The media has had a lot to say about Glenn's recent interview with Megyn Kelly. Piers Morgan and Joe Scarborough praised Glenn for being introspective and took it as a moment to do a little self-reflection of their own on the heated rhetoric that takes place on cable news. Others, like a CNN panel on Thursday, were left wondering where this "new" Glenn Beck was coming from and why he was suddenly standing up for gay rights (or to use a better term, human rights) and uniting principles.
Well, clearly the media hasn't really been paying attention as this "ALL NEW! BIGGER! NICER!" Glenn Beck has been around for a while now (although Glenn has managed to redefine the term bigger through the growth of TheBlaze...and his waistline). Glenn hasn't really changed, he's just been living by the principles and values he's been espousing for years, people are just now paying attention.
Glenn opened the TV show today catching the media up on what they may have missed over the past few years:
The below is based off the transcript to the opening monologue of 1.23.2013 episode of The Glenn Beck Program
Hello, America, and welcome to The Glenn Beck Program and to TheBlaze. This is the network that you are building, and I want to start with something that is referred to as the seven national crimes. And here they are: I don’t think, I don’t know, I don’t care, I am too busy, I leave well enough alone, I have no time to read and think of these things, I’m not interested.
Okay, these are the seven national crimes. This was written by a guy from Germany around the turn of the century, and if these are true, and I think they are, this is what’s gotten us here. If these are true, then the opposite of these must be virtues – thinking, knowing, taking the time to read, become interested, right? Speaking out, becoming interested, educating yourself, and then speaking out, those should be treasured. Okay?
This really is not a new concept. This is just one of those uniting principles. We should be able to agree that all of those are national crimes because if the entire country says those things, bad. Not new thinking, 2,500 years ago, you go to Euripides, and he said this: “This is slavery, not to speak one’s thought.” That’s pretty good. That’s slavery. You’re a slave if you can’t say what you’re thinking.
Fast-forward, 1700s, Voltaire said, really important phrase, “I do not agree with what you have to say, but I’ll defend to the death your right to say it.” That one I think I have quoted over and over again. I don’t have to agree with you, but you have a right to say it. This is really, because of this kind of language where you really meant I’ll fight till the end for your right to say something, this is where tenure came from.
You can’t have people who are talking about science or they’re talking about God or they’re talking about politics or anything, they cannot be afraid that you’re going to kill them or fire them, right? And it goes against everything that is in our makeup, our DNA, as a country. The founders made this really, really clear in their commitment to free speech. That’s why it’s amendment number one.
You have a right to believe in God or not believe in God. You have a right to speak and not fear that you’re going to be thrown in jail. And the implications of a society without free speech, well, it’s clear, it’s North Korea. Okay, so now let me do a health check on our freedom of speech and if we’re even thinking anymore. Let me give you a few stories.
Actress Maria Conchita Alonso, she was fired just this last week because she openly supported a Tea Party candidate. I know, crazy. Now, first of all, she’s going to be on Dana’s show tomorrow night, but I find that astounding. Is that not Hollywood blacklisting, except it’s not with Communists; it’s with small government people?
Andrew Cuomo said Conservatives are not welcome in New York. I said earlier this week isn’t that what they said to Martin Luther King and the freedom riders, you’re not welcome in this state, go read a book? That was the quote from the governor. Well, Bob Beckel called me names, I guess yesterday, because I called Cuomo out on this and compared him to the governors of the South in the 60s.
Bob Beckel: That may be the most foolish, ridiculous, disgraceful…no wonder the son of a bitch is off the TV.Q: Why?
Bob Beckel: Because he equates Andrew Cuomo with one of the most racist governors there were who allowed black people to be lynched in his state, who never put together a jury, never allowed any blacks on a jury, and he, Glenn Beck, is equating him with Cuomo, Governor Cuomo. It’s ridiculous. He ought to leave the state.
I don’t know why people even would think about putting him on television or want to be around him. Bob, life does not have to be so angry all the time. It’s not surprising that somebody like Bob Beckel would resort to name calling because, not anything to do with Bob Beckel, but because of Cuomo’s position. It is absolutely indefensible to say if you’re pro-life you’re not welcome in this state.
