Will Trayvon Martin case lead to "Bubba Effect"

On GBTV Tuesday, Glenn examined an idea called "The Bubba Effect" and how the tragedy of Trayvon Martin could lead to chaos as the phenomena takes hold. As he gave the latest on the case - and expressed sympathy for the mother as this all unfolds in the public square - Glenn explained why we need to let the justice system run it's course rather than turn to vigilante justice as some radical groups propose.

To start, Glenn described that "The Bubba Effect" takes hold when:

1) People feel they've been pushed over the edge by an overbearing government or force

2) Someone responds with violence

3) The rest of the people, even though they know the violence was wrong, feel the government is worse so they support the person who lashed out

"From there it just gets worse," Glenn said.

Glenn used the example of a terrorist attack to illustrate his point. He said a radical Muslim could hijack a plane and blow up a building. In response, there is increased security by the TSA at airports and other invasive policies. But at the same time, the government doesn't enforce the border, bows to political correctness, and gives a tour of the National Counterterrorism Center to a Hamas operative. All of these are security failures when America is facing a threat.

Glenn said that as people get frustrated, "The Bubba Effect" can take control. In response to the government incompetence and amid rising tension, a guy ends up shooting a Muslim. But when the government arrives, the community stands with the shooter who just committed murder because they think the government is even worse. "The Bubba Effect" has taken hold.

Think it's impossible? Glenn pointed out that the New Black Panthers were now putting up pictures of George Zimmerman, Trayvon Martin's killer, with a message saying "Wanted Dead or Alive".

"This is encouraging someone to take matters into their own hands," Glenn said. "That's the basic idea of 'The Bubba Effect'."

"Now, let me be clear: I am not defending George Zimmerman in any way. Right now I think he's most likely guilty," Glenn said.

Glenn said, however, that it's not unlikely to think something could happen to Zimmerman. He's one of the most hated people in the national conversation. The New Black Panthers are calling for an "eye for an eye"; Spike Lee is tweeting out his address; and CAIR is calling for "justice" and so is Farrakhan.

Glenn said if these radical groups, like the Black Panthers, get what they want and Zimmerman is killed in retaliation, it could lead to a "Bubba" to commit further violence and kill a Black Panther in response. And when "The Bubba Effect" takes hold, the "Bubba's" community stand up for the murderer because the government didn't step in to protect Zimmerman when all these radical group's called for vigilante justice before he had his day in court. It just creates chaos and gets worse from there.

"Zimmerman should have his day in court. If he's denied that, if something happens to him, all it does is take America one step closer to more chaos," Glenn said.

Glenn also expressed sympathy from Martin's mother, who has trademarked the phrases "I am Trayvon" and "Justice for Trayvon". Glenn said that he feels like her son is about to be a part of a major movement, as people express their sympathies while others, like Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson, are accused by former NAACP President C.L. Bryant of trying to exploit the death to racially divide the country.

"I really feel for his mom. Not only has she lost her son, but she's got to deal with his death being argued out in the public square like a political hot potato," Glenn said.

Glenn concluded that while many investigators are calling for the public to let the system run its course, many of the radicals don't want to wait.

"Most of the extremist elements - The Black Panthers, Farrakhan, etc. - are calling for the exact opposite and don't want to wait.

"Let's pray the system takes its course before some lunatic decides to listen to the words of The Black Panthers and try to get an 'eye for an eye'."

"That's not how America works."

The West is dying—Will we let enemies write our ending?

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The blood of martyrs, prophets, poets, and soldiers built our civilization. Their sacrifice demands courage in the present to preserve it.

Lamentations asks, “Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by?”

That question has been weighing on me heavily. Not just as a broadcaster, but as a citizen, a father, a husband, a believer. It is a question that every person who cares about this nation, this culture, and this civilization must confront: Is all of this worth saving?

We have squandered this inheritance. We forgot who we were — and our enemies are eager to write our ending.

Western civilization — a project born in Judea, refined in Athens, tested in Rome, reawakened in Wittenberg, and baptized again on the shores of Plymouth Rock — is a gift. We didn’t earn it. We didn’t purchase it. We were handed it. And now, we must ask ourselves: Do we even want it?

Across Europe, streets are restless. Not merely with protests, but with ancient, festering hatred — the kind that once marched under swastikas and fueled ovens. Today, it marches under banners of peace while chanting calls for genocide. Violence and division crack societies open. Here in America, it’s left against right, flesh against spirit, neighbor against neighbor.

Truth struggles to find a home. Even the church is slumbering — or worse, collaborating.

Our society tells us that everything must be reset: tradition, marriage, gender, faith, even love. The only sin left is believing in absolute truth. Screens replace Scripture. Entertainment replaces education. Pleasure replaces purpose. Our children are confused, medicated, addicted, fatherless, suicidal. Universities mock virtue. Congress is indifferent. Media programs rather than informs. Schools recondition rather than educate.

Is this worth saving? If not, we should stop fighting and throw up our hands. But if it is, then we must act — and we must act now.

The West: An idea worth saving

What is the West? It’s not a location, race, flag, or a particular constitution. The West is an idea — an idea that man is made in the image of God, that liberty comes from responsibility, not government; that truth exists; that evil exists; and that courage is required every day. The West teaches that education, reason, and revelation walk hand in hand. Beauty matters. Kindness matters. Empathy matters. Sacrifice is holy. Justice is blind. Mercy is near.

We have squandered this inheritance. We forgot who we were — and our enemies are eager to write our ending.

