Strengthening Constitutional Self-Government

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Frederick Douglass on Glenn Beck Show

Courtesy of yours truly.  Shameless self-promotion, here.  Today, Friday (May 28), at 5 pm EST I sing the praises of Frederick Douglass on Glenn Beck's "Founding Fridays" segment.  The other guest is David Barton of WallBuilders, who has a new book about important blacks in American history.  Have a look-see if you're around a TV at that hour.  Sample quotation:  "I know of no rights of color superior to the rights of humanity."  Douglass, "Our Composite Nationality" (1869)

Discussions - 26 Comments

I hope Beck didn't pour any gasoline on you - to make some sort of intellectual point, of course.

Barton himself is a fundamentally dishonest man who is at the forefront of the historical revisionist project to remake the Founding Fathers in the image of modern-day quasi-theocrats.

See here:
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-rodda/dont-mess-with-me-david-b_b_177687.html

And he's been involved in the Texas school board shenanigans, as well:

https://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/09/barton_brings_religio-historial_road_show_to_tx_bo.php

Mr. Morel,

I watched you on Glenn Beck this evening. You were informative and interesting. I knew maybe five percent of what you guys talked about tonight. I recorded the names of each black founder, and I will be doing my own research.

It was courageous of you to appear on such a hated television program. You're a great example to those of us who are trying to rise above groupthink. Speaking out no matter who's insulting you can be daunting.

Thanks.

Absolutely marvelous job. This is the first time I have been able to watch an entire Glen Beck Show. You blended solid history with good showmanship.

Watched the Glen Beck show. The information was amazing. My husband and I are now looking up the names of the people that you and the other gentleman discussed. We are in awe that so much U.S. history has been altered in order to fill political needs.
Thank you for the education!

Yes, that's right. If you want to escape "groupthink" then it always pays to tune in to Glenn Beck!

And just how "hated" of a program can Beck's show be? Even though it can't get or keep advertisers and has been shedding viewers like crazy over the last few months, it's still quite popular - did you watch any videos of 9/12 in DC last year? Beck is positively ADORED (practically worshipped) by a lot of people. By your thinking though, based on popularity, Olbermann is even more hated, and thus it would be even more "courageous" for Mr. Morel to appear on that show.

Having a discussion with a liberal is like having a discussion with Charley Mason. It makes no sense. You might want to read Up From Slavery and then post on this blog comment.

Some of you might want to read Hugh Thomas excellent history book "The Slave Trade - The Story of the Atlantic Slave Trade 1440-1870". This book is one of the most comprehensive accounts of the Atantic Slave trade ever written. Believe it or not, the European Slave Traders could have never, never been successful in the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade without the unending help of the Muslims in North Africa and the Kings of the Tribes in Africa who glady sold Africian prisoners acquired from African tribal wars for items like cotton and rum. Also how 3,000 free black slaves bought and sold slaves in America. It covers how only 8% of the slaves were sold to the United States and the bulk of them went to Cuba and South American to work on the sugar plantations where they were required to work from sun up to sun down with no homes, families or rest. Good book - very long over 900 pages, but well worth the read.

Actually, no one was having a conversation with Craig but he was nice enough to pee all over Lucas' appearance on national media and everyone's support of him on the website. Lucas is a class-act, first-rate intellectual who is a great teacher in the Socratic tradition. For you to come along and spout off your agenda in the middle of all of this shows that you are truly a first-class jerk.

Lucas, great job!

These are the days when I wish I had cable TV . . .

Tony, I fail to see how I "pee[d] all over Lucas' appearance on national media [I guess Beck's show isn't part of the liberally-biased "lamestream media"?] and everyone's support of him on the website"

I merely said "I hope Beck didn't pour any gasoline on you." and picked on Beck a bit, and then noted how Barton is a fraud.

Perhaps Mr. Morel is "a class-act, first-rate intellectual who is a great teacher in the Socratic tradition." If so, then it's a shame that he would have a lapse in judgment to make an appearance on a circus-act, lowest-common-denominator show hosted by Beck, who is the exact opposite of that description you offer of Morel.

