Yep — it really happened.
By this time, you are likely well aware that FOX News personality Glenn Beck held his large, dubiously-conceived rally on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC this Saturday — the site and anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr’s ‘I have a dream’ speech during the historic 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Justice. While the Daily Show Video we’re posting here easily has the funniest take on why Beck’s event (and the lack of irony displayed by him and his followers) is so incredulous, some of the other bloggers-about-town make some insightful comments, too. Chauncey DeVega’s piece on Alternet, How Glenn Beck’s Perversion of Dr. King’s Vision is Proof Positive of Orwell’s Wisdom, gives some nice historical context for Beck’s particular inversion of truth. John Nichols over at Reader Supported News notes that ‘No, Glenn Beck is not a Civil Rights Icon‘ and the real commemorative march on Saturday was taking place in Detroit, staying true to the 1963 message of job creation and social justice.
While it would be easy to simply laugh this off as a misguided stunt and try to forget it ever happened, we would do well to pay close attention. Beck and Sarah Palin drew a significant number of people to this rally in a time when our society’s pain and rage seem to be glaringly lacking a productive outlet. I’d love to hear what Planet Waves readers have to say about the posts linked to here and whether anyone has any ideas about how to get a toe-hold for truth when so many seem to be on the other side of the looking-glass. — amanda
Hi Linda (awordedgewise),
I really appreciate your lessons regarding not giving ‘positive reinforcement credit’ to people or activities that are harmful to you and the universe. It takes a great deal of courage and strength to do that. To deconstruct: we’re taught to be nice and to get along and not to make a fuss.
I know the ‘lesson’ I was given as a child when I told my father about being bullied (I was 5 years old and some boys in the 6th grade thought it would be funny to make a little kid eat worms) was to ‘ignore them’ (read, pretend it’s not happening and swallow your pain – ie carry the burden of someone else’s bad behaviour). The same thing happened when I was 18 and he criticised me for leaving my boyfriend who was cheating on me and more to the point, lying to me about wanting to be with someone else (dude, it’s a free world, you can be with whom you like, but so can I!) – at that time, my father told me I should grow up and count my blessings. Then, once I was married (to diffrent guy, not the cheating boyfriend), I found myself with an extremely violent man. On one occasion I was having the shit beat out me and I called my father and asked him to come and take my 2 year old daughter away so she wouldn’t have to see it, and he told me wasn’t going to come and I should stop carrying on and learn to get on better with my husband.
That of course gave a violent man even greater licence, the message being, “she’s your bitch, do what you want”. And he did.
But I did eventually leave, and with no support from my family. Even though i got out and managed to get me and my daughter to safety, I thought that she should where possible have the chance to spend with her Dad – he was trying to be a ‘decent’ father. I didn’t want to bag him out – he had a complicated childhood and I wanted to give him a chance to do the right thing as far as his daughter was concerned.
He eventually left the country, left her high and dry but kept up with the rhetoric that he “loves” her. Same as my father – until I called an end to my own relationship with my father, I kept hearing the same thing.
It’s taken a great deal of courage and strength to say to these men: no you don’t; you don’t love us. Perhaps you feel some sort of affection, and perhaps your’re driven by some sort of guilt, but you’re not driven by love. Love doesn’t ask people to do the wrong thing. Love doesn’t ask people to allow themselves to be harmed. Love is the antithesis of harm.
I recently came to understand that I was giving ‘positive reinforment credit’ to people who were harmful to me. It took me awhile to come to the conclusion and it caused me and my daughter a great deal of pain, and my daughter and I are both in a process of healing. I’m relieved to see that while our experiences have made us both savvy to abusive behaviours (what we call ‘power trips’) in others (and ourselves too), we feel good enough within ourselves to take each person we meet on their merits, and realise when someone is powertripping and make them aware of it (we do it for each other too – because we too have to be ‘clean’) and stand aside until they’ve dealt with it (ie give them a chance to honour themselves), and if they won’t (because some people simply enjoy the dark side), then remove ourselves from the relationship.
