Tell President Obama: Glenn Beck Doesn’t Speak For Me

America is presently undergoing a sort of devolution that is unprecedented in its history. The Tea Party fanatics who are disrupting town halls and appearing at rallies with signs associating the President with socialism, fascism and Hitler, are contributing to a hostile political environment that pits neighbor against neighbor and divides families and all citizens. This advances the premise that those with whom you disagree are traitors and enemies, as opposed to fellow Americans with a different point of view.

The deep divisions in our nation that are ripping at the seams of democracy are being exacerbated by a rightist media that is more interested in its own welfare than that of the nation. It is becoming ever more critical that Americans speak out against this propaganda crusade and make certain that our elected representatives don’t take the bait.

It is already too late for Van Jones, who was hounded by a manic Glenn Beck into resigning, despite the fact that the allegations against him were ludicrous smears that were demonstrably untrue. Beck has already set his sights on his next targets for his mudslinging. They include respected and effective public servants like Cass Sunstein, Carol Browner, and Mark Lloyd. And of course, ACORN will be drudged up along with irrelevant players like Rev. Wright and Bill Ayres.

Leading this crusade is Fox News who have abandon any pretense of impartiality as they have literally boarded the Tea Party Express, reporting its progress as it rambles across the nation inciting phony dissent and worse. This bus tour is wholly sponsored by lobbyists and powerful partisan enterprises like Americans for Prosperity and Freedom Works. Yet the media has been ignoring a bus tour by Health Insurance Reform Now that has been attracting crowds just as big.

And rising to the helm of Fox’s crusade is certifiable nutcase, Glenn Beck. His ravings have riled up a pitifully uninformed audience of frightened political outcasts. And worse, he is beginning to have an impact outside of the padded halls of Fox News.

Now, FreePress.net has initiated a real grassroots campaign to collect signatories to a statement alerting the president to the fact that Glenn Beck and his ilk do not speak for us. The press release announcing this project reveals how uniquely dangerous the current situation is:

“At Free Press, our focus is on structural media policy, not on media content. But we take this extraordinary step because what’s happening is so poisonous to American political discourse.

“That Fox News Channel lets Beck use its media megaphone to stir up hatred and fear of others is repulsive, divisive and beyond all common sense or decency. By giving Beck a nightly platform for such McCarthy-esque witch hunts and smear campaigns, the national news network undermines our democracy. But Fox News is not alone. Unfortunately, this kind of rant is endemic to a media system that cares about ratings far more than about the truth.”

In the wake of Beck’s attacks on Van Jones and others, this is an important campaign that deserves the support of the country. Beck has promised to escalate his witch hunts and to continue his assault on anyone he deems an enemy. At the center of all of this is a brazen disregard for the truth in pursuit of a conservative coup. They want to derail the health care, environmental, and economic reforms that the American people have been fighting for. These media megaliths want nothing less than to destroy the presidency of Barack Obama. They have said so explicitly. This is an attempt to reverse the results of a fair and historic election. They must not be allowed to succeed.

Please visit FreePress.net and voice your support.

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