever after. But:: Love to add the numbers 7 , 8, and 9 (but not now).
Please remove me from your blog when you hate my reaction!
On to knitting now, Froukje
Robyn said,
October 6, 2009 at 10:27 am
I do like your post very much and feel much the same way that you do about Beck and his cronies and the people who choose to listen to him. Thank you for this post!