It all goes back to the relationship we have with ourselves: am I honouring myself by allowing this person to behave in such a way (yes/no)? And given that I’m the one with awareness of what is happening, am I indeed honouring the other person by allowing him/her to behave in a way that is simply harmful (yes/no)? Can I assist (ie, is it within/beyond my abilities; can I assist without sustaining further damage)(yes/no)?
So this is a breakdown of the methodology. As I began to weed out these sorts of harrmful relationships, I started feeling better about myself and more confident in my ability to discern, and faster (and more accurate) at saying yes or no. I have come to a point (I think it comes with having the courage to allow my feelings to guide me) where I can actually say to those people who seem to want a relationship with me but don’t necessarily act like they do: “well, you may say you want a relationship with me but your actions suggest otherwise” (that goes for everyone – shopkeepers, service providers, politicians, friends, neighbours, work colleagues, my daughter and MYSELF!).
It takes forever! And ridiculous amounts of patience, and certainly a lot of people have been shown the door. But the right people stay – those who understand that a relationship is not a race to the bottom, but about genuinely feeling good and working with each other for the betterment of life and to enhance and enable the joy of LIVING (with each other, on the planet, and in the Universe).
Thanks again for your wonderful observations – growing up is hard to do – we can all use as much help as we can get!!
Indrani :o)
Hi Amanda. Anticipating questioning, I put the one example from the segment about turning off your t.v. which I always felt was a progressive thing to do, but apparently is a cry from the neo-con movement. (I feel like an old woman, tired of name calling). This talk makes me think of Deleuze and Guattari and macrobiotics.. and other things.
PS to Kayla (and Len and..)
I use other tools to “make evil small, do not give it importance” as well that you may want to put into your toolbox – such as, when writing, I do not capitalize the names of people who tend to send negative energy my way. As in, I do not “honor” them. I also do not focus on their negativity, I simply dis-empower it as much as possible by not honoring it/them as powerful to begin with.
Names are important energy tools. But calling ‘names’ is only getting down into the mud with that which you would prefer not to play. So I make the name “small”.
It’s a fun exercise, actually, to look for ways to accentuate the positive and dis-empower the negative when communicating in writing and word.
It’s a parellel exercise to activities such as – watch the news, but do not buy into the sordid myth/s. Know what is going on around you, but do not “honor” or give energy to that which sucks your personal positive energy. It’s a gandi kind of thing – turn off your energy faucet when the positive-energy-vampires come to drink.
It’s another Beautiful Morning; Sol has risen yet again!
xo
Just ran across this piece about the money behind the Tea Party:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/29/opinion/29rich.html
Those who are available to be manipulated by clever appeals to their baser nature are ripe for well financed, well orchestrated programs…….. and I think it is good to know the kind of money that’s behind this thing. I also think that without that constant source of fuel this situation would be nowhere near as virulent, because I think most people who are being stirred up by this propaganda would find their own way back to a saner stance, if someone or ones behind the scenes were not interested in keeping them all worked up and providing plenty of resources to generate that result.
They play on people’s fears and anger – that’s for sure. The best thing I know to do is to continue to support those who are getting the truth out and to continue to speak the truth every opportunity I have. Educate, educate. There is a quote: “What we resist persists.” (Sorry, I don’t know now who said it.) Thinking in terms of the law of attraction, it is important to be aware, yet not to draw energy to that sort of behavior.
My guess is this stunt was an affront to [most of] America. Even if you don’t love MLK or Obama or even give a rat’s ass, this comes across as puppetry. It says ‘white man’s impotence’ in caps.
Beck knows he’s leading a circus. He’s got energy, ego and he’s in love with the challenge.
Palin might know, but she’s unbalanced. I haven’t seen her speak since the debates. (She f*ing fell apart in those debates. Conservatives lurched. The coaching was bad, as was McCain’s, and by that I mean obvious. Unscripted and unrehearsed is how she will hang herself.) When Dr. Laura took one for the team, Palin got fired up. She makes mistakes when she’s fired up.
