Restoring Honor rally
Encyclopedia
The Restoring Honor rally was held on August 28, 2010 at the Lincoln Memorial
in Washington, D.C.
and was organized by Glenn Beck
to "restore honor in America" and to raise funds for the non-profit Special Operations Warrior Foundation
. Billed as a "celebration of America's heroes and heritage," several veterans were honored. Along with Beck, the main speakers included former Republican
vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin
and activist Alveda King
, the niece of Martin Luther King Jr.
Beck's speech at the rally emphasized the theme that Americans of all religions should turn to their faith in God
, "turning our face back to the values and principles that made us great." Beck's and Palin's speeches praised George Washington
, Abraham Lincoln
, and Martin Luther King Jr., as well as American war veterans. Beck called for Americans to unite despite political or religious disagreements, with 240 clergy from different races and religions – belonging to the ecumenical ministerial group, the Black Robe Regiment – joining the events' speakers on stage before its closing statements.
The attendance of the rally was disputed; a scientific estimate placed the crowd size around 87,000, while media reports varied dramatically from tens of thousands to 500,000. The event was held at the Lincoln Memorial, the same location and on the 47th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s historic "I Have a Dream
" speech, which drew criticism from African American leaders who believed it was distorting the legacy of the civil rights movement. Beck's Mormon
ism was a concern for some of his evangelical fans.
, Beck announced a rally to be held on August 28, 2010, in Washington, D.C., at the Lincoln Memorial
. Beck originally intended the rally as political, and planned to promote his next book, The Plan, in which he would outline a century-long plan to "save the country". Over the 2009 Christmas holidays, however, Beck decided to publicize the event as being "non-political", and focus on raising awareness and funds for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation charity, because soliciting tax-exempt funds to pay for the rally through the charity restricts political activity. The charity receives funds collected above the amount needed to pay for the rally. Beck named his planned rally "Restoring Honor," saying its theme was "about honoring character" as well as honoring the sacrifices of U.S. Armed Services personnel.
Commentators noted that the planned date would be the forty-seventh anniversary of the Great March on Washington, at which, on August 28, 1963, King had accompanied an assemblage of 250,000 African-American Civil Rights Movement marchers from the Washington Monument to the Lincoln Memorial, where King delivered his "I Have a Dream
" speech. Beck said the timing and place for his event was coincidental but appropriate, with its theme agreeing with King's "message of focusing on the content of a person's character above all else." The rally would coincide with the Reclaim the Dream commemorative march planned by Al Sharpton
and Martin Luther King III
for further down on the National Mall
and adjacent to the Tidal Basin, at the future site of the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial
, which created concern over the two groups possibly clashing.
preparing for 100,000 and the D.C. Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency preparing for 100,000–200,000. Former Governor of Alaska and 2008 Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin and Alveda King, niece of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., were as announced speakers. Expected attendees included Major League Baseball
player Albert Pujols
and MLB manager Tony La Russa
, both of whom decided to attend after being assured by Beck that the rally would not be political. Beck broadcast his TV show
from the Fox News Washington studio instead of New York in the week leading up to the event.
leaders of the black community criticized Beck leading up to the event, under the auspice that picking the anniversary of King's speech was a "deliberate way to distort King's message." Rev. Carlton W. Veazey
, minister of the National Baptist Convention
and president of Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice
, held a press conference to announce his opposition to Beck's rally. After referring to Beck's comment from July 2009 that President Barack Obama
has "over and over again" exposed himself as "a guy who has a deep-seated hatred for white people or the white culture", Veazey stated:
Rev. Al Sharpton
, president of the National Action Network
called Beck's event an "outright attempt to flip the imagery of Dr. King", while accusing Beck of circumventing and distorting King's legacy. Former civil rights leader Eleanor Holmes Norton
, the District of Columbia’s non-voting representative in Congress, opined that if Beck "has any respect for the unity across racial lines that August 28 represented, he would not hold what looks to be an all-white march that cannot possibly appeal across racial lines because of how he has modeled himself on radio and television." In similar remarks, Washington, D.C.
City Councilman Harry Thomas Jr. accused Beck of "hypocrisy at its highest degree."
Martin Luther King III
, son of the late Dr. King, noted that as a "champion of free speech," his father "would be the first to say that those participating in Beck's rally have the right to express their views." However, King reminded Beck that his father's dream "rejected hateful rhetoric and all forms of bigotry or discrimination, whether directed at race, faith, nationality, sexual orientation or political beliefs." King also pointed out that his father "advocated compassion for the poor" and "wholeheartedly embraced the social gospel," noting that King's spiritual and intellectual mentors included social gospel
advocates Walter Rauschenbusch
and Howard Thurman
. In a similar vein, Rev. Jim Wallis
, of the Sojourners Community
, admonished Beck under the rationale that "Martin Luther King Jr. was clearly a Social Justice
Christian", noting that this is "the term and people that Beck constantly derides." After pointing out that Dr. King gave a December 18, 1963 speech entitled "Social Justice and the Emerging New Age", Wallis related Dr. King's 1961 warning to the AFL-CIO
that "before the victory is won, some will be misunderstood, some will be called reds and communists merely because they believe in economic justice and the brotherhood of man." According to Wallis, if Beck were "an honest man", he would thus have to brand Dr. King a "communist, socialist, (or) Marxist" in the same way that he has branded those currently who are calling for "economic and social justice."
's Keith Olbermann
stated that he was worried about Glenn Beck's sanity after Beck said that he wanted to let "the spirit
" speak through him at the rally. The day before the rally on the same network, Chris Matthews
, of Hardball With Chris Matthews
, used his ending segment to announce:
Political satirists such as Comedy Central's
Jon Stewart
dubbed the rally "Beckapalooza" and "I Have A Scheme", while Stephen Colbert
facetiously announced that he was ready to follow Beck in his "silver freedom spaceship that runs on human tears." Journalist Jason Linkins was critical of what he deemed an "insanely melodramatic video promotion of the rally, replete with Goldline
scamflackery", positing that the "Glenn Beck rally will be like (the) moon landing
, Wright Brothers
and Rosa Parks
all rolled into one massive orgasm of American history." Author and activist Glenn Greenwald
created a website and video entitled "Glenn Beck is Not Martin Luther King Jr.", which provided a petition featuring over 30,000 signatures the day before the rally, denouncing Beck. Meanwhile Media Matters for America
compiled clips and excerpts criticizing the event.
A.J. Calhoun, who attended the original 1963 King rally, took offense at Beck's holding what he called a "rally of right-wingers, Tea Partiers, neoconservatives, fascists
, the delusional and the truly wicked, (and) the New Kluxers disguised as patriots wanting something they cannot or will not identify openly." Eugene Robinson
of The Washington Post
described Beck as an "egomaniacal talk-show host who profit(s) handsomely from stoking fear, resentment and anger", while calling his "absurdly titled" rally "an exercise in self-aggrandizement on a Napoleonic scale." Robinson, continued his Napoleon analogy by ending his column with a quip that he half-expected Beck to "appear before the crowd in a bicorne
hat, with one hand tucked into the front of his jacket."
Alexander Zaitchik
, author of the 2010 unauthorized Beck biography Common Nonsense: Glenn Beck and the Triumph of Ignorance
, also rejected Beck's embrace of the civil rights mantle, remarking:
According to Zaitchik, the purpose of the rally was not primarily to honor heroes, but was the fulfillment of Beck's long-held dream of holding an event on the National Mall. In elaborating on his "cynical" hypothesis, Zaitchik stated "I view this through a prism of his business – he's in a very competitive media world with many distractions and this will enable him to be the topic of conversation."
. Beck and his wife rented the Hall and the audience consisted mostly of about 2000 religious leaders to whom Beck and Barton had given tickets. The remaining tickets were offered to the general public for free. Many lined up all night inside the Kennedy Center to get the tickets which were released the morning of the 27th, and Beck made a surprise visit to the people in line. The event was emceed by Scott Baker
, with Randy Forbes
, founder of the Congressional Prayer Caucus, and Christian-Zionist
pastor John Hagee
offering prayers. Former Texas Supreme Court
Justice Raul Gonzales led the Pledge of Allegiance
. An "all-star" gospel music
choir performed various religious and patriotic selections (while several of its members performed praise dance), including a rendition of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic
." Twila Paris
sang “True North” and J. E. McKissic, co-pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church of Fort Worth, Texas
, sang "God Bless America
."
Beck was introduced by Pat Gray
, his radio show
co-host and close friend who baptized him in 1999 into Mormonism
, and spoke briefly, remarking:
Other speakers included Barton, televangelist Gloria Copeland, Rabbi Daniel Lapin
, Dr. Patrick Lee of the Franciscan University of Steubenville
, the Rev. Miles McPherson
(formerly a San Diego Chargers
football player), actor Chuck Norris
, and the Rev. Dave Roever (a decorated Vietnam War veteran).
" flags, popular with Tea Party activists
. Other activists distributed fliers urging voters to "dump Obama." However, the speeches themselves were restricted from overt partisanship as the tax-exempt co-sponsor of the event, the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, required all speakers to sign an agreement promising not to talk politics. Of note, all proceeds raised through Beck's promotion of the event were slated to go to SOWF, after the estimated $1 million costs for the rally itself were covered. Beck gave out "badge of merit" awards to three people for service in the categories of faith, hope, and charity
.
Catherine McDonald, head of the Atlanta chapter of the 9.12 Project, opined that Beck was providing a forum for people who believe the nation has lost its sense of honor and focus, remarking "These are people who believe this country was founded on good principles and God."
