Here's Glenn Beck and his morning zoo sidekicks repeating their theory that Charles Darwin is the father of modern racism.
A few points on this.
First, when discussing historical figures from 150 years ago in the context of race, it's important to note that just about every white person was racist by today's standards.
Second, Beck thinks evolution is a progressive plot and so it shouldn't be taught in schools. Regardless of Darwin's ideas on race, the science is real. It's provable. Evolution can be observed and documented in a variety of organisms right now. There's no gray area here. But it shouldn't be taught in schools, says Beck and his zookeepers, because the man who first theorized the origin of species and natural selection was a racist and because a sick bastard decided to use the theory to murder scores of people decades later.
Third, you know who else was a racist? George Washington. This guy:
From the official Mount Vernon website:
He became a slave owner when his father died in 1743. At the age of eleven, he inherited ten slaves and 500 acres of land. When he began farming Mount Vernon eleven years later, at the age of 22, he had a work force of about 36 slaves. With his marriage to Martha Custis in 1759, 20 of her slaves came to Mount Vernon. After their marriage, Washington purchased even more slaves. The slave population also increased because the slaves were marrying and raising their own families. By 1799, when George Washington died, there were 316 slaves living on the estate.
Gasp! Maybe we shouldn't teach George Washington in school either, based on Beck's standards. But actually, Beck is against all schooling anyway, except for homeschooling.
Let's see. Who else? Cleon Skousen -- Glenn Beck's hero -- who referred to black children as "pickaninnies" and suggested that there was no need for "forcible emancipation."
And what about this guy?