Who is Barton?

Craig, I doubt that you know much about David Barton, except that information on him you have gleened from some left wing "Destroy Christianity because we are a "secular" nation" web site. You claim Barton is a "fraud" yet you give no proof of that claim. A fraud how? By insisting that the proud heritage of African Americans finally be put back into the history books? The fact that the only links you provide are two of the most far left websites in existance, shows that you are dutifully indoctrinated into your own "group think" crowd that wants nothing more than to remove all vestigages of "the faith of our fathers".

Thanks to Barton, et al, African-American children, nay, all children, in Texas, and hopefullly other states, will now learn of those free blacks that helped mold this nation in the 18th century. Names, long removed from our history text books, will now be taught to a segment of our nation that thinks their American experience in liberty began with the Emancipation Proclaimation.

Your knee-jerk reaction to Glen Beck shows that you are more interested in political "gotcha" than you are in having people learn about our rich and diverse history.

African Americans need to learn that their power comes in the strength they have always possessed, not in voting as a bloc of victims. I challange you to find one speech by Dr. King where he referred to the African American as a "victim".

It is also obvious that you did NOT watch the Beck show Friday. Otherwise you would not have make the comments you did about "circus act, lowest common denominator", as Beck did his best to introduce America to history long since recognized, and eliminated by those "progressives" you seem to have such respect for.

I would also suggest you read the entire writtings of Frederick Douglas. Being stupid and ill informed is not the way to go through life.

Whatever you say, retire05. Enjoy your retirement. Do you also watch Bill O'Reilly?

pwned.

Craig, having read your previous posts I only determined that you were no more than a troll.

Assuming that you know anything about me (like being retired) from an internet moniker proves you are simply a stupid troll.

It would have been less embarrassing for you to not have proved it.

But please, feel free to continue to show your lack of intellect.

Craig, you say his show is losing viewers? Got a citation on that? Beck himself claims a 22% increase from May 2009 to May 2010.

retire05: I supposed that your username might have some connection to your situation but you imply it doesn't. Fine. My presumption was certainly reasonable. I wasn't taking an oath in a courtroom. Obviously, your definition of "stupid troll" is "one who disagrees with me and doesn't participate in a loyal manner with the agreed-upon echo chamber." I will shed no tears from your assessment of me.

Redwald: I love YOUR source. Top-notch. "Beck himself claims a 22% increase..." Yes, I'm sure he does. Well, if Beck says so! (Brilliant, thanks for the laugh) I've found it hard to get comparative yearly stats (and don't care enough to give the search more than 3 mins.) but this guy has analyzed Beck's Neilsen ratings and drawn other conclusions:

https://mediamatters.org/blog/201005200004

But ultimately, I don't really care what his ratings are. He isn't necessarily correct about anything just because he's popular, just as unpopularity doesn't automatically mean one is wrong.

My point in bringing up the viewership numbers to Shannon was to note that if one was "courageous" for appearing on Beck's show (which still has very high numbers - even if they have been trending downward lately, but that was beside the point) then it would be even more courageous to appear on the lower-rated shows (that right-wingers hate), like Olbermann and Maddow. Also, the idea that merely appearing on ANY tv news-discussion show is indicative of "courage" really cheapens the word.

I smell just a whiff of desperation in all this (bogus) hullabaloo about his ratings "decline." He had an enormous spike in January 2010, and since then has returned to growth more typical of FNC in general. Big deal. For a 5 p.m. show to hold a stable audience of 2.6 million people is pretty amazing; FNC should wise up and give him a primetime slot.

Why do I think that? Well, how many Obamites has he brought down so far? Why are most of the top Amazon books usually those he has discussed on the air? The simple fact is, he is doing terrible, terrible damage to the Obamanation and Progressivism in general, and (as he says) the White House has his phone number should he make a mistake. So far, I don't think he's made too many.

So, Craig, you can just keep whistling past the graveyard if it gives you comfort.