Richard Land
president of The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission later described the event as ecumenical, remarking that:
activist and former Georgia State Representative who is a niece of the civil rights leader Martin Luther King, appealed to rally attendees to "focus not on elections or on political causes but on honor, on character ... not the color of our skin. Yes, I too have a dream.... That America will pray and God will forgive us our sins and revive us our land." King also addressed the civil rights leaders and members of the black community who had been critical of the rally, responding that "My daddy, Rev. A.D. King, my granddaddy, Martin Luther King, Senior – we are a family of faith, hope and love. And that's why I'm here today. Glenn says there is one human race; I agree with him. We are not here to divide. I'm about unity. That's why I'm here, and I want to honor my uncle today."
Beck, in referring to Dr. King, noted that he had spent the night before in the same Washington hotel where King had put the finishing touches on his famous "I Have a Dream
" speech.
Beck wore a bulletproof vest
at the request of his wife.
; the Pledge of Allegiance
, led by a Boy Scout
; the National Anthem, sung a cappella
; the gathered masses' singing of "Amazing Grace
," as accompanied by bagpipers; and pastors' offerings of invocation (D. Paul Jehle, The New Testament Church, Plymouth, Massachusetts) and benediction
(the Reverend Dave Roever). At the event, Beck introduced a group of 240 religious leaders from among the "Black Robe Regiment," that includes clergy of various denominations, ranging from evangelical pastors to Roman Catholic priests to Jewish rabbis to Muslim imams, among others. Also there were presentations of Badges of Merit awards to individuals selected by Beck.
activism (as with one-time Constitution Party
U.S. presidential candidate Chuck Baldwin's group of this name), combined with generalized, moral revival.
The name was taken from phrases such as black regiment or black robe brigade occasionally used by British Loyalists during the American Revolution – not to refer to a specific fighting force but, rather, collectively to refer to Protestant clergymen, predominantly non-Anglican, that assisted in rallying the populace to take up arms against the crown. During the latter part of the decade of the 2000s, the term was promoted in an article written by Wayne C. Sedlak, suggesting present-day religious Americans should rally around preserving conservative American Constitutionalist principles.
Becoming interested in the concept of the BRR group through the influence of David Barton, Beck decided to promote the group himself, taking it into an even greater ecumenical direction. As a part of this effort, Beck arranged to meet with eighteen or so high-profile evangelical
Christians, including James Robison, James Dobson
, John Hagee
, and Richard Land
at The London, a hotel in New York City, on June 30, 2010, to discuss the more religious dimension Beck was heading toward in his talkshows.
Some of these leaders, such as Land, ended up participating in Beck's 8/28, 2010 rally, Land telling the press after the event that he was a charter member of the BRR group. According to press reports, other members include Dobson, Jerry Falwell Jr., Richard Lee (pastor of First Redeemer Church of Atlanta, Georgia
), Harry Jackson (Hope Christian Church in Maryland), Shawn Mitchell (New Venture Christian Fellowship, Oceanside, California
; Chaplain San Diego Chargers Pro. Football Org. [NFL's longest-tenured Chaplain]), Jim Garlow (Skyline Wesleyan Church, San Diego, California
) and Catholic social conservative activist Maggie Gallagher
.
At his 8/28 rally, according to Beck, a group selected from among the "thousands"-strong "black robe regiment was introduced on stage which is, was 240 pastors, priests, rabbis and imams on stage all locked arms saying the principles of America need to be taught from the pulpit."
The Wall Street Journal said attendees packed nearly a mile
of the National Mall, but the New York Daily News
said crowd counts depended "dramatically on who you ask." Before the rally Beck expected a crowd of 100,000, and he joked during his rally that "I have just gotten word from the media that there is over a thousand people here today." CBS News
commissioned AirPhotosLive for the rally's only scientific estimate, which placed attendance at 87,000 plus or minus 9,000.
NBC News
and the New York Post
put attendance at 300,000, and Sky News
said 500,000 were in attendance. NBC reporter Domenico Montanaro tweeted
that an "official at top of memorial said 300-325K." Less exact were the New York Times, which simply called the crowd "enormous", and Fox News Channel
, which referred to "strong" turnout and "huge crowds." Though NPR
doubted that an accurate estimate was possible, they nonetheless said attendance was in the "tens of thousands", the same estimate of the Associated Press
, while ABC News
reported "more than 100,000 people" at the rally.
Some media outlets used ranges to report crowd size. The The Washington Examiner, relying on "photographic comparisons to past events" reported attendance as being "well into six figures." The The Daily Telegraph
and McClatchy Newspapers agreed that the crowd was somewhere in the hundreds of thousands.
No estimates were issued by National Park Service
, which had ceased making estimates public after rally sponsors from earlier gatherings, including the organizers of the Million Man March
in 1995, threatening court action over official estimates.
or someone in a military uniform to present the flag and could not; at 9:59 am, one minute before the rally's scheduled start time, a flock of geese flew directly over the rally. Beck called it a miracle. He also said he received a call from the Smithsonian saying they wanted "items from the event preserved for the Smithsonian." During his recap broadcast, Beck also displayed a photograph of Sarah Palin at the rally, capturing her praying "for a full 10 minutes", remarking that it was "the most beautiful picture of Sarah Palin ever taken."
On The O'Reilly Factor
on August 30, he described "the hate from the other side" as the "lowlight" of the rally and said, "I warn you, America, the attacks are going to get worse." He said he offered a bulletproof vest to Alveda King but she decided not to take it. He also described her as "a marked woman for standing on that step with me."
, said he believes King would not have been offended by Beck's rally but "pleased and honored". Jones – now a visiting professor at Stanford University
– said the Beck rally seemed to be tasteful and did not appear to distort King's message. James Freeman, in an op-ed
for The Wall Street Journal, wrote positively about the rally, remarking that "the day was largely devoted to expressions of gratitude for the sacrifices of U.S. soldiers, for great men of American history like the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., and for God." He said "you couldn't find a more polite crowd" and remarked that he couldn't find a single piece of trash left on the Mall by attendees. After noting how the crowd refused to boo when Dave Roever gave the closing prayer thanking God for President Obama
and members of Congress
, Freeman theorized that "between Saturday's crowd in Washington and the tea partiers agitating for limited government, we may be witnessing the rebuilding of the Reagan coalition
, the fusion of religious and economic conservatives." Fox News host Bill O'Reilly
described it as an "appeal for a return to Judeo-Christian
values" and called it "a huge victory for Glenn Beck and Americans who believe that his message of honor and dignity is worthwhile." He also said, "I don't think there's anybody in the country that could have mobilized that many people at this point in time."
Conversely, liberal radio host Bill Press
, who attended the rally personally, criticized the "Christian religious fervor" of the event, remarking that at one point he expected Beck "to part the Reflecting Pool and walk across it." In discussing the setting among the crowd, Press stated that it was "a strange combination of political rally and religious revival", which left him surrounded by the "old, white, and angry." Former Democratic National Committee
chairman Howard Dean
questioned Beck's mental sanity, while referring to Beck's audience as "lost souls" in the middle of an economic downturn who then follow the "racist" and "hatemonger" Beck, whom Dean compared to Father Coughlin from the 1930s. Author Christopher Hitchens
in Slate magazine, critiqued the rally as a "large, vague, moist, and undirected Waterworld of white self-pity", discerning that the spectacle was a consequence of the white American subconscious feeling anxiety mixed with nostalgia
, at the uneasy realization that soon they will no longer be the majority. In Hitchens view, the expressions of "pathos and insecurity", were voiced in a "sickly", "pious" and "persecuted" tone, while the speeches "denied racial feeling so monotonously and vehemently as to draw attention." The Huffington Post
compiled a slideshow of what they believed were "the most ridiculous messages" from Beck's rally, while Eric Deggans, media critic for the St. Petersburg Times
, hypothesized that with the rally, Beck had created a blueprint for "ultra-conservative" Tea Party activists to look more mainstream to independent voters
before the November 2010 midterm elections.
, said, "Many of the people you'd say are members of the Christian right
would consider Mormonism
to be cult
ish, and so what's interesting is that Beck [by means of the rally] is seemingly building bridges to that community from a very different theological perspective." However, several theologically
conservative evangelicals
, many of them Beck fans politically, criticized evangelicals' "standing together in the faith" with Beck at the religion-centered rally, because Beck is Mormon and thus in their view not "a fellow Christian."
After announcement of the planned rally, Brannon Howse, a professional organizer of Christian conferences, expressed wariness, stating "The Apostle Paul warns Christians against uniting with unbelievers in spiritual endeavors. While I applaud and agree with many of Glenn Beck's conservative and constitutional
views, that does not give me or any other Bible-believing Christian justification to compromise Biblical truth by spiritually joining Beck." Breakpoint
's Diane Singer said, "If you're like me and believe [Mormons] have been deceived into following another Jesus, then perhaps you share my concerns. I want real revival to come to America, which means it must be based on Truth, not deception." In response to the rally, Warren Cole Smith, associate publisher of the Christian-themed World magazine
, said:
However, Jerry Falwell, Jr., attended the event and defended Beck, remarking "Glenn Beck’s Mormon faith is irrelevant. People of all faiths, all races and all creeds spoke and attended the event. Nobody was there to endorse anyone else’s faith, but we were all there to honor our armed forces and to call the people of America to restore honor." The American Family Association's
Bryan Fischer said that while Beck's faith "is a problem", evangelicals were able to use Beck for their purposes during the Restoring Honor rally, remarking:
took place on the Mall on October 2, 2010, sponsored by 300 various liberal groups, including the NAACP, the AFL-CIO
, and Organizing for America
. Organizers hoped 100,000 would attend, and claimed more people were at their rally than at Beck's, but the New York Times said "significant areas of the National Mall that had been filled during Mr. Beck’s rally were empty." Various other media outlets, including the Associated Press, Politico
, the Washington Post, and ABC News, all agreed there were significantly less people than at Restoring Honor.
