Van Jones received the President’s Award on Friday from the NAACP Image Awards. In his acceptance speech he took the time to acknowledge a special someone in his life.

I can’t say I approve. Glenn Beck has been a relentless foe of Van Jones. He hounded him from the White House with a series of misrepresentations and outright lies. And even after Jones stepped down, Beck continued to smear him. Recently Jones announced that he would be joining the staff at Princeton and working with the Center for American Progress. That news was greeted by Beck with a tirade against both Jones and Martin Luther King, whom Beck called a “radical socialist” and questioned whether we should have a holiday celebrating him.

So now Jones assumes a strikingly tolerant view of Beck hoping to find some sort of unity. As much as I admire Jones, I think he is wasting his time. Beck is not about to reciprocate. He will only use this appeal to fellowship as a springboard for more attacks and ridicule. In fact, he already has in the form of a tweet:

“I love you too,Glad to all live in one country.Will it be the founders country or the one you pushed when with storm?”

Tell me Glenn, which country do you want? The founders country or the one you pushed when you were an alcoholic, drug abusing, dirtbag?

While Jones was unambiguously forgiving, Beck was predictably adversarial. Beck couldn’t resist the urge to jab another blade into his enemy. And that difference between these two illustrates what a waste of time it is to try to appease Beck. Jones ought to initiate a full-blown campaign revealing Beck’s dishonesty. He should join his former colleagues at Color of Change and pursue advertisers on Beck’s show and Fox News. He should not allow Beck to continue smearing people with McCarthyite accusations. He should expose Beck for the divisive, fear monger that he is. He should fight back.

Then if Jones still wants to be magnanimous and profess his love for Beck…whatever. I just can’t go there.