Given the ongoing tragedy in Haiti right now, we must look to our national icons for examples of leadership. Glenn Beck, uber-Religious Guy and King of the Teabaggers, demonstrates exactly how to show support for grieving families in their hour of need:
Glenn Beck, May 14, 2004 (back then it was apparently per se very wrong to compare the United States government to al Qaida):
BECK: It is truly amazing to see the photos of uh -- of Nick Berg's dad out on the lawn just preaching to the choir about how he's gonna be on stage for an International A.N.S.W.E.R. [Act Now to Stop War & End Racism] rally that is uh, rallying the people against racism and the war in just a couple of weeks -- don't forget the date. It's truly amazing stuff. Then he came out yesterday also and said, "Well, ya know, al Qaida MAY be as bad as the Bush administration." [long pause] I'm supposed to feel bad for this guy. I'm supposed to say at this point, "You know, he's grieving, and so you can understand how upset he is." But I really can't.
Um, I -- I -- I -- I could get on and I can fake that I'm really -- you know, that I understand his statements and I, you know, feel bad for him. And I do feel bad for him. Some of the statements I do understand. I can give him the benefit of the doubt on some of the statements, but not the -- not the collective whole. I'm beginning to really dislike this guy. I'm beginning to question, you know, "Can you let your son's body become the same temperature as your son's head before you turn this into a political campaign against the president -- could you do that?"
BECK: I find this guy [Michael Berg] despicable. Everything in me says that. The want to be a better person today than I was yesterday says he's a dad, he's grieving, but I don't buy that. I'm sorry, I don't buy it. I think he is grieving, but I think he's a scumbag as well. I don't like this guy at all."
As you may recall, Nick Berg was a contractor who was beheaded in Iraq and the video posted on the internet. And Beck's words echo what I'm sure Jesus would say if he had a popular television show.
"Political campaign against the President". Wow. Who would do that? Who would exploit tragedy and use it to attack the President at each and every turn? Moving on...
Beck also has words of comfort for victims of national disasters:
BECK: When you are rioting for these tickets, or these ATM cards, the second thing that came to mind was -- and this is horrible to say, and I wonder if I'm alone in this -- you know it took me about a year to start hating the 9-11 victims' families? Took me about a year. And I had such compassion for them, and I really wanted to help them, and I was behind, you know, "Let's give them money, let's get this started." ... And when I see a 9-11 victim family on television, or whatever, I'm just like, "Oh shut up!" I'm so sick of them because they're always complaining. And we did our best for them. ...
But the second thought I had when I saw these people and they had to shut down the Astrodome and lock it down, I thought: I didn't think I could hate victims faster than the 9-11 victims. These guys -- you know it's really sad. We're not hearing anything about Mississippi. We're not hearing anything about Alabama. We're hearing about the victims in New Orleans. This is a 90,000-square-mile disaster site, New Orleans is 181 square miles. A hundred and -- 0.2 percent of the disaster area is New Orleans! And that's all we're hearing about, are the people in New Orleans. Those are the only ones we're seeing on television are the scumbags
And just one more to grow on:
Glenn Beck, June 28, 2006: SEVERE IRONY ALERT:
BECK: Everybody always thinks if you're in the press, you just -- you have to believe that the government is evil, don't you think? I think that's the first thing in Journalism 101 they teach you -- the government is evil and you must take them down at all costs. Or, how is it that they all have that attitude? That's what I'd like to know. That's, you know -- that's the number-one thing on the declaration of principles that I would like to see The New York Times print. Because, you know, we're always saying, "Aw, they don't understand us." Well, I don't understand them. I don't know who these people are.
How can you be fighting for the same things that Al Qaeda wants, you know?* Can you imagine -- can you imagine The New York Times coming out and saying "Hey, the ovens aren't so bad," back in World War II? Can you imagine that? I don't know; sure, there are some Jews in there, but I bet they might make some good pizzas in there too. What are you -- what? The New York Times is just -- I don't get it. I don't understand it. Except that I really truly believe that they believe that we're a bad nation, or at least our government is bad and has always been bad. "You know, we've been passing out those smallpox blankets to Indians."
(or those swine flu vaccinations to children, right Glenn?)
"The government is evil and you must take them down at all costs." Wow - that sounds a lot like the theme of Glenn Beck's show each and every night! And here he was as recently as 2006 criticizing the NYT for being a government watchdog! Isn't that Beck's current schtick now - government watchdog?
*How can you be fighting for the same things that Al Qaeda wants, you know? I know that was rhetorical but I'll take a shot. Beck and Al Qaeda - both against teh gay marriage.
Dear Glenn Beck - you are a great American!