Beck criticized the event for allegedly being political in nature as opposed to his, saying, "they are organizing for their version of America. They are pulling out all the stops. This is truly, truly Astroturf...we also didn't have a political message. The message was about God." He also claimed that the rally was sponsored by groups such as the Communist Party USA
, International Socialist Organization
, SEIU, and Code Pink
, among others.
On October 30, 2010, Comedy Central
comedians Stephen Colbert
and Jon Stewart
hosted a rally at the National Mall called the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear, which drew approximately 215,000 people according to aerial photography
analysis by AirPhotosLive.com. Some Democratic strategists worried that the Stewart–Colbert rallies would detract from the 10/2 rally and take away their supporters from doing get-out-the-vote
work three days before the election.
Lincoln Memorial
The Lincoln Memorial is an American memorial built to honor the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. It is located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The architect was Henry Bacon, the sculptor of the main statue was Daniel Chester French, and the painter of the interior...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
and was organized by Glenn Beck
Glenn Beck
Glenn Edward Lee Beck is an American conservative radio host, vlogger, author, entrepreneur, political commentator and former television host. He hosts the Glenn Beck Program, a nationally syndicated talk-radio show that airs throughout the United States on Premiere Radio Networks...
to "restore honor in America" and to raise funds for the non-profit Special Operations Warrior Foundation
Special Operations Warrior Foundation
The Special Operations Warrior Foundation is an American tax-exempt 501 nonprofit organization founded in 1980 to provide college scholarships and educational counseling to the surviving children of Special Operations personnel killed in training accidents or operational missions...
. Billed as a "celebration of America's heroes and heritage," several veterans were honored. Along with Beck, the main speakers included former Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin
Sarah Palin
Sarah Louise Palin is an American politician, commentator and author. As the Republican Party nominee for Vice President in the 2008 presidential election, she was the first Alaskan on the national ticket of a major party and first Republican woman nominated for the vice-presidency.She was...
and activist Alveda King
Alveda King
Alveda Celeste King is an American Christian minister, conservative, pro-life activist, and author. She is a niece of the civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. and daughter of the late civil rights activist Rev. A. D. William King, Sr. and his wife Naomi Barber King...
, the niece of Martin Luther King Jr.
Beck's speech at the rally emphasized the theme that Americans of all religions should turn to their faith in God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
, "turning our face back to the values and principles that made us great." Beck's and Palin's speeches praised George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
, Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
, and Martin Luther King Jr., as well as American war veterans. Beck called for Americans to unite despite political or religious disagreements, with 240 clergy from different races and religions – belonging to the ecumenical ministerial group, the Black Robe Regiment – joining the events' speakers on stage before its closing statements.
The attendance of the rally was disputed; a scientific estimate placed the crowd size around 87,000, while media reports varied dramatically from tens of thousands to 500,000. The event was held at the Lincoln Memorial, the same location and on the 47th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s historic "I Have a Dream
I Have a Dream
"I Have a Dream" is a 17-minute public speech by Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered on August 28, 1963, in which he called for racial equality and an end to discrimination...
" speech, which drew criticism from African American leaders who believed it was distorting the legacy of the civil rights movement. Beck's Mormon
Mormon
The term Mormon most commonly denotes an adherent, practitioner, follower, or constituent of Mormonism, which is the largest branch of the Latter Day Saint movement in restorationist Christianity...
ism was a concern for some of his evangelical fans.
Announcement
On November 21, 2009, at The Villages, FloridaThe Villages, Florida
The Villages is a master-planned age-restricted retirement community located mainly in Sumter County, Florida, United States, but also includes portions of Lake and Marion counties. The community is controlled by several Community Development Districts , most of which are controlled by H. Gary...
, Beck announced a rally to be held on August 28, 2010, in Washington, D.C., at the Lincoln Memorial
Lincoln Memorial
The Lincoln Memorial is an American memorial built to honor the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. It is located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The architect was Henry Bacon, the sculptor of the main statue was Daniel Chester French, and the painter of the interior...
. Beck originally intended the rally as political, and planned to promote his next book, The Plan, in which he would outline a century-long plan to "save the country". Over the 2009 Christmas holidays, however, Beck decided to publicize the event as being "non-political", and focus on raising awareness and funds for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation charity, because soliciting tax-exempt funds to pay for the rally through the charity restricts political activity. The charity receives funds collected above the amount needed to pay for the rally. Beck named his planned rally "Restoring Honor," saying its theme was "about honoring character" as well as honoring the sacrifices of U.S. Armed Services personnel.
Commentators noted that the planned date would be the forty-seventh anniversary of the Great March on Washington, at which, on August 28, 1963, King had accompanied an assemblage of 250,000 African-American Civil Rights Movement marchers from the Washington Monument to the Lincoln Memorial, where King delivered his "I Have a Dream
I Have a Dream
"I Have a Dream" is a 17-minute public speech by Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered on August 28, 1963, in which he called for racial equality and an end to discrimination...
" speech. Beck said the timing and place for his event was coincidental but appropriate, with its theme agreeing with King's "message of focusing on the content of a person's character above all else." The rally would coincide with the Reclaim the Dream commemorative march planned by Al Sharpton
Al Sharpton
Alfred Charles "Al" Sharpton, Jr. is an American Baptist minister, civil rights activist, and television/radio talk show host. In 2004, he was a candidate for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. presidential election...
and Martin Luther King III
Martin Luther King III
Martin Luther King III is an American human rights advocate and community activist. He is the eldest son and oldest living child of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King. His siblings are Dexter Scott King, Rev. Bernice Albertine King, and the late Yolanda Denise...
for further down on the National Mall
National Mall
The National Mall is an open-area national park in downtown Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. The National Mall is a unit of the National Park Service , and is administered by the National Mall and Memorial Parks unit...
and adjacent to the Tidal Basin, at the future site of the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial
Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial is located in West Potomac Park in Washington, D.C., southwest of the National Mall . The memorial is America's 395th national park...
, which created concern over the two groups possibly clashing.
Preparations
Organizers hoped as many as 300,000 would attend, with the National Park ServiceNational Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
preparing for 100,000 and the D.C. Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency preparing for 100,000–200,000. Former Governor of Alaska and 2008 Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin and Alveda King, niece of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., were as announced speakers. Expected attendees included Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player Albert Pujols
Albert Pujols
José Alberto Pujols Alcántara , better known as Albert Pujols , is a Dominican-American professional baseball player, who is currently a free agent...
and MLB manager Tony La Russa
Tony La Russa
Anthony "Tony" La Russa, Jr. is a former Major League Baseball manager and infielder, best known for his tenures as manager of the Chicago White Sox, Oakland Athletics, and St. Louis Cardinals...
, both of whom decided to attend after being assured by Beck that the rally would not be political. Beck broadcast his TV show
Glenn Beck (TV program)
Glenn Beck is a United States cable news show hosted by Glenn Beck that aired weekdays on Fox News Channel. The program, originally on CNN Headline News , premiered on FNC on January 19, 2009 and aired weekdays at 5:00 PM EST...
from the Fox News Washington studio instead of New York in the week leading up to the event.
Civil-rights movement
Various civil rightsCivil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
leaders of the black community criticized Beck leading up to the event, under the auspice that picking the anniversary of King's speech was a "deliberate way to distort King's message." Rev. Carlton W. Veazey
Carlton W. Veazey
Reverend Carlton W. Veazey is a minister in the National Baptist Convention, U.S.A., and the President of the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice...
, minister of the National Baptist Convention
National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc.
The National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. is the largest predominantly African-American Christian denomination in the United States and is the world's second largest Baptist denomination...
and president of Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice
Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice
The Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice was founded in 1973 by clergy and lay leaders from mainline denominations and faith traditions to provide interfaith support for the new constitutional right to privacy in decisions about abortion...
, held a press conference to announce his opposition to Beck's rally. After referring to Beck's comment from July 2009 that President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
has "over and over again" exposed himself as "a guy who has a deep-seated hatred for white people or the white culture", Veazey stated:
Rev. Al Sharpton
Al Sharpton
Alfred Charles "Al" Sharpton, Jr. is an American Baptist minister, civil rights activist, and television/radio talk show host. In 2004, he was a candidate for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. presidential election...
, president of the National Action Network
National Action Network
The National Action Network is a not-for-profit, civil rights organization founded by the Reverend Al Sharpton in New York City, New York, in early 1991....
called Beck's event an "outright attempt to flip the imagery of Dr. King", while accusing Beck of circumventing and distorting King's legacy. Former civil rights leader Eleanor Holmes Norton
Eleanor Holmes Norton
Eleanor Holmes Norton is a Delegate to Congress representing the District of Columbia. In her position she is able to serve on and vote with committees, as well as speak from the House floor...