If not now, when? If not us, who? If this is worth saving, we must know why. Western civilization is worth dying for, worth living for, worth defending. It was built on the blood of martyrs, prophets, poets, pilgrims, moms, dads, and soldiers. They did not die for markets, pronouns, surveillance, or currency. They died for something higher, something bigger.

MATTHIEU RONDEL/AFP via Getty Images | Getty Images

Yet hope remains. Resurrection is real — not only in the tomb outside Jerusalem, but in the bones of any individual or group that returns to truth, honor, and God. It is never too late to return to family, community, accountability, and responsibility.

Pick up your torch

We were chosen for this time. We were made for a moment like this. The events unfolding in Europe and South Korea, the unrest and moral collapse, will all come down to us. Somewhere inside, we know we were called to carry this fire.

We are not called to win. We are called to stand. To hold the torch. To ask ourselves, every day: Is it worth standing? Is it worth saving?

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. Pick up your torch. If you choose to carry it, buckle up. The work is only beginning.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

Stop coasting: How self-education can save America’s future

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Coasting through life is no longer an option. Charlie Kirk’s pursuit of knowledge challenges all of us to learn, act, and grow every day.

Last year, my wife and I made a commitment: to stop coasting, to learn something new every day, and to grow — not just spiritually, but intellectually. Charlie Kirk’s tragic death crystallized that resolve. It forced a hard look in the mirror, revealing how much I had coasted in both my spiritual and educational life. Coasting implies going downhill. You can’t coast uphill.

Last night, my wife and I re-engaged. We enrolled in Hillsdale College’s free online courses, inspired by the fact that Charlie had done the same. He had quietly completed around 30 courses before I even knew, mastering the classics, civics, and the foundations of liberty. Watching his relentless pursuit of knowledge reminded me that growth never stops, no matter your age.

The path forward must be reclaiming education, agency, and the power to shape our minds and futures.

This lesson is particularly urgent for two groups: young adults stepping into the world and those who may have settled into complacency. Learning is life. Stop learning, and you start dying. To young adults, especially, the college promise has become a trap. Twelve years of K-12 education now leave graduates unprepared for life. Only 35% of seniors are proficient in reading, and just 22% in math. They are asked to bet $100,000 or more for four years of college that will often leave them underemployed and deeply indebted.

Degrees in many “new” fields now carry negative returns. Parents who have already sacrificed for public education find themselves on the hook again, paying for a system that often fails to deliver.

This is one of the reasons why Charlie often described college as a “scam.” Debt accumulates, wages are not what students were promised, doors remain closed, and many are tempted to throw more time and money after a system that won’t yield results. Graduate school, in many cases, compounds the problem. The education system has become a factory of despair, teaching cynicism rather than knowledge and virtue.

Reclaiming educational agency

Yet the solution is not radical revolt against education — it is empowerment to reclaim agency over one’s education. Independent learning, self-guided study, and disciplined curiosity are the modern “Napster moment.” Just as Napster broke the old record industry by digitizing music, the internet has placed knowledge directly in the hands of the individual. Artists like Taylor Swift now thrive outside traditional gatekeepers. Likewise, students and lifelong learners can reclaim intellectual freedom outside of the ivory towers.

Each individual possesses the ability to think, create, and act. This is the power God grants to every human being. Knowledge, faith, and personal responsibility are inseparable. Learning is not a commodity to buy with tuition; it is a birthright to claim with effort.

David Butow / Contributor | Getty Images

Charlie Kirk’s life reminds us that self-education is an act of defiance and empowerment. In his pursuit of knowledge, in his engagement with civics and philosophy, he exemplified the principle that liberty depends on informed, capable citizens. We honor him best by taking up that mantle — by learning relentlessly, thinking critically, and refusing to surrender our minds to a system that profits from ignorance.

The path forward must be reclaiming education, agency, and the power to shape our minds and futures. Every day, seek to grow, create, and act. Charlie showed the way. It is now our responsibility to follow.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

Glenn Beck joins TPUSA tour to honor Charlie Kirk

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If they thought the murder of Charlie Kirk would scare us into silence, they were wrong!

If anything, Turning Point will hit the road louder than ever. On Monday, September 22, less than two weeks after the assassination, Charlie's friends united under the Turning Point USA banner to carry his torch and honor his legacy by doing what he did best: bringing honest and truthful debate to Universities across the nation.

Naturally, Glenn has rallied to the cause and has accepted an invitation to join the TPUSA tour at the University of North Dakota on October 9th.

Want to join Glenn at the University of North Dakota to honor Charlie Kirk and keep his mission alive? Click HERE to sign up or find more information.

Glenn's daughter honors Charlie Kirk with emotional tribute song

MELISSA MAJCHRZAK / Contributor | Getty Images

On September 17th, Glenn commemorated his late friend Charlie Kirk by hosting The Charlie Kirk Show Podcast, where he celebrated and remembered the life of a remarkable young man.

During the broadcast, Glenn shared an emotional new song performed by his daughter, Cheyenne, who was standing only feet away from Charlie when he was assassinated. The song, titled "We Are One," has been dedicated to Charlie Kirk as a tribute and was written and co-performed by David Osmond, son of Alan Osmond, founding member of The Osmonds.

Glenn first asked David Osmond to write "We Are One" in 2018, as he predicted that dark days were on the horizon, but he never imagined that it would be sung by his daughter in honor of Charlie Kirk. The Lord works in mysterious ways; could there have been a more fitting song to honor such a brave man?

"We Are One" is available for download or listening on Spotify HERE