Edgar Allen Beem is exactly accurate in his recent column about Glenn Beck (and Rush Limbaugh).

When people have free-floating fear, anxiety, anger, stress overload, the right-wing talking point puppets (Beck, Limbaugh, etc.) are experts at manipulating people like Beth O’Connor into focusing on liberals as the enemy. Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh and the rest are paid very well to do this – they see more money in a week than most of us do in a year; they and their philosophies grossly favor the wealthy, large corporations, credit-card companies, banks, etc., and are no friend to waitresses or any working people.

But being given an enemy to blame for all your problems can feel kind of good, a relief, an outlet for all the energy behind these bad feelings, and joining with the bluster of the “broadcast blowhards” (as Beem rightly calls them) may give (an artificial) sense of security. Never mind that the neo-conservative right-wingers are dishonest and mean-spirited, and that they create enormous stress by way of their policies for the middle class on down. They offer a phony safe harbor for frightened people who are hurting and angry, and that is a tragedy.

Kudos and thanks to Beem for his column.

Marilyn Reynolds
Falmouth