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WATCH: Glenn responds to Ron Paul's despicable tweets about Chris Kyle's murder

February 05, 2013
Wilson

Writer

America, I want you to give me a couple of minutes here.

I want to ponder what I'm saying to you, and hear me clearly. As a family, state and nation grieves for one of its brightest, bravest heroes, there is one among us with another agenda in mind.

Over this last weekend here in Texas Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle, a man who served four tours of duty in two wars. He received not one but two silver stars, five bronze stars with valor. A husband, a father, a son. An unquestioned Patriot. A man who didn't talk about Jesus but lived his Christian belief was senselessly murdered by a fellow veteran he was just trying to help.

He's not a doctor. He didn't pretend to be a doctor. He was helping a friend. That's it. But yesterday in something I couldn't believe happened. Yesterday former congressman Ron Paul took to that brave platform we all call Twitter and tweeted this: Chris Kyle's death seems to confirm that "he who lives by the sword dies by the sword". Treating PTSD at a firing range doesn't make sense.

Well Dr. Paul he wasn't treating it. I'm sorry that you listened to the media. I thought you knew better than that. After all, aren't you a guy who just loves to blame the media on cover-ups on things like Tower 7. Suddenly you rush to believe the media that he somehow or another had his stethescope out and was treating someone.

Dr. Paul, as I have said many times we share many ideas about freedom and the Constitution and I know you fought hard for the Constitution over the years. But as I have also said many times we disagree on a good number of issues. But even those who disagree can respect each other. And I've had healthy respect for what you tried to accomplish for the cause of liberty.

I understand so unbelievably clearly that you don't like the foreign wars our nation has been involved in. I understand that you've been fighting against them from day number one, and I also understand that some of us haven't. But some of us are at a different level of understanding. We're not all Dr. Paul now.

But Chris Kyle and those like him are not the policy makers, doctor. As Americans, we don't go over to the graves of even the German soldiers from World War II and dance on them - because it's what sets us apart. A fundamental respect for life.

Would you tweet something similar about someone who smokes? "Well, He died of cancer. huh?He who lives by the cigarette dies by the cigarette?"

Would you tweet the same thing about those involved in auto accidents? How about pilots, and those in the muted media? Is this how you would react if some doctor would make some staement about Rock Hudson or Freddie Mercury?

Somehow or another I think not.

Chris Kyle gave all that he had as a volunteer for his country. In a nation that doesn't require mandatory service on anything, doesn't even require responsibility anymore, we rely on those few who're truly special, those few who're driven to put their lives where their beliefs are, and Chris Kyle did so repeatedly.

Dr. Paul, so many Americans admire you because you were willing to put yourself out there in Washington for a cause in which you believe. Chris Kyle was no different. He was willing to put himself out there for a cause in which he believed. Except he did it with other people actually shooting at him in the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Quite honestly what Ron Paul wrote yesterday sounds more of the ramblings of Code Pink, the New Black Panthers, or the Westboro Church. I can't decide which one you've gained a membership in - maybe all of them. It's more the statements of members of one of those organizations than an elder statesman newly retired from office in the service of United States of America.

It's beneath you, Dr. Paul.

You know what one of our problems is as a country? We're no longer decent to one another. ANd I know there are many who would say 'Talk about the pot calling the kettle black'. I know. I know. But see, that's the point of being human. Recognizing your mistakes and then trying to be better the next day. When you assess a problem, when you know what we shouldn't be in all of these foreign wars. You admit your mistake and you move forward. You know, we shouldn't have the PATRIOT Act because they didn't mean the sunset. Then what are you going to do? Honesty and decency is required.

What I want to say is not always what should be said. Example, right now to Dr. Ron Paul. Why shouldn't it be said? Because we should be civil to one another. And we've all said things that we shouldn't have said. And maybe that's the way Ron Paul feels about this tweet last night. Maybe he regrets this serious, serious error in judgment. I hope so.

I hope that his isolationist views when it comes to the US military hasn't blinded him that he can't take a pause and reflect on life of the sacrifice, and the courage and honor of the men and women that put their lives every single day because Congress and President demand it. Because liberty demands it. Even if you disagree.

Ron Paul and to his supporters, I deal in the free speech. I deal in the First Amendment every single day. And I know unlike like most that freedom of speech that amendment the only real speech that requires protection is the speech like this that others might find ugly and offensive. I find Ron Paul's speech ugly and offensive. But I defend his right to say it. And I would not violate nor ask anyone else violate it by having him silenced. More speech, not less speech. But it requires all of us in responsible ways to respond. Because that is the right that so many like Chris Kyle fought for.

I'm becoming more and more Libertarian every day. I love these people who just that pretend they were born Libertarian. I'm sorry I'm imperfect. I guess I'm an imperfect species, but I'm learning something new every day. And I learned a few years ago - I think it was six years I started calling for the troops to return home. Again today I called for an end to the war. Like Ron Paul I've been calling for this war to be over and our troops to be pulled out of not just the Middle East but also Europe. What are we doing in Asia anymore?

I know that's not good enough for some Libertarians, and that's fine. Because if kicking a man who's now dead or kicking a family when they're down makes one a Libertarian, let me tell you something, you so-called "guardians of liberty" have grossly misread what is required for man to look like himself. And for man to create a civil society we must first be civil to each other.

For those in this audience who have wondered over and over again why I haven't, and why I could never support Ron Paul, this should finally answer your question.

Without civic action, America faces collapse

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.