Speaker Brings Controversy to Campus

By: Christian Hokans

If you drove by the Kellogg Center on Tuesday evening, you might have been a bit surprised by what you saw. The sidewalk was flooded with a medley of individuals, from top hat wearing “coal barons” to activists shouting for health care reform. Why was the sidewalk littered with this colorful assortment? Because of one man: Glenn Beck.

Beck was the keynote speaker at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s “Future Forum.” The event was hosted by the Michigan Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday, Sep. 15 at the Kellogg Center. The main topic was the state of Michigan and its future. Other speakers included State Senator Mike Bishop along with President and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Thomas J. Donohue.

Glenn Beck is a radio personality and talk show host on Fox News. He was also recently featured on the cover of Time magazine. Because he deals mainly with current political issues, Beck regularly draws a great deal of controversy.

The MSU College Democrats organized the protest against Beck. Dem’s President Mitchell Rivard said, “We are not here to protest Glenn Beck. We are here to protest his statements and urge his financial backers on Fox News to remove their support for him.” They were not the only side of the issue present however. Supporters for Beck were present as well, one organizer saying, “I have been watching Glenn Beck for years and he makes sense, I think Washington has gotten arrogant and out of touch with the rest of the country.”

It was not merely a clash of two ideologies. The protest represented a variety of issues, including alternative energy, health care reform, corporate corruption and race. People held signs with slogans such as “Corporate Greed Kills,” “Health Care Reform Now,” and “Say No to Socialism.” Individuals themselves varied as well. Students and other community members alike stood side by side with signs in hand. The comic relief when a small gathering of “Coal Barons” arrived in top hats with giant dollar bills spilling from their suit coats. They were present in support of the Power Shift Michigan Conference that is taking place in Lansing from October 9-11.

As the gathering grew, both sides split into opposing factions on each side of the Kellogg Center drive way. Members of the MSU ACLU looked on “to make sure that basic rights [were] protected,” said one representative. Local News stations were also present covering the event.

While the protest went on, members of the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, a private organization representing Michigan’s business interests, flowed in and out of the convention center. Some joined in with the protest, others just looked on. A pair near the door had their own outlook on the issue. “He’s just an entertainer like Cher or Michael Moore. I don’t see the problem.”

Maybe the best perspective on the matter, though, was summed up by a Vietnam veteran who sat on a bench across the street from the protest. “I’m just thankful that people can do this in our country.”