As some have noticed, I've been diarying about how my hometown mayor has decided it best to give Glen Beck, the vehement racist and hater of Americans, the key to our city. He always wants to dedicate a Glen Beck Day. Apparently, his beliefs are something worth celebrating. Our local Young Dems chapter has been working actively to protest and voice a deep concern over the audacity of such a move.
It seems Glen Beck has some supporters on the paper staff as well. While local papers are no NYTimes, the editorializing they did in an article of Glen Beck protests stunned me more than anything I've read in awhile.
GoSkagit.com
By late Monday, the mayor was still silent about whether Glenn Beck was coming to town. But protesters who lined up outside City Hall didn’t wait for an official announcement.
Carrying signs and chanting slogans, about 35 people met on First Avenue Monday to wave at passing cars and criticize Mayor Bud Norris’ decision to invite the controversial talk-show host to town. Details of the proposed event hadn’t been released, but Norris said two weeks ago that he would like to give Beck, a Mount Vernon native, a key to the city.
Beck is an outspoken critic of President Barack Obama and his policies. Some further to the left on the political spectrum, and some of the advertisers on Beck’s Fox News show "The Glenn Beck Program," believe Beck crossed a line in July when he called Obama a racist.
So let me get this straight. Only if you are 'further to the left' -- caveat: with no political compass test, lets assume 'hippies' and 'socialists' -- and even then, only some of those (oh yeah, and advertisers, as well), are you offended by the President being called a racist.
I know it's just a tiny thing, and I know it doesn't attack the left, but there is a singling out. It's a passive dichotomy assertion that puts liberals into a separate category of the rest of America. That's the most vehement of actions because it implies their latent disrespect of the movement. This was not a purposeful act of writing, this was them simply voicing how they think the system works. This is the author and editor assuming that yes, only some far left people should be offended by this.
And it shows up in the comments, passively spurred on by the language.
Divisive? I believe some of our founding fathers could be categorized as divisive. The Boston Tea Party comes to mind. And those that upheld the status quo British rule didn’t like it one bit.
Glenn Beck does not even hold public office.....he is inciting controversy and thought. Since when is that a bad thing? It’s ok to have Iran’s top guy come in to our towns,but not a controversial entertainer and commentator?
I don’t know about the key to the city, but 35 protesters should not a decision make. Free speech anyone?
I have been doing a lot of fact checking for quite a while now and the fact is that our government is not very honest. Many politicians are not very honest, special interest groups are not very honest, the bankers of the Federal Reserve are not very honest, the IRS is not very honest. IF what Glenn Beck is saying is not very honest then why isn’t the government doing something about it? How can he get away with slandering the US government if what he says is incorrect? If he is being dishonest then why is he getting away with it?
The only people that believe in free speech, are the Leftist and then they want to silence everyone else.
"We feel it’s really undemocratic..." protest organizer Marc Oommen said.
You "feel". How precious. Why not try "thinking" for a change? Of course, it’s always undemocratic when they don’t agree with you, isn’t it? But that’s why we live, or used to, in a republic, where the tyranny of the majority doesn’t prevail every time. If this was really a democracy, the democrat party would be the ONLY party. We’ve all seen how one-party rule works.
I don’t think Beck is a racist, he’s a common sense guy that tells it like it is. Liberals like to call that fear mongering. The whole fear mongering thing is a joke, since when is straight forward reporting fear mongering? I would like to live in the liberal fantasy world were everybody gets healthcare and everybody has a job. What liberals don’t seem to get, is that we all have to pay for it. Bailouts and all these democratic social programs have to be paid for, and most people are sick of paying for them. I believe in social programs too for the elderly and the kids, and the disabled, but everybody else should be on their own. If your too stupid to get an a job or education, sorry. I can see why Beck thought that Barrack Obama’s stance on the Professor Gates thing was racist. If it would have been a white professor arrested would Obama have commented? NO WAY? He needs to keep his focus on his job as President instead of commenting on things like this.
How true! We’ve seen BO on the TV every day, sometimes three times a day. The media has a definite love affair with the guy. And it sickens me how biased they are. Yet his ratings are dropping as people see his real agenda unfold. Beck brings a refreshing analysis of current events and he relates to the Joe the plumbers out there. He appeals to the silent majority, those just right of center. And he drives the far left liberals crazy. I love it. imho
Those are only from the first two pages of comments, of 6 at time of posting. Please, take a moment to contact the city and explain that this sort of hate does not belong in the city.
Contact info:
phone: (360) 336-6211
fax: (360) 336-0623
email: mvmayor@ci.mount-vernon.wa.us
Or, take a moment to contact the paper and explain exactly what their writing does when they don't pay attention to how they word their work
phone: 360-424-3251
publisher stedam Wood: swood@skagitpublishing.com
City Editor Dick Clever: citydesk@skagitpublishing.com
City Editor Phone: 360-416-2143
Or, more importantly, if you're from Washington or Mount Vernon, consider contacting the mayor's office or the office of the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival and inform them that if this key is handed out, you'll be spending your money elsewhere next Tulip Festival. Show them that advertiser dollars are where it matters.
phone number: 360-428-5959
executive director Cindy Virge: cindy@tulipfestival.org
assistant director Nancy Jankelson: nancy@tulipfestival.org
Thank you for your time.