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This may come as a great surprise to those who know me well, but I attended the Glenn Beck “Restoring Honor” rally in Washington, DC this week. I did not travel that far just to attend (we were holding an Old Soldiers Reunion in Alexandria, VA) but I couldn’t miss taking part in such an event. Some fellow Veteran’s invited me to go with them and I happily agreed. It’s not often one gets the chance to see democracy in action on such a scale.
And, what a scale it was! I’ve seen estimates of the crowd size ranging from 50,000 to 500,000, but those estimates mostly are based upon someone’s political agenda. I do not have such an agenda and would tend toward the half million side. They stretched literally from the Lincoln Memorial to the Washington Memorial (a distance of about 3/4’s of a mile), alongside the Reflecting Pool, and overflowed into a nearby open field where jumbotrons were set up so the participants could see what was going on. We were seated at first on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and, while we couldn’t hear a thing being said because the speakers were aimed up the Mall, we did have a grandstand view of the crowd. Later, we moved down into the grass beside the security fence and still couldn’t hear, so we left early. I have, however, watched the whole thing on You Tube later, so I feel free to comment on what was going on.
We rode the Metro train from Alexandria to the Arlington station, about an hour and half before the event started, and walked across the Potomac River bridge, coming in behind the Lincoln Memorial. A ground guide tried to direct us around to the back of the crowd, but we figured that would lead us to roughly the WWII Memorial because the crowd was already that large, so we opted to head up the steps and basically sit in Lincoln’s lap. What more appropriate spot could we take?
Along the way, we were engulfed by a mob of boistrous, enthusiastic, sincere fellow travelers headed for the event. They filled both of the amply wide sidewalks leading across the bridge and were still streaming in when we left, about an hour after the event started. It would be easy to categorize them as radicals, but that would not necessarily be true. They were just people, fellow citizens, who had come at their own not insignificant expense and apparently truly believed in what they were doing and why they were doing it. While one might legitimately question just how much they know about that Constitution they were coming to defend, (most people have not read it and fewer still understand it), you simply could not question their dedication. It was real and that reality was proved by their presence. In a lot of cases, it was whole families. Granted, it was probably the whitest crowd I’ve ever seen (there were a few…VERY few…minorities present), but that does not speak so much to the bigotry of the organizers or the attendees so much as it does to the bigotry of those minorities who could have attended but did not. It was open to anyone and everyone, and if minority people chose not to attend, that was not Beck’s fault. Nobody was checking to see if you were the “right” kind of person to come. Hell, I got in, didn’t I?
I really believe that so long as our fellow citizens are free to gather and express their views, all is right in America. As I told some participants later, nobody met us with guns and told us we couldn’t go in there, so our democracy is still safe and sound, even if we don’t like what’s being said, and America will surivive.
But, being the cynic that I am ( I never accept anything at face value), I couldn’t help but compare that crowd of people to those who also streamed into the giant stadium at Nurnberg, Germany for Nazi events during the early days of the Hitler regime. That’s not an editorial statement, just an observation and comparison. They too were not forced to attend, and they too were truly committed to their country and their leader to the point of putting aside their own agenda for the day and paying the cost of traveling great distances to offer their support. That they were proven wrong in that support by subsequent events does not detract from their dedication and concern at the time. They were real people doing what they thought was right at the time. Another comparison could be drawn by pointing out those millions who have come to various political events throughout our history in support of their favorite candidate or cause. However, as in Germany, that support has sometimes proven to be a mistake. Whether or not that’s so in this case is still an open question.
And, I do question whether or not it was the right thing to do. Far, far too many of those I spoke to (for my liking, anyway) were more supportive of Beck than of what the rally was about. He has almost reached the status of Messiah to a great many people and I find that incredibly dangerous to our liberties. As one fellow told me, Beck is sincere about his love of America and has no other agenda nor any support from established political figures or groups. That fellow really believed that the whole event was nothing more than an exercise in grass roots activism.
