In response to a long and repulsive record of anti-Semitism and insensitive allusions to Nazis and the Holocaust on the part of Fox News, a coalition of 400 rabbis published an open letter calling on Rupert Murdoch to sanction Glenn Beck and demand that Roger Ailes apologize for their atrocious behavior. The letter was printed in a full page ad in Murdoch’s own Wall Street Journal, and said in part…
“We share a belief that the Holocaust, of course, can and should be discussed appropriately in the media. But that is not what we have seen at Fox News. It is not appropriate to accuse a 14-year old Jew hiding with a Christian family in Nazi-occupied Hungary of sending his people to death camps. It is not appropriate to call executives of another news agency ‘Nazis.’ And it is not appropriate to make literally hundreds of on-air references to the Holocaust and Nazis when characterizing people with whom you disagree.”
Rather than take the responsible path and accept that the criticism of hundreds of independent rabbis is sufficient evidence that Fox has stepped way over the line, Joel Cheatwood, senior vice president of development for Fox News, took a confrontational stance that proved once again that Fox News is committed to an agenda of hate. He said…
“We haven’t seen the ad, but this group is a George Soros backed left-wing political organization that has been trying to engage Glenn Beck primarily for publicity purposes.”
Really? The 400 rabbis who signed the letter are from a diverse spectrum of congregations, from reform to orthodox. They include liberals and conservatives and they have no organizational affiliation other than their common faith and a shared disgust for those who tarnish the memory of their families and heritage. But Cheatwood insults them by accusing them of being publicity seekers. And worse, he asserts that they are but minions of the “puppet master,” as Glenn Beck dubbed George Soros, thus recycling the same sort of vilification that Jews were subjected to in Hitler’s Germany.
There is simply no excuse for this overt hostility and insensitivity. This is no longer confined to the brutish ignorance of a few television hosts. It extends to the network management from Cheatwood, to Ailes, and all the way up to Rupert Murdoch himself. These people have no respect for others who have suffered under the most horrendous circumstances. They are only concerned with their own obsession for spreading hate and division. Ironically, Glenn Beck spoke of this on his program today:
“We can’t treat everyone as an enemy. We need to stop focusing on the things that divide us, but the things that unite us. […] Do you know why you can shoot a cop or beat somebody at Wendy’s; why you can call neighbors – neighbors – enemies because they voted for a different person? Because we no longer see people as human beings.”
If that wasn’t so sick coming from someone who spends every waking hour demonizing his ideological foes, it would be a laugh riot. Beck is the man that has likened progressives to cancer and warned that they can only be dealt with by shooting them in the head. And now he wants to deliver sermons on unity and respect for fellow Americans?
Glenn Beck has spoken more about the Nazi affiliations of Democrats and liberals than anyone on radio or television. It is an obsession with him. Hardly a day goes by that he doesn’t make some comment about the Holocaust. Which is interesting because today was one of those rare days when he never brought it up at all. He completely ignored the subject of the Holocaust today – the International Holocaust Remembrance Day. On this day Beck remains silent on the subject. A silence that speaks volumes.
Rather than take the responsible path and accept that the criticism of hundreds of independent rabbis is sufficient evidence that Fox has stepped way over the line
That’s bullshit – no one owns the holocaust or the language with it or the right to talk about it or not talk about it or whatever. You let words hurt you a lot, don’t like being called a nazi or whatever you’re being called?
I’m not sure I’ve ever heard something on fox news that could be called anti-Semitism, where is this hatred and prejudice towards jews? There’s no arguing from me that Fox News is primarily conservative, but anti-semitic – or are you trying to suggest they are the same thing?
Sorry, I should have put the first couple lines in quotes – they are not my words.
Once again, you’re incoherent. Who said anything about “owning” the Holocaust? This is simply a case of recognizing that hundreds of unaffiliated rabbis expressed offense and Fox News ignores their statement insults them.
If you said something in a room full of people and they all winced and told you that you had offended them, would you spit in their face and say it was all of them who were wrong, not you? Or would you accept that maybe they were right and you should apologize?
I have documented so many cases of anti-Semitism and racism on the part of Fox on this site. And I know you read it because you’re here almost as much as I am. Consequently, I have to assume that your comprehension skills are just deficient. (For reference look back at articles on Elizabeth Dilling and Beck’s 3 day Soros-a-thon).
Actually I didn’t intend the comment to you, it was the open letter that drew my comment. You were just using the letter to support your anti-Fox News stand. I guess I did a poor job of separating thoughts. I guess I was asking for the personal attacks given my comments. I’ve been trying to limit my reading here and I’ve been commenting a lot less.
Conservatives talk about “personal responsibility” all of the time, and then when they say something hurtful or offensive, they blame the offended and scream “political correctness!!”
Whatever happened to saying, “Oh man, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”
One time I made a joke that I thought was light hearted and in the vein of “can’t you take a joke?” It really hurt another’s feelings and my first thought was to be defensive and blame the other person for being too sensitive. I realized shortly thereafter that what I said was my fault, not the offended’s. I made a mental and personal note to refrain from that line of humor.
