So, Okay, Glenn Beck Was Talking to Sarah Palin. . .

First I got stuck in a string of Arizona shooting posts, then I went off on a tangent involving Glenn Beck, and now I seem to be stuck in another rut.  And what a scary rut it is. I know, usually I'm laughing at or feeling sorry for Beck. I also lament the near cult-leader like status he has among many of his fans. But this week, Beck has unwittingly peeled back one of the scarier corners of right-wing world.

It all started after the Saturday attack on Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, after somebody realized that Giffords had been on Sarah Palin's creepy "target" list.  Bloggers wagged a finger (me included), and the news started reporting it. Though most of those who mentioned it couched it in the context akin to "we don't know if the shooter even knew about the Palin graphic, but she still ought to be ashamed of herself" if they editorialized at all. No matter, the right instantly accused the left of "politicizing" the tragedy (something they'd never do, of course), and said that the left was blaming Palin for the shooting. Did some bloggers or commenters blame her? I don't doubt it. But I've gotta say, most people weren't blaming her. I know I wasn't.



Sorry, a little levity is required here.

Anyway, in this back-and-forth flame war, Palin's name has come up an awful lot, and along with her, Beck. So naturally, Beck had a discussion with Palin (via emails) on his radio show. So far, nothing too alarming, right? But in his kiss up/suck up to Palin, Beck slobbered the following: "But please look into protection for your family. An attempt on you could bring the republic down."

When I heard that, I rolled my eyes, and delivered a Kristin Wiig Aunt Linda impression: "Oh, brother!"  But later in the day, I decided to look up the topic on the far-right internet outpost, Free Republic. And there, oh, brother doesn't come close to covering it. Now, remember, this is a group that is in defiant denial that their side espouses extremist, dangerous rhetoric.  To them, Jared Loughner was a disturbed individual who was not influenced by Palin, Beck or anyone else on the right. . .but maybe he got some ideas from the left.

And yet, these FReepers took Glenn Beck's suck-up scenario to heart, and spewed forth some of the vilest, scariest, most out-of-scale stuff I've ever read there. And that is saying something, let me tell you.  Here's just a sampling:

"They'd better hope it never happens. It would make Fort Sumter look like a Kindergarten classroom."

"The bullet that would bring down a Palin or a Beck would be the first bullet in Revolution II, They would be Martyrs and heroes with their faces on the New Gold Backed Dollars. Lots of people would die and the nation ripped to pieces in the process. Lets pray this never happens to our great land. Still, I am starting to believe that this land needs to be purges of her sins, as in the Civil War."

[Paradoxically, the same person who wrote that second quote finished with this:] "Let us work to heal the nation—not divide her more!"

"If ONE hair is harmed on Sarah Palin’s head, Glenn is right, it is the end of our republic..of course the leftist media would be celebrating. . ."

"The ultimate insanity! The left have closed themselves up in cities with no food and no guns.  The right controls all of the food, all of the fuel, most of the water, and virtually all of the guns and the knowledge to use them.  Bad situation to initiate hostilities!"

There is a lot more, and to be fair, there is a bit of dissent there too. But the big thing I wonder (among many others) is why the FReepers think that Loughner was just a kook, but if a kook just like him went after their hero, they'd start a war against liberals? And they think liberals were overreacting? 

I'm not sure I can recommend checking out the source material, but if you're so inclined, it's all there at: FreeRepublic.com