Just the evidence, Mr. Beck, just the evidence

Twenty years ago, I really enjoyed watching Mike Wallace interview people on the CBS program, 60 Minutes. Mr. Wallace was the master of the ambush interview technique. He’d ask a straight forward question, wait on the answer, then smack the interviewee in the lips with facts (often provided by the person themselves) which contradicted what had just been said. Then we, the audience, would watch as the interviewee ran through the gamut of  emotions realizing they’d just trapped themselves and were now a party to the destruction of their own credibility.  When backed up with facts, this ambush technique is an effective way to get to the truth. But some who use this technique today, don’t bother to use facts as a foundation for questioning, instead they use rumor and innuendo as a method to build up their own credibility. This brings us to Mr. Glenn “I only ask questions” Beck.

Mr. Beck has been the subject of an internet meme which, in satire, suggests that Mr. Beck raped and murdered a young girl in 1990.  The site, using Mr. Beck’s own style of interviewing, suggests that because he has failed to produce evidence that he had no part in this heinous act, he must be guilty of the crime. Mr. Beck’s response was to file suit against the site owner, not in Federal court where he would must certainly lose because of the First Amendment, but with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)  over the domain name: glennbeckrapedandmurderedayounggirlin1990.com.

What, I’m sure Mr. Beck and his fine legal team had not counted on was that the site owner, Isaac Eiland-Hall, would fight back with an internet smart lawyer like, Marc J. Randazza, Esquire.  Full details of the case are  here. Mr. Randazza’s filed legal response is here.

I don’t know how the case will turn out, although I hope for a ruling in favor of defendant. But this much is clear. Mr. Beck has made his living asking others to produce evidence that something didn’t happen. I hope he can produce evidence that proves that he didn’t do this horrible act and that he has also stopped beating his wife. The world is waiting for his answer.

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ETA: On October 29, 2009, the WIPO ruled against Mr. Beck and in favor of Mr. Eiland-Hall. Then for reason I can’t fathom, Eiland-Hall voluntarily transferred the domain to Glenn Beck, who promptly killed the site.