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Expert Panel Analyzes the Origins of ‘Sandy Hook Trutherism’

Jan. 23, 2013 7:42pm

Driven by a recent conspiracy theory that posits the Sandy Hook Elementary school shooting was fabricated, Glenn Beck dedicated his Wednesday evening broadcast to debunking those myths. He also hosted TheBlaze’s Billy Hallowell, author of an extensive article detailing the bizarre string of questions and theories currently circulating the Internet, to provide additional context and background.

The content of these conspiracy theories has been produced in a format resembling a documentary and has since gone viral, generating at least 11 million views to date. Hallowell characterized the content as follows:

The main crux of the arguments presented in documentary-style videos is that the Sandy Hook massacre is either a government-planned hoax intended to lead the nation to overwhelmingly embrace increased gun control measures. Or, at the least, those who have put the videos out believe that essential information is being withheld from the American public surrounding multiple shooters and other game-changing elements. The motivations of those who have created these theories are difficult to pin down, as most are spouting their views anonymously.

A video documenting purported inconsistencies surrounding the tragedy that killed 20 children and six adults inside the school has gone viral, gaining more than 11 million views in just two weeks. And a follow-up “documentary” has also been released, adding further “evidence” to the claim that the event either didn’t unfold at all or that it happened contrary to the media narrative that has been advanced.

Hallowell noted that in addition to questioning the official reports of number and types of weapons used in the attack, the theorists also targeted parents’ reactions, claiming that memorial pages for the victims were published prior to when the massacre took place. This is merely the tip of the iceberg in what is being dubbed “Sandy Hook Trutherism.”

In the segments below, Beck, Hallowell and Salon’s Alex-Seitz-Wald debunk the salacious accusations and explain today’s bizarre fascination with the surreal:

In CONTROL, Glenn Beck presents a passionate, fact-based case for guns that reveals why gun control isn’t really about controlling guns at all; it’s about controlling us. Find out more HERE.

Comments (149)

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  • theromba
    Posted on January 24, 2013 at 10:48am

    Wow, there is a lot of arguing on this topic. I will say this, Glenn Beck pissed off a lot of his base yesterday. For years he has talked about doing your own research and forming your own opinions, and now he is labeling those of differing views and opinions as extremist. Many people I know are questioning the story out of Newtown, with good reason, considering it’s now the basis of limiting our Bill of Rights.

    I was hoping the picture would be available that was on TheBlaze story yesterday, instead of this video crap. The picture the family took with Obama after the incident. I don’t know which daughter is in that photograph, but I do know Obama’s smile is too big. If the family had lost their daughter, why is the President wearing a full open mouth smile, ear to ear with them? Something doesn’t look right in that picture.

    As for 9/11, I have no idea what happened, I avoid New York. I do however find it interesting that so many Engineers agree that Tower 7 was a controlled demolition.

    My point is that I want the Truth, if that makes me a truther or conspiracy theorist, then so be it. I want limited government and am called a “tea-******” for it. If Glenn Beck wants to marginalize those who seek truth and distrust our federal government, he will soon lose the support of those he marginalizes.

    Report this comment

    theromba  
  • Alisium
    Posted on January 24, 2013 at 10:45am

    Is anyone else heartened and blown away by how widely the skepticism of the official story has become? At least compared to the 9/11 skepticism. This seems almost mainstream.

    Report this comment

    Alisium  
  • Mr.bungle
    Posted on January 24, 2013 at 10:16am

    there are no reporters anymore just repeaters that repeat what the other guy has said…..

    the media changed their story on this every 15 mins during the first 24 hours of the event…

    now i am not going to deny these people were killed……..but i do think every detail is important when the left is using sandy hook as a reason to disarm americans! so everything from the guns the shooter used to why the hell was a guy running from the cops for into the woods./……every detail is important.

