#FreeCole update: Jerry Falwell, Jr. & Liberty University offer help

May 03, 2013

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Cole Withrow’s life was thrown into disarray over a simple mistake: he forgot his gun in his car and drove to school. When he realized his mistake he tried to make it right by asking his parents to come and get it. The school decided to call police on the honors student. What did Liberty University and Jerry Falwell Jr. do when they saw the story?

Transcript of interview is below:

GLENN: Yesterday we told you about 18 year old Cole Withrow. He is an Eagle Scout. He's weeks from graduation. He shows up at his school on Monday and he realizes that he left his shotgun in it because he had been out hunting over the weekend. He had been out shooting I'm sorry, not shooting but skeet shooting over the weekend. And he realizes that his shotgun is in the vehicle as he locks the truck up. He's like, oh, crap. So he goes right to the office and he makes a phone call. And he's calling from the office and he says, "Hey, Mom, can you come? My truck is locked. I have the key. Would you come and get my shotgun. I left it there over the weekend. I shouldn't have it in the truck. Could you come go could you come and get it for me?" Well, he tries to do the right thing, but he's overheard by somebody in the office and so they immediately say, "Oh, my goodness, there's a shotgun and this crazy kid has it. He just called his mom and I just saw a crazy mom of Islamic terror and she was crazy and she was dismissing things, I know these guys are probably not Islamic terrorists because Islamic terrorism doesn't really exist. These guys are probably Christians, and Christians are spooky and she's got a gun!" So she

PAT: That was the thought process right there. I think that was the thought process.

GLENN: Thank you very much. Well, that's what I do.

PAT: I know.

GLENN: And so anyway, next thing you know, cops are there and they arrest him. Now, this is an Eagle Scout. They arrest him. And then the school expels him for a year. And then the school won't budge. Nevermind the vastly different, you know, treatments, adults who work for the school, you know, when they get when they're in the exact same situation, they get suspensions.

Well, somebody happened to be noticing a T shirt that this kid was wearing. He was wearing a T shirt that said Liberty University and so the chancellor of Liberty University who happens to be a friend and an unbelievably decent and gracious man, Jerry Falwell, Jr., called him up. Well, I called the chancellor up and asked him to be on the program today. Jerry, how are you, sir? Are you there? How are ya?

FALWELL: I'm here. Can you hear me?

GLENN: I can. I can. So yesterday you called Cole up?

FALWELL: Well, I was in North Carolina. A dear family friend of my wife's, we were there for her funeral and I was watching the late news at the hotel room, saw the story about Cole that you just described and saw the Liberty T shirt, called found on Facebook and saw that his sister was a graduate of Liberty. So I reached him through Facebook, ended up talking to him late at night at the hotel room, found out that his dream was to attend Liberty University but couldn't afford it. So he was going to go to a state college and I found out he was an honors student, an Eagle Scout, just the type of student that we're looking for here at Liberty. And so we have a special fund for kids that are outstanding and like Cole and so it wasn't a hard decision for me to make to award him a scholarship and to make sure that he's able to go to Liberty for four years and graduate. And so I think it was just one of those things, it was meant to be. I'm not in that part of the country very often and but I couldn't believe how unreasonable and politically correct the administrators were. I mean, the kid is asking permission to take the gun home, he's an Eagle Scout, an honor student, never has caused any trouble. Where's the common sense? I mean, you don't call the police unless you're trying to make a point and unless you don't support the Second Amendment and you're trying to prove a point, but they

GLENN: They are not even proving a point. They are trying to strike terror in the hearts of all of the students that are currently enrolled in any of our public schools. They are trying to strike terror that when you say the word "gun," you flinch. And so everybody, they are making such a point that guns are bad, guns are evil, and you are automatically bad and evil if you have one.

PAT: And let's say there's a legitimate concern that they fear for their safety. Could you not have someone at the school escort him to make sure he doesn't go retrieve the gun and then bring it back in until his mom gets it and takes it home? I mean, there's reasonable things you could do there without calling the police and having him arrested and then expelling him from school.

GLENN: Now chancellor, I just want to ask you a question. I mean, it sounds you know, he's an honor student and an Eagle Scout and everything else, but may I ask you this question: Did you check? Because if he's a Christian, he's bound to be a terrorist, you know.

STU: (Laughing.)

FALWELL: Well, that's another reason we gave him a scholarship I could sense that he's a humble and great Christian kid and he I just thought he would be a perfect fit and Liberty and we're excited how it all came together. But it's but Liberty recently loosened our concealed carry policy in response to what happened at Sandy Hook, you now can we're one of only a few dozen colleges in the country now where you can, if you have a concealed carry permit, you can carry in our buildings. And we just believe we're only an hour and a half from Virginia Tech and if something like what happened there happened here, I believe I believe the answer is to make sure as many responsible people as possible have guns, at least there's a chance then that somebody will be there who, somebody good who has a gun and can stop the crazy people from doing what they do. And it's just, I think the answer to gun violence is putting guns in the hands of the right people.

