Glenn Beck Angers Conservatives by Being Humane to Immigrants
Glenn Beck announced yesterday that he would personally help finance and deliver "tractor-trailers full of food, water, teddy bears and soccer balls" to the 60,000 underage undocumented immigrants detained at the U.S.-Mexico border. And some conservatives are going apeshit on him.
Beck made the announcement on his own radio show, dutifully transcribed on his website:
"Through no fault of their own, they are caught in political crossfire," Beck said of the children. "And while we continue to put pressure on Washington and change its course of lawlessness, we must also help. It is not either, or. It is both. We have to be active in the political game, and we must open our hearts."
In a moment of earnestness, showmanship, or possibly both, Beck conceded the move might be unpopular with conservatives, including some of his listeners and subscribers. He was right.
The anti-Beck backlash was stoked late Wednesday by Breitbart.com scribbler and grumpy tweeter John Nolte, who took a break from decrying liberal women to highlight his site's slanted coverage of Beck and diss the radio jock for lamenting that some conservatives lack compassion:
Beck puffing himself as compassionate by blasting conservatives. Why? -- http://t.co/UyHHqCReqS
— John Nolte (@NolteNC) July 9, 2014
Unlike Beck, I mange to give to charity without attacking conservatives using media-approved stereotypes. What a disappointment.
— John Nolte (@NolteNC) July 9, 2014
"Beck slams conservatives as 'judgmental!'" -- How's that helping again -- I mean other than Beck?
— John Nolte (@NolteNC) July 9, 2014
Like I said, I've never said anything unkind about Beck before. Just playing defense.
— John Nolte (@NolteNC) July 9, 2014
Unfortunately, Nolte's got to defend the indefensible—namely, his own root attitudes toward the influx of child immigrants:
Who'd be the villain in a movie about a president hoping to increase his power by enticing young children to make a harrowing journey alone?
— John Nolte (@NolteNC) July 8, 2014
What's a few thousand separated families, raped and dead kids if Texas turns bluer? -- Democrats, Media.
— John Nolte (@NolteNC) July 8, 2014
Even less defensible were reactions among his site's commenters, who couldn't believe Beck would use even private funds to make a minor undocumented immigrant's life easier:
- What a disgrace it right! Send every illegal back & stop the freebies! And once again Obama wants the taxpayers to pay for his screw-up!
- If bums starting hanging out in your yard would you feed them?
- Beck should be using his "pulpit" to argue strongly for immediate deportation and for focusing on the LAWLESSNESS of the Administration. One final point is....just like with the Gov't Freebies given to these illegals....and the Tacit Amnesty that Obama is promising with a Dream-Act like Executive Order.....Beck's stunt just serves to ENCOURAGE MORE illegals to come....which is ultimately Destructive to these many children.
Reaction from right-wingers on Twitter was divided, but compassionless conservatism was distressingly easy to find there, too—like Republican Ohio Rep. Andrew Brenner:
.@ChrisLoesch @saramarietweets @glennbeck No but he is helping the illegals out, how is that different than giving their parents jobs here?
— Rep. Andrew Brenner (@andrewbrenner) July 9, 2014
.@VAKruta @ChrisLoesch @saramarietweets @glennbeck U apparently going understand basic economics. U give something away, more will take.
— Rep. Andrew Brenner (@andrewbrenner) July 9, 2014
.@OH_Robb @ChrisLoesch @saramarietweets @glennbeck So anyone who feeds, gives shelter, water and food to illegals isn't breaking the law?
— Rep. Andrew Brenner (@andrewbrenner) July 9, 2014
.@OH_Robb @ChrisLoesch @saramarietweets @glennbeck Why not pass out the food and water in northern Mexico?
— Rep. Andrew Brenner (@andrewbrenner) July 9, 2014
For all that, Brenner was more charitable than the conservative rank and file:
This is why i stopped listening to Glenn Beck. He's a #SHILL! 'We Must Open Our Hearts to Illegals:' http://t.co/jOXvmiKnY4
— that_was_Random™كافر (@that_was_random) July 9, 2014
American children going hungry - Glenn Beck bringing food and toys to illegal aliens! http://t.co/uGVqZlbEKz
— Pantano's Law (@PantanoLaw) July 9, 2014
OFF YOUR ROCKER: Glenn Beck to Bring Soccer Balls, Hot Meals to Illegals: 'We Must Open Our Hearts' http://t.co/FFJoujwtTt
— Robert Whitmore (@rwhitmmx) July 9, 2014
Disagree, Beck, there are Americans who need our help 1st. Glenn Beck to Bring Soccer Balls, Hot Meals to Illegals: http://t.co/s5lDTVPguo
— Taylor_NY (@NYPolJunkie) July 9, 2014
Glenn Beck is helping Obama with alien PR by being public about aid to illegals. If he did it quietly, third party, I might support it.
— Jimmy Simpson (@informedblackmn) July 9, 2014
Okay, Glenn Beck has now officially gone over the edge. Taking loads of goodies to illegals?? #noamnesty #tcot http://t.co/rTvpw5G3rQ
— Bob Anderson (@bob24225) July 9, 2014
@dorothy1961 @mjselker @glennbeck Assisting Illegals, other than basic life support, is like negotiating with Terrorists,U just encourage it
— Tom (@libertytombob) July 9, 2014
@glennbeck You help one bus of illegals and 5 more busloads will put themselves in danger to get here. You are creating more lawlessness.
— dorothy1961 (@dorothy1961) July 8, 2014
Weirdly, some of the most classless and combative right-wing personalities on Twitter did get what Beck was doing, like Chris Loesch:
RT if you understand that giving someone care & food isn't the same thing as giving them a job.
— Chris Loesch (@ChrisLoesch) July 9, 2014
Nolte, on the other hand, is a lost cause.
I hate soccer, cupcakes, & the media. All kind of makes sense now, doesn't it?
— John Nolte (@NolteNC) July 8, 2014
[Photo credit: AP Images]