Glenn: 2012 gives America a chance to accomplish another historic milestone

On radio Wednesday morning, Glenn read a story about Spike Lee claiming that Romney's Mormonism will ultimately cost him the election. Glenn, however, disagreed. If America was able to overcome past prejudices to elect the first black President in Barack Obama four years ago, does it mean that a man's religion is an impediment among the American people? Could it be that Spike Lee doesn't have a high enough opinion of his fellow Americans?

Glenn said, "Here's the thing I would like to point out: We have had witch trials before and we got past it. We got past religious bigotry of the witch trials. We've had hatred of classes of people. We were afraid of the Indians. We're past that."

"We used to hate the Irish because they were potato‑eaters. They were drunkards, you know. We hated the Irish. We're past that. We used to think that all Italians were in the mob. We don't think that anymore. We used to think that it was okay to enslave an African‑American. We don't think that anymore."

Glenn continued that other religious and ethnic minorities have been the victims of similar bigotry, but Americans have always moved past it.

"Thomas Jefferson was right: The people are going to screw it up from time to time, but in the end they will get it right. We got it wrong on slavery, but in the end we get it right. We get it right in the end. We always do. Trust the people. Our time as a country hating people because of skin color and descent or religion is over," Glenn said.

Glenn then shifted gears to focus on more recent history, specifically the 2008 election and Barack Obama becoming the first black President.

"You know in 2008 we were excited to break a historic barrier. We were. We were excited," he said.

" It was a big deal to elect the first black president. I remember the broadcast the next morning, I was feeling pretty low because I knew what was coming. I knew this was real trouble. But I also said it is really cool that we've just elected a black man. How great is that?"

"But it was made into a bigger deal than it actually was for most Americans, by the media. Because the media had an agenda. They helped usher Obama in. They made it into a bigger deal."

But in 2012, America has an opportunity to pass a similar milestone with the election of Mitt Romney, whose Mormonism is still a subject of bigotry both today and in American history.

"Wouldn't it be just as historic to elect a man who's from a faith that was actually chased out of the country in the 1800s, whose founder was killed because of his anti‑slavery views and the fact that politically they were saying that if the next president in his day wanted to win, they might have to make Smith his VP because he controlled so much of Illinois. Wouldn't it be just as historic for the people who have the only, the only extermination order in U.S. history, the only one that said you can kill them because of their faith, no other faith has had that in America, thank God. Wouldn't it be just as historic to then elect this guy?"

Glenn's answer? "Kinda."

"It's a cool milestone, and it is a footnote," he explained. "Historic? Yes. In the academic sort of way."

"I believe in the real America. America took the signs down. We didn't hang a "no blacks" sign on the door of the Oval Office. We didn't hang a "no Jews" sign on the office. We didn't hang a 'no Mormons' sign on the office. It was the left and the media that hung those signs there. We've taken those signs down one by one over a long period of time and with a lot of blood, sweat and tears. Most Americans at least my age and lower judge people by the content of their character, not the color of their skin or religious background."

Nevertheless, Glenn pointed out that 18% of people said they would not vote for a Mormon, but only 4% of Americans would not vote for an African American.

"But it's no big deal really because we'll get it right in time. If it's not Mitt Romney, it will be somebody else. We've already elected ‑‑ is this really a big deal? We've already elected Orrin Hatch, we've already elected Harry Reid. It's only a big deal if he's a conservative," Glenn continued.

"Think about this: Wouldn't it be something to show the rest of the world as they are now announcing in Egypt that under Sharia law they are going to have to get rid of the great pyramids of Giza.," he said. "As the world is wrestling with neo‑Nazis who are now killing people because they're immigrants or because they're a different race, color, creed, the world has the rise of neo‑Nazis. The world has the rise of Sharia law which will erase every other religion."

"Look at America. We just elected somebody of a different color and it was really no big deal, for most Americans. And we'll elect somebody based on their values and their principles, not their religion. Wow."