, the District of Columbia’s non-voting representative in Congress, opined that if Beck "has any respect for the unity across racial lines that August 28 represented, he would not hold what looks to be an all-white march that cannot possibly appeal across racial lines because of how he has modeled himself on radio and television." In similar remarks, Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
City Councilman Harry Thomas Jr. accused Beck of "hypocrisy at its highest degree."
Martin Luther King III
Martin Luther King III
Martin Luther King III is an American human rights advocate and community activist. He is the eldest son and oldest living child of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King. His siblings are Dexter Scott King, Rev. Bernice Albertine King, and the late Yolanda Denise...
, son of the late Dr. King, noted that as a "champion of free speech," his father "would be the first to say that those participating in Beck's rally have the right to express their views." However, King reminded Beck that his father's dream "rejected hateful rhetoric and all forms of bigotry or discrimination, whether directed at race, faith, nationality, sexual orientation or political beliefs." King also pointed out that his father "advocated compassion for the poor" and "wholeheartedly embraced the social gospel," noting that King's spiritual and intellectual mentors included social gospel
Social Gospel
The Social Gospel movement is a Protestant Christian intellectual movement that was most prominent in the early 20th century United States and Canada...
advocates Walter Rauschenbusch
Walter Rauschenbusch
Walter Rauschenbusch was a Christian theologian and Baptist minister. He was a key figure in the Social Gospel movement in the United States of America.-Evolution of Thought:...
and Howard Thurman
Howard Thurman
Howard Thurman was an influential American author, philosopher, theologian, educator and civil rights leader. He was Dean of Theology and the chapels at Howard University and Boston University for more than two decades, wrote 21 books, and in 1944 helped found a multicultural church.-Early life...
. In a similar vein, Rev. Jim Wallis
Jim Wallis
Jim Wallis is an American evangelical Christian writer and political activist. He is best known as the founder and editor of Sojourners magazine, and of the Washington, D.C.-based Christian community of the same name....
, of the Sojourners Community
Sojourners Community
The Sojourners Community is an intentional community that was started in the early 1970s by a group of students at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. The founders had the desire to further explore the relationship between their orthodox Protestant faith and the social crisis that surrounded...
, admonished Beck under the rationale that "Martin Luther King Jr. was clearly a Social Justice
Social justice
Social justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. The term and modern concept of "social justice" was coined by...
Christian", noting that this is "the term and people that Beck constantly derides." After pointing out that Dr. King gave a December 18, 1963 speech entitled "Social Justice and the Emerging New Age", Wallis related Dr. King's 1961 warning to the AFL-CIO
AFL-CIO
The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, commonly AFL–CIO, is a national trade union center, the largest federation of unions in the United States, made up of 56 national and international unions, together representing more than 11 million workers...
that "before the victory is won, some will be misunderstood, some will be called reds and communists merely because they believe in economic justice and the brotherhood of man." According to Wallis, if Beck were "an honest man", he would thus have to brand Dr. King a "communist, socialist, (or) Marxist" in the same way that he has branded those currently who are calling for "economic and social justice."
Media reaction
Leading up to the event, Beck attracted criticism from various media personalities, comedians and writers. MSNBCMSNBC
MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
's Keith Olbermann
Keith Olbermann
Keith Theodore Olbermann is an American political commentator and writer. He has been the chief news officer of the Current TV network and the host of Current TV's weeknight political commentary program, Countdown with Keith Olbermann, since June 20, 2011...
stated that he was worried about Glenn Beck's sanity after Beck said that he wanted to let "the spirit
Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of the Hebrew Bible, but understood differently in the main Abrahamic religions.While the general concept of a "Spirit" that permeates the cosmos has been used in various religions Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of...
" speak through him at the rally. The day before the rally on the same network, Chris Matthews
Chris Matthews
Christopher John "Chris" Matthews is an American news anchor and political commentator, known for his nightly hour-long talk show, Hardball with Chris Matthews, which is televised on the American cable television channel MSNBC...
, of Hardball With Chris Matthews
Hardball with Chris Matthews
Hardball with Chris Matthews is a talk show on MSNBC, broadcast weekdays at 5 and 7 PM hosted by Chris Matthews. It originally aired on now-defunct America's Talking and later CNBC. The current title was derived from a book Matthews wrote in 1988, Hardball: How Politics Is Played Told by One Who...
, used his ending segment to announce:
Political satirists such as Comedy Central's
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
Jon Stewart
Jon Stewart
Jon Stewart is an American political satirist, writer, television host, actor, media critic and stand-up comedian...
dubbed the rally "Beckapalooza" and "I Have A Scheme", while Stephen Colbert
Stephen Colbert (character)
The Reverend / Sir / Dr. / Stephen T. Colbert, D.F.A., brain-child of Google, is the persona of political satirist Stephen Colbert, as portrayed on Comedy Central's The Colbert Report. Described as a "well-intentioned, poorly informed high-status idiot", the character is a self-obsessed right-wing...
facetiously announced that he was ready to follow Beck in his "silver freedom spaceship that runs on human tears." Journalist Jason Linkins was critical of what he deemed an "insanely melodramatic video promotion of the rally, replete with Goldline
Goldline International
Goldline International, Inc. is a retail seller of gold and silver coins, and other precious metals for investors and collectors. Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Goldline has more than 350 employees and an estimated $737 million in 2010 revenues....
scamflackery", positing that the "Glenn Beck rally will be like (the) moon landing
Moon landing
A moon landing is the arrival of a spacecraft on the surface of the Moon. This includes both manned and unmanned missions. The first human-made object to reach the surface of the Moon was the Soviet Union's Luna 2 mission on 13 September 1959. The United States's Apollo 11 was the first manned...
, Wright Brothers
Wright brothers
The Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur , were two Americans credited with inventing and building the world's first successful airplane and making the first controlled, powered and sustained heavier-than-air human flight, on December 17, 1903...
and Rosa Parks
Rosa Parks
Rosa Louise McCauley Parks was an African-American civil rights activist, whom the U.S. Congress called "the first lady of civil rights", and "the mother of the freedom movement"....
all rolled into one massive orgasm of American history." Author and activist Glenn Greenwald
Glenn Greenwald
Glenn Greenwald is an American lawyer, columnist, blogger, and author. Greenwald worked as a constitutional and civil rights litigator before becoming a contributor to Salon.com, where he focuses on political and legal topics...
created a website and video entitled "Glenn Beck is Not Martin Luther King Jr.", which provided a petition featuring over 30,000 signatures the day before the rally, denouncing Beck. Meanwhile Media Matters for America
Media Matters for America
Media Matters for America is a politically progressive media watchdog group which says it is "dedicated to comprehensively monitoring, analyzing, and correcting conservative misinformation in the U.S. media." Set up as a 501 non-profit organization, MMfA was founded in 2004 by journalist and...
compiled clips and excerpts criticizing the event.
A.J. Calhoun, who attended the original 1963 King rally, took offense at Beck's holding what he called a "rally of right-wingers, Tea Partiers, neoconservatives, fascists
Fascism
Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
, the delusional and the truly wicked, (and) the New Kluxers disguised as patriots wanting something they cannot or will not identify openly." Eugene Robinson
Eugene Robinson (journalist)
Eugene Harold Robinson is an American Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper columnist and former assistant managing editor for The Washington Post. His columns are syndicated by The Washington Post Writers Group...
of The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
described Beck as an "egomaniacal talk-show host who profit(s) handsomely from stoking fear, resentment and anger", while calling his "absurdly titled" rally "an exercise in self-aggrandizement on a Napoleonic scale." Robinson, continued his Napoleon analogy by ending his column with a quip that he half-expected Beck to "appear before the crowd in a bicorne
Bicorne
The bicorne or bicorn is an archaic form of hat widely adopted in the 1790s as an item of uniform by European and American military and naval officers...
hat, with one hand tucked into the front of his jacket."
Alexander Zaitchik
Alexander Zaitchik
Alexander Zaitchik is an American freelance journalist who has written for: The Nation, Salon, The New Republic, The New York Observer, AlterNet, Mother Jones, Reason, The International Herald Tribune, Wired, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Believer, and Rolling Stone...
, author of the 2010 unauthorized Beck biography Common Nonsense: Glenn Beck and the Triumph of Ignorance
Common Nonsense: Glenn Beck and the Triumph of Ignorance
Common Nonsense: Glenn Beck and the Triumph of Ignorance is a 2010 book by investigative reporter Alexander Zaitchik. Released in June 2010, the book attempts to critically explain the life story and phenomenon of conservative host Glenn Beck....
, also rejected Beck's embrace of the civil rights mantle, remarking:
According to Zaitchik, the purpose of the rally was not primarily to honor heroes, but was the fulfillment of Beck's long-held dream of holding an event on the National Mall. In elaborating on his "cynical" hypothesis, Zaitchik stated "I view this through a prism of his business – he's in a very competitive media world with many distractions and this will enable him to be the topic of conversation."
8/27 Kennedy Center event
On August 27, 2010, the evening before the rally, at an event not officially connected with the rally, Glenn Beck and David Barton co-hosted the "Divine Destiny" inspirational patriotic meeting at the 2,454-seat Concert Hall in the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing ArtsJohn F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is a performing arts center located on the Potomac River, adjacent to the Watergate complex in Washington, D.C...
. Beck and his wife rented the Hall and the audience consisted mostly of about 2000 religious leaders to whom Beck and Barton had given tickets. The remaining tickets were offered to the general public for free. Many lined up all night inside the Kennedy Center to get the tickets which were released the morning of the 27th, and Beck made a surprise visit to the people in line. The event was emceed by Scott Baker
Scott Baker (journalist)
Scott Baker is an American journalist, commentator, blogger, online talk show host, educator, and political campaign worker...
