A chalkboard, history, unpasturized butter, and a shoe - there is only one man who could take all of these things, put them together in a speech, and get a standing ovation. That man is Glenn Beck.
Saturday night Glenn gave the keynote at the National Rifle Associations annual convention. He was introduced to the stage by the NRA's Wayne LaPierre, who told the crowd that "he shoots straight and gun owners couldn't have a better fan."
Glenn kicked off the speech by clearing the air about who he is endorsing for President of the United States - his shoe.
"Anyone but Barack Obama, including my shoe," Glenn said. "He'd do better than Barack Obama, I can make the case."
Next, Glenn discussed how the tragic death of Trayvon Martin is being used to target our second Amendment rights. "This government will never let a crisis go to waste," Glenn said, describing how this particular crisis is being used to vilify gun owners.
Glenn also touched on Al Sharpton for his public role the last few weeks in the Trayvon Martin case. George Zimmerman, the shooter, was charged Wednesday with second-degree murder in the Florida teen’s death.
“I saw him this week actually patting himself on the back,” Beck said of Sharpton. ” ‘I was the first to say he’s guilty and should go to jail.‘ When did that become something we’re proud of? When did that become something we wear as a badge of honor, to say ‘I was the first to try a man in the media? I was the first to say oh, that pesky Constitution. The right to a jury trial. I was the first to say guilty before innocent.‘ That’s crazy. The world is absolutely upside-down.”
Glenn compared what Sharpton and others on the left are doing now to what they did when the administration tried to hold the trial of some of the worst terrorist in New York City. "It was vital to show the world how great the our justice system is. …where are they now defending that great American justice system? Nowhere - let the world see the American justice system. It works," Glenn told the crowd.
This transitioned into a discussion of the lack of truth in the mainstream media today. "The media is not telling you the truth. That's why we started GBTV," Glenn said pointing out the coverage the case in Florida is getting compared to noncontroversial stories where guns were used for self-defense. Glenn cited six stories where people were able to defend and save their own lives because of their right to bear arms:
A woman in Oklahoma who was being attacked by a man with a knife.
A college student in Philadelphia who robbers began firing shots at because he didn't have any money.
A woman in Duluth, GA who was met by a man with a knife when she stepped out of her shower.
A woman in Albany, GA who was met by a man with a butcher knife and another with a gun when she walked into her office.
A double amputee who had his home invaded by a teen who fired two shots at him.
And finally, a 110lb Florida beauty queen, who was dragged upstairs to her bedroom by an intruder, where he was met by her fiancé, giving her just enough time to grab her pink 38.
The National Academy of Science recently published a review to find out which laws are really helping out when it comes to violent crime, suicide, and accidents. "Take a guess?," Glenn asked the crowd. "Out of 253 journalists, 99 books, 43 government publications and 80 gun control schemes, the number of laws that actually help - zero. Nobody reports anywhere when someone saves a life or stops a crime, because they're a responsible citizen with a gun. But, the chance of you getting hurt or killed by a gun in the hands of a responsible citizen - one in a million."
Glenn told the crowd that the name they all need to know and learn about when it comes to regulations is Cass Sunstein, who Glenn describes as "the most dangerous man in America."
"They're not going to take your gun away from you. They're just going to make it impossible for you to buy another one, impossible for you to own a bullet, buy a bullet, shoot it anywhere," Glenn said, while giving the example of what it is like for someone to try and buy a gun in New York City.
Glenn continued to give other examples of out of control regulation. Everything from digging from arrow heads and selling sea otters to a woman who was raided by NOAA with assault rifles. NOAA …the weather people.
Glenn also told the audience about how our government spent a year undercover with the Amish. "What's their crime? Unhomogenized, unpasteurized milk," Glenn said, joking about how they were ever shipping it across state lines.
Glenn happened to have spoken in Lancaster, PA Friday night, and brought some unpasteurized butter back with him - yes, across state lines.
So, how did we get here? "We don't know our own history," Glenn said, while referencing the famous picture of George Washington crossing the Delaware.
The original was painted in Germany where it was destroyed in an airstrike in 1944. Glenn gave the history of the recreated piece of art that resides in America, featuring not just George Washington, but Madison holding the flag, a woman, a Scott, and an African American. It was recreated by a man from Berlin in 1850, just after the 'Spring of Nations', which took place on February 23, 1848. What caused this eerily familiar sounding revolution to breakout across Europe on the 23rd? Just two days prior, on February 21st, 1848, Karl Marx published the Communist Manifesto.
