Riaz Patel: I Am Really Frustrated With Liberals Right Now

January 20, 2017

WRITER

Alert the media. There is alive today at least one liberal more interested in facts than identity politics, in people than labels. TV producer and humanitarian Riaz Patel joined Glenn on Friday to continue their discussion about bringing people together and healing the divide.

"I'm not interested in the politics space, but I'm interested in the humanity space," Patel said. "When you know people who have lives and situations that are completely different from yours that voted for Trump for very specific reasons, for their family's welfare, you tell me how you can hate them once you meet them and see their home that slipped off the foundation ten years ago, but they can't afford to move. That is the humanity that's out there if people can get past the labels. And that's what we have to do."

GLENN: Welcome to the program. We're bringing in Riaz Patel who you might remember is the guy before the election went to Alaska on his own dime. How would you describe yourself politically?

RIAZ: I would say -- well, funny I was Democrat. Democrat liberal, but I'm understanding a whole segment of America I didn't understand before.

GLENN: Right. And you've kind of done what we've done before. Unchained yourself from the label of liberal or Democrat, and you want to end the hatred and the black and white of everything; right?

RIAZ: It's too black and white. That's where media plays, and that's what my profession is. I come from media. And, to me, when you're talking about the safe space, it really is a direct product of what the media has done for two years.

GLENN: Let's talk about the safe space. We just heard in Ohio and also Connecticut. They're bringing in grief counselors today for the teachers and for the children who might be experiencing any kind of discomfort with Donald Trump being the president.

RIAZ: It's less about the discomfort and more about for two years, you were taught that there was nothing positive about this man. That it was like electing Hitler. For two years. There was not one positive thing he said. Now, I am not a Trump supporter. That being said if you're unfair and uneven about news, why are you vilifying? So the result of him winning created this panic that we elected a monster. And that's the direct product of how the media portrayed him for two years.

GLENN: Hang on just a second. That is a different way of looking at it, isn't it? I just associated that with the progressive Namby Pamby I never tied the media and said it is the way he's been portrayed. It actually helps me validate their feelings.

RIAZ: We know this because when you talk to families on the democratic side that I've talked to, the children are unable to get their heads around it. Because in their homes, through their TVs, and to their phones, this monster was running for president against Hillary Clinton. And then when the monster won, they don't know what to do. And I remember on the night of the election, every single parent I know said how do I explain this in the morning to my kids? And I thought why don't they think it's a presidential election? Why don't -- why do they think that humanity is at stake? And I remember being on a parenting panel and a woman said to me "My daughter was at a neighbor's house, and they were discussing politics, and she came home at 2:00 a.m. because she felt unsafe." And everyone said congratulations for teaching your daughter to remove herself out of an unsafe situations. And I sat on a parenting panel as the only male and said, "A little bit shame on you. How long have you known these neighbors?" And she said about a decade.

Why would your daughter ever feel unsafe in a house for someone she has known for a decade? That is the media. The conflict-driven entertainment of reality seeped in, which obviously Donald Trump came from. They taught him how to do this, seeped into every aspect for the past two years of election coverage. It became a reality show. If you saw the CNN ads where they looked like these fighters. It literally looked like a heavy weight fight. The conflict-driven set up of this whole election made it that Hillary had to within win. Had to win. It was the only right choice. Right and wrong. And wrong won. How do you explain to the kids at Ohio state that wrong one? Because you don't understand the other side.

When I went to Alaska, I found the other side, and it's very hard to hate people when they're looking at you saying I hate people for eight long years. And people going to the march, and it was down right mean.

An amazing woman that wrote for Muslims specifically --

GLENN: By the way, so people know, Riaz is Muslim Pakistani immigrant. You've lived here how long?

RIAZ: Most of my life.

GLENN: Okay. And gay man who is married and has an adopted child. So there is no more boxes you can check.

RIAZ: No.

GLENN: For people that we are not supposed to get along with.

RIAZ: I have them all. You have the whole system with me. We don't need to collect the cards. I've got them all.

GLENN: And we had dinner last night. Our family joined Riaz last night for dinner. And what was nice was beforehand, we had a meeting and a bunch of people from the office. And the president of my company is a Jew and obviously he wears the yarmulke and everything else. And here's a Muslim man and Jewish man, and we're all joking together, and we're joking -- he's joking about the Jew building a settlement. Comes over and is, like, don't build a settlement over here. And the Jew is, like, fill a bag of nails and blow me up, and we were all laughing about it.