GLENN: I have to tell ya, let me may I embarrass you here for a second? I think Liberty University is one of the best universities in the country. I think its faculty and its staff are unbelievable, its campus is unbelievable. What you are doing to try to raise up another generation of lawyers and legal experts that understand the Constitution and the Bill of Rights and can really, truly argue it is remarkable.

Now let me tell you, at the height of me being slaughtered by the press and when really, because I'm a Mormon, I was getting hammered by a lot of Christians, Jerry Falwell gave me an honorary doctorate, which I have I want you to know I've been drilling people's teeth for ever since and it's great.

STU: (Laughing.)

GLENN: But he gave me an honorary doctorate and asked me to speak

PAT: Made some good cash on the side.

GLENN: Oh, it's great, especially with the healthcare, universal healthcare that's coming.

PAT: Yeah.

GLENN: It's going to be great.

PAT: It's worked out nicely.

GLENN: Anyway, he stood up and took an awful lot of heat and invited me to give the commencement address one year and he is an extraordinarily brave man and a real true Christian leader and it is an honor, sir, to know you.

FALWELL: Well, we were honored to do that and to have you here, Glenn, and we it's the least we can do. You're on the front lines every day fighting for our country and we appreciate it. And you've got to come back soon. We've totally rebuilt the campus since you were here.

GLENN: It's beautiful.

FALWELL: And it's just exploding with growth, and it's gone far beyond our wildest imaginations just in the last few years and so I hope you can visit again soon.

GLENN: I would love to come visit again. I will tell you this: I'm a little concerned because you have Christians with guns now on campus.

PAT: (Laughing.)

GLENN: And God only knows what will happen then. I also want to thank you and can I announce this, Joe? David Barton and I are doing a museum and we have some of the most amazing pieces of American history that you will ever see. Some things have not been seen, some of them, you know, in a hundred years, and they are all really important pieces of history and they tell the story of America the way David and I think it should be told. And we were we didn't want this to be a self guided tour and we certainly didn't want a bunch of museum people telling it. We wanted this to appeal to families and youth, and we also wanted to make sure that 20 somethings knew our history really, really well and so the first thought was we should reach out to Liberty University and ask if they would supply the students that David and I could teach and show the history and they'll conduct these tours. And so at Jerry's expense, he is sending all of these people out to do a fundraiser for Mercury One, our charity, to put this museum together and they are the students from Liberty are going to be explaining liberty in our museum this week of Fourth of July, and I thank you so much for that, Jerry.

FALWELL: We're glad to do it. The students are excited about it and we also are looking, we've got 85,000 online adult students now in addition to our 13,000 here on campus and we are we're creating an American history course that we're going to provide to high school students free of charge, college students free of charge because so many colleges and high schools that don't teach American history anymore and we actually are going to award credit for this free course so that if they can't get history at their school like the school up in Maine where the, I forget the name of it, but the donor did a survey and found that there's not even a single American history course in the curriculum, if you're in a school like that, you can take this course and get credit for it and complete the rest of your courses there and that goes hand in hand with what you're trying to do. I think it's so important for our young people to learn American history.

GLENN: So when does that start?

FALWELL: We're actually creating the course right now. It will be this fall before we can offer it.

GLENN: Would you please do me a favor. When you have it all ready, would you let me know and I want to expose that on TheBlaze in the news, I want to I'd love to do a whole show on this and show what you guys are teaching, and I'd like to help you in that in any way I possibly can. I think that's absolutely fantastic.

FALWELL: Well, we deeply appreciate it and hope to have you back here soon, Glenn.

GLENN: You got it. Thank you very much. Well, if you can I know I'm a doctor I'm a doctor now, but if you could make me maybe a chiropractor next time or...

FALWELL: Our new medical school opens Fall of 2014. So maybe you can

GLENN: Maybe you could give me a specialty in, like, podiatry or something. Thanks a lot. I appreciate it, chancellor Jerry Falwell from Liberty University.

Warning: 97% fear Gen Z’s beliefs could ignite political chaos

NurPhoto / Contributor | Getty Images

In a republic forged on the anvil of liberty and self-reliance, where generations have fought to preserve free markets against the siren song of tyranny, Gen Z's alarming embrace of socialism amid housing crises and economic despair has sparked urgent alarm. But in a recent poll, Glenn asked the tough questions: Where do Gen Z's socialist sympathies come from—and what does it mean for America's future? Glenn asked, and you answered—hundreds weighed in on this volatile mix of youthful frustration and ideological peril.

