After the shooting rampage in Tucson that left six people dead and thirteen injured, including Congresswoman Giffords, Fox News President Roger Ailes appealed for civility: “I told all of our guys, shut up, tone it down, make your argument intellectually. You don’t have to do it with bombast.”
Weeks after Tucson, nothing has changed. If anything, Fox News has turned up the volume on partisan hate speech. Fevered hysteria and conspiratorial fear mongering on national television are not harmless.
How quickly we forget the lessons of history. The bogeymen of 1930s anti-Semitism that morphed into the bogeymen of 1950s McCarthyism has morphed again into the mainstreaming of Glenn Beck Militia Theater. The message is clear: Glenn Beck wants to extort your silence, and anyone who refuses to capitulate will be targeted and stalked:
Glenn Beck, Self-Appointed "Progressive Hunter"
The poisoned atmosphere unleashed by Glenn Beck and Fox News means any citizen - Democrat, Centrist, or Republican - can be slandered in public and targeted for persecution. Beck pitches his messages at unhinged misfits who are most likely to act on impulse, and events have shown that violent rhetoric leads to violent acts. There is no plausible deniability that can remove this blood from Beck’s hands:
Murders, shooting sprees, domestic terrorism, private citizens hiding in fear, infamous intimidations and provocations broadcast on national television - all linked to Glenn Beck - enough is enough! When toxic television threatens public safety, it concerns everyone. Even prominent Republicans are becoming alarmed:
Former Bush speechwriter David Frum:
Former Bush speechwriter Peter Wehner:
National correspondent for The Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldberg:
It is time to pull the plug on Glenn Beck and serve notice to Fox News that partisan hate speech has no place in a free society. The strongest message you can send is to vote your pocketbook. Write letters to Fox News advertisers; tell them you will no longer patronize their products and services; and keep boycotting sponsors of Fox News until these outrageous partisan witch-hunts have stopped. Removing Glenn Beck from the airwaves will save lives.
Resources:
Visit the Drop Fox Website Here
Visit the Stop Beck Website Here
Endorsements:
Captain Fogg, Sheria, BJ, Octopus, Squatlo, Sue, Nance, TnLib, TomCat, Truth 101, Maleeper, Green Eagle, Kay, Shaw Kenawe, RockyNC.
8 comments:
Shaw,
Thank you supporting this petition.
Here is an FYI for you. One of the Tucson shooting victims left a comment at the Zone earlier today.
Her blogging moniker is Ashleigh Burroughs but her real name is Suzi Hileman, the one who brought the 9-year old named Christina Taylor Green to Congresswoman Gifford's event in Tucson. As everyone knows from the headlines, the child died that day. Suzi Hileman was shot three times and is recovering from massive hip fractures. She came over to the Zone to leave a comment and endorse this petition.
This is maybe a step toward helping curtail the freedom of slander.
Thank you for that information, (O)CT(O). Please add my name to the list of supporters of this petition.
Kevin,
That link was very informative. Especially the part that describes who Ms. Sherrod's attorney in the law suit is.
Breitbart just published a "Mammy" cartoon of the First Lady. He must want to lose his case.
"Breitbart just published a "Mammy" cartoon of the First Lady. He must want to lose his case."
Never forget he's admired by the conservatives, and the conservatives are the first to holler that liberals play the race card.
The fact that Michelle Obama is wildly more popular than Sarah Palin is too difficult for them to deal with, so they make a caricature of her. As though that will tarnish HER reputation. LOL!
Breitbart is not just pathetic, he's stupid as well. When people like him attack a popular First Lady, he comes off looking like the immature sorry jackass that he most assuredly is.
And Mrs. Obama justs gain more esteem in the eyes of the adult population.
Shaw,
These petition drives are more work than one anticipates from the onset. It seems different folks have different versions of Blogger, the newer ones being more adept at handling HTML code than older versions. Here is one tip: When you copy/paste, make sure you click the EDIT IN HTML tab first. After you paste the article, click the COMPOSE tab to see how it looks and make minor adjustments as necessary.
Nevertheless, the gratifying part is that dozens of bloggers have joined the cause.
Next letters: Roger Ailes and all Fox News advertisers. These will have a slightly different slant ... one that points out the impact and accountability issues they face when people are hurt due to these broadcasts. The legal concepts are "intentional malice," and "reckless and willful disregard." In other words, Fox News and sponsors may face contingent liability issues (in addition to a consumer boycott) unless they clean up their act.
who would have thought david frum would become the voice of reason. i grew up watching his mother, barbara frum, on our public television station and was horrified when david joined the forces of darkness. i think the current lunacy of glenn beck and sarah palin etc may have moved him a hair toward the center.
The more I see this, the better I like it!
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