RIAZ: You have to.

GLENN: Because we were joking about the stereotypes that have kept us apart.

RIAZ: Yes. Yes. and, to me, the only way to live with these labels is to make it funny. When I'm around those labels, those labels are too important. I believe honestly important. This Facebook post was the meanest thing I've seen. They said they got on the bus to DC with all of these Trump supporters with all of these white women. And I thought you're on a march about women's rights and literally on a Facebook thread like mean girls attacking a group of white girls who got on the van. How is this a new era of celebration when even the women, the feminists are attacking the other women? And they'll say, well, women don't support each other.

Well, you're not supporting the women on that van right now. I was literally -- it was after we had dinner. I was utterly shocked. And I think they really need to wake up.

GLENN: So, Riaz, I get a lot of mail from people who say "What you're trying to do is not going to work. Nobody is interested in getting along. The left will never change, and I mean, I'm disappointed in my own side.

RIAZ: Uh-huh.

GLENN: But I will tell you I get very frustrated and tired at times of going on and talking to people in the press and saying "Look, I understand how you feel." Do you understand how I feel?

And they don't have any care to even think about it.

RIAZ: Because they think they know what's best for you.

GLENN: Correct?

RIAZ: And this is something I'm really trying to get people -- again, I'm not interested in the politics space, but I'm interested in the humanity space. When you know people who have lives and situations that are completely different from yours that voted for trump for very specific reasons for their family's welfare, you tell me how you can hate them once you meet them and see their home that slipped off the foundation ten years ago. But they can't afford to move. That is the humanity that's out there if people can get past the labels. And that's what we have to do. We have to do.

GLENN: So how do we talk to somebody, Riaz, that is, you know, encouraging their kids to -- well, let's put it this way. Do you know -- who is the -- he's ABC -- George Stephanopoulos. I read an article without anybody saying, like, "This is weird. This is dangerous."

George Stephanopoulos' young, like, 12-year-old daughter has had to sleep in bed with them at night for, like, the week after the election because they were so upset.

RIAZ: Yeah.

PAT: Scared, I believe is the word they used.

GLENN: And my thought is what the hell is being said in that home by a quote objective reporter that makes your 12-year-old sleep in bed with you at night because they're afraid?

RIAZ: I would love to know that families and children who didn't live off of a two-year diet of liberal doomsday with trump, if they are as traumatized and scared. Even the ones who lost. Just to know.

GLENN: You met my kids last night.

RIAZ: Uh-huh.

GLENN: My kids -- I mean, everybody -- every liberal would say my kids of course have had a steady diet of fear mongering. Did you think --

RIAZ: No. Not at all. Because there's the discussions you have in the world and then the humanity at home. I don't think we can say your beliefs are wrong. It doesn't work for either side. To me, it's here's what you don't know about me. Here's what you don't know about my life. Here's the way to start the conversation. If I go attack your beliefs, we're not going to end up anywhere. We're going to dig another two years or longer.

To me, here's what you don't know about my life. And that's the way to understand why somebody voted differently. Why somebody believes differently. Why did you make the choices you make? And then beliefs. You're a deadlock. There's no way around that. And so, to me, it's here's what you don't know about me. As much as you want what's best interest for me, this is me. Why don't I tell you what's in best interest for me? And I think that's the way you begin the conversation is this is what you don't know about me. And everyone can do it on both sides. I think the two-year diet of conflict and rage that came from reality TV -- look, we all watch what most of us watch. If people don't want to watch conflict, it will be there as much. So my hope is after this election, we've reached conflict saturation with media. And that people I believe -- I believe your viewers right now they're driving a pickup truck or Tesla, it doesn't matter. They want this to stop. The inauguration day to me is the day we breathe and move on.

So I am hopeful because now this constant yelling about the election is gone. There will be constant yelling, but at least we can move on with our lives, and we know what the truth is for four years.

'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

The critical difference: Rights from the Creator, not the state

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When politicians claim that rights flow from the state, they pave the way for tyranny.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) recently delivered a lecture that should alarm every American. During a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, he argued that believing rights come from a Creator rather than government is the same belief held by Iran’s theocratic regime.

Kaine claimed that the principles underpinning Iran’s dictatorship — the same regime that persecutes Sunnis, Jews, Christians, and other minorities — are also the principles enshrined in our Declaration of Independence.