Glenn explained the history lesson to the crowd using his trademark tool - the chalkboard.
"How does it relate to this picture? And what does history?" Glenn asked the crowd. "What is it screaming to America? It was communism that led to the Spring of Nations that broke out all over Europe, and one man lived in America, who was a German, went back and said 'No! that's the wrong direction'."
Glenn asked the crowd why would the painter include a woman, a farmer, an African American, all together in this one painting?
"Because, the average person, when linked together, can do anything," Glenn said while being met with applause.
"America is never about the finished product," he told the crowd, "it's about the journey, the process; it's about being what we are - each of us with different skills and different backgrounds, coming together and doing the right thing."
"We are headed for another spring of nations - history is crying out everywhere - it is telling us - it aint that hard guys - the answer is not that hard."
Glenn told the crowd about what George Washington did before fighting the Revolutionary War - he called for a National Day of Prayer and Fasting on May 17th. Glenn suggested that we do the same this May 17th.
"We beg God to protect this nation and His cause. Go home and tell your preachers and your rabbis," Glenn told the cheering crowd while continuing to tell the story of the amazing Crossing of the Delaware.
"The solutions that we need are right in front of us," Glenn transitioned. "We need to find a leader. We have Mitt Romney. Mitt Romney's our guy. I haven't been a Mitt Romney fan, but let me tell you something, I've done a lot of research. I've looked into his past. I've looked into all of his policies. I've looked into everything I can possibly find on Mitt Romney to see if there is something I can really get my arms around, and say 'Yes, the American people need to know this.' Here it is: Mitt Romney is my guy, because Mitt Romney is not a communist."
Glenn emphasized to the crowd how important it is going to be for every one of them to vote in the next election, while citing that 10 to 30 percent of every conservative organization is not registered to vote. "Clean up your own house first," Glenn said.
"We need God, we need education, the third thing we need is empowerment. We need entrepreneurship," Glenn explained telling the crowd that we must not only create, but we must also elevate others.
Glenn wrapped things up by talking about what conservatives have to do if they really want small government - be charitable. "Who is going to take care of the poor? Who's going to take care of those that are unemployed? Who will take care of the elderly? If you really want small government, let's be a group of people that when the press asks, 'Who is going to take care of the poor?' We don't say we will, we say we are. Our churches our neighborhoods are organized and taking care of the poor and those who cannot work."
“Barack Obama‘s winning slogan was 'Yes we can.' That’s the dumbest damn slogan I’ve ever heard,” Glenn said. “Don’t tell me what you can do. Will you do it? Will you do it? ‘Yes we can.’ What a bunch of crap that is.”
Glenn wrote the words “Yes I will” on the chalkboard.
“Yes I will,” he said. “Are you going to vote? ‘Yeah I could do that.’ Are you going to vote? ‘Yes I will.’”
“Will you be a man or a woman of honor?” he asked. “‘Yes I will.’ Will you seek equal justice for all? ‘Yes I will.’"
"Seek the truth. Have the courage to stand." Glenn concluded. "These are not the times that try mens souls, but they will be. The great news is, we'll be ready."
Many were live tweeting during the speech, here is what a few people had to say:
@RJBoisvert: @GBTV @glennbeck Inspiring speech at NRA by Glenn Beck! YES I WILL!
@HeadToToeHarlen: Will you stand or not? Great speaker! Thank you Glenn Beck for coming to our NRA convention! ALL IN!
@cbrown285: Glenn Beck "Mitt Romney is my guy because he is not a communist." that is a low bar of expectations but it is better than Obama #NRA
@nlasmus: The @glennbeck speech at the #NRA Convention is so inspiring! We the ppl hold the key to restoring our nation! National Day of Prayer May 17!
@EJRWatkins: @glennbeck LOVED video of NRA speech. You're 100% right. We ARE a covenant land and people!
Of course the usual haters were one the prowl, condemning Glenn for sharing stories of men and women protecting themselves from attackers using their 2nd Amendment rights (kind of proves his point about the left and the media, doesn't it?).
@CSGV: .@glennbeck stories of "justified" homicides, celebrating the deaths, #NRA Celebrating 18 yr old mom and baby being alive - evil
@CSGV: @glennbeck has now been a headline speaker at #NRA Convention for six years in a row. #Extremism #ows #labor #WarOnWomen #immigration #p2