Salt Lake Tribune op-ed suggests Glenn Beck is a Nazi sympathizer
http://twitter.com/#!/michellemalkin/status/362615016815476736
Over the weekend, The Salt Lake Tribune ran what they’re calling a “reader commentary” on Glenn Beck’s “Independence Through History” exhibition. The op-ed’s author, self-described “art historian and educator” Alexandra Karl, took issue with the fact that the exhibit included Nazi memorabilia. How dare Beck use symbols of oppression to remind us of the sacredness of liberty!
From Karl’s piece, subtly titled “Commentary: Glenn Beck’s Nazi Exhibit” (gee, what could she and the Tribune mean by that?):
To be sure, the above grievances do not characterize a “typical” neo-Nazi. Beck is not a skinhead who desecrates Jewish gravestones. Moreover, harboring such material and disseminating it to such a lackadaisical audience is within Beck’s constitutional rights.
Still, it reveals more about tea party sensibilities and Beck’s personal values than I dared thought possible.
So not only do items in Beck’s exhibit reveal his latent Nazi sympathies, but they are also a wider indictment of “Tea Party sensibilities.”
The Tribune, for its part, tried to defend itself from criticism:
http://twitter.com/#!/sltrib/status/362303045171810305
Oh yeah? Well he’s not very good at his job.
http://twitter.com/#!/sltrib/status/362313512896299008
The piece’s “factual errors” included the name of the venue where the exhibit was held.
http://twitter.com/#!/WorldOfStu/status/362320706228338688
As for “the rest” being opinion, opinion is no substitute for evidence if you’re trying to play the Nazi card.
http://twitter.com/#!/sltrib/status/362318504310996992
Shorter Salt Lake Tribune: Libel? Not our problem.
Beck’s executive producer Stu Burguiere wasn’t having any of it:
http://twitter.com/#!/WorldOfStu/status/362302841076973568
http://twitter.com/#!/WorldOfStu/status/362406214656720899
We think the latter seems much more plausible.
Claudia Bogumil, who was at the exhibition, penned an opinion piece of her own.
http://twitter.com/#!/cbogumil/status/362604820957368320
It’s worth noting that the Tribune’s opinion editor saw fit to change the title of Bogumil’s piece — to “Letter: Uninformed Opinion.” Bias? What bias?
http://twitter.com/#!/cbogumil/status/362624755867713537
Here’s Bogumil’s rebuttal to the newspaper and to Karl:
Her lack of knowledge about what Beck stands for discredits her opinion. Museum tours were sold out and more tours added. What Karl describes as apathy on the faces of museum-goers was, in reality, somber amazement at the true history presented by Beck through his passionate, thoughtful collection of historical artifacts that remind us of positive and negative historical outcomes. Macabre as it may be, a few drops of Hitler’s blood reminds us to never repeat the tragedy of the Holocaust.
I dare to suggest that perhaps Karl is a liberal cultist due to her inability to understand Beck’s goal of exposing current tendencies in American politics and around the globe to repeat tragic history (Nazis, KKK, etc.). To tie the tea party ideology to Beck is to say that they stand for individual liberty, honor and courage — respectable concepts that lead to love of fellow man and justice for all.
Boom! We couldn’t’ve said it better ourselves.
The Tribune’s social media handlers don’t appear to care much for being called out on B.S.:
http://twitter.com/#!/sltrib/status/362679131642658816
Too bad. If they’re looking for sympathy, they won’t find it here:
http://twitter.com/#!/MichaelSadick/status/362316202271457280
http://twitter.com/#!/MichaelSadick/status/362321432702750721
http://twitter.com/#!/MichaelSadick/status/362321536671166466
A journalistic outlet taking responsibility for its content. There’s an idea!
http://twitter.com/#!/DanAndros/status/362660622430773248
http://twitter.com/#!/losthousewife/status/362658536121049090
Ouch!
http://twitter.com/#!/double0kris/status/362667494705606656
http://twitter.com/#!/GailRice12/status/362673419583623170
Good question!
Twitchy CEO Michelle Malkin was also at the exhibit, and she tore into the Tribune for signing off on blatant defamation:
http://twitter.com/#!/michellemalkin/status/362615889905991680
http://twitter.com/#!/michellemalkin/status/362618284199264256
http://twitter.com/#!/michellemalkin/status/362633402391859200
Exactly.
http://twitter.com/#!/michellemalkin/status/362643242233241601
http://twitter.com/#!/michellemalkin/status/362644162954264576
http://twitter.com/#!/michellemalkin/status/362646061564706816
Will editor Vern Anderson see fit to publish Malkin’s piece? Time will tell.
In the meantime, it’s safe to say that The Salt Lake Tribune isn’t in too big a rush to shake its reputation as a hack outfit:
http://twitter.com/#!/sltrib/status/362637319586582528
Shameless.
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