Georgia10 says ...

8 Words of Wisdom for Week Ending 4/10/2009 #8

While there is absolutely no evidence that Beck's violent and demented rhetoric itself lead to the Pennsylvania gunman's rampage--either directly or indirectly--the fact that such a causal connection seems so plausible is indicative of just how out-of-control Beck's campaign against the government really is.

It sadly is not surprising that violence can result when Beck proclaims that our government is marching towards fascism, or when he salivates at the thought of the rising up of a militias, or when he warns that "we are a county heading towards socialism, totalitarianism, beyond your wildest imagination". Distrust and hatred of government are not unforeseeable results when Beck tells his audience that "everything" reported on by the traditional media "is a lie", or when he claims that the AmericCorps bill "indoctrinates your child into community service through the federal government". When Beck muses aloud about the various ways he could kill Michael Moore, or lashes out at the "the war against the American way", and when he claims that the president's budget is enslaving and "out and out evil" (more evil than extraordinary rendition, according to Beck), he cannot feign surprise if and when the seeds of hatred and panic he sows bear fruit.

When he flatly and unequivocally states that the "destruction of the West is happening", or when he shows photos of the president transitioning to photos of Hitler, Lenin, and Stalin and asks "is this where we're headed?", he is not merely playing the role, as he puts it, of the "rodeo clown." He is the circus master of chaos, maniacally whipping up the masses, preying on their instincts and stoking them to action against a purported threat to their very being by the government that is supposed to protect them.

I highly recommend reading all of Georgia10's post at the link at the bottom of this post. She gets to the heart of the problem with Glenn Beck and his ilk. She breaks down the meaning of the First Amendment and what is, and is not protected speech. I have nothing of value to add to these words of wisdom, but I couldn't not pass this along.

Source - Daily Kos