The results paint a stark picture of distrust in the system. A whopping 79% of you affirm that Gen Z's socialist sympathies stem from real economic gripes, like sky-high housing costs and a rigged game tilted toward the elite and corporations—defying the argument that it's just youthful naivety. Even more telling, 97% believe this trend arises from a glaring educational void on socialism's bloody historical track record, where failed regimes have crushed freedoms under the boot of big government. And 97% see these poll findings as a harbinger of deepening generational rifts, potentially fueling political chaos and authoritarian overreach if left unchecked.

Your verdict underscores a moral imperative: America's soul hangs on reclaiming timeless values like self-reliance and liberty. This feedback amplifies your concerns, sending a clear message to the powers that be.

Want to make your voice heard? Check out more polls HERE.

Without civic action, America faces collapse

JEFF KOWALSKY / Contributor | Getty Images

Every vote, jury duty, and act of engagement is civics in action, not theory. The republic survives only when citizens embrace responsibility.

I slept through high school civics class. I memorized the three branches of government, promptly forgot them, and never thought of that word again. Civics seemed abstract, disconnected from real life. And yet, it is critical to maintaining our republic.

Civics is not a class. It is a responsibility. A set of habits, disciplines, and values that make a country possible. Without it, no country survives.

We assume America will survive automatically, but every generation must learn to carry the weight of freedom.

Civics happens every time you speak freely, worship openly, question your government, serve on a jury, or cast a ballot. It’s not a theory or just another entry in a textbook. It’s action — the acts we perform every day to be a positive force in society.

Many of us recoil at “civic responsibility.” “I pay my taxes. I follow the law. I do my civic duty.” That’s not civics. That’s a scam, in my opinion.

Taking up the torch

The founders knew a republic could never run on autopilot. And yet, that’s exactly what we do now. We assume it will work, then complain when it doesn’t. Meanwhile, the people steering the country are driving it straight into a mountain — and they know it.

Our founders gave us tools: separation of powers, checks and balances, federalism, elections. But they also warned us: It won’t work unless we are educated, engaged, and moral.

Are we educated, engaged, and moral? Most Americans cannot even define a republic, never mind “keep one,” as Benjamin Franklin urged us to do after the Constitutional Convention.

We fought and died for the republic. Gaining it was the easy part. Keeping it is hard. And keeping it is done through civics.

Start small and local

In our homes, civics means teaching our children the Constitution, our history, and that liberty is not license — it is the space to do what is right. In our communities, civics means volunteering, showing up, knowing your sheriff, attending school board meetings, and understanding the laws you live under. When necessary, it means challenging them.

How involved are you in your local community? Most people would admit: not really.

Civics is learned in practice. And it starts small. Be honest in your business dealings. Speak respectfully in disagreement. Vote in every election, not just the presidential ones. Model citizenship for your children. Liberty is passed down by teaching and example.

Samuel Corum / Stringer | Getty Images

We assume America will survive automatically, but every generation must learn to carry the weight of freedom.

Start with yourself. Study the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and state laws. Study, act, serve, question, and teach. Only then can we hope to save the republic. The next election will not fix us. The nation will rise or fall based on how each of us lives civics every day.

Civics isn’t a class. It’s the way we protect freedom, empower our communities, and pass down liberty to the next generation.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

'Rage against the dying of the light': Charlie Kirk lived that mandate

PHILL MAGAKOE / Contributor | Getty Images

Kirk’s tragic death challenges us to rise above fear and anger, to rebuild bridges where others build walls, and to fight for the America he believed in.

I’ve only felt this weight once before. It was 2001, just as my radio show was about to begin. The World Trade Center fell, and I was called to speak immediately. I spent the day and night by my bedside, praying for words that could meet the moment.

Yesterday, I found myself in the same position. September 11, 2025. The assassination of Charlie Kirk. A friend. A warrior for truth.

Out of this tragedy, the tyrant dies, but the martyr’s influence begins.

Moments like this make words feel inadequate. Yet sometimes, words from another time speak directly to our own. In 1947, Dylan Thomas, watching his father slip toward death, penned lines that now resonate far beyond his own grief:

Do not go gentle into that good night. / Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Thomas was pleading for his father to resist the impending darkness of death. But those words have become a mandate for all of us: Do not surrender. Do not bow to shadows. Even when the battle feels unwinnable.

Charlie Kirk lived that mandate. He knew the cost of speaking unpopular truths. He knew the fury of those who sought to silence him. And yet he pressed on. In his life, he embodied a defiance rooted not in anger, but in principle.

Picking up his torch

Washington, Jefferson, Adams — our history was started by men who raged against an empire, knowing the gallows might await. Lincoln raged against slavery. Martin Luther King Jr. raged against segregation. Every generation faces a call to resist surrender.