But, was it? As I looked around, I noticed the astonishing number of port-a-potties, cameras, security people and fences, ground guides, (not to mention the necessary permits and co-ordination with government agencies); all the necessary attendants of such a large event and could not help but wonder who paid for all that and who organized it? The whole event was a tightly and professionally correographed stage show and it wasn’t cheap. Nor was it ad hoc. That it flowed so effortlessly and without any visible problems indicates that the planning for this far, far exceeded the time frame Beck has suggested. During my time in the Army, I once had total control of a Brigade-sized airmobile training scenario and it took more than a year to put together all the components of such an event, so Beck’s claim of having only decided to do this about 8 months ago rings untrue to me. I’m sure that there are economies of scale which might lend credence to his claim, but I’m just not buying it over all. It was far too complicated to achieve in such a short time.
So, who WAS behind it and what do they hope to achieve? The answer is most likely Dick Armey and the Tea Party groups.
The Tea Party movement began as a legitimate and real grass roots effort, but the Neo-Conservative wing of the Republican Party has been trying to co-opt it ever since it began. I think they have succeeded because the organization of Beck’s event was too professional for Beck’s stable of office staff to achieve in such a short time. I can’t think of anyone else who could have offered their organizational skills but Armey’s group, so that’s the most likely culprit. In addition, though Beck vehemently denied that the rally was political, the fact that nothing in Washington is apolitical, and the fact that he chose Sarah Palin as the keynote speaker, (the darling of the Tea Party, a prospective presidential candidate and a Republican) belies that assertion. It WAS political and it WAS Republican to the core.
But, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. I’m no fan of the Neo-Con (Bush, Cheney, DeLay) wing of the Republican Party, but that’s not to say that Palin and Beck don’t head up a counter group, an insider, truly Conservative group of folks dedicated to wringing power and support away from the Neo-Con’s. If they turn out to be such a thing, I could support them. However, I’m not yet convinced they are that. Time will tell.
So, let’s leave the organization of the event, with all its attendant questions, and focus on the message.
What was the message? I asked several supporters of Beck just what he means by “Restoring Honor,” and they could only say what they thought it meant. That’s not surprising as Beck has not defined it either, so far as I know. YOUR definition of restoring honor, and MY defintion of restoring honor, might not be the same thing as BECK’S definition and I, for one, would like to know what HE means. That’s not yet clear.
What IS clear is that what we attendees got was a blending of God, patriotism and militarism. Once again, I couldn’t help but think of Nazi Germany, where the troops were encased in an ideal of serving God and the Fatherland, as if they were one and the same, and even wore belt buckles inscribed with “Gott Mit Uns,” which translates as “God With Us.” Being a good Southern Baptist, I couldn’t help but think that while those troops were slaughtering God’s Chosen People by the millions, it was unlikely that He was with them. It’s at least as likely that God is not with Glenn Beck, though it must be admitted that He very well may be. After all, our Bible tells us that God appoints kings, leaders and governments for our benefit (and in line with His will), so it’s certainly possible that Beck and his supporters may very well be doing God’s will. If that’s so, though, I suspect his supporters may find that God’s will isn’t what they think it is.
What we who were there, and the millions more who saw it on TV and the internet, were treated to was an exercise in claiming God for whatever Beck’s and Armey’s agenda is and American military adventurism. We haven’t seen that kind of jingoism and wrapping God in the American flag since the run-up to the Spanish-American War, which resulted in American colonialism. We claimed vast stretches of the earth, from the Caribbean to the South Pacific and even China, as the domain of the United States and God. What the target of such a thing is now is still an open question, but the idea that our armed forces are working for God, through the United States, was clear from the outset.