Okay, there’s some bad news. Let me give you some good news. Bill Nye the Science Guy, I think he’s really offensive on the way he treats people of religion because he doesn’t believe in creationism. He believes in evolution. And that’s fine, whatever, to each his own, but now, here’s the good news, he is willing to actually have a debate with Ken Ham and debate their positions, the merits of evolution versus creation. That’s fantastic. This is the way we’re supposed to be.
But as I’m reading the article today, here’s what caught my attention, Richard Dawkins and other atheists are begging Nye not to do the debate. Why? Because they say it gives the idea of creation credibility and, I want to quote, “creationism is a worthless and uneducated position to hold in our modern society and Nye is about to treat it as an equal, debatable controversy.” Now, this is Richard Dawkins.
Now, that’s quite a claim, because nobody can prove how the world began, right? We know that. So how does Richard Dawkins think the world began? Because if you’re saying look, to treat, you know, there is a God, and he created people through intelligent design as equal, debatable, it’s ridiculous. But what does he believe? How does he say the world began? Look at this clip from Ben Stein’s Expelled, an interview with Richard Dawkins.
It’s amazing because remember, uneducated and worthless opinion to say God did it. It has no credibility, but what is the possibility that Dawkins is entertaining as the origin of life?
Stein: So you have no idea how it started?Dawkins: No, nor has anybody.
Stein: Nor has anyone else. What do you think is the possibility that intelligent design might turn out to be the answer to some issues in genetics or in evolution?
Dawkins: Well, it could come about in the following way, it could be that at some earlier time somewhere in the universe, a civilization evolved by probably some kind of Darwinian means to a very, very high level of technology and designed a form of life that they seeded onto perhaps this planet.
Now, that is a possibility and an intriguing possibility, and I suppose it’s possible that you might find evidence for that if you look at the details of biochemistry, molecular biology, you might find a signature of some sort of designer.
Come here. Okay, let me ask you a question, what did he just say? He said God, it’s ridiculous, God created things. There’s no evidence of God at all. It’s ridiculous. You have no place in even a debate in real conversation, you know? If you want to have an intelligent conversation about who created life here on this planet, I mean, aliens, we could go to the aliens. Really? Do you have any evidence of aliens? Do you have the evidence of anything? No, we don’t know.
The point is here, I believe in God. I believe he created the heavens and the earth. I got it. That’s where I am. Now, I may die and wake up in a void of blackness or not wake up as the case may be, and I may go crap, the whole time there’s been no God. Oh well, that belief in God made me a better person. I don’t have any idea how God creates. I’ve no idea.
This is the most ridiculous argument because we’re not going to figure it out, but to act like you do know that that’s ridiculous, and you’re saying well, the alien thing makes a lot of sense – come on, man. Come on, really? Can’t we just be comfortable enough to say I don’t know the answer? You don’t know the answer either. He said it there. He was there. Nobody knows. Good, so why can’t we hear out each other’s opinions?
Why can’t we…why is it so surprising to say hey, gay people shouldn’t be put into the ovens like that fascist in Russia says? Why is that surprising to say, hey, I think we should all get together and stand against that one? Why is it wrong to say hey, if gay couples want to get married, cool, dude, whatever, but don’t tell me that I have to change my church? If I want to marry you in my church, cool. If I don’t, cool. Can’t we just get along?
Apparently no. Why? Because we have a growing ruling class. Let me give you the story from the IRS. The IRS is harassing a low profile conservative group called the Friends of Abe. Who are the Friends of Abe? These are Hollywood actors and writers and producers. I met with them, and I’m telling you, when I met with them, you go through all kinds…I had to go through the back of a restaurant, through the kitchen, in by the bathroom to this other holding room while other like six or seven of them started to slowly walk into one room. And then I walked in at the end. It’s crazy. It’s crazy. It’s an underground meeting.
Now, for two years they’ve been trying to get 501(c)(3) status for the Friends of Abe, but the IRS said nope, we need your list of members. Listen to this, the government is saying we want the names. Gee, have I heard that someplace before, we want the names, Hollywood? Well, they’re not going to release the names because they’re afraid of blacklisting. Now, I know that sounds crazy, but remember what happened to Maria? Remember, Maria?
She was fired because she was for the Tea Party guy, and every time this stuff happens, it ends in exactly the same way. And the parallels to the 1950s, we are seeing them right now. You just heard me tell you a story, the Friends of Abe, the government is saying give us the names of people who are in the Tea Party or are against this government. Watch this.