It is our turn. Charlie’s violent death feels like a knockout punch. Yet if his life meant anything, it means this: Silence in the face of darkness is not an option.

He did not go gently. He spoke. He challenged. He stood. And now, the mantle falls to us. To me. To you. To every American.

We cannot drift into the shadows. We cannot sit quietly while freedom fades. This is our moment to rage — not with hatred, not with vengeance, but with courage. Rage against lies, against apathy, against the despair that tells us to do nothing. Because there is always something you can do.

Even small acts — defiance, faith, kindness — are light in the darkness. Reaching out to those who mourn. Speaking truth in a world drowning in deceit. These are the flames that hold back the night. Charlie carried that torch. He laid it down yesterday. It is ours to pick up.

The light may dim, but it always does before dawn. Commit today: I will not sleep as freedom fades. I will not retreat as darkness encroaches. I will not be silent as evil forces claim dominion. I have no king but Christ. And I know whom I serve, as did Charlie.

Two turning points, decades apart

On Wednesday, the world changed again. Two tragedies, separated by decades, bound by the same question: Who are we? Is this worth saving? What kind of people will we choose to be?

Imagine a world where more of us choose to be peacemakers. Not passive, not silent, but builders of bridges where others erect walls. Respect and listening transform even the bitterest of foes. Charlie Kirk embodied this principle.

He did not strike the weak; he challenged the powerful. He reached across divides of politics, culture, and faith. He changed hearts. He sparked healing. And healing is what our nation needs.

At the center of all this is one truth: Every person is a child of God, deserving of dignity. Change will not happen in Washington or on social media. It begins at home, where loneliness and isolation threaten our souls. Family is the antidote. Imperfect, yes — but still the strongest source of stability and meaning.

Mark Wilson / Staff | Getty Images

Forgiveness, fidelity, faithfulness, and honor are not dusty words. They are the foundation of civilization. Strong families produce strong citizens. And today, Charlie’s family mourns. They must become our family too. We must stand as guardians of his legacy, shining examples of the courage he lived by.

A time for courage

I knew Charlie. I know how he would want us to respond: Multiply his courage. Out of this tragedy, the tyrant dies, but the martyr’s influence begins. Out of darkness, great and glorious things will sprout — but we must be worthy of them.

Charlie Kirk lived defiantly. He stood in truth. He changed the world. And now, his torch is in our hands. Rage, not in violence, but in unwavering pursuit of truth and goodness. Rage against the dying of the light.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

Glenn Beck resurrects the 9-12 Project to support Charlie Kirk's family

Glenn Beck is once again calling on his loyal listeners and viewers to come together and channel the same unity and purpose that defined the historic 9-12 Project. That movement, born in the wake of national challenges, brought millions together to revive core values of faith, hope, and charity.

Glenn created the original 9-12 Project in early 2009 to bring Americans back to where they were in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. In those moments, we weren't Democrats and Republicans, conservative or liberal, Red States or Blue States, we were united as one, as America. The original 9-12 Project aimed to root America back in the founding principles of this country that united us during those darkest of days.

This new initiative draws directly from that legacy, focusing on supporting the family of Charlie Kirk in these dark days following his tragic murder.

The revival of the 9-12 Project aims to secure the long-term well-being of Charlie Kirk's wife and children. All donations will go straight to meeting their immediate and future needs. If the family deems the funds surplus to their requirements, Charlie's wife has the option to redirect them toward the vital work of Turning Point USA.

This campaign is more than just financial support—it's a profound gesture of appreciation for Kirk's tireless dedication to the cause of liberty. It embodies the unbreakable bond of our community, proving that when we stand united, we can make a real difference.
Glenn Beck invites you to join this effort. Show your solidarity by donating today and honoring Charlie Kirk and his family in this meaningful way.

You can learn more about the 9-12 Project and donate HERE

Glenn's Show Prep

#FreeCole update: Jerry Falwell, Jr. & Liberty University offer help

Warning: 97% fear Gen Z’s beliefs could ignite political chaos

Without civic action, America faces collapse

Every vote, jury duty, and act of engagement is civics in action, not theory. The republic survives only when citizens embrace responsibility.

We assume America will survive automatically, but every generation must learn to carry the weight of freedom.

Taking up the torch

Start small and local

'Rage against the dying of the light': Charlie Kirk lived that mandate

Kirk’s tragic death challenges us to rise above fear and anger, to rebuild bridges where others build walls, and to fight for the America he believed in.

Out of this tragedy, the tyrant dies, but the martyr’s influence begins.

Picking up his torch

Two turning points, decades apart

A time for courage

Glenn Beck resurrects the 9-12 Project to support Charlie Kirk's family