One thing Beck said, which I find intriguing, was the America needs to go where God wants us to go. While I don’t question that we should, I’m wondering just what he meant by that. As Al Sharpton questioned in an appearance of Foxs’ Geraldo Riviera show that night, where does Beck think God wants us to go? What has He told him? That’s a fair question, but one which was not answered by Beck then, nor has it been answered since. If one is purporting to have the Word of God, the rest of us would like to hear what He had to say. In the coming days, I suspect we’ll hear that question answered and I also suspect that it will involve something along the lines of bringing democracy to the poor, downtrodden masses of other countries, all done by the pure military might of our “Godly” troops. If that’s so, it will not be far removed from the message of the Bush administration, which will once again prove the lie that this gathering was not political. Worse yet, it may be used as an excuse to overthrow the legitimately elected government of the United States and install a more “godly” regime. I was there and can tell you, without reservation, that had Beck called on that crowd to arise and march on the Capitol Hill and the White House to “save” America, they would have moved en masse to fulfill that order.
In the end, I came away heartened by the enthusiasm of the participants, by their love of country and dedication to the ideals of America and willingness to sacrifice their all. While most of them could not really differentiate between their own personal ideals and the principles emodied in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution (which were, tragically, not always the same), they truly represented what’s best about this great country. On the other hand, their lack of Constitutional knowledge, understanding and willingness to accept opposing views as legimate, and coupled with their adoration of Beck, also left me cold and fearful for our future. A good many of those who were there are so closed-minded, so sure that Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin represent their salvation, that they are wide open for manipulation by charlatan’s and wolves in sheeps clothing, that anything is possible.
Whether or not Beck is such a wolf remains to be seen. I will reserve judgment at this time, until it becomes clear what Beck is up to.
Yes, and my answer was that over 5 million went to SOWF. They are a very repretible organization. If someone is questioning what they do with the money exactly, then they should go to their website and contact them. After listening to people associated with and who've been helped, I have no doubt that the money raised goes where it is suppose to.
You asked:
Quote:
Where did you get that money was going to disabled Vets?
That is part of this group's mission. Yes, I said it sounded like a well-run charity in a previous post. I guess the real question is how much of the proceeds did Beck give to this group and how much did he keep for himself?
No. What's sad is making some big deal out of a select few nuts out of hundreds of thousands of people.
.
Well lets be brutally honest: What they are saying is pretty much in line with what the "Tea Party" stands for. Sure they are ignorant on the facts, but you'd HAVE TO BE to name your movement the "Tea Party." Their reference doesn't make sense; failing remedial American history. It's beyond stupid.
I've yet to see Beck types interviewed on any right wing show that proved otherwise. Their entire premise "Take America back" is hilariously stupid to begin with. Take it back from what? Democracy? The entire premise is based on fear and ignorance: Historically speaking through current events. So even if we could find somebody in that crowd to articulate their anger well, it would still be a massive fail as the entire premise is faulty to begin with.
Much like CD you're only going to get varying degrees of "duh" inside their joke show and that's the bottom line.
This may come as a great surprise to those who know me well, but I attended the Glenn Beck “Restoring Honor” rally in Washington, DC this week. I did not travel that far just to attend (we were holding an Old Soldiers Reunion in Alexandria, VA) but I couldn’t miss taking part in such an event. Some fellow Veteran’s invited me to go with them and I happily agreed. It’s not often one gets the chance to see democracy in action on such a scale.
And, what a scale it was! I’ve seen estimates of the crowd size ranging from 50,000 to 500,000, but those estimates mostly are based upon someone’s political agenda. I do not have such an agenda and would tend toward the half million side. They stretched literally from the Lincoln Memorial to the Washington Memorial (a distance of about 3/4’s of a mile), alongside the Reflecting Pool, and overflowed into a nearby open field where jumbotrons were set up so the participants could see what was going on. We were seated at first on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and, while we couldn’t hear a thing being said because the speakers were aimed up the Mall, we did have a grandstand view of the crowd. Later, we moved down into the grass beside the security fence and still couldn’t hear, so we left early. I have, however, watched the whole thing on You Tube later, so I feel free to comment on what was going on.
We rode the Metro train from Alexandria to the Arlington station, about an hour and half before the event started, and walked across the Potomac River bridge, coming in behind the Lincoln Memorial. A ground guide tried to direct us around to the back of the crowd, but we figured that would lead us to roughly the WWII Memorial because the crowd was already that large, so we opted to head up the steps and basically sit in Lincoln’s lap. What more appropriate spot could we take?
