Tuesday, October 12, 2010

California Gunman Who Targeted Tides Foundation and ACLU Inspired By "Schoolteacher" Glenn Beck

"I would have never started watching Fox News if it wasn't for the fact that Beck was on there. And it was the things that he did, it was the things he exposed that blew my mind," said Byron Williams, the man who was involved in a lengthy shootout with police earlier this year.  Byron had a small arsenal in his car that he wished to use to kill people of importance at the Tides Foundation and the ACLU - two popular targets of conservative television and radio personality Glenn Beck.

John Hamilton wrote the following for The Huffington Post:
Williams also points to other media figures -- right-wing propagandist David Horowitz, and Internet conspiracist and repeated Fox News guest Alex Jones -- as key sources of information to inspire his "revolution."

In a separate exchange with Examiner.com's Ed Walsh, Williams sought to defend Beck from "Obama and the liberals," whom he said are afraid of Beck "because he often exposes things that are simply forbidden in news." Williams said that Beck advocates non-violence and that he had already researched the conspiracy theories that informed his alleged plot -- before seeing them "confirm[ed]" on Beck's show.

Similarly, Williams tells Media Matters that "Beck would never say anything about a conspiracy, would never advocate violence. He'll never do anything... of this nature. But he'll give you every ounce of evidence that you could possibly need."

From the Santa Rita Jail, Williams opens up about the websites he frequented, the broadcasts he listened to, and the "evidence" of "sabotage" he "uncovered" that eventually led him to target Tides.

He asks that I help "make people realize that corrupt killers are in power, and want re-election!" Williams wants to make sure that the ideas that inspired him aren't "buried" from the public.

"I collect information on corruption," Williams says, "I've been at it for some time."
Beck, in particular, he says, is "like a schoolteacher on TV."
I think Williams is on to something.  Glenn Beck will never advocate violence or go into to much details - he will only allude to future revolutions and question possible relationships - so that he would not be liable for the actions of his followers.  For some reason, Glenn Beck reminds me of Jim Jones...

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