By Brigitte L. Nacos
Most of the bodies of the terrorism victims in Oslo were not yet identified, when right-extremist hate monger Glenn Beck shot his mouth off in an unbelievable insult of those victims and their families, friends, and all of Norway. This is what he told his radio audience:
“Saturday I was following the news of the shooting in Norway and the explosion in Norway, which happened what on Friday…When we heard the explosion everybody was willing to say, it’s Muslim extremists, it’s Muslim extremists. I don’t think we made a comment on it because we didn’t know other than a bombing had happened, and as the thing started to unfold and there was a shooting a political camp, which sounds a little like the Hitler Youth or you know whatever. Who does a camp for kids that’s all about politics? Disturbing.”
Well, Mr. Beck, if you would know more about the world than your narrow but so lucrative niche of divisive demagoguery and hate mongering, you would not insult the long Western European tradition of all kinds of organizations--right, left, and in the middle--, including political parties, to get young people interested in public affairs. This is one reason why the average Europeans tends to be far better informed about public affairs than the average American and would be less likely to be fooled by your tirades.
By comparing the Labor Party’s youth division that organized the camp on the island of Utoya for its members to the Third Reich’s Hitler Youth, Beck wittingly or unwittingly seems to imply a motive for the massacre.
Just as stunning is Beck’s condemnation of camps for kids that are political in nature. He conveniently “forgot” that the 9-12 Project, his own prominent Tea Party initiative, organizes political camps in various state sections for children actually much younger than those participating in the Utoya camp in Norway.
Here is an excerpt from one on-line invitation for such a 9-12 Tea Party camp:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DOES YOUR CHILD KNOW OF OUR U.S. CONSTITUTION?
Does your child understand the gift of our nation’s founding?
Here is an opportunity to help your child understand this gift:
Constitutional Champions Summer Patriot Camp
For Kids in Grades 1 – 5
July 11-14, 2011
Rock Ledge Ranch – 3202 Chambers Way Colorado Springs 80904
From: 9:00 AM to Noon
COST $5.00 per child, $15.00 per family
Sponsored by the Constitutional Champions Foundation and the 9-12 Pikes Peak Patriots
Educational exercises will focus on our Constitution, the Founding Fathers, and the values and principles that are the cornerstones of our nation. The spirited history of the West comes to life at Rock Ledge Ranch Historic Site and provides the perfect backdrop for your child’s learning experience.
Taught by local, Constitutionally-minded teachers and volunteers
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Political camps for kids, disturbing, Mr. Beck? You better inform the very Tea Partiers you organized under the 9-12 umbrella.
Comments