, with Randy Forbes
Randy Forbes
James Randy Forbes is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2001. He is a member of the Republican Party.-Early life, education and career:...
, founder of the Congressional Prayer Caucus, and Christian-Zionist
Christian Zionism
Christian Zionism is a belief among some Christians that the return of the Jews to the Holy Land, and the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, is in accordance with Biblical prophecy. It overlaps with, but is distinct from, the nineteenth century movement for the Restoration of the Jews...
pastor John Hagee
John Hagee
John Charles Hagee is an American founder and senior pastor of Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas, a non-denominational charismatic megachurch with more than 19,000 active members...
offering prayers. Former Texas Supreme Court
Texas Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of Texas is the court of last resort for non-criminal matters in the state of Texas. A different court, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, is the court of last resort for criminal matters.The Court is composed of a Chief Justice and eight Associate Justices...
Justice Raul Gonzales led the Pledge of Allegiance
Pledge of Allegiance
The Pledge of Allegiance of the United States is an expression of loyalty to the federal flag and the republic of the United States of America, originally composed by Christian Socialist Francis Bellamy in 1892 and formally adopted by Congress as the pledge in 1942...
. An "all-star" gospel music
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
choir performed various religious and patriotic selections (while several of its members performed praise dance), including a rendition of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic
The Battle Hymn of the Republic
"The Battle Hymn of the Republic" is a hymn by American writer Julia Ward Howe using the music from the song "John Brown's Body". Howe's more famous lyrics were written in November 1861 and first published in The Atlantic Monthly in February 1862. It became popular during the American Civil War...
." Twila Paris
Twila Paris
Twila Paris Wright is a Contemporary Christian Music songwriter, author, vocalist and pianist.-Musical career:Since 1980, Twila Paris has released 22 albums, amassed 33 number one Christian Radio singles, and was named the Gospel Music Association Female Vocalist of the Year three years in a row...
sang “True North” and J. E. McKissic, co-pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church of Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
, sang "God Bless America
God Bless America
"God Bless America" is an American patriotic song written by Irving Berlin in 1918 and revised by him in 1938. The later version has notably been recorded by Kate Smith, becoming her signature song ....
."
Beck was introduced by Pat Gray
Pat Gray
Pat Gray is an American talk radio host. He is a co-host of The Glenn Beck Program, a nationally syndicated radio talk show featuring host Glenn Beck. Gray was formerly the host of the morning show on radio station KSEV.-History:...
, his radio show
Glenn Beck Program
The Glenn Beck Program is an American talk radio show hosted by commentator Glenn Beck on Premiere Radio Networks. Since its inception as a nationally syndicated show in 2002, the program has become one of the highest rated radio programs...
co-host and close friend who baptized him in 1999 into Mormonism
Mormonism
Mormonism is the religion practiced by Mormons, and is the predominant religious tradition of the Latter Day Saint movement. This movement was founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. beginning in the 1820s as a form of Christian primitivism. During the 1830s and 1840s, Mormonism gradually distinguished itself...
, and spoke briefly, remarking:
This building was [filled] by invitation [to] some of the best and bravest pastors, priests, rabbis, clerics in the country. Tomorrow, we will announce the beginning of the Black-Robed Regiment. And here is what’s amazing, here’s what’s amazing, they keep saying this is a political event, and it is not. It is not a political event at all. I'm convinced that not just this event, but this time period is going to be remembered as the beginning of the great awakeningGreat AwakeningThe term Great Awakening is used to refer to a period of religious revival in American religious history. Historians and theologians identify three or four waves of increased religious enthusiasm occurring between the early 18th century and the late 19th century...
in America.
Other speakers included Barton, televangelist Gloria Copeland, Rabbi Daniel Lapin
Daniel Lapin
Daniel Lapin is a political commentator and American Orthodox rabbi living on Mercer Island, Washington. He is the founder of Toward Tradition, a politically conservative Jewish-Christian organization. He once headed the Pacific Jewish Center in Venice, California. He is also the former head of...
, Dr. Patrick Lee of the Franciscan University of Steubenville
Franciscan University of Steubenville
Franciscan University of Steubenville is a Catholic institution located in Steubenville, Ohio, west of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The school was founded in 1946 by the Franciscan Friars of the Third Order Regular. In 1974, Fr...
, the Rev. Miles McPherson
Miles McPherson
Miles McPherson is the pastor of The Rock Church in San Diego, a motivational speaker, and a former NFL football player.-History:...
(formerly a San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
football player), actor Chuck Norris
Chuck Norris
Carlos Ray "Chuck" Norris is an American martial artist and actor. After serving in the United States Air Force, he began his rise to fame as a martial artist and has since founded his own school, Chun Kuk Do...
, and the Rev. Dave Roever (a decorated Vietnam War veteran).
8/28 Restoring Honor rally
Beck asked that attendees to refrain from bringing signs to the event. Speakers at the 8/28 rally included Sarah Palin, Alveda King, and Beck. Many in the crowd watched the proceedings on large television screens. On the edges of the Mall, vendors sold "Don't Tread on MeGadsden flag
The Gadsden flag is a historical American flag with a yellow field depicting a rattlesnake coiled and ready to strike. Positioned below the snake is the legend "DONT TREAD ON ME." The flag was designed by and is named after American general and statesman Christopher Gadsden. It was also used by the...
" flags, popular with Tea Party activists
Tea Party movement
The Tea Party movement is an American populist political movement that is generally recognized as conservative and libertarian, and has sponsored protests and supported political candidates since 2009...
. Other activists distributed fliers urging voters to "dump Obama." However, the speeches themselves were restricted from overt partisanship as the tax-exempt co-sponsor of the event, the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, required all speakers to sign an agreement promising not to talk politics. Of note, all proceeds raised through Beck's promotion of the event were slated to go to SOWF, after the estimated $1 million costs for the rally itself were covered. Beck gave out "badge of merit" awards to three people for service in the categories of faith, hope, and charity
Theological virtues
Theological virtues - in theology and Christian philosophy, are the character qualities associated with salvation, resulting from the grace of God, which enlightens human mind.- In the Bible :The three theological virtues are:...
.
Catherine McDonald, head of the Atlanta chapter of the 9.12 Project, opined that Beck was providing a forum for people who believe the nation has lost its sense of honor and focus, remarking "These are people who believe this country was founded on good principles and God."
Richard Land
Richard Land
Dr. Richard D. Land, aka Chief Red Bull, is the president of The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission , the moral and ethics concern entity of the Southern Baptist Convention in the United States, a post he has held since 1988...
president of The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission later described the event as ecumenical, remarking that:
Alveda King
Alveda King, a minister and pro-lifePro-life
Opposition to the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-life, or anti-abortion, movement, a social and political movement opposing elective abortion on moral grounds and supporting its legal prohibition or restriction...
activist and former Georgia State Representative who is a niece of the civil rights leader Martin Luther King, appealed to rally attendees to "focus not on elections or on political causes but on honor, on character ... not the color of our skin. Yes, I too have a dream.... That America will pray and God will forgive us our sins and revive us our land." King also addressed the civil rights leaders and members of the black community who had been critical of the rally, responding that "My daddy, Rev. A.D. King, my granddaddy, Martin Luther King, Senior – we are a family of faith, hope and love. And that's why I'm here today. Glenn says there is one human race; I agree with him. We are not here to divide. I'm about unity. That's why I'm here, and I want to honor my uncle today."
Sarah Palin
Palin told the crowd that calls to transform the country were not enough; "We must restore America and restore her honor." Palin likened the rally participants to the civil rights activists from 1963, and said the same spirit that helped them overcome oppression, discrimination and violence would help this group as well. Palin's lines such as, "Look around you. You're not alone. You are Americans! You have the same steel spine and moral courage of Washington and Lincoln and Martin Luther King. It is in you. It will sustain you as it sustained them," were greeted by the crowd's standing ovations and chants of "U!–S!–A!"Glenn Beck
Beck opened his remarks by decreeing that "Something beyond imagination is happening. America today begins to turn back to God." He later said,Beck, in referring to Dr. King, noted that he had spent the night before in the same Washington hotel where King had put the finishing touches on his famous "I Have a Dream
I Have a Dream
"I Have a Dream" is a 17-minute public speech by Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered on August 28, 1963, in which he called for racial equality and an end to discrimination...
" speech.
Beck wore a bulletproof vest
Bulletproof vest
A ballistic vest, bulletproof vest or bullet-resistant vest is an item of personal armor that helps absorb the impact from firearm-fired projectiles and shrapnel from explosions, and is worn on the torso...
at the request of his wife.
Program
Additional features of the event included: the songs “Heaven Was Needing A Hero” and “America, the Beautiful,” sung by Jo Dee MessinaJo Dee Messina
Jo Dee Marie Messina , known professionally as Jo Dee Messina, is an American country music artist. She has charted nine Number One singles on the Billboard country music charts. She has been honored by the Country Music Association, the Academy of Country Music and has been nominated for two...
; the Pledge of Allegiance
Pledge of Allegiance
The Pledge of Allegiance of the United States is an expression of loyalty to the federal flag and the republic of the United States of America, originally composed by Christian Socialist Francis Bellamy in 1892 and formally adopted by Congress as the pledge in 1942...