Along the way, we were engulfed by a mob of boistrous, enthusiastic, sincere fellow travelers headed for the event. They filled both of the amply wide sidewalks leading across the bridge and were still streaming in when we left, about an hour after the event started. It would be easy to categorize them as radicals, but that would not necessarily be true. They were just people, fellow citizens, who had come at their own not insignificant expense and apparently truly believed in what they were doing and why they were doing it. While one might legitimately question just how much they know about that Constitution they were coming to defend, (most people have not read it and fewer still understand it), you simply could not question their dedication. It was real and that reality was proved by their presence. In a lot of cases, it was whole families. Granted, it was probably the whitest crowd I’ve ever seen (there were a few…VERY few…minorities present), but that does not speak so much to the bigotry of the organizers or the attendees so much as it does to the bigotry of those minorities who could have attended but did not. It was open to anyone and everyone, and if minority people chose not to attend, that was not Beck’s fault. Nobody was checking to see if you were the “right” kind of person to come. Hell, I got in, didn’t I?
I really believe that so long as our fellow citizens are free to gather and express their views, all is right in America. As I told some participants later, nobody met us with guns and told us we couldn’t go in there, so our democracy is still safe and sound, even if we don’t like what’s being said, and America will surivive.
But, being the cynic that I am ( I never accept anything at face value), I couldn’t help but compare that crowd of people to those who also streamed into the giant stadium at Nurnberg, Germany for Nazi events during the early days of the Hitler regime. That’s not an editorial statement, just an observation and comparison. They too were not forced to attend, and they too were truly committed to their country and their leader to the point of putting aside their own agenda for the day and paying the cost of traveling great distances to offer their support. That they were proven wrong in that support by subsequent events does not detract from their dedication and concern at the time. They were real people doing what they thought was right at the time. Another comparison could be drawn by pointing out those millions who have come to various political events throughout our history in support of their favorite candidate or cause. However, as in Germany, that support has sometimes proven to be a mistake. Whether or not that’s so in this case is still an open question.
And, I do question whether or not it was the right thing to do. Far, far too many of those I spoke to (for my liking, anyway) were more supportive of Beck than of what the rally was about. He has almost reached the status of Messiah to a great many people and I find that incredibly dangerous to our liberties. As one fellow told me, Beck is sincere about his love of America and has no other agenda nor any support from established political figures or groups. That fellow really believed that the whole event was nothing more than an exercise in grass roots activism.
But, was it? As I looked around, I noticed the astonishing number of port-a-potties, cameras, security people and fences, ground guides, (not to mention the necessary permits and co-ordination with government agencies); all the necessary attendants of such a large event and could not help but wonder who paid for all that and who organized it? The whole event was a tightly and professionally correographed stage show and it wasn’t cheap. Nor was it ad hoc. That it flowed so effortlessly and without any visible problems indicates that the planning for this far, far exceeded the time frame Beck has suggested. During my time in the Army, I once had total control of a Brigade-sized airmobile training scenario and it took more than a year to put together all the components of such an event, so Beck’s claim of having only decided to do this about 8 months ago rings untrue to me. I’m sure that there are economies of scale which might lend credence to his claim, but I’m just not buying it over all. It was far too complicated to achieve in such a short time.
So, who WAS behind it and what do they hope to achieve? The answer is most likely Dick Armey and the Tea Party groups.
The Tea Party movement began as a legitimate and real grass roots effort, but the Neo-Conservative wing of the Republican Party has been trying to co-opt it ever since it began. I think they have succeeded because the organization of Beck’s event was too professional for Beck’s stable of office staff to achieve in such a short time. I can’t think of anyone else who could have offered their organizational skills but Armey’s group, so that’s the most likely culprit. In addition, though Beck vehemently denied that the rally was political, the fact that nothing in Washington is apolitical, and the fact that he chose Sarah Palin as the keynote speaker, (the darling of the Tea Party, a prospective presidential candidate and a Republican) belies that assertion. It WAS political and it WAS Republican to the core.
But, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. I’m no fan of the Neo-Con (Bush, Cheney, DeLay) wing of the Republican Party, but that’s not to say that Palin and Beck don’t head up a counter group, an insider, truly Conservative group of folks dedicated to wringing power and support away from the Neo-Con’s. If they turn out to be such a thing, I could support them. However, I’m not yet convinced they are that. Time will tell.
So, let’s leave the organization of the event, with all its attendant questions, and focus on the message.
What was the message? I asked several supporters of Beck just what he means by “Restoring Honor,” and they could only say what they thought it meant. That’s not surprising as Beck has not defined it either, so far as I know. YOUR definition of restoring honor, and MY defintion of restoring honor, might not be the same thing as BECK’S definition and I, for one, would like to know what HE means. That’s not yet clear.
What IS clear is that what we attendees got was a blending of God, patriotism and militarism. Once again, I couldn’t help but think of Nazi Germany, where the troops were encased in an ideal of serving God and the Fatherland, as if they were one and the same, and even wore belt buckles inscribed with “Gott Mit Uns,” which translates as “God With Us.” Being a good Southern Baptist, I couldn’t help but think that while those troops were slaughtering God’s Chosen People by the millions, it was unlikely that He was with them. It’s at least as likely that God is not with Glenn Beck, though it must be admitted that He very well may be. After all, our Bible tells us that God appoints kings, leaders and governments for our benefit (and in line with His will), so it’s certainly possible that Beck and his supporters may very well be doing God’s will. If that’s so, though, I suspect his supporters may find that God’s will isn’t what they think it is.
What we who were there, and the millions more who saw it on TV and the internet, were treated to was an exercise in claiming God for whatever Beck’s and Armey’s agenda is and American military adventurism. We haven’t seen that kind of jingoism and wrapping God in the American flag since the run-up to the Spanish-American War, which resulted in American colonialism. We claimed vast stretches of the earth, from the Caribbean to the South Pacific and even China, as the domain of the United States and God. What the target of such a thing is now is still an open question, but the idea that our armed forces are working for God, through the United States, was clear from the outset.
One thing Beck said, which I find intriguing, was the America needs to go where God wants us to go. While I don’t question that we should, I’m wondering just what he meant by that. As Al Sharpton questioned in an appearance of Foxs’ Geraldo Riviera show that night, where does Beck think God wants us to go? What has He told him? That’s a fair question, but one which was not answered by Beck then, nor has it been answered since. If one is purporting to have the Word of God, the rest of us would like to hear what He had to say. In the coming days, I suspect we’ll hear that question answered and I also suspect that it will involve something along the lines of bringing democracy to the poor, downtrodden masses of other countries, all done by the pure military might of our “Godly” troops. If that’s so, it will not be far removed from the message of the Bush administration, which will once again prove the lie that this gathering was not political. Worse yet, it may be used as an excuse to overthrow the legitimately elected government of the United States and install a more “godly” regime. I was there and can tell you, without reservation, that had Beck called on that crowd to arise and march on the Capitol Hill and the White House to “save” America, they would have moved en masse to fulfill that order.
In the end, I came away heartened by the enthusiasm of the participants, by their love of country and dedication to the ideals of America and willingness to sacrifice their all. While most of them could not really differentiate between their own personal ideals and the principles emodied in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution (which were, tragically, not always the same), they truly represented what’s best about this great country. On the other hand, their lack of Constitutional knowledge, understanding and willingness to accept opposing views as legimate, and coupled with their adoration of Beck, also left me cold and fearful for our future. A good many of those who were there are so closed-minded, so sure that Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin represent their salvation, that they are wide open for manipulation by charlatan’s and wolves in sheeps clothing, that anything is possible.
Whether or not Beck is such a wolf remains to be seen. I will reserve judgment at this time, until it becomes clear what Beck is up to.
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you're some good writer, stillkit 
