The Oval: Bake Sale Blues

May 23, 2012

Writer

Good afternoon.

My fellow Americans, today, the youth unemployment rate is at 25 percent.

Many young Americans, graduating from high school or college, are returning to live at home, because they can’t get a job.

Employers report that they are having a hard time filling open jobs because young adults don’t have the skills they need.

They report that many recent hires require significant training, just to get them ready to work. Show up on time. Learn from mistakes. Be more productive. Skills that any worker needs to know – but today’s young adults still don’t know.

What is the government’s response to all this?

What emergency action is the government taking to immerse our kids in the world of work… and get them ready to participate in our economy?

Create incentives for employers to set up apprenticeship programs?

No.

Force schools to focus on labor market skills?

No.

Strengthen after-school programs so students can work closely with entrepreneurs?

Again…. No.

We are seeing instead a different government approach.

The government is sending out armies of enforcement officers, to shut down lemonade stands and bake sales.

Yup, you heard that right.

Kids setting out tables, selling lemonade to raise money for charity… or for a school trip… or just for the fun of it… are being shut down.

In Massachusetts, they banned bake sales at school during the day and are working on banning them in the evening, too. Last time I checked, these bake sales helped put uniforms on student athletes, paid for textbooks, and taught kids the value of hard work.

In Appleton, Wisconsin, 9-year-old Lydia Coenen and her sister Vivian run a lemonade stand during the local Car Show. It wasn’t a big money-maker. Four kids would make $100 between them. Well, the vendors inside the car show complained. They didn’t want to compete with a bunch of cute kids. So what did the city council do? They banned the kids from selling lemonade.

Midway Georgia wanted to charge Kasity Dixon, 14, Tiffany Cassin, 12, and Skylar Roberts, 10, $50 for a permit to sell lemonade.

Coralville, Iowa shut down a lemonade stand run by 4-year-old Abigail Krutsinger. FOUR YEARS OLD.

In Hazlewood, Missouri, they banned two young girl scouts from selling Girl Scout cookies from their front yard. Why? A city law bans the “sale of commodities” from a home. So I guess Girl Scout cookies are like pork belly futures and rolls of copper.

I could go on and on. And you know, when we see these stories, we see the same thing. Public outcry. Elected officials try to explain. Public still upset. But in the end, the elected officials and city managers stick to their guns. So, no lemonade stands. No bake sales. No Girl Scout cookies. And we just move on.

But I wonder.

What are American kids learning about work… and entrepreneurship… and the leering power of government?

What are we teaching our kids?

Here is what I fear:

Our kids are learning, first of all, that if you want to make money, you need permission from the government. So they’re learning to be passive.

Our kids are learning, second, that if you want to make money, you need to pay powerful people first. So they’re learning about coercion and bribery.

Our kids are learning, third, that if you want to make money, you need to have money. So they’re learning about oligopolies.

Our kids are learning, fourth, that if you want to have a business, don’t let your neighbors and friends see you trying. They might call the cops! So they’re learning about rent seeking and NIMBYism.

These are terrible lessons to learn at any age.

And now we see the effects.

We have a generation of young Americans who have been raised to be passive. Powerless. To stand silent and mute at the mercy of the all-powerful government.

And so why are we surprised that when they graduate from school and enter the workforce, they are utterly unprepared? Why is it that when they have to show initiative… innovation… hard work… commitment… they can’t?

Look at what we teach them when they try. We shut down their bake sales. Lemonade stands. Girl Scout cookie tables.

We don’t give our kids a chance to learn how to work. How to sell. How to invent. We just don’t. We actually try to drum it out of them at a young age.

I’m not suggesting that we push our kids into work at a young age. They should be learning. Having fun. Opening up their minds.

But isn’t that what having a lemonade stand is? A lemonade stand is not going to be a big corporation, spoiling the environment. It’s not going to put some big lemonade company out of business. It won’t ship jobs overseas.

It’s fun. It’s about learning. It’s about just trying something new. It’s what kids do.

But I wonder. Maybe by putting these kids out of business…we are teaching them a lesson they need to know.

I mean, think about it: Aren’t business leaders around the country complaining about how hard it is to deal with the government these days? Aren’t they afraid of the power of government litigation and regulation… the risk that one day, a man in a suit with a government badge will just shut them down? Didn’t a government official just recently brag about how he “crucifies” businesses, just to set an example?

So maybe shutting down lemonade stands IS a good idea.

Maybe, just maybe, we are preparing our kids for the real world after all.

Or maybe, we’ve just lost our way. Maybe we could stop this.

On June 13, join me and get out there and put out a lemonade stand. Hold a bake sale. Do it with your kids. Let your kids take charge. If you can’t do it yourself, go and support someone who does. It’s important. We don’t have to let our kids learn all the wrong lessons about what it means to be free. We can be better than this.

Thanks for watching. May God bless you, and may God bless the Republic.

'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.

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

NurPhoto / Contributor | Getty Images

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?

Glenn's Show Prep