Hate Speech To The Left Of Me

I read a passage to a friend about what we as a country might do to get ourselves back on track. The friend agreed wholeheartedly, nodding positively as I read:

“The abuses being perpetrated by our government are just as obvious now as they were [in 1776], but instead of rising up with a collective voice, we sit idly by and watch as our hard-won freedoms dissolve into a puddle of apathy, political correctness, and outright corruption.

“We feel helpless and alone as we hear confusing debates over obscure issues play out on the airwaves daily. But that’s the lie. The infighting and the purposeful division promoted by our political parties is a simple ploy to keep us from uniting. After all, a citizenry that fights among itself over petty differences is too busy to notice the real cause of its problems.”

My friend agreed, until I told her the quotation was from Glenn Beck. She flinched, her face soured, and she turned away. She would hear no more from Glenn Beck's Common Sense.

Now, I’ve never heard Beck on the radio, but I agree with his subtitle, “The Case Against An Out-Of-Control Government, Inspired By Thomas Paine.” Most of it makes sense to me, but my friend wouldn’t even listen, much less consider it, no matter how valid or reasonable the ideas.

Why do you think that is?

Having enjoyed An Inconvenient Book, I bought a copy of Arguing with Idiots from a local bookseller. The woman at the register was helpful, friendly, talkative – until she saw the Beck book. She grimaced, grunted, placed our receipt so it covered Beck’s face, and mumbled, “I don’t have to see that.” Those were her last words to us.

Now, I’m sure that she sees books every day by or about Hitler, or Stalin, or Charles Manson, or the the Dallas Cowboys, but I’m certain that she doesn’t respond to them as she did to Beck.

Don't you just hate when that happens?