The video: On Wednesday's edition of Glenn Beck's popular radio show, the conservative icon laid into Gene Cranick, the Tennessee resident who did not pay a $75 charge to his local fire department, then protested when the department did not save his home from flames. (See video below.) Beck's point: If firefighters "make an exception for your house," you would be "sponging off of your neighbor's $75." He added that "this is the kind of stuff that's gonna happen" in the future.
The reaction: Beck's stance is that the city did the right thing and "to a point, I understand the policy," says The Right Scoop. "But really, isn't there a better way to make this point than actually letting the man's house burn down?" Beck went too far, says Bob Cesca at The Huffington Post. "What kind of a man hectors and pillories an average, innocent American family during their darkest hour ... all for the sake of ratings, personal profit, and a few super-cheap laughs?"
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Flying into dangerFeature America's air traffic control system is in crisis. Can it be fixed?
-
Pocket change: The demise of the pennyFeature The penny is being phased out as the Treasury plans to halt production by 2026
-
Time's up: The Democratic gerontocracyFeature The Democratic party is losing key seats as they refuse to retire aging leaders