    Report this comment

    Mr.bungle  
    • GoliathsDavid
      Posted on January 24, 2013 at 6:16pm

      Yes, and with print media being replaced with digital only, stories, photos, videos can all be changed right in front of your eyes, across a national media network, real time. Just visited a tiny news station yesterday and they confirmed that, that is how it works. EVERYONE receives and reports, talking points, images, video, etc for national stories.

      Report this comment

      GoliathsDavid  
  • dont_drive_slow_in_the_left_lane_obliviot
    Posted on January 24, 2013 at 10:04am

    So when NBC of all people breaks the news that an AR15 was NOT used in the school, after the coroner swears they were all killed by an AR15, I’m not supposed to be suspect? How do you answer that mr cool guys?

    Report this comment

    dont_drive_slow_in_the_left_lane_obliviot  
  • THX-1138
    Posted on January 24, 2013 at 9:57am

    These are not the droids you’re looking for. Move along.

    Report this comment

    THX-1138  
  • jevfrr
    Posted on January 24, 2013 at 9:49am

    Well. I just cancel my subscription as well. I’ve had a GBTV subscription for a while now but I don’t like what direction Glenn is heading at the moment.
    I’m not saying that everything that is said about the Sandy Hook conspiracy is correct, but there is enough discrepancies to have me question the official story. So to be dismissed as a nut by someone whom I once admired is insulting to say the least. The main thing that bothers me about the whole thing is the interviews the parents gave the MSM after the shootings. Had my child just been murdered, I wouldn’t be able to function for a while, much less give interviews or take part in press conferences so close to having lost a part of me. I just find it weird. Guess I’m just crazy.

    Report this comment

    jevfrr  
  • airportengineer
    Posted on January 24, 2013 at 9:33am

    I just cancelled my Subscription to GBTV. I’ve been a big believer in what Glenn has said, and has claimed to be about. After the Sandy Hook incident, I just can’t stand by someone that wants to be a hypocrite. While he knows what it’s like to research the facts, and then be called a liar, he now wants to do that to his followers that has chosen to QUESTION the MEDIA on Sandy Hook. That’s not the same Glenn that I’ve believed in since he started at MSNBC. Where was that Glenn yesterday?? First the Snopes “debunk” article, that didn’t debunk a thing, and then dedicate a show to bashing people for questioning what happened. That was just not the same principles that I though Glenn preached to his listeners to have on mainstream media.

    Report this comment

    airportengineer  
  • am123
    Posted on January 24, 2013 at 9:25am

    If anyone wants to get to the bottom of the MANY discrepancies and inaccuracies about the Sandy Hook shooting, don’t look to the mainstream media for any answers. In fact, don’t look to the mainstream media for any of the right questions, like where is the security video from that day?

    The Blaze “debunked” the thing about Adam Lanza’s car and Chris Rodia by quoting Salon which said “Rodia appeared on the scanner because he was getting pulled over in a traffic stop miles away, but his license plate doesn’t match Lanza’s car”. Really? What about this picture from Yahoo news showing a picture of Adam Lanza’s car being towed from the Sandy Hook school:

    http://news.yahoo.com/photos/car-driven-connecticut-school-shooter-lanza-towed-sandy-photo-213310925.html

    Clearly the license plate reads “872-YEO”, which the police on the scanner said belongs to Rodia. So what say you Blaze?

    Here is someone who is at least making an honest effort to do the job that the mass media refuses to do:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EwIvy1GXRU&list=PLEC70437FC0A27241&index=1

    Send this to everyone you can America, because you’ve been lied to. You can hear the police scanner talking about the license Rodia’s license plate at about the 29:30 mark. Listen to that and look at the picture I linked to above and see who is telling the truth.

    Clearly, evil is on the loose. And the media (including the Blaze) is playing see no evil, hear no evil, report no evil.