VIDEONarrator: Calling the House Un-American Activities Committee to order, Chairman J. Parnell Thomas of New Jersey opens an inquiry into possible Communist penetration of the Hollywood film industry. The committee is seeking to determine if Red Party members have reached the screen with subversive propaganda.
A long list of prominent motion picture witnesses appear before the committee. Speaking for the films, Eric Johnston, President of the Motion Picture Association, talks frankly concerning the attitude of the producers.
Johnston: We are accused of having Communists and Communist sympathizers in our employ. Undoubtedly there are such persons in Hollywood as you will find elsewhere in America, but we neither shield nor defend them. We want them exposed. We’re not responsible for the political or economic ideas of any individual.
Okay, stop. This is one of the worst times in American history. Everybody knows this, worst time. I hate the idea of Communism, but if I target and blacklist people because of their Communism, am I any better than the brutal communist dictator? The answer is no. If you hate Fascism, but you’re willing to go after people and demand a list of names, I’m sorry, that makes you a, say it with me, Fascist.
When I went after Van Jones to expose who he was, if you remember right, if you watched the show back then, I said don’t fire him, don’t fire him, what are you doing firing him? I was the only one standing up, the White House shouldn’t be firing this dude. I just wanted people to know who he really was and who the president had working around him.
The same right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness applies to Communists. Van Jones has a right to get a job. That’s fine, but it also applies to me and you. My position on this has been clear and consistent from the very beginning, and my position on things has not really changed. In fact, it has gotten deeper; however, the methods might have changed a little bit because I think, I hope, I’m smarter.
I hope I’m a better person than I was, and I’m really quite baffled because the press today is, like, it’s crazy. It’s crazy. They are still talking about what I said to Megyn Kelly earlier this week, reminder.
VIDEOKelly: How do you remember it now?
Beck: I remember it as an awful lot of fun, and that I made an awful lot of mistakes. And I wish I could go back and be more uniting in my language because I think I played a role unfortunately in helping tear the country apart.
Stop. Now, the media is all over this today because they really, truly cannot understand why the always angry, always crazy Glenn Beck is now suddenly introspective and calm. What is happening to him? How is he changing? He’s changing his views now, you know? Well, no, I’m not. I haven’t changed any of my views. You’re discovering some of my views. CNN had a panel segment today talking about this, and the banner said Beck changes his tone on gays. I looked at that, and I went, “I have? When?”
Hey CNN researchers, show your audience the times when I was harsh on gays. I’ll spare you the research which you’re never going to do, it doesn’t exist. The funny thing is the media acts as if they’re always the enlightened one. Glenn Beck has evolved, and evolution is a good thing. I caught that one today. I thought that was great. I was divisive. I didn’t mean to be. I tried not to be, but it’s the system that just pits people apart.
And he’s divisive, and he’s finally admitting it. No, I’m willing to take responsibility for my part and yet, their warped view of me proves that they have been perpetuating this problem all along. They are shocked today because they think I’m some anti-gay, racist nut job, and they think the same thing about you. Now, why do they think that? Because the only time they ever reported on me or on you was when some leftist with an agenda at Media Matters sent them some ridiculous out-of-context Glenn Beck alert.
And that’s the only thing that’s ever been newsworthy to them. That’s it. They didn’t see the CNN or MSNBC report on the Restoring Love event in Dallas. Oh, that’s right, CNN, MSNBC, and FOX, nobody did a report on that. Do you remember that? And we had truckloads of relief. In fact, it was one of the biggest armies of volunteers that America has seen – not a peep from the media.
I haven’t changed. They’re just seeing it. I didn’t see them report on Mercury One’s donations and the work in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy or any of the other numerous tornadoes and other tragedies that you have done. Because of you, Mercury One has been able to give $14 million to victims of tragedy in under two years, $250,000 to the NYPD. I think it was like their union or something because they didn’t have any money to be able to help on their emergency relief for their families.
The union guys were like what, I don’t know what to…because that’s who we are, dude. You just didn’t think so. Five hundred thousand dollars we gave to a struggling hospital in New York City. Joe, was it 500? Yeah, $500,000 to New York City so they could help continue to treat people in New York City that are not welcome in any place, and it’s great that we’re helping them because I got news for you, apparently I’m not welcome in New York either.