, led by a Boy Scout
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
; the National Anthem, sung a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
; the gathered masses' singing of "Amazing Grace
Amazing Grace
"Amazing Grace" is a Christian hymn with words written by the English poet and clergyman John Newton , published in 1779. With a message that forgiveness and redemption are possible regardless of the sins people commit and that the soul can be delivered from despair through the mercy of God,...
," as accompanied by bagpipers; and pastors' offerings of invocation (D. Paul Jehle, The New Testament Church, Plymouth, Massachusetts) and benediction
Benediction
A benediction is a short invocation for divine help, blessing and guidance, usually at the end of worship service.-Judaism:...
(the Reverend Dave Roever). At the event, Beck introduced a group of 240 religious leaders from among the "Black Robe Regiment," that includes clergy of various denominations, ranging from evangelical pastors to Roman Catholic priests to Jewish rabbis to Muslim imams, among others. Also there were presentations of Badges of Merit awards to individuals selected by Beck.
List of gathering's honorees
| Badges of Merit | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| To armed services veterans | Presented by | |||
| Badge of Merit purple heart |
Marcus Luttrell Marcus Luttrell Marcus Luttrell is a former Petty Officer First Class and United States Navy SEAL. He received the Navy Cross for his actions in 2005 facing Taliban fighters during Operation Red Wing.-Early life:... |
Navy SEAL United States Navy SEALs The United States Navy's Sea, Air and Land Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the U.S. Navy's principal special operations force and a part of the Naval Special Warfare Command as well as the maritime component of the United States Special Operations Command.The acronym is derived from their... , Afghanistan War in Afghanistan (2001–present) The War in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001, as the armed forces of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Afghan United Front launched Operation Enduring Freedom... . Sole survivor, Taliban ambush. Founder, Lone Survivor Foundation |
Sarah Palin | |
| James "Eddie" Wright | Marine Sergeant, Iraq 2004 in Iraq -Incumbents:* Head of State -*# Government Administrator – L. Paul Bremer III *# President - Ghazi Mashal Ajil al-Yawer * Head of Government -*# President of the Governing Council of Iraq - Adnan Pachachi... . Lost hands but lead men to safety. Co-founder, Operation Grateful Nation |
|||
| Thomas Henry "Tom" Kirk, Jr. | Air Force United States Air Force The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of... squadron commander, Vietnam. 5½-years captivity in Hanoi Hanoi Hilton Hỏa Lò Prison, later sarcastically known to American prisoners of war as the "Hanoi Hilton", was a prison used by the French colonists in Vietnam for political prisoners and later by North Vietnam for prisoners of war during the Vietnam War.... ; for 2 of them, John McCain John McCain John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election.... 's cellmate |
|||
| Civilian | Presented by | |||
| For faith | Charles Lewis "C. L." Jackson | Pastor at Pleasant Grove Missionary Baptist Church in Houston, Texas Houston, Texas Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ... ; founded 17 churches; stood with Martin Luther King on August 28, 1963 |
Negiel Bigpond evangelist, Yuchi Nation Yuchi For the Chinese surname 尉迟, see Yuchi.The Yuchi, also spelled Euchee and Uchee, are a Native American Indian tribe who traditionally lived in the eastern Tennessee River valley in Tennessee in the 16th century. During the 17th century, they moved south to Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina... |
|
| For hope | Albert Pujols Albert Pujols José Alberto Pujols Alcántara , better known as Albert Pujols , is a Dominican-American professional baseball player, who is currently a free agent... |
Evangelizing Evangelism Evangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity.... immigrant-athlete and founder, Pujols Family Foundation, helping children with Down Syndrome and other charitable endeavors |
Tony La Russa Tony La Russa Anthony "Tony" La Russa, Jr. is a former Major League Baseball manager and infielder, best known for his tenures as manager of the Chicago White Sox, Oakland Athletics, and St. Louis Cardinals... |
|
| For charity | Jon Huntsman, Sr. Jon Huntsman, Sr. Jon Meade Huntsman, Sr. is an American businessman and philanthropist. He is the founder of Huntsman Corporation. He is the father of former United States Ambassador to China and former Governor of Utah Jon Huntsman, Jr.... |
Philanthropist Philanthropist A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes... -author, Winners Never Cheat. Proxy acceptor: Emma Houston (treated at Huntsman Cancer Institute Huntsman Cancer Institute Huntsman Cancer Institute is an NCI-designated cancer research facility and hospital located on the campus of the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is the only National Cancer Institute-designated Cancer Center in the Intermountain West. This title ensures patients benefit from the... ) |
Raul A. Gonzalez | |
Black Robe Regiment
During the weekend of his rally, Beck promoted a so-called Black Robe Regiment, the name of a grass-root efforts to rally clergy to conservative American ConstitutionalistConstitutionalism
Constitutionalism has a variety of meanings. Most generally, it is "a complex of ideas, attitudes, and patterns of behavior elaborating the principle that the authority of government derives from and is limited by a body of fundamental law"....
activism (as with one-time Constitution Party
Constitution Party (United States)
The Constitution Party is a paleoconservative political party in the United States. It was founded as the U.S. Taxpayers' Party by Howard Philips in 1991. Phillips was the party's candidate in the 1992, 1996 and 2000 presidential elections...
U.S. presidential candidate Chuck Baldwin's group of this name), combined with generalized, moral revival.
The name was taken from phrases such as black regiment or black robe brigade occasionally used by British Loyalists during the American Revolution – not to refer to a specific fighting force but, rather, collectively to refer to Protestant clergymen, predominantly non-Anglican, that assisted in rallying the populace to take up arms against the crown. During the latter part of the decade of the 2000s, the term was promoted in an article written by Wayne C. Sedlak, suggesting present-day religious Americans should rally around preserving conservative American Constitutionalist principles.
Becoming interested in the concept of the BRR group through the influence of David Barton, Beck decided to promote the group himself, taking it into an even greater ecumenical direction. As a part of this effort, Beck arranged to meet with eighteen or so high-profile evangelical
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
Christians, including James Robison, James Dobson
James Dobson
James Clayton "Jim" Dobson, Jr. is an American evangelical Christian author, psychologist, and founder in 1977 of Focus on the Family , which he led until 2003. In the 1980s he was ranked as one of the most influential spokesman for conservative social positions in American public life...
, John Hagee
John Hagee
John Charles Hagee is an American founder and senior pastor of Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas, a non-denominational charismatic megachurch with more than 19,000 active members...
, and Richard Land
Richard Land
Dr. Richard D. Land, aka Chief Red Bull, is the president of The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission , the moral and ethics concern entity of the Southern Baptist Convention in the United States, a post he has held since 1988...
at The London, a hotel in New York City, on June 30, 2010, to discuss the more religious dimension Beck was heading toward in his talkshows.
Some of these leaders, such as Land, ended up participating in Beck's 8/28, 2010 rally, Land telling the press after the event that he was a charter member of the BRR group. According to press reports, other members include Dobson, Jerry Falwell Jr., Richard Lee (pastor of First Redeemer Church of Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
), Harry Jackson (Hope Christian Church in Maryland), Shawn Mitchell (New Venture Christian Fellowship, Oceanside, California
Oceanside, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Oceanside had a population of 167,086. The population density was 3,961.8 people per square mile...
; Chaplain San Diego Chargers Pro. Football Org. [NFL's longest-tenured Chaplain]), Jim Garlow (Skyline Wesleyan Church, San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
) and Catholic social conservative activist Maggie Gallagher
Maggie Gallagher
Margaret Gallagher Srivastav , better known by her working name Maggie Gallagher, is an American writer, commentator, and opponent of same-sex marriage. She has written a syndicated column for Universal Press Syndicate since 1995, and has published five books...
.
At his 8/28 rally, according to Beck, a group selected from among the "thousands"-strong "black robe regiment was introduced on stage which is, was 240 pastors, priests, rabbis and imams on stage all locked arms saying the principles of America need to be taught from the pulpit."
Crowd size
| Crowd size estimates | |
|---|---|
| View of the central corridor crowd taken from the east side of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Additional people were seated on the sides beyond the trees. |
|
| Source | Crowd estimate |
| ABC News ABC News ABC News is the news gathering and broadcasting division of American broadcast television network ABC, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company... |
Over 100,000 |
| Associated Press Associated Press The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists... |
Tens of thousands |
| CBS News CBS News CBS News is the news division of American television and radio network CBS. The current chairman is Jeff Fager who is also the executive producer of 60 Minutes, while the current president of CBS News is David Rhodes. CBS News' flagship program is the CBS Evening News, hosted by the network's main... / AirPhotosLive.com |
87,000 ± 9,000 |
| McClatchy Newspapers | Hundreds of thousands |
| NBC Nightly News NBC Nightly News NBC Nightly News is the flagship daily evening television news program for NBC News and broadcasts. NBC Nightly News has aired from Studio 3B, located on floors 3 of the NBC Studios is the headquarters of the GE Building forms the centerpiece of 30th Rockefeller Center it is located in the center... |
Tens to hundreds of thousands |
| New York Post New York Post The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions... |
300,000 |
| Sky News Sky News Sky News is a 24-hour British and international satellite television news broadcaster with an emphasis on UK and international news stories.The service places emphasis on rolling news, including the latest breaking news. Sky News also hosts localised versions of the channel in Australia and in New... |
Approximately 500,000 |
| The Daily Telegraph The Daily Telegraph The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B... |
Hundreds of thousands |
| Unnamed official per NBC reporter tweet |
300,000-325,000 |
| Washington Examiner Washington Examiner The Washington Examiner is a free daily newspaper published in Springfield, Virginia, and distributed in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. It is owned by Denver billionaire Philip Anschutz.... |
Well into six figures |
The Wall Street Journal said attendees packed nearly a mile
Mile
A mile is a unit of length, most commonly 5,280 feet . The mile of 5,280 feet is sometimes called the statute mile or land mile to distinguish it from the nautical mile...
of the National Mall, but the New York Daily News
New York Daily News
The Daily News of New York City is the fourth most widely circulated daily newspaper in the United States with a daily circulation of 605,677, as of November 1, 2011....
said crowd counts depended "dramatically on who you ask." Before the rally Beck expected a crowd of 100,000, and he joked during his rally that "I have just gotten word from the media that there is over a thousand people here today." CBS News
CBS News
CBS News is the news division of American television and radio network CBS. The current chairman is Jeff Fager who is also the executive producer of 60 Minutes, while the current president of CBS News is David Rhodes. CBS News' flagship program is the CBS Evening News, hosted by the network's main...
commissioned AirPhotosLive for the rally's only scientific estimate, which placed attendance at 87,000 plus or minus 9,000.