The trick to destroying her will be to find the people who know how to play ‘the sex card’. Biden had to be a gentleman. It was very sticky- she should have been slaughtered. The new wave of female Republicans is the new joystick; very potent and very hard to oppose.
We will need some powerful new metaphors… because all the fighting, boxing, winning metaphors will grate on our compassionate little progressive principles. How do you beat a pretty girl? Mama said knock you out.
“But we’re not a democracy. It’s a terrible misunderstanding and a slander to the idea of democracy to call us that. In reality, we’re a plutocracy: a government by the wealthy.”
— Ramsey Clark
thanks to asa z
LOL Len! Slick enough fer sure!
Kyla, hope it’s useful for you 😉
PS Len, Well, and as Ixion spins round and round on his feathered wheel in the sky, I hope that transiting Venus and Mars (who are closing in on natal Ixion as we speak) are not so absorbed by their own dance that they miss seeing what possible negative tricks he is up to!
Always aware, but not to empower the negative….
xo
;-D
hey fontanelle33 —
to be sure, the far ends of any spectrum are likely to share certain qualities — like being seen as “extreme” or “radical” by the majority somewhere in the middle and having great difficulty in seeing any merit in opinions, etc, from the other end. but i’m really curious what exactly you see as the similarities between “progressives” and “neo-cons”. i think it could be very worthwhile to consider.
thanks!
hey len —
thanks for your comment! by all means i agree that one does not need a huge IQ or pedigreed education to have common sense and integrity. when i asked in the post about how to get a “toe-hold on truth,” i was wondering more how to get through to those who seem to lack it. or is that a lost cause? i can certainly understand that it might be; it’s just a little unsettling given how much consumer- and voting-power might be in that segment.
then again, i just heard a peer this evening say that his mother (if i recall) and another relative went to beck’s rally, which floored him: he said that growing up, she had been the most independent-thinking, liberal woman he knew. then somewhere along the line, she shifted to, “i’m afraid to send my son away to school because he might get killed in a terrorist attack.” the bridge between those two versions of his mother was fear.
is it enough for those of use who try not to live form a place of fear simply to do so & be an exmple, or is there a way to be a little more proactive with the message that actually will get someone’s attention?
indranibe —
thanks for the perspective from down-under! much appreciated. it’s a little disorienting for someone like me with no working knowledge of australian politics to read that the liberal party dismantled social institutions — amazing how much a word’s context can determine its meaning. any chance you’d be kind enough to give a mini-summary of australia’s political parties? i know i could look it up on wikipedia, but if you have the time & energy i think it would be cool to hear it from a more personal perspective. thanks!
Linda-word…… that is a very interesting strategy! Thank you for describing it. I can say I will for sure test it on the road!
Indranibe…… you make good points…. I think one thing we will likely see more of is the indication that really, in terms of these attitudes represented by the followers of Beck and Palin, there is not just one “American people” but instead there is at least one and probably more than one pretty deep rift in the national character at this time. Splits and divisions.
What causes people to follow along with such messages as are put out by those two….. yow. I do think there are a lot of reasons all working together but fortunately the disease complex has not spread to everyone and with luck will not claim a majority….. however, how to speak with or reason with or appeal to the better natures of such folks is itself a high skill and not one I am very good at because I tend to get very upset when people stubbornly insist on going against their very own best interests with such bigotry and mean-spiritedness.
I also think some here would get a kick out of these t shirt ideas:
http://imvotingteaparty.com/
(was posted on another forum i participate in…..)
From my point of view there are far more similarities between Glenn Beck’s opinions and those (progressives) he denounces. He did say something about turning off the t.v.
A thought came to me the other day: Beck and Palin are both Aquarians, born barely a day apart. I too am an Aquarian, same day as SP but fortunately born in a different year, and am completely the opposite of these two.
My theory is this: these two are part of a cosmic plan to kill off the neo-con/tea baggin/right wing loonies forever. How? By being so far off base, so decidedly out of the mainstream that the electorate realizes that they are without intellect or capacity to do other than take their supporters for a ride. They are a death panel, one that will oversee the death of extremist faith & politics, and as such should be encouraged to be as looney as they can be.