In America, rights belong to the individual. In Iran, rights serve the state.

That claim exposes either a profound misunderstanding or a reckless indifference to America’s founding. Rights do not come from government. They never did. They come from the Creator, as the Declaration of Independence proclaims without qualification. Jefferson didn’t hedge. Rights are unalienable — built into every human being.

This foundation stands worlds apart from Iran. Its leaders invoke God but grant rights only through clerical interpretation. Freedom of speech, property, religion, and even life itself depend on obedience to the ruling clerics. Step outside their dictates, and those so-called rights vanish.

This is not a trivial difference. It is the essence of liberty versus tyranny. In America, rights belong to the individual. The government’s role is to secure them, not define them. In Iran, rights serve the state. They empower rulers, not the people.

From Muhammad to Marx

The same confusion applies to Marxist regimes. The Soviet Union’s constitutions promised citizens rights — work, health care, education, freedom of speech — but always with fine print. If you spoke out against the party, those rights evaporated. If you practiced religion openly, you were charged with treason. Property and voting were allowed as long as they were filtered and controlled by the state — and could be revoked at any moment. Rights were conditional, granted through obedience.

Kaine seems to be advocating a similar approach — whether consciously or not. By claiming that natural rights are somehow comparable to sharia law, he ignores the critical distinction between inherent rights and conditional privileges. He dismisses the very principle that made America a beacon of freedom.

Jefferson and the founders understood this clearly. “We are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights,” they wrote. No government, no cleric, no king can revoke them. They exist by virtue of humanity itself. The government exists to protect them, not ration them.

This is not a theological quibble. It is the entire basis of our government. Confuse the source of rights, and tyranny hides behind piety or ideology. The people are disempowered. Clerics, bureaucrats, or politicians become arbiters of what rights citizens may enjoy.

John Greim / Contributor | Getty Images

Gifts from God, not the state

Kaine’s statement reflects either a profound ignorance of this principle or an ideological bias that favors state power over individual liberty. Either way, Americans must recognize the danger. Understanding the origin of rights is not academic — it is the difference between freedom and submission, between the American experiment and theocratic or totalitarian rule.

Rights are not gifts from the state. They are gifts from God, secured by reason, protected by law, and defended by the people. Every American must understand this. Because when rights come from government instead of the Creator, freedom disappears.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

POLL: Is Gen Z’s anger over housing driving them toward socialism?

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A recent poll conducted by Justin Haskins, a long-time friend of the show, has uncovered alarming trends among young Americans aged 18-39, revealing a generation grappling with deep frustrations over economic hardships, housing affordability, and a perceived rigged system that favors the wealthy, corporations, and older generations. While nearly half of these likely voters approve of President Trump, seeing him as an anti-establishment figure, over 70% support nationalizing major industries, such as healthcare, energy, and big tech, to promote "equity." Shockingly, 53% want a democratic socialist to win the 2028 presidential election, including a third of Trump voters and conservatives in this age group. Many cite skyrocketing housing costs, unfair taxation on the middle class, and a sense of being "stuck" or in crisis as driving forces, with 62% believing the economy is tilted against them and 55% backing laws to confiscate "excess wealth" like second homes or luxury items to help first-time buyers.

This blend of Trump support and socialist leanings suggests a volatile mix: admiration for disruptors who challenge the status quo, coupled with a desire for radical redistribution to address personal struggles. Yet, it raises profound questions about the roots of this discontent—Is it a failure of education on history's lessons about socialism's failures? Media indoctrination? Or genuine systemic barriers? And what does it portend for the nation’s trajectory—greater division, a shift toward authoritarian policies, or an opportunity for renewal through timeless values like hard work and individual responsibility?

Glenn wants to know what YOU think: Where do Gen Z's socialist sympathies come from? What does it mean for the future of America? Make your voice heard in the poll below:

Do you believe the Gen Z support for socialism comes from perceived economic frustrations like unaffordable housing and a rigged system favoring the wealthy and corporations?

Do you believe the Gen Z support for socialism, including many Trump supporters, is due to a lack of education about the historical failures of socialist systems?

Do you think that these poll results indicate a growing generational divide that could lead to more political instability and authoritarian tendencies in America's future?

Do you think that this poll implies that America's long-term stability relies on older generations teaching Gen Z and younger to prioritize self-reliance, free-market ideals, and personal accountability?

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