NBC News
NBC News
NBC News is the news division of American television network NBC. It first started broadcasting in February 21, 1940. NBC Nightly News has aired from Studio 3B, located on floors 3 of the NBC Studios is the headquarters of the GE Building forms the centerpiece of 30th Rockefeller Center it is...
and the New York Post
New York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
put attendance at 300,000, and Sky News
Sky News
Sky News is a 24-hour British and international satellite television news broadcaster with an emphasis on UK and international news stories.The service places emphasis on rolling news, including the latest breaking news. Sky News also hosts localised versions of the channel in Australia and in New...
said 500,000 were in attendance. NBC reporter Domenico Montanaro tweeted
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
that an "official at top of memorial said 300-325K." Less exact were the New York Times, which simply called the crowd "enormous", and Fox News Channel
Fox News Channel
Fox News Channel , often called Fox News, is a cable and satellite television news channel owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a subsidiary of News Corporation...
, which referred to "strong" turnout and "huge crowds." Though NPR
NPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
doubted that an accurate estimate was possible, they nonetheless said attendance was in the "tens of thousands", the same estimate of the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
, while ABC News
ABC News
ABC News is the news gathering and broadcasting division of American broadcast television network ABC, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company...
reported "more than 100,000 people" at the rally.
Some media outlets used ranges to report crowd size. The The Washington Examiner, relying on "photographic comparisons to past events" reported attendance as being "well into six figures." The The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
and McClatchy Newspapers agreed that the crowd was somewhere in the hundreds of thousands.
No estimates were issued by National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
, which had ceased making estimates public after rally sponsors from earlier gatherings, including the organizers of the Million Man March
Million Man March
The Million Man March was a gathering of social activists, en masse, held on and around the National Mall in Washington, D.C. on October 16, 1995...
in 1995, threatening court action over official estimates.
Post-rally response
On the rally
Beck used the full hour of his TV show on August 30 to talk about the rally. He said the crowd "was polite. It was calm. It was friendly. It was welcoming. It was helpful," and noted that zero arrests were made "in a crowd this size." In summing up the event, Beck declared that "What you saw was a minimum of 500,000 people who never claimed that God was on their side. They wanted to change their lives so they could be on God's side." Moreover, he said in preparing for the rally he tried for a year to get a military flyoverFlypast
Flypast is a term used in the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth, and other countries to denote ceremonial or honorific flights by groups of aircraft and, rarely, by a single aircraft...
or someone in a military uniform to present the flag and could not; at 9:59 am, one minute before the rally's scheduled start time, a flock of geese flew directly over the rally. Beck called it a miracle. He also said he received a call from the Smithsonian saying they wanted "items from the event preserved for the Smithsonian." During his recap broadcast, Beck also displayed a photograph of Sarah Palin at the rally, capturing her praying "for a full 10 minutes", remarking that it was "the most beautiful picture of Sarah Palin ever taken."
On The O'Reilly Factor
The O'Reilly Factor
The O'Reilly Factor, originally titled The O'Reilly Report from 1996 to 1998 and often called The Factor, is an American talk show on the Fox News Channel hosted by commentator Bill O'Reilly, who often discusses current controversial political issues with guests.The program was the most watched...
on August 30, he described "the hate from the other side" as the "lowlight" of the rally and said, "I warn you, America, the attacks are going to get worse." He said he offered a bulletproof vest to Alveda King but she decided not to take it. He also described her as "a marked woman for standing on that step with me."
On the media coverage
Beck commented on media coverage of the rally, such as the New York Times calling him "the anti-King," and a quote (mis-attributed to NPR) by The Root for worrying that it would spiral into a "pit of hatred." Two days before the rally, The Root had written "Little is known about the event except that there will be speeches by Beck and Sarah Palin, and attendees are prohibited from bringing signs. The fear, of course, is that it will turn into a pit of hatred a la the health-care town halls. But there may be a glimmer of hope."From the media
Hours after the rally finished, Martin Luther King Jr.'s personal attorney and speechwriter, Clarence B. JonesClarence Benjamin Jones
Clarence B. Jones is the former personal counsel, advisor, draft speech writer and close friend of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He is a Scholar in Residence at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Institute at Stanford University...
, said he believes King would not have been offended by Beck's rally but "pleased and honored". Jones – now a visiting professor at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
– said the Beck rally seemed to be tasteful and did not appear to distort King's message. James Freeman, in an op-ed
Op-ed
An op-ed, abbreviated from opposite the editorial page , is a newspaper article that expresses the opinions of a named writer who is usually unaffiliated with the newspaper's editorial board...
for The Wall Street Journal, wrote positively about the rally, remarking that "the day was largely devoted to expressions of gratitude for the sacrifices of U.S. soldiers, for great men of American history like the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., and for God." He said "you couldn't find a more polite crowd" and remarked that he couldn't find a single piece of trash left on the Mall by attendees. After noting how the crowd refused to boo when Dave Roever gave the closing prayer thanking God for President Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
and members of Congress
111th United States Congress
The One Hundred Eleventh United States Congress was the meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government from January 3, 2009 until January 3, 2011. It began during the last two weeks of the George W. Bush administration, with the remainder spanning the first two years of...
, Freeman theorized that "between Saturday's crowd in Washington and the tea partiers agitating for limited government, we may be witnessing the rebuilding of the Reagan coalition
Reagan coalition
The Reagan coalition was the combination of voters that Republican Ronald Reagan assembled to produce a major political realignment with his landslide in the 1980 United States Presidential Election. In 1980 the Reagan coalition was possible because of Democrat Jimmy Carter's losses in most...
, the fusion of religious and economic conservatives." Fox News host Bill O'Reilly
Bill O'Reilly (political commentator)
William James "Bill" O'Reilly, Jr. is an American television host, author, syndicated columnist and political commentator. He is the host of the political commentary program The O'Reilly Factor on the Fox News Channel, which is the most watched cable news television program on American television...
described it as an "appeal for a return to Judeo-Christian
Judeo-Christian
Judeo-Christian is a term used in the United States since the 1940s to refer to standards of ethics said to be held in common by Judaism and Christianity, for example the Ten Commandments...
values" and called it "a huge victory for Glenn Beck and Americans who believe that his message of honor and dignity is worthwhile." He also said, "I don't think there's anybody in the country that could have mobilized that many people at this point in time."
Conversely, liberal radio host Bill Press
Bill Press
William "Bill" Press is a US talk radio host, political commentator and author.-Career:Press has a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy from Niagara University and Bachelor of Sacred Theology from the University of Fribourg. He started his broadcasting career in Los Angeles for TV stations KABC-TV and...
, who attended the rally personally, criticized the "Christian religious fervor" of the event, remarking that at one point he expected Beck "to part the Reflecting Pool and walk across it." In discussing the setting among the crowd, Press stated that it was "a strange combination of political rally and religious revival", which left him surrounded by the "old, white, and angry." Former Democratic National Committee
Democratic National Committee
The Democratic National Committee is the principal organization governing the United States Democratic Party on a day to day basis. While it is responsible for overseeing the process of writing a platform every four years, the DNC's central focus is on campaign and political activity in support...
chairman Howard Dean
Howard Dean
Howard Brush Dean III is an American politician and physician from Vermont. He served six terms as the 79th Governor of Vermont and ran unsuccessfully for the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination. He was chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 2005 to 2009. Although his U.S...
questioned Beck's mental sanity, while referring to Beck's audience as "lost souls" in the middle of an economic downturn who then follow the "racist" and "hatemonger" Beck, whom Dean compared to Father Coughlin from the 1930s. Author Christopher Hitchens
Christopher Hitchens
Christopher Eric Hitchens is an Anglo-American author and journalist whose books, essays, and journalistic career span more than four decades. He has been a columnist and literary critic at The Atlantic, Vanity Fair, Slate, World Affairs, The Nation, Free Inquiry, and became a media fellow at the...
in Slate magazine, critiqued the rally as a "large, vague, moist, and undirected Waterworld of white self-pity", discerning that the spectacle was a consequence of the white American subconscious feeling anxiety mixed with nostalgia
Nostalgia
The term nostalgia describes a yearning for the past, often in idealized form.The word is a learned formation of a Greek compound, consisting of , meaning "returning home", a Homeric word, and , meaning "pain, ache"...