That’s not to say there isn’t political correctness and that some people aren’t too easily offended or always on the lookout to BE offended. Janet Jackson’s millisecond revealing of a pastie covered nipple was a good example of a few thousand people who love to be offended and know how to fill out an online petition and hit send. And yes some liberals who get offended at huMANity and manhole cover because they think the terms are sexist should get a life too.
And imagine if that joke was told in a room of 400 people who were all offended. I’m sure you would have considered the possibility that maybe – just maybe – an apology was in order.
SteveInYork would have shrugged his shoulders and then accused them all of being under the influence of a Svengali mind control cult.
That’s about right. If I intended to offend someone, why would I appologize? If I didn’t then I would feel a need to appologize.
Steve in York is absolutely correct. And you haven’t documented diddly-squat.
Furhtermore…
“…Beck is the man that has likened progressives to cancer and warned that they can only be dealt with by shooting them in the head…”
This might be your biggest lie to date. You spliced together two sentences into one, and you bungled them both. Beck said that PROGRESSIVISM is a cancer, not PROGESSIVES. And he has stated a bazillion times that you defeat progessivism at the ballot box and in debate forums, not with guns. The other sentence is also taken out of context; Beck has stated his belief that extreme progressives might be the ones who resort to violence and that they might take out their own in the process. I think that’s way too conspiratorial, but it’s certainly not a promotion of right-wing hate – or anti-semitism.
You know, even your insipid defense of Beck doesn’t justify his BS. If I were to accept your characterization of his remarks (which I don’t) it is still repulsive.
If you call progressivism a cancer, then what is a progressive? A carcinogen? How is that different? And Beck said explicitly that to stop progressives you’ll need to “shoot them in the head.” Try as you might, you cannot dismiss the truth. Whether it is right-wingers or left-wingers is immaterial if you are still being shot in the head.
So even by your own definition, Beck is a sick f*@k.
Try as you might, you cannot wiggle your way out of your distortion.
Mark, I have to agree with Scott on this one. Sort of. I would agree with you that Beck’s assertion that progressivism is a cancer is the akin to saying progressives are carcinogens. However, splicing two unrelated quotes together is something Hannity does, so I hate to see you sinking to his level.
I haven’t spliced two unrelated quotes together. I said…
It’s a list of two things that Beck said. Not spliced together, just enumerated sequentially. How else should I have noted two things he said? I think you and Scott are reading something into this that isn’t there.
I re-read. My apologies.
“I haven’t spliced two unrelated quotes together…”
Yes, you did. I have already pointed out that you totatlly blew the first sentence. Again, Glenn Beck did NOT call progressives a cancer, let alone a cancer that needed to be shot in the head. He called progressivism a cancer. Then your attempt to deflect by referring to progressives as carcinogens was thoroughly silly. Besides, if somebody has a cancer (progressivism, in this case) you don’t kill the patient. You cure the patient, if you can.
Glenn Beck is not the one going around spewing violent talk. That would be people like say, for instance, Bill Maher: “Hey, you know that Pentagon shooter that the police had to kill? Why oh why couldn’t that shooter have been Glenn Beck?” I can’t decide what is more sickening – Maher spewing that “joke” in his monologue, or hearing his studio audience laugh and cheer and whoop and holler in response. I feel like vomiting sometimes over left-wing comedy – if you can call it that.
I give up. You are oblivious and your comprehension skills are non-existent. The “cancer” and “shoot in the head” comments were two separate incidents referenced in the same sentence. If you can’t see that it’s your problem.
And your logic is also lacking. If you condemn Maher for his violent rhetoric, why do you excuse Beck? Because you’re transparently hypocritical? Can’t you at least try to be consistent. I oppose ALL violent rhetoric, including Maher’s if he said that (which I never heard, so I’m not prejudging). But there is still a difference between Beck and Maher. Maher is openly doing a comedy routine, unlike Beck.
And Beck has so many examples of open hostility, like when he said that progressives are “taking you to a place to be slaughtered,” and that they are “blood-sucking vampires” that can only be stopped by putting a “steak (sic) through their heart.” I could go on, but you wouldn’t get it, so why bother. (FYI: those are also separate incidents I am referencing in one sentence, if your cartoon brain can grasp that concept).
“…Maher is openly doing a comedy routine…”
You call that comedy? Just like Kathy Griffin joking about wanting to push Sarah Palin down a flight of stairs? Like Sandra Bernhart joking that Sarah Palin might get gang-raped by a bunch of black men if she shows up in her neighborhood? Like Wanda Sykes joking how she hopes Rush Limbaugh’s kidneys will fail? My gosh, left-wing humor is disgusting, it can’t even be called humor.
“…I oppose all violent rhetoric…”
No, you don’t. Since you don’t do postings that condemn this type of left-wing toxic talk (unless otherwise forced to), you are the one who is being hypocritical and displaying no comprehension skills. And for the umpteeth time, Beck has said repeatedly that violence is not the answer. You won’t ever hear that on the Mike Malloy show, I guarentee you.
Thanks for proving my points. You’re oblivious.
Just because you don’t like the humor, doesn’t mean those people aren’t comedians and the intent is humor, as opposed to Beck’s intent which has actually inspired REAL violence.
And you are incapable of acknowledging the violent rhetoric from the right. That shows a desperately closed mind.
I think you have more conservatives reading and writing here….
hate is hate, even if your “intent” is comedy.