Question Glenn Beck

Last weekend, I happened to be walking on Fee Lane and saw a sight that happens far too often on this campus. As I watched two freshmen girls throw up in the business school parking lot, one wearing only a T-shirt and one in a Playboy bunny outfit, I really began to wonder, how did these girls wind up in this situation – or more to the point, how could they be so dumb?

Well, I have found myself asking that question a lot lately. More specifically, every time one of these gun-carrying, Glenn Beck-loving, radical protesters have a microphone in front of them.

For example, during the 9/12 DC protests, a protester holding a sign saying “Fascists are now in control” was asked what he was trying to say with the sign.  His response: “Fascism is a form of socialism. I mean, they are all intertwined. Communism, fascism and socialism, they all borrow from each other.”

A word of advice: just stick with screaming “Amurika!” I promise, you will sound more intelligent.

This explosion of stupidity and ignorance is nothing new, and it’s not just limited to right wing radicals. Look no further than many of the Bush protests during the middle part of this decade, where left wing protesters held signs of Bush in Nazi outfits.

These protests have always seemed to draw the craziest, most radical members of each party. A recent poll has led me to question whether this ignorance and extremism is growing out of control in this country.

A survey conducted by Public Policy Voting using likely voters in New Jersey found that 18 percent of self-identified conservatives believe President Obama is the anti-Christ, and another 17 percent aren’t sure. That means 35 percent of New Jersey conservatives at least believe in the possibility that Obama is going to bring about the end of the world.

However, it’s not limited just to conservatives. Fifty-one percent of New Jersey Democrats believe President Bush could have known of the 9/11 attacks before they happened.

These are incredibly high numbers and show a growing trend of extremism in the country. Where is this extremism coming from, and why has it seemed to be growing during recent years?

I believe the most likely cause is the falling demand for actual news in place of partisan spin on cable news and Internet.

Never before in history have the extremes of society been able to present their views to the general population. Through the Internet, anyone with a willing voice and a creative presentation can cause a movement - look no further than the 9/11 truthers.

Cable news networks, such as Fox News and MSNBC, are more essential for news distribution in this country because of the continued decline of newspapers. However, their prime-time lineups exchange reporting for commentary, leaving the viewers with an unbalanced and distorted view of reality.

Glenn Beck even refers to his studio as the “Doom Room,” where he takes individual strains of fact and extrapolates them into huge theories. Beck even says that he doesn’t necessarily believe these theories, but that he is “just asking questions.”

However, when people rely on him and other political commentators for all their news, these questions quickly become fact.

Everyone should have a voice, but let's make sure these voices, especially those protesting, are informed before we allow them to dominate all debates.

Glenn Beck always tells his viewers to question their government. I say question Glenn Beck.