    Report this comment

    am123  
  • Jive Mickey
    Posted on January 24, 2013 at 9:19am

    I have also noticed a decided change of perspective on the part of Mr. Beck which I find odd and disturbing.
    Quotes from a government operative: “We can place you at the scene of a crime … don’t worry about evidence, we’ll bring our own.” “We will create an incident as necessary to achieve objectives”. If that doesn’t make the hair on the back of your neck stand up, nothing will. This has been going on for years, long before any of us were born. They just got better at it over the years.
    It is not that difficult to set the kid up, wind him up, give him the tools, push him in the general direction then sit back and see what happens. If that method would not work, a team of three operatives could have pulled this off and disappeared before the police even begin to respond.
    Nope, the police, medical examiner, parents, news media, the whole town … to them it would appear real, don’t doubt that. If you want to further confuse matters, drop conflicting evidence before the fact. Ever hear the term “Red Herring”? They would never know or ever find out what really hit them.

    Report this comment

    Jive Mickey  
  • hauschild
    Posted on January 24, 2013 at 8:36am

    I can’t believe Glenn devoted an entire show to this nonsense.

    I certainly hope he can find better topics to discuss.

    Report this comment

    hauschild  
  • sunlover99
    Posted on January 24, 2013 at 8:06am

    So sad we lost the QUESTION WITH BOLDNESS Glen (even the very existence of God) and has been replaced with a guy that teams up with Liberal Internet Sites.

    So sad the man that taught us much, is now calling us Idiots. Making fun of the very Tea Party he supported.

    I am sorry Glenn, we do not have Your Faith in this Government….we haven’t sold out.

    Good bye, cancelling my subscription as soon as they answer the phone.

    Report this comment

    sunlover99  
    • airportengineer
      Posted on January 24, 2013 at 9:38am

      I did the same, but I just did mine online. I’ll take my money to Alex Jones. At least I won’t be attacked by him for challenging the government’s narrative, which obviously doesn’t add up to millions of people!

      Report this comment

      airportengineer  
  • no ways tired
    Posted on January 24, 2013 at 7:56am

    GB,spend this much time with Joe Arpaio and see what a real investigation can produce. Then expose the real conspiracy by the media to quash his findings.

    Report this comment

    no ways tired  
  • sctade
    Posted on January 24, 2013 at 7:41am

    WHERE, WHO, & WHAT EXPERT PANEL?
    Ahh… OF COURSE IT’S THE TRIO
    Chris Matthews, Colin Powell, & Glenn Beck

    Report this comment

    sctade  
  • media-bias-steals-elections
    Posted on January 24, 2013 at 6:07am

    Why is 5% of the R a n d corporation work classified? Why is it even funded anymore after 60 years? No, the public has no idea how these conspiracy theories are started?

    Report this comment

    media-bias-steals-elections  
  • Dianne93101
    Posted on January 24, 2013 at 1:35am

    Glenn should talk about how Obama is himself a conspiracy theorist in his claims about the GOP and tea party

    Report this comment

    Dianne93101  
  • NadePaulKuciGravMcKi
    Posted on January 24, 2013 at 1:18am

    Sandy Hook investigators know what Glenn Beck is
    9-11-2001 investigators know what Glenn Beck is
    The Ron Paul Army knows what Glenn Beck is

    Report this comment

    NadePaulKuciGravMcKi  
  • Arizona4Ever
    Posted on January 24, 2013 at 12:34am

    It’s one thing if the The Blaze TV (of which I am a longtime subscriber, dating back to the Insider Extreme days) wants to attempt to debunk the Sandy Hook conspiracy, but it’s quite another to lump everyone questioning the incident into one giant pile and labeling them “Sandy Hook Truthers.” Either you are or you aren’t for “questioning” things that are confusing or otherwise make no sense, like Sandy Hook. There is is too much going on there, the gov’t being too secretive about this particular incident – much more so than the other ones, including Columbine. Some of us question whether it happened at all, while others (like me) don’t doubt that the event happened, but are convinced that a cover-up is happening in order to capitalize on this to create a public sentiment for disarming the country. Glenn himself said many times that a Reichstag event of some kind was bound to happen. When one does (and this is exactly what it is, whether it was staged or not), and people question it, they’re laughed-at on Glenn’s radio show and then we find out that Blaze researchers used Snopes (of all places) to debunk a majority of the points they brought up about the conspiracy itself. All conspiracies are just theories until they’re proven, and when the Blaze (which I supported wholeheartedly from the beginning) tries to pass this off as “debunking” is just amazing to me. What happened to the genuine curiosity and zest for “real” journalism? I doubt that I will renew my su

