Standing up for Glenn Beck

I've heard rumors this last week of sponsors pulling their advertising from Glenn Beck's show. I haven't been able to watch his show every day this week, so I'm not sure if he's addressed this explicitly. But, redstate.com just posted that Obama's green jobs czar, "convicted felon and self-declared communist Van Jones" has direct ties to a group that is trying to shut down Beck, which has hired a big Hollywood PR firm to *influence* (read: bully) others to follow their lead.

Erick Erickson posted the information for the organizations that are boycotting Beck. I'll repost it here for convenience.

Here’s the list of the groups that have boycotted Glenn Beck. Let them know you disagree. Let them know you will boycott them for kowtowing to Barack Obama’s worshippers, brownshirts, goons, and thugs.

SC Johnson:
Fisk Johnson Chairman & CEO
Phone: (262)260-2000

Steve Peckham, Senior Global Public Affairs Manager
262.260.4402
swpeckha@scj.com

Progressive Insurance:
Glenn Renwick, President & CEO- (440)461-5000

Linda Harris, Advertising & Sponsorships
Linda_J._Harris@progressive.com

Geico:
Tony Nicely
Chairman, President & CEO, Insurance Operations
E-mail: tnicely@geico.com
(301) 986-2462

Chris Tasher, GEICO Media Relations
301-986-3271
ctasher@geico.com

Erickson says this was prompted by Beck's calling Obama a racist. I believe that there are ample facts out there to support this claim. Whether you agree with Beck or not, he has every right to lay out the facts as he sees them, make his conclusions and share them with the public.

For me personally, I think Beck's opinion has merit. I lost all respect for our President as a person when he said that despite sitting in Jeremiah Wright's church for 20 years, he had no idea that he used his pulpit to preach offensive, racist and anti-American ideas. Either the President lied about going to church (which is the lesser of the two evils here), or he lied about the types of ideas and sermons he listened to as he sat in that pew for twenty years.

If you don't like Beck, start your own blog, radio show, whatever the case may be and make the counter-arguments. But, to use Beck's own word, it seems to me that those in power, including Van Jones and his group, are forming nothing less than a thug-ocracy when they go to such lengths to shut down one man's voice.

I already sent an email to each of the people on Erickson's list, and I encourage everyone to do the same. My email is reprinted below.

Dear Sirs and Madams,

I write to address the fact that you are boycotting Glenn Beck. While some of you may have come to this decision individually, as I understand it, others are being pressured by a PR firm tied to the current administration that is trying to shut down Mr. Beck for his opposing political views.

It is shocking that this is happening in a country that was built upon freedom of speech. Mr. Beck's contentions all have a factual basis - regardless of whether or not you agree with his analysis. It is shameful what you and others are doing to shut him down, and I am hopeful as ever that the truth will prevail and that you will not succeed in your goals. In the meantime, please know that at least for my group of friends and family, so long as you are making efforts to shut down Glenn Beck, we will choose to take our business elsewhere and boycott you in turn.

Despina D. Karras

Chicago, IL