I don’t think they even saw the beginning let alone the end of Man in the Moon.
VIDEOAnd the Man in the Moon was woken from his deep slumber by a faint and gentle tapping, one that he had not felt ever before. It was his beasts, and when he looked closer, he saw them. He saw them dancing and jumping up on his face. They were dancing together in the glow of the great lights. They had done it. They had found their way. They had used their machines to reach toward him, and now they were one.
Hello? How about the reaction from the crowd of 25,000 people who saw that? How about just one reaction of somebody who sure doesn’t look like she should be a fan of Glenn Beck’s?
VIDEOI would love to tell Glenn Beck thank you very much. I heard something today that I didn’t know I needed to hear until I heard it, and so it hit very close to home with me. And now I know that every day the sun will rise, and I can look up to see the moon to remind me that I know the sun will come up.
That’s our job. That’s what we’ve been trying to do, but they never covered it. They didn’t report on the 9/12 Project that brought people together on principles and values. They mocked it. They didn’t look at it. They didn’t believe it. They were cynical. They didn’t report on any of this and what you’ve done. They’ve just selectively decided to paint all of us in a certain way.
May I humbly suggest that the media stop gawking at my introspection and start maybe doing a little introspection of their own? Piers Morgan, now this is a record, Piers Morgan had a response I have to commend. Watch.
VIDEOMorgan: Let’s talk seriously about the polarization of political debate in America, because Glenn Beck was quite brave I thought to say what he said. And if I’m being self-reflective, doesn’t happen very often, but I may as well throw it out there. You know, we mentioned guns there. When I’ve done the guns debate, I can tell that when I get over angry and get a little bit abusive to the gun people, that it actually doesn’t help the debate, that actually all it does is intensify the polarization.
How fantastic is that? How fantastic is that? Okay? He took this as an opportunity to look inward and upward, not just at you. Kudos, Piers. Joe Scarborough, not a friend of this program, responded this way on MSNBC today:
VIDEOScarborough: You know, he came out this past week and also said if you are anti-gay, if you don’t like a person because they’re gay, you have no place in this country, and don’t call yourself a fan of mine. I think what’s so fascinating about this is that if Glenn Beck were saying all of this from a position of weakness, that would be one thing.
Glenn Beck from what I saw made like $90 million last year. He has done on the Internet what the largest corporations in America have tried to do on the Internet. I mean, he has somehow brought together TV and Internet, and he’s had an extraordinary year financially. So I think that’s what’s even more telling about this is that he’s making these admissions from a position of strength.
Okay, stop. I just want to show you that because Joe Scarborough is not a friend of this not work. In fact, let me show you what Joe Scarborough said when I left FOX.
VIDEOScarborough: I’m just saying it outright that Roger Ailes was right that all of those people that showed up at Glenn Beck’s rally were FOX people, were Roger Ailes people, and not Glenn Beck’s people. And Glenn Beck will find that out in the coming years. Roger Ailes has built a remarkable platform for conservative speakers, and Glenn Beck got plugged in at five o’clock and did better than anybody else at five o’clock, but he also did better than he will for the rest of his career.
Here is a guy who had that opinion and now was able to realize that he was wrong. And I would like to take this moment and ask the media aren’t we all a little wrong about something? Haven’t we all done things that we are saying oh man, if I just would’ve known then? Really? Haven’t we all just made mistakes? I mean, none of us are perfect. What is that he without sin cast the first stone thing?
Unfortunately, that’s not how the media is set up. I’ve asked Tiffany to run as a documentary maybe the Christmas meeting that we had as a company and show you who we are on the inside. They won’t understand. They won’t even get it. I think you’ll even be shocked at a lot of the stuff, probably not, the way we run our company and what we think we are and we stand for and what we strive to be.
In the rest of the media, admitting a mistake, oh, that’s horrible. I’ve always told you I lead with my mistakes, and I’ve always told you we can disagree, but I will defend you. I will defend. And I’m not going to defend a mistake because I’m afraid I’ll lose an argument. Don’t be afraid, and don’t fall into the trap of the seven crimes. Don’t be afraid to think, to know, to care.
