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Iceland Is ‘Eradicating’ Down Syndrome – by Eradicating the People Who Have It

August 16, 2017
Staff

WRITER

Iceland has nearly “eradicated” Down syndrome … by encouraging parents to test their babies in the womb and abort them if their results show a likelihood of the genetic condition.

According to a recent CBS report, just one or two babies are born with Down syndrome on average per year in Iceland, which has a population of 330,000. In the country, close to 100 percent of pregnant women who test positive for Down syndrome in prenatal screenings choose abortion.

While Iceland is ahead when it comes to “eradicating” people with Down syndrome, America isn’t too far behind. Among U.S. women, an estimated 67 percent whose test results indicate a Down syndrome child decide to abort the baby.

Glenn looked at this heartbreaking story on radio Wednesday.

“Am I supposed to say, ‘Oh, look at that beautiful child that should be dead’?” he asked of the CBS story, which featured an image of a little girl from Iceland with Down syndrome who was one of the few to survive.

Glenn talked about people with Down syndrome and all that they have to offer the world.

“Down syndrome people are the best among us,” he said. “They truly are.”

GLENN: There was a story that I saw yesterday from CBS News. And it reported that Iceland is leading the world in, quote, eradicating Down syndrome births. End quote.

There was a tweet that said that. And then it had a picture of this really beautiful child. It said, "Iceland is on pace to virtually eliminate Down syndrome through abortion." And has this beautiful child of about four years old in the snow hat and everything else.

Am I supposed to like that? Am I supposed to say, "Oh, look at that beautiful child that should be dead?"

This is one of the -- this, to me -- and I might be alone, this to me is the biggest symbol of the doom of humanity and the doom of our society.

We're talking about Down syndrome babies and a country that has now made it so easy and so right to abort your child if your test comes back and says they'll have Down syndrome.

They have taken the most beautiful children and beautiful people that I honestly have ever met. I have met spiritual leaders, big spiritual leaders. "Uh-huh. Right. Okay. Well, I'll listen to you on the pulpit, maybe, for about five minutes. You're a fraud." And then I've met people like Billy Graham, who is absolutely the real deal. But every Down syndrome child or person that I've ever met is a spiritual giant.

Years ago, I was young and had never spent any time around Down syndrome. And really people of different abilities really at all. I had no impact in my life personally with it. And I remember I was working in New Haven, Connecticut. And the Special Olympics, the global games for Special Olympics happened in New Haven, Connecticut. And the entire town left for the week. And it was really sad. Because the media had said, "Oh, traffic is going to be horrible." So everyone went on vacation for those ten days, and it was a ghost town.

And we went and we were working a lot of the events. And I will tell you that what -- the impact that that had on my life was profound. And the impact that I walked away with immediately is, you know -- and this is in the day -- in the early '90s, when we could still use this word. And I remember thinking, "You know, the world deems these children retarded." I'm the retarded one. I'm the one whose growth has been retarded from -- from -- from greed and malice and -- and ego and the world and stuff and sexuality and whatever it is.

Down syndrome people are the best among us. They truly are. It's not some politically correct, "Oh, they're the best among us." No, they're not. Yeah, these guys are.

They will be our rulers on the other side. Because they get it. They are not afraid -- all guile has been taken from them.

And CBS reports, "Through abortion, Iceland is the first to nearly eradicate these people." Thumbs up. That is not progress. Let's call it what it is: That's eugenics. That is Margaret Sanger's most base dream: Get rid of the undesirables. Get rid of the people who can't really work for a living, don't really have any quality of life.

I'd rather have their quality of life than mine. I would so much rather go through life loving everybody I meet.

Do you ever get to a point to where you don't want to understand the world? You just don't want to understand that there's just a lot of bad people.

Don't you ever get to the point where you're just like, "I -- I don't want to be a part of that anymore?"

This is what the article says: Other aren't lagging too far behind in Down syndrome termination rates. Iceland is on pace to virtually eliminate Down syndrome through abortion.

You're not eliminating Down syndrome. You're eliminating people. People.

You're not going in and genetically splicing something. You are eliminating people.

I'm concerned about the genetic splice. I'm a father of a daughter of special needs. Only a parent can truly understand this. A parent of special needs.

I would give my life for my daughter to have an easier life. But I would not take her life away because her life is tough. She's one of the best people I know. And she's made me such a better -- I mean, it's bad. Because I also realize, man, I've got a lot to learn. I've got a long way to go to be a good person. And it's a constant reminder to me. It's a -- she is a constant humbling of me.

Would I abort her? Never.

If I could abort the mean things that people have been -- have said to her, if I could abort the mean actions that people have shown her, if I could abort the pain that she has felt from those actions -- my daughter changed in the second grade. She had a friend who she never went over to their house. She never -- she -- we never met her friend. But it was her best friend. And she would come home and she would talk about her best friend all the time.

And one day, she came home, and she told us about how her best friend was having a birthday party. And she invited everybody. Said, "Oh, that's great, Mary. When -- when is the party?" And cheerfully, "Oh, I wasn't invited."

"What? I thought you said she invited everybody in the class."

"She did. But she didn't invite me." And she followed it up immediately with, "But that's okay. That's okay. I'm fine. I'm fine. And I'm just glad -- and I know she's going to have a great party."

I don't -- I don't think I stopped crying for two days. But I'd like that to go away? Yeah. But that has nothing to do with the way she was born. It has everything to do with the way, you know, normal people are born.

I would ask -- when I saw this story and I saw this sweet child, the bottom of a CBS tweet, with all kinds of likes underneath it, I thought, "We can go no lower." Unfortunately, we can. But not as the people we've been.

If this is the people -- this is a new chapter of humanity. And we've seen it before. It's the way the world usually is. The last 200 years have been an anomaly. The world usually is like the Game of Thrones. And we just won't be the same when we pass this door and cross its threshold.

And I would ask that you would beg for forgiveness and beg for God to heal our hearts and heal our land. Because I just don't think there's a lot left here in our corner before we turn real dark.

The good news: Everything is a choice. And I used to be a guy who was suicidal because I never thought things could change. And then I realized, everything can change the moment I decide.

The moment you decide, "I'm not going to be a part of that," the moment you decide, "Not on my watch," the moment you decide to choose love over hate, to choose hope over fear, you're going to be okay. But it has to be a conscious choice. It has to be one you have really thought about and you have spoken out loud.

Civics isn’t optional—America's survival depends on it

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

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

Bloomberg / Contributor | Getty Images

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.