Glenn breaks down the difference between 1776 and 2014

April 16, 2014

The Glenn Beck Program

David Barton will be joining Glenn on Wednesday's Glenn Beck Program to discuss the standoff in Nevada. David knew several people who were on the ground at the ranch, and he confirmed the violent rhetoric of the people lined up at the gate was not consistent with the general tone of the protestors. With that in mind, Glenn contrasted the state of the United States today versus the state of the country in 1776.

Update: Scroll down to watch a highlight from Glenn's interview with David Barton

“Ever since his Bundy ranch situation thing broke out, our listeners have been asking – some sincerely, some very disingenuously – why I don't believe it's time for violence; and if this isn't it, what is it; and the difference between now and 1776,” Glenn said. “Hmm. That's a hard one. First of all, as an excuse for violent uprising, cattle grazing wouldn't be [at] the tippy top of my list.”

As Glenn explained, Glenn has a “ton of sympathy” for Bundy, but he also recognizes that the rancher did not pay grazing fees for some 20 years. While in theory this should be a solid argument in favor of states rights, Glenn believes the case falls apart when you begin to look at the details.

Don't get me wrong. I have a ton of sympathy for Cliven Bundy. He has sounded like a very nice man to me. But let's not forget he's also a man who decided to not pay his fees for his cattle to graze on the land for 20 years. He is also a guy who wants the federal government disarmed. And he says that beyond the cattle. This is more about getting the United States government to disarm. Again, I would like that to happen. I'm not sure that the cattle rights is the way to make that happen. But that's his stand. And you know, no matter whether you recognize or whether he recognizes the land as federal or not, whether he believes it should be turned over to the state or not, whether I believe it – I do believe that – right now it isn't his land.

So let's try to mold this into a states rights issue or some sort of sovereignty argument. Okay. It doesn't seem like the best case to me. The land isn't his. And he hasn't paid the fees. And I understand all of the things that happened in 1976. I get that. And that is something that there are legislators that are actually trying to work on that, and we should support those people.

When it comes to the differences between the lead up to the American Revolution and today, Glenn sees one major, game-changing difference: Representation. And while that representative system is under attack, Glenn believes it still works.

As far as the difference between 1776 and today: Has anybody noticed that we have representation and they didn't? ‘No taxation without representation.’ I mean, do you think they put Ted Cruz in or you did? Do you think the big government guys put Mike Lee in or you did? Do you think that Matt Bevin is going to be beating Mitch McConnell because of the big government guys or because you will beat him? Which is it? We have representation.

And yes, as we just talked about, I think that we are headed towards an end of that representation. But while it has gotten bad, it is not over yet. That was the biggest issue for those guys, and, you know, a fairly big advantage for us. They didn't have it. We do. There was no one in a position of power for the colonists, no one who could go before the king or parliament and carry any weight. None. I mean they sent Ben Franklin how many times?

We have a constitution. They didn't. And it is hanging by a thread. Something we have warned about. I mean, man, it's on fire right now. But it is there nonetheless providing the protections and the protections the colonists absolutely didn't have. People don't even know the Constitution. How are you expecting people to actually fight for the Constitution or even understand your argument when they don't even know the Constitution?

While the U.S. government is currently spitting on the Constitution, Glenn questioned whether or not we are worse off than Martin Luther King, Jr. was in the 1950s and 60s.

Do you believe that you are as bad or worse off now than Martin Luther King was? I don't. I don't. I hope to never get there, but I don't feel that way. Martin Luther King wanted to defend himself and his family… And he would have defended himself and his family… He applied for a concealed carry permit. He was denied by the white man, by the government. Again, have you been denied your right?

Was Martin Luther King a coward for doing what he did? Was he a coward for doing it? Do you think that it made him popular with everybody in the black community? Do you think it made him popular to take that stand when people wanted blood? They were tired of it, really tired of it. Was he a coward? How long were people engaged in that battle… 200 years? 200 years.

Ultimately, Glenn believes this current movement of small government, liberty-minded Americans standing up for themselves has been about five years in the making, and the movement still has a long way to go before it reaches the tipping point the colonists faced in 1776.

So for possibly five years, some of you are have been actively involved in trying to bring about change. There are other people who have been engaged their whole life… Ron Paul been engaged his whole life and he's been begging people to wake up for a long, long time… [But] en masse… it's just starting to now…

The colonists, they were engaged for decades. They went back and forth to Britain. A 3,000-mile journey over the water in a ship... They took their grievances with them. They did that over and over again for 30, 40 years.

It's not the same. God forbid we ever get there. Maybe we will someday. But it's not now. And peace is the answer.

Watch David Barton and Glenn's full conversation about the conflict in Nevada from Wednesday night's episode on TheBlaze TV. Not a subscriber? Start your 14-day free trial HERE.

Charlie Kirk’s death exposes the college scam no one wants to admit

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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.

For Charlie. https://t.co/a2eCbkGnn8
— Glenn Beck (@glennbeck) September 22, 2025

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

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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

Has free speech been twisted into a defense of violence?

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Celebrating murder is not speech. It is a revelation of the heart. America must distinguish between debate and the glorification of evil.

Over the weekend, the world mourned the murder of Charlie Kirk. In London, crowds filled the streets, chanting “Charlie! Charlie! Charlie!” and holding up pictures of the fallen conservative giant. Protests in his honor spread as far away as South Korea. This wasn’t just admiration for one man; it was a global acknowledgment that courage and conviction — the kind embodied by Kirk during his lifetime — still matter. But it was also a warning. This is a test for our society, our morality, and our willingness to defend truth.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni recently delivered a speech that struck at the heart of this crisis. She praised Kirk as a man who welcomed debate, who smiled while defending his ideas, and who faced opposition with respect. That courage is frightening to those who have no arguments. When reason fails, the weapons left are insults, criminalization, and sometimes violence. We see it again today, in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination.

Charlie Kirk’s life was a challenge. His death is a call.

Some professors and public intellectuals have written things that should chill every American soul. They argue that shooting a right-wing figure is somehow less serious than murdering others. They suggest it could be mitigated because of political disagreement. These aren’t careless words — they are a rationalization for murder.

Some will argue that holding such figures accountable is “cancel culture.” They will say that we are silencing debate. They are wrong. Accountability is not cancel culture. A critical difference lies between debating ideas and celebrating death. Debate challenges minds. Celebrating murder abandons humanity. Charlie Kirk’s death draws that line sharply.

History offers us lessons. In France, mobs cheered executions as the guillotine claimed the heads of their enemies — and their own heads soon rolled. Cicero begged his countrymen to reason, yet the mob chose blood over law, and liberty was lost. Charlie Kirk’s assassination reminds us that violence ensues when virtue is abandoned.

We must also distinguish between debates over policy and attacks on life itself. A teacher who argues that children should not undergo gender-transition procedures before adulthood participates in a policy debate. A person who says Charlie Kirk’s death is a victory rejoices in violence. That person has no place shaping minds or guiding children.

PATRICK T. FALLON / Contributor | Getty Images

For liberty and virtue

Liberty without virtue is national suicide. The Constitution protects speech — even dangerous ideas — but it cannot shield those who glorify murder. Society has the right to demand virtue from its leaders, educators, and public figures. Charlie Kirk’s life was a challenge. His death is a call. It is a call to defend our children, our communities, and the principles that make America free.

Cancel culture silences debate. But accountability preserves it. A society that distinguishes between debating ideas and celebrating death still has a moral compass. It still has hope. It still has us.

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