Whatever one thinks of Beck, it really is nice to see that nobody objects to him having a scholar on to discuss Douglass, a fine American.

I see no need at all for "desperation." Beck's ratings aren't a big deal.

The USA has around 310 million people. What's popular on television does not necessarily indicate what is of quality, what's important, what's deep, what's truthful, what's educational, etc.

Dancing with The Stars and American Idol get 19 million viewers. Two and a Half Men gets 13 million. I'm sure 2 million angry basement-dwellers can always be found for (Ashbrook honoree) Beck's excretions. And the other half million are probably college kids playing drinking games where they get to tip one back every time Beck says something inane or makes a complete hypocrite of himself (as in the recent cases where he mocked Michelle and Malia Obama in the most juvenile ways imaginable, even though he had previously insisted that politician's FAMILY MEMBERS should be off limits for such attacks). The tea party's hero is just a creepy bottom-feeder.

Like I said, just keep thinking that way.

As for desperation, it's the Left that is making a big deal out of Beck and FNC (which kicks the butt of the Left's MSN as well as "balanced" CNN). What Administration tried to exclude FNC? Whose mouthpiece said that Fox wasn't a real news channel? Sounds like desperation to me.

Face it, FNC is doing real damage because it alone is giving America the other side of the story. As for "basement dwellers," I think that's more appropriately applied to people like you.

"...Beck and FNC (which kicks the butt of the Left's MSN as well as "balanced" CNN)"

Again, you're equating those numbers with many things other than just eyeballs on screens. FNC having higher numbers says nothing of its merits (a concept I'm sure you'd embrace if we looked at the results of the '08 election).

But you'll get absolutely no argument from me that "FNC is doing real damage." That is most definitely true.

Honestly, I think you should watch some Beck. The man has a very good track record of 1) predicting government's increasing aggression against civil society, 2) outing communists inside the administration and elsewhere, and 3) teaching critical history that is ignored (or lied about) by the academic and media Left. You would learn something, I don't doubt it for a minute.

And the damage he is doing is to people who think the way you do (narrowly, and rather poorly). As far as the nation is concerned, he is helping us break the fever.

speaking of Frederick Douglass; in a speech he gave on July 4, 1852, he asked and answered the following:

"What, to the American slave, is your 4th of July? I answer; a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim. To him, your celebration is a sham; your boasted liberty, an unholy license; your national greatness, swelling vanity; your sounds of rejoicing are empty and heartless; your denunciation of tyrants, brass fronted impudence; your shouts of liberty and equality, hollow mockery; your prayers and hymns, your sermons and thanksgivings, with all your religious parade and solemnity, are, to Him, mere bombast, fraud, deception, impiety, and hypocrisy — a thin veil to cover up crimes which would disgrace a nation of savages.There is not a nation on the earth guilty of practices more shocking and bloody than are the people of the United States, at this very hour.

Go search where you will, roam through all the monarchies and despotisms of the Old World, travel through South America, search out every abuse and when you have found the last, lay your facts by the side of the everyday practices of this nation, and you will say with me that, for revolting barbarity and shameless hypocrisy, America reigns without a rival."

...please, enlighten with the Barton/Beck spin. Are they on board with such sentiment?

All the hand-wringing about "what THE LEFT doesn't tell you" yet who neglected to tell you this part?

hmmmmm

Your performance on Beck was truly great. The Beckian take on Douglass is further evidence of his deeply complex reflections on the Theological-Limbaughgical problem. The theological-Limbaughgical problem, rightly said to be the theme of Beck's work, is examined in great depth at the blog devoted to Glenn Beck's Socratic Discourse. beckstudies.blogspot.com

@Arno, after reading the entire speak fourth of July speach https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4h2927t.html I have even more respect for FD than before he clearly admired the founders even tho he didn't agree with them in every aspect and had faith that ultimately the light would shine through and that liberty would prevail for all In America slavery ended in rebel states in 1863 with the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation but didn't end until the 13th amendment was rarified in December 1865 Over five months after this speach was given which shows how powerful and brave this man was.

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