Should Glenn Beck be arrested for inciting a crime?

[brettdale]

Our media here in New Zealand did a report on the Police that were killed from Pittsburgh, the reporter said people are angry and the anger is being fueled by the media, they then showed a clip of Glenn Beck saying your way of life is in danger, the government is coming after you.

Surly that is inciting????

[kid a]

1. he's becoming a media phenom with charlatan rantings, but

unless he specifically asks people to take a gun, go to a government office, and start shooting, he can rant and rave.

[brettdale]

2. Hes getting close though

He seems to be pushing what is acceptable.

[kid a]

5. I know...I get a weird feeling about his career.

He's looking wild eyed and frenzied.

When he tanks, he could go out in a blaze of glory with black swat suit, body armor and a stand-off in a Wal-mart paring lot.

[Cheap_Trick]

13. I'll be rooting for the cops to put a round right between his beady little eyes....

THAT'S a TiVO moment.

[grantcart]

3. He should be arrested for stupidity, its really criminal to be that stupid.

[MercutioATC]

4. No, he's expressing an opinion.

He didn't tell anybody to commit a crime.

Do you really want to go down this path?

[brettdale]

8. I beg to differ

He know what his base his like, hes not telling people to go out and vote and contact local politicans with your concern, he gets emotional, he says the government (Obama) is taking away your rights and you have to stop him, its almost like hes a cult leader, he goes far beyond from having an opinion.

He is very dangerous indeed.

[MercutioATC]

9. It's free speech.

I don't have to agree with him to want to protect his right to say things like this.

Unless he directly incites violent acts (and he doesn't), he should be allowed...and encouraged...to express his views.

[brettdale]

11. He doesnt directly say go out and commit violence

But its on the edge of that, and he must know that some of the wackos watching will one day do something.

Hes keeping himself safe, but IMHO hes inciting.

[rwenos]

12. Advocating Imminent Lawless Action

If I remember my First Amendment law, I think the Brandenburg case set that standard back during WW1, and it's never really changed much. The speech has to advocate imminent lawless action.

I remember a case where some rockstar idiot said something at a concert about "let's take the streets later." Held, no advocacy of "imminent" lawless action.

For whatever it's worth. It's weird to find myself defending Beck. He's still a reactionary jerk.

[anigbrowl]

15. Agree he's sorta dangerous (albeit stupidly so), but...

his BS isn't specific enough to pass the legal tests for incitement, IMHO. The courts prefer to err on the side of free speech if there's any doubt.

[michreject]

22. The Reps tried the soap box

that didn't work. Then they tried the ballot box. Another failure in their eyes. Next would be the ammo box.

This is just the beginning. Hopefully I'm not caught looking.

[Forkboy]

6. No, but he should be as minimized as we can make him.

[Liberal_Christian]

7. Leave it up to a fanatical "Riech" Winger...

Say what you want about the Liberal media, they at least don't make nearly as many predictions. Sure, as members of the "Angry Left" we can be pretty critical and opinionated but at least it's in reference to present day events that have already happened; ei. Bush's deregulation, lack of oversight, excessive tax-cuts, Iraq War, complete mishandling of 9/11, war profiteering and privatization, ... but all you hear from Fox News and "hate"M Radio is about all the "horrible terrifying things that will happen in future" because of Liberal Democratic policies. There was a Stanford study showing that out of all the predictions made by pundits, over 90% of them were wrong. It's true that both Liberal and Conservative pundits do it but it goes without saying that the conservative pundits take the cake on projection and social forecasting via fear doctrine. All you hear from these people is how Obama is going to take away your guns and turn this country into a socialist or communist country. Tell me something, if Obama is a socialist what does that make Ronald Reagan (REPUBLICAN) whose taxes were at 50% for some making as low as 86,000 a year or Eisenhower (REPUBLICAN) whose taxes were at 91% for those making $400,000 a year and 71% for those making 100,000 a year. But Obama is a pinko for having the tax rate at 39% as oppose to Bush's 35%. Funny how the difference between capitalism and socialism is 4 percentage points.

[KharmaTrain]

10. A Slippery Slope

Getting on a teevee and yelling at people is one thing...organizing a physical group of people with weapons or hellbent on rioting is another.

Freedom of speech also means the freedom for people to say stupid, inflamatory and offensive statements. The moment we start to call for a teevee or hate radio host to be arrested or prosecuted for speaking out, the more we resemble those who were previously in power and did actively attempt to stiffle any verbal opposition.

The only thing Drek does when he spews his crap is to show a majority of Americans how detached from reality he and his horde are. Now if he calls for people to meet at a certain time and place (not one of his teevee townhalls), then he crosses a line. If he advocates the assasination of a specific person...then we're going into a different realm.

The anger in Pittsburgh is yet another loner who thought President Obama was gonna take away his guns. That was more an NRA meme than Drek.

[snake in the grass]

14. No.

I believe he is mentally ill, as evidenced by his current meltdown. Therefore, an involuntary psychiatric hold should be implemented before he hurts himself or others. Fox is irresponsible to allow this to continue.

[lpbk2713]

16. Beck is a jingoist of the worst type.

He's trying to make a buck off of ignorant people and he's doing quite well at it.

And I don't think he even believes most of the bullshit that comes out of his mouth.

[Political Heretic]

17. If they tried, he would just surround THEM!

:rofl:

[ColbertWatcher]

18. He needs medical help.

Seriously.

This man is crying out for treatment.

[ZombieHorde]

19. No, he should not. People should have the right to say our way of life is in danger and

the government is coming after you.

[RoyGBiv]

20. No, but ...

Whether he should be declared incompetent and committed to a mental institution isn't all that out of the question.

I love Glen Beck's sanity, and I fear for it.

[Vinca]

21. Glenn Beck should be apprehended and

escorted to a rubber room for an extended stay.

[Optical.Catalyst]

23. If arrested, Glen Beck would only be come a martyr for the loony right wing nuts

However, the first one of the right wing radio idiots that call for an open rebellion against our Government should be arrested, given a fair trial, and then executed by public hanging.

There is a fine line between political speech dissenting from the existing government and calling for illegal action against the government. It is clear that talk radio is right up against the limit of what they can say, and they should feel the full effects of the Judicial System if they cross the line.

[malaise]

24. Here's an interesting take

http://www.hanlonsrazor.org/2009/04/04/pittsburgh-shooting-kills-3-cops-obamas-gun-laws-blamed/
<snip>
This is scary shit, guys. Conservatives are going to say “well he’s a maniac, you can’t blame the right on this whatsoever.” Wrong. When you tell the masses, and especially the ones with the giant armories, that the president is a threat to the integrity of the nation, you foment the kind of rage that causes this. When you get on television and have a roundtable discussion about how best to stage a revolution against the Obama administration, you inspire men like Poplawski.

I’m at a loss.

I like free speech but most of these right wing hacks are lying to the uninformed and whipping up their base.