Beck said some time back that he was “only” an entertainer: we should treat him as one, and give him an Emmy for best actor in a fictional role. Sarah should get one for best portrayal of a sports reporter in a comedic role. They might not get it. as irony seems to be beyond those two.
I fear that we ignore them at our nation’s peril; to do otherwise is to continue to encourage a level of demagoguery and propaganda not seen since the Third Reich. We all know how well that worked out…
aword,
Good point about giving energy to the negative. Thank you.
Sorth of what i was implying about Ixion on today’s blog. Should have taken my own advice, eh? Thanks for keeping me in line.
Still, they sure are slick….
Len,
Food for thought; this is a way of ‘being’ about negative energies that was passed on to me that I’ve taken to heart — believing in the power of words and ideas as I do.
I do not give “positive reinforcement credit” to people and activities that I feel are detrimental to myself or the universe.
I learned, for example, not to give the “ex” credit for being ‘really great’ at his ‘craft’ of manipulating and lying. (Nor, you will notice, do I claim ownership – as many people do – by calling him “my” ex.) I refer to him politely and am truthful about what I perceive him to be, but I do NOT give that/him energy.
I find that this is useful in creating my own mindset and making negative influences SMALL in the universe.
Call attention to them, yes – we must do this – we MUST look at the Palins and Becks (thank you e) – but facts only, opinion too, but credit them with having positive traits? – this I will not do.
xo
Linda
Hi folks,
I can tell you that from here in Australia we (and that surprisingly includes the media and unsurprisingly one of our most humanitarian former Prime Ministers, Malcolm Fraser) have felt the chill you must be feeling after that surreal display from Palin et al at the Lincoln Memorial. What I hope the even achieves is the understanding within American society that the battle is far from won, and that simply because Obama’s first term wasn’t perfect, he’s still achieved far more in that one term (and with far worse constraints than possibly any other President before him) than anyone else we here on the outside can think of.
I hope you guys learn the lesson we here in Oz are learning the hard way – we put in a Labor government (after the Libs all but shredded the fabric of our society), expected perfect and instant results, allowed the self-aggrandisement of media ‘celebrities’ to sway us and may see the Liberal party (who spent 12 years dismanlting every public institution this country has) returned.
I hope this is exactly the sort of display of insanity the American people needed to witness in order to reunite to bring back Obama. No-one should have ever realistically expected that one administration could undo decades worth of Republican damage, and I hope the American people will not be so naive as to punish Obama for the things his administration have not yet achieved.
Give him time, people, and keep dreaming the dream. It was a proud day for the world when America brought in Obama – that day America really was America The Beautiful. Sustain the change, and as another great Australian Prime Minister said, “Maintain your rage!”
Our thoughts and prayers are with you.
Love me some Chauncey DeVega. He also blogs at http://wearerespectablenegroes.blogspot.com/.
First of all, we have to give Mr. Beck and Ms. Palin credit for having some skill. How they do what they do is very slick. You gotta admit that. Attractive packaging is often enough to make the sale. They do that part well. Also there is this twisty thing that can make the craziest stuff seem seductively convincing. They do that part very, very well. Are they naturals? Were they mentored? Are they dipping into what they are selling?
As far as getting a toe-hold for the truth. It starts inside. i grew up knowing some people with very little education who could not be fooled because they had a hold of themselves. Sort of an open-minded common sense. So, it’s not entirely education (although that helps a lot), it’s not intellect, (although that’s not a hinderance, either). It’s something to do with values and priorties and grounding that i’m still learning even as dotage approaches. i envy those with wisdom beyond their years and i’m thankful that i have see it come and go around enough not to be completely taken in. Perhaps it is as simple as the epiphany Huck Finn had when he realized that Jim’s blood was the same color as his own.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBqodL2OJ1A
“We are stardust, we are golden..”
Joni and “Woodstock” – another form of demonstration.