I am deeply worried at reports that conservative radio host and Fox commentator Glenn Beck raped and murdered a young girl in 1990. I don’t suppose I should feel any shock at the news; conservative leaders in our churches, on the airwaves, and in the halls of Congress have repeatedly been exposed as drug addicts, perverts, embezzlers, adulterers, bribe-takers, bribe-makers, rapists, child molesters, and distributors of child pornography. Adding murder to the list should come as no great shock.
There is even some doubt, albeit purely speculative, as to whether the accusations are true. By some reports, Beck first murdered, then raped the girl—which would technically make his second violation a case of molesting a corpse, and not rape. Some point to the mutilation of the victim’s genitals, and suggest the victim was a young boy. Some question the quality of evidence against him entirely, calling it a hoax, or a satire.
But note this: despite ample time since the news broke, Beck has issued no denial to raping and murdering a young girl in 1990. If he didn’t do it, why doesn’t he simply come forward and deny it? Why won’t he agree to release his police records to prove otherwise? For that matter, why does he not turn his high-powered lawyers (and those of the Fox broadcast network) against his accusers for libel? What does Glenn Beck have to hide?
We know he is hiding something behind an expensive legal team, as they have launched a skeevy attempt to silence fair and open examination of the evidence. They are not, however, working through the American legal system, but through the WIPO, an international tribunal on domain names. That’s right: Beck feels the protection of an arbitrary website’s name should trump the 1st Amendment of the US Constitution, as well as concerns about rape and murder. As Beck himself describes the strategy, “If you can’t win with the people, you take it to the courts. If you can’t win in the courts, you go international.” In short, he is prepared to destroy US sovereignty simply to silence honest debate. Why does Glenn Beck hate America so much? Is it because he’s afraid to swear his innocence before God in an American court? Why does Glenn Beck hate God so much?
Beck is a powerful media figure, winning the Marconi Radio Award as a right-wing radio host, preferring to level fantastic accusations at his targets and demand the burden of disproof be placed on his victims. For Beck, the accusation alone, regardless of source, motivation, or evidence, is enough to destroy a career. He has infamously portrayed President Obama as a racist, although Beck himself publicly addressed a Teabagger’s march—which required non-white participants to march at the back—called black men lazy, and castigated Tiger Woods for marrying a “Swedish” woman, demanding Woods “get a job” and “keep his paws off our women.” He has driven presidential advisors, such as Van Jones, to resign on no more evidence than Beck’s own wild claims and the zealotry of his viewers, and the threat of a right-wing outlash. So powerful a media figure should not retain his seat of influence until accusations of his own violent crimes are put to rest. Beck could put the accusations to rest with a simple denial, yet he says nothing.
As of this posting, a recent poll finds that 82% of the correspondents believe Glenn Beck raped and murdered a young girl in 1990. Beck is by his own admission an alcoholic and drug abuser and “real dirtbag.” He has laughingly simulated poisoning Nancy Pelosi and smiled at the possibility that someone might attempt to assassinate the president. And yet, so far as I know, no police are seriously investigating the charges. No major news outlets are reporting the allegations. Nevertheless, even now, Beck’s rabid supporters, unable to see the irony in Beck being caught up by his own tactics, are rallying to him, hoping to protect him from justice by the force of public opinion. So what can we do about it?
We can start by helping spread the meme. When enough people repeat it, it becomes news, regardless of and more important than the demonstrable truth; just ask colleague Sean Hannity about the birther movement. The brave host of glennbeckrapedandmurderedayounggirlin1990.com got the ball rolling, getting the facts out to the public on his website for whifchy, but, as noted above, Fox’s legal steamroller is trying to shut the site down by hook or by crook. A meme doesn’t stay viral without help. Link to this site, and to others exploring the accusations. (If the suit goes through, see gb1990.com. A link is important, as search engines like Google pick up on these much more readily than they do simple text. Print and post bills, at the designer’s request. Buy the t-shirt. Share the story with your friends and family, especially with those who may not be so good at critical thinking, such as those who regularly follow Fox commentary. Ask them to write Fox, demanding the truth. Ask them to stop watching Fox for as long as it takes to get this accused rapist and murderer off the air, or at least until he mans up and issues a public denial. We can’t bring him down through appeals to conscience, for he has none. We can’t bring Fox to dismiss him out of appeals to common decency, for common decency has no part in Fox commentary. But we might be able to remove this scumbag from the airwaves by hitting his bosses where it hurts: in the Nielsen ratings, and in the pocketbook.
All he has to do is stand up and make the following, public assertion:
“I, Glenn Beck, did not rape and murder a young girl in 1990.”
That’s all it would take. And yet he does not—perhaps can not—make even this simple, good faith gesture.
It’s time to stop violent psychopaths from directing our national conversation.
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