    Report this comment

    Arizona4Ever  
  • guitarpager
    Posted on January 24, 2013 at 12:26am

    This is the first time I have been disappointed in Glenn for his opinion. When he asks us not to believe our own eyes and ears it is frustrating. We all know that there were no tears from any of the parents of the children who died. I cry when I miss my kids and they are still alive. How is it possible that none of the parents cried? One of the “victims” named Dylan Hockley looks exactly like the boy standing behind the president when he signed the executive orders last week. Is this the same boy? What are the odds that a boy that is identical to a victim would be standing behind the president? I’m so frustrated that nobody will report on this.

    Report this comment

    guitarpager  
  • seaoh
    Posted on January 23, 2013 at 11:45pm

    “speak without fear Question with boldness” just saying

    Report this comment

    seaoh  
  • SIXFRIGATES
    Posted on January 23, 2013 at 11:09pm

    Glenn, you used to say, “Don’t trust me, do your own homework”. You have fallen very far from this statement. Explain how the AR Lanza “used” to kill the kids was found in the trunk of the car that wasn’t his mother’s. The car belonged to a convict who wouldn’t know where his vehicle is. Explain the man in camo pants that was taken into custody which was reported by EVERYONE.. The same man that hasn’t been mentioned since minutes after the reports.

    Report this comment

    SIXFRIGATES  
  • soybomb315_II
    Posted on January 23, 2013 at 10:44pm

    Isnt it funny how the broadcast promotional articles usually stay at the top of theblaze webpage for a half day or so….But this one is just a few hours old and is dropping fast!

    Report this comment

    soybomb315_II  
  • nighttrainno9
    Posted on January 23, 2013 at 10:43pm

    Glen is now marching with the left, farewell.

    Report this comment

    nighttrainno9  
  • paultard
    Posted on January 23, 2013 at 10:17pm

    Glenn Beck should prepare for his new TV empire to come crumbling down in a steaming heap of Twinkie dung!! He coined the “Phrase the truth has no agenda” and “Question with boldness even the very existence of GOD!” YET ridicules anyone seeking the truth without his blessing and official rubber stamp of approval. So like I said elsewhere previously, “If I understand you correctly Mr Beck, “Question With Boldness” should really be “Accept Without Question” otherwise prepare to be ridiculed.” I will reiterate, “F*** you!.”

    Report this comment

    paultard  
  • Raging_Waters
    Posted on January 23, 2013 at 9:56pm

    Sorry Blaze, but I REFUSE to BEND FORWARD for our corrupt mainstream media and government.

    Report this comment

    Raging_Waters  
  • zapparules
    Posted on January 23, 2013 at 9:55pm

    And the ‘benefit’ of such a conspiracy is… What? Compared to the absolute fallout if such was exposed?
    Yea – it all makes so much sense.

    Glenn… You’re losing paying customers faster than…
    Better zip it quick!

    Report this comment

    zapparules  
    • Xylliab_of_the_Znarghh
      Posted on January 24, 2013 at 2:52am

      It’s all to give an excuse to take away everybody’s guns. Oh, wait, they aren’t doing that. The President even publicly affirmed that the Constitution guarantees a right of individual ownership. All he proposed was improved information sharing for more effective background checks, and that Congress consider reinstating the assault weapons ban. That must be it. The government murdered all those people so the President could get away with proposing improved information sharing for more effective background checks, and asking Congress to consider reinstating the assault weapons ban even though he knows they probably still won’t. Because, you know, there would have been a violent revolution to overthrow the government if he had dared to offer moderate proposals like those without murdering children first.

      Report this comment

      Xylliab_of_the_Znarghh  
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