Glenn Beck & Virgil Goode: Your Stupidity Astounds Us

I’d been meaning to write a post about Glenn Beck’s “interview” with Keith Ellison (D-MN). (See below) I first saw it on the Daily Show with John Stewart. It shocked me. Did Glenn Beck just insinuate that an elected US Representative is working with the terrorists? I thought the political correctness zealots in charge of television news put an end to bigoted, uneducated speech on the air. I guess I was wrong.

Glenn Beck accused Keith Ellison of embodying the worst stereotypes associated with Muslims, and then asked him to disprove his off-base assumptions. Imagine if Mr. Beck interviewed a U.S. soldier. And he said “I know you’re not a blood-thirsty, violent, megalomaniac… but prove it to me.” Can you imagine the public reaction?

Then yesterday, a letter from Virgil Goode’s (R-VA) office was released to the press. In it Goode warns constituents concerned about Rep. Keith Ellison swearing in on the Koran, that if we don’t end illegal immigration “there will likely be many more Muslims elected to office and demanding the use of the Koran.”

I think some Americans feel uneasy if they don’t have a target for their fear and hate. They lose a sense of self if they can’t define themselves against a group of people. Throughout our history, various groups have filled the “scary villain” role. (Inset your favorite target of hate in the blanks)

We need to stop ___________. If we don’t keep ____________ out of America we will lose our identity, and eventually be forced to adopt _______________’s values and beliefs.

Now, it is Muslims turn as the target of good old-fashioned ignorant American fear. It is scary that so many Americans equate Muslims with terrorists. They fail to make the mental effort to understand either Islam or terrorism. Not bothered by actual thought, they fall back onto old comfortable xenophobia. If it’s different, it must be bad.

It’s a shame that history’s lessons have gotten so dusty.