, at the uneasy realization that soon they will no longer be the majority. In Hitchens view, the expressions of "pathos and insecurity", were voiced in a "sickly", "pious" and "persecuted" tone, while the speeches "denied racial feeling so monotonously and vehemently as to draw attention." The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post is an American news website and content-aggregating blog founded by Arianna Huffington, Kenneth Lerer, and Jonah Peretti, featuring liberal minded columnists and various news sources. The site offers coverage of politics, theology, media, business, entertainment, living, style,...
compiled a slideshow of what they believed were "the most ridiculous messages" from Beck's rally, while Eric Deggans, media critic for the St. Petersburg Times
St. Petersburg Times
The St. Petersburg Times is a United States newspaper. It is one of two major publications serving the Tampa Bay Area, the other being The Tampa Tribune, which the Times tops in both circulation and readership. Based in St...
, hypothesized that with the rally, Beck had created a blueprint for "ultra-conservative" Tea Party activists to look more mainstream to independent voters
Independent (voter)
An independent voter, those who register as an unaffiliated voter in the United States, is a voter of a democratic country who does not align him- or herself with a political party...
before the November 2010 midterm elections.
Theological tensions
Mark Caleb Smith, director of the Center for Political Studies at Cedarville UniversityCedarville University
Cedarville University is a private, co-educational liberal arts university located in Cedarville, Ohio.At its founding, the school was affiliated with the conservative General Synod of the Reformed Presbyterian Church in North America. Today, Cedarville is a Southern Baptist school known for its...
, said, "Many of the people you'd say are members of the Christian right
Christian right
Christian right is a term used predominantly in the United States to describe "right-wing" Christian political groups that are characterized by their strong support of socially conservative policies...
would consider Mormonism
Mormonism
Mormonism is the religion practiced by Mormons, and is the predominant religious tradition of the Latter Day Saint movement. This movement was founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. beginning in the 1820s as a form of Christian primitivism. During the 1830s and 1840s, Mormonism gradually distinguished itself...
to be cult
Cult
The word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. The word originally denoted a system of ritual practices...
ish, and so what's interesting is that Beck [by means of the rally] is seemingly building bridges to that community from a very different theological perspective." However, several theologically
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
conservative evangelicals
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
, many of them Beck fans politically, criticized evangelicals' "standing together in the faith" with Beck at the religion-centered rally, because Beck is Mormon and thus in their view not "a fellow Christian."
After announcement of the planned rally, Brannon Howse, a professional organizer of Christian conferences, expressed wariness, stating "The Apostle Paul warns Christians against uniting with unbelievers in spiritual endeavors. While I applaud and agree with many of Glenn Beck's conservative and constitutional
Constitutionalism
Constitutionalism has a variety of meanings. Most generally, it is "a complex of ideas, attitudes, and patterns of behavior elaborating the principle that the authority of government derives from and is limited by a body of fundamental law"....
views, that does not give me or any other Bible-believing Christian justification to compromise Biblical truth by spiritually joining Beck." Breakpoint
Breakpoint Commentary
BreakPoint Commentaries is a daily radio commentary program hosted by Chuck Colson and Mark Earley which airs each weekday on more than 1,200 outlets with an estimated weekly listening audience of eight million people...
's Diane Singer said, "If you're like me and believe [Mormons] have been deceived into following another Jesus, then perhaps you share my concerns. I want real revival to come to America, which means it must be based on Truth, not deception." In response to the rally, Warren Cole Smith, associate publisher of the Christian-themed World magazine
World (magazine)
WORLD Magazine is a biweekly Christian news magazine, published in the United States of America by God's World Publications, a non-profit 501 organization based in Asheville, North Carolina. WORLD differs from most other news magazines in that its declared perspective is one of conservative...
, said:
However, Jerry Falwell, Jr., attended the event and defended Beck, remarking "Glenn Beck’s Mormon faith is irrelevant. People of all faiths, all races and all creeds spoke and attended the event. Nobody was there to endorse anyone else’s faith, but we were all there to honor our armed forces and to call the people of America to restore honor." The American Family Association's
American Family Association
The American Family Association is a 501 non-profit organization that promotes conservative Christian values, such as opposition to same-sex marriage, pornography, and abortion, as well as other public policy goals such as deregulation of the oil industry and lobbying against the Employee Free...
Bryan Fischer said that while Beck's faith "is a problem", evangelicals were able to use Beck for their purposes during the Restoring Honor rally, remarking:
Subsequent related rallies
A liberal One Nation Working Together rallyOne Nation Working Together rally
The One Nation Working Together rally was held on October 2, 2010 in Washington, D.C. by a coalition of liberal and progressive organizations operating under the umbrella of "One Nation Working Together"...
took place on the Mall on October 2, 2010, sponsored by 300 various liberal groups, including the NAACP, the AFL-CIO
AFL-CIO
The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, commonly AFL–CIO, is a national trade union center, the largest federation of unions in the United States, made up of 56 national and international unions, together representing more than 11 million workers...
, and Organizing for America
Organizing for America
Organizing for America is a community organizing project of the Democratic National Committee. Founded after the presidential inauguration of Barack Obama, the group seeks to mobilize supporters in favor of Obama's legislative priorities.-History:...
. Organizers hoped 100,000 would attend, and claimed more people were at their rally than at Beck's, but the New York Times said "significant areas of the National Mall that had been filled during Mr. Beck’s rally were empty." Various other media outlets, including the Associated Press, Politico
Politico (newspaper)
The Politico is an American political journalism organization based in Arlington, Virginia, that distributes its content via television, the Internet, newspaper, and radio. Its coverage of Washington, D.C., includes the U.S. Congress, lobbying, media and the Presidency...
, the Washington Post, and ABC News, all agreed there were significantly less people than at Restoring Honor.
Beck criticized the event for allegedly being political in nature as opposed to his, saying, "they are organizing for their version of America. They are pulling out all the stops. This is truly, truly Astroturf...we also didn't have a political message. The message was about God." He also claimed that the rally was sponsored by groups such as the Communist Party USA
Communist Party USA
The Communist Party USA is a Marxist political party in the United States, established in 1919. It has a long, complex history that is closely related to the histories of similar communist parties worldwide and the U.S. labor movement....
, International Socialist Organization
International Socialist Organization
The International Socialist Organization is a revolutionary socialist organization in the United States that identifies with the politics of International Socialism, a current of Trotskyism, and the Marxist political tradition that American socialist writer and activist Hal Draper called...
, SEIU, and Code Pink
Code Pink
Code Pink: Women for Peace is an anti-war group that is mainly composed of women. It has regional offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York City, and Washington, D.C., and many more chapters in the U.S. as well as several in other countries...
, among others.
On October 30, 2010, Comedy Central
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
comedians Stephen Colbert
Stephen Colbert
Stephen Tyrone Colbert is an American political satirist, writer, comedian, television host, and actor. He is the host of Comedy Central's The Colbert Report, a satirical news show in which Colbert portrays a caricatured version of conservative political pundits.Colbert originally studied to be an...
and Jon Stewart
Jon Stewart
Jon Stewart is an American political satirist, writer, television host, actor, media critic and stand-up comedian...
hosted a rally at the National Mall called the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear, which drew approximately 215,000 people according to aerial photography
Aerial photography
Aerial photography is the taking of photographs of the ground from an elevated position. The term usually refers to images in which the camera is not supported by a ground-based structure. Cameras may be hand held or mounted, and photographs may be taken by a photographer, triggered remotely or...
analysis by AirPhotosLive.com. Some Democratic strategists worried that the Stewart–Colbert rallies would detract from the 10/2 rally and take away their supporters from doing get-out-the-vote
Get out the vote
"Get out the vote" are terms used to describe two categories of political activity, both aimed at increasing the number of votes cast in one or more elections.- Non-partisan contexts :...
work three days before the election.
See also
- Political science of religionPolitical science of religionPolitical Science of Religion can be defined as one of the youngest disciplines in the political sciences that deals with a study of influence that religion has on politics and vice versa with a focus on the relationship between the subjects in politics in the narrow sense: government, political...
- Taxpayer March on WashingtonTaxpayer March on WashingtonThe Taxpayer March on Washington was a Tea Party protest march from Freedom Plaza to the United States Capitol that was held on September 12, 2009, in Washington, D.C. The event coincided with other similar protests organized in various cities across the nation...
- The Blaze (online news, information and opinion site), launched by Beck three days after the rally
External links
Official
- Restoring Honor Rally Website
- Restoring Honor FAQ for Media
- Fan Page – at FacebookFacebookFacebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
- Video Channel – at YoutubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
Images
- Glenn Beck Rally has People Seeing Red – clickable photos by NPR
- Glenn Beck 'Restoring Honor' Rally Draws Thousands – slideshow by The Washington Post
- Glenn Beck’s Rally in Washington – slideshow by The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
- Black Robe Regiment: The Clergy of 8/28 – image gallery by The BlazeThe Blaze (blog)The Blaze is a conservative news and opinion website launched on August 31, 2010, by American media personality and former Fox News host Glenn Beck's Mercury Radio Arts, three days after Beck's widely publicized Restoring Honor rally at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D. C...
Video
- "A Video Diary of Sarah Palin" – by the Sarah Palin Blog
- Restoring Honor Rally: Saturday, Washington, DC (3 hours) – a C-SPANC-SPANC-SPAN , an acronym for Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network, is an American cable television network that offers coverage of federal government proceedings and other public affairs programming via its three television channels , one radio station and a group of websites that provide streaming...
video