"What a historic election 2012 will be. Two different stereotypes shot down one after another. You see, what the media doesn't understand is Americans are great people, and maybe the elites and the elites in the media, the elites in Washington, the elites in academia will surprise us someday and stop being surprised by Americans and their decency. Maybe someday the self‑entitled enlightened in the press will catch us, us God‑fearing, gun‑toting flyover hicks, and they'll understand that we've always voted for people of character, we voted for values, we believe in principles, and we believe in the facts. That's what we do in the end. It's what makes America great. It's what makes America exceptional. Other places may not vote for a Mormon. Other places may not vote for a black man. Other places may not vote for a white man. Other places may not vote for somebody with a funny name."

"In the hand of the Statue of Liberty is a torch, but that's not what it's called. What she's holding in her hand is imprisoned lightning. The power of lightning captured with liberty... and justice... for all."

The West is dying—Will we let enemies write our ending?

Harvey Meston / Staff | Getty Images

The blood of martyrs, prophets, poets, and soldiers built our civilization. Their sacrifice demands courage in the present to preserve it.

Lamentations asks, “Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by?”

That question has been weighing on me heavily. Not just as a broadcaster, but as a citizen, a father, a husband, a believer. It is a question that every person who cares about this nation, this culture, and this civilization must confront: Is all of this worth saving?

We have squandered this inheritance. We forgot who we were — and our enemies are eager to write our ending.

Western civilization — a project born in Judea, refined in Athens, tested in Rome, reawakened in Wittenberg, and baptized again on the shores of Plymouth Rock — is a gift. We didn’t earn it. We didn’t purchase it. We were handed it. And now, we must ask ourselves: Do we even want it?

Across Europe, streets are restless. Not merely with protests, but with ancient, festering hatred — the kind that once marched under swastikas and fueled ovens. Today, it marches under banners of peace while chanting calls for genocide. Violence and division crack societies open. Here in America, it’s left against right, flesh against spirit, neighbor against neighbor.

Truth struggles to find a home. Even the church is slumbering — or worse, collaborating.

Our society tells us that everything must be reset: tradition, marriage, gender, faith, even love. The only sin left is believing in absolute truth. Screens replace Scripture. Entertainment replaces education. Pleasure replaces purpose. Our children are confused, medicated, addicted, fatherless, suicidal. Universities mock virtue. Congress is indifferent. Media programs rather than informs. Schools recondition rather than educate.

Is this worth saving? If not, we should stop fighting and throw up our hands. But if it is, then we must act — and we must act now.

The West: An idea worth saving

What is the West? It’s not a location, race, flag, or a particular constitution. The West is an idea — an idea that man is made in the image of God, that liberty comes from responsibility, not government; that truth exists; that evil exists; and that courage is required every day. The West teaches that education, reason, and revelation walk hand in hand. Beauty matters. Kindness matters. Empathy matters. Sacrifice is holy. Justice is blind. Mercy is near.

We have squandered this inheritance. We forgot who we were — and our enemies are eager to write our ending.

If not now, when? If not us, who? If this is worth saving, we must know why. Western civilization is worth dying for, worth living for, worth defending. It was built on the blood of martyrs, prophets, poets, pilgrims, moms, dads, and soldiers. They did not die for markets, pronouns, surveillance, or currency. They died for something higher, something bigger.

MATTHIEU RONDEL/AFP via Getty Images | Getty Images

Yet hope remains. Resurrection is real — not only in the tomb outside Jerusalem, but in the bones of any individual or group that returns to truth, honor, and God. It is never too late to return to family, community, accountability, and responsibility.

Pick up your torch

We were chosen for this time. We were made for a moment like this. The events unfolding in Europe and South Korea, the unrest and moral collapse, will all come down to us. Somewhere inside, we know we were called to carry this fire.

We are not called to win. We are called to stand. To hold the torch. To ask ourselves, every day: Is it worth standing? Is it worth saving?

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. Pick up your torch. If you choose to carry it, buckle up. The work is only beginning.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

Stop coasting: How self-education can save America’s future

Joe Raedle / Staff | Getty Images

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

Joe Raedle / Staff | Getty Images

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.

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

MELISSA MAJCHRZAK / Contributor | Getty Images

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