Thread: Glenn Beck's Border War

Media Watch 11.25.07: Glenn Beck's Border War

by NPT Staff

Glenn Beck is the latest CNN host to look for ratings on the border, with a November offensive in which he stirs up fears of a nation at war on its southern boundary. Oh yeah, and KFOX gets a mention. Plus a kiss.

Posted on November 25, 2007


Glenn Beck is the latest CNN host to look for ratings on the border, with a November offensive in which he stirs up fears of a nation at war on its southern border. Border residents are firing back, setting up a back and forth that has led to hate mail and death threats for border officials and media.

On his show, titled Border Crisis: True Stories from the Border, Beck portrayed the border -- and in particular, the community of Laredo and Nuevo Laredo -- as an area out of control, with the Border Patrol under assault from criminals and government heavy-handedness and civilians at risk of rape, murder and kidnap.

Melinda Barrera, publisher of the Rio Grande Guardian, responded to him with her column, La Chancla. “I honestly do not believe that people in different parts of this country understand us. These people who are criticizing our border communities build fences in their own backyards to keep from knowing their neighbors and to insulate themselves from the crime in their communities. Our fences are often short and chain linked so we can see our neighbor and stand and talk with them and pass our delicious homemade food back and forth for each other to enjoy. We laugh with our neighbors. We live and learn and stand together with our neighbors. We know each other’s histories and we care deeply about each other’s children and jobs and homes and health. We don’t build walls like the Beck listeners do. They hide from life and we embrace it, and each other!â€

We don't stop in El Paso coming back from AZ, we always stop at Ft. Hancock.

The store where we stop is just ladened with Mexican type snacks. I know that lot of stores carry Mexican products, but this is different. The percentage is so high in Mexican products. It is as if they are there as a snack stop for people crossing from Mexico.

When I think of Ft. Hancock, I think of that, of Shawshank, and of the winds that seem to blow there every time we've been there.

[quote]Melinda Barrera, publisher of the Rio Grande Guardian, responded to him with her column, La Chancla. “I honestly do not believe that people in different parts of this country understand us. These people who are criticizing our border communities build fences in their own backyards to keep from knowing their neighbors and to insulate themselves from the crime in their communities. Our fences are often short and chain linked so we can see our neighbor and stand and talk with them and pass our delicious homemade food back and forth for each other to enjoy. We laugh with our neighbors. We live and learn and stand together with our neighbors. We know each other’s histories and we care deeply about each other’s children and jobs and homes and health. We don’t build walls like the Beck listeners do. They hide from life and we embrace it, and each other!â€

I know - aren't those kinds of things just so silly - I mean just really assinine.

Also, how insulting can she be - as if she knows how we live???