World’s Worst Person April 8, 2009: Glenn Beck

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Several days ago the New York Times published a puff-piece personal interest story about Glenn Beck and his program on Faux News Fox News’s Mad, Apocalyptic, Tearful Rising Star. Not one of the Grey Lady's finer moments – it's no wonder newspapers are dying. Glenn Beck described what he does in the interview: "[I'm] an entertainer. “I’m a rodeo clown”… adding with a coy smile, “It takes great skill.”

On behalf of rodeo clowns everywhere, it is an offense and an insult to compare yourself to rodeo clowns. These are people of great courage and humanity who are willing to risk injury and their own life to prevent the inury or death of another human being in harm's way by stepping in front of a raging bull. Glenn Beck is a cry-baby coward who would never risk his own safety for his fellow man.

In fact, Beck has recently been inciting his wingnut viewers to violence against their fellow American citizens simply because they disagree politically. This is what democratic elections are for – peaceful revolutions – so that we are not killing each other when we disagree politically.

Beck took exception to others pointing out the irresponsibility of his actions (i.e., connecting his incitement to violence to the shooter who killed three policemen in Pittsburgh over the weekend), asserting not to blame him. This earned him Keith Olbermann's "World's Worst Person":

Transcript 'Countdown with Keith Olbermann' for Tuesday, April 7

Bringing us to our winner, Harold Hill—I‘m sorry, Glenn Beck. Richard Poplawski killed three Pittsburgh policemen on Saturday because he was afraid of, a friend said, quote, “the Obama gun ban that‘s on the way.” He, quote, “didn‘t like our rights being infringed upon.” When several websites correctly pointed out that this sounded awfully like one of Beck‘s his hysterical rantings or maybe his interview last month with the head of the NRA, Beck immediately went back to his normal speed, high, stupid, dungeon. “Blaming anyone except that nut job for what happened in Pittsburgh is crazy. Police officers over the weekend were killed by a crazy with a gun. And blaming anyone else besides him is like blaming the flight attendant after a terrorist takes down a plane. Giving passengers a nice little safety talk to prepare them doesn‘t mean you are responsible should a terrorist actually make that worst case scenario happen.”

Here is where you go wrong. You are not the flight attendant on the plane. Thanks for invoking that image again. You, Beck, are one of the cowards, safely on the ground, telling the nut job on the plane it is time to, quote, rise up. You remember March 19, right? You probably don‘t. “The second amendment is under fire. We knew that they were going to try to bring the assault weapon ban back. Now they are blaming it on Mexico. The 9/12 Project, which is kind of a grassroots thing where you can go meet other people who think like you and think about values and principles and want to do something to take your country back.”

And then you proceeded to read a letter from a women who said that since the election, she had gone out and bought a handgun and joined the NRA. So when you talk about taking your country back, and then you read letters from people who are stock-piling guns, do you think these things are unconnected? That people even crazier than you, who you are encouraging to do something to take your country back, that they have bought these guns as paperweights? They bought them to shoot other people with.

You, Glenn Beck, you personally are encouraging Americans to shoot other Americans. Maybe, especially if you are right about your religion, maybe not this psychotic in Pittsburgh. Maybe he is not your fault. I hope not. What about the next one, Glenn? You want to cry about something on television. Cry about the next one. Beg him to ignore you. Beg the kids the next one orphans to forgive you. Glenn Beck, today‘s worst person in the world.