Celebrate the five year anniversary of The 9/12 Project

March 05, 2014

Writer

On Thursday, Glenn will present an evening of programming to commemorate the 5-year anniversary of the 9/12 Project. At 5pm ET, Glenn will sit down with an audience of 9/12 members to discuss the evolution the movement has undergone these last 5 years. Then at 8PM ET, Glenn will narrate a special presentation of Meet John Doe starring the legendary Gary Cooper. On radio Wednesday, Glenn spoke about the plans for the evening and the importance of the 9/12 Project.

"Five years ago we were all afraid. Five years ago we could feel our country being lost. And we didn't know what to do about it," Glenn explained.

On March 13, 2009, Glenn asked people to tune in for a special episode of his FOX News show where he laid out the 9 principles and 12 values that showed the real power to change America laid with the people.

"We had no idea if anyone would watch. We had no idea if anyone would listen. We had no idea if people would actually gather together. And they gathered together unlike Americans had ever gathered together before," Glenn explained.

So where are we now five years later? How has not only the country changed, but all of the individuals involved? That's what Glenn wants to find out on Thursday's show.

And then with Meet John Doe, Glenn hopes to show people the parallels between the fictional John Doe Clubs and the 9/12 Project, and how politicians and the media tried to co-opt both movements and use them to propel partisan agendas, when they were really all about principles and values.

"The ending is critical, because what happens in the end (of the film) needs to happen to us. There's a lot of people that got frustrated with politics and everything else. The point was never about politics. And the point was never about one individual. Watch it tomorrow night only on TheBlaze. Watch it with your family and join me all the way through it as I kind of take you through this movie and tell you exactly what it means." Glenn said.

The Beginning of the 9/12 Project

When the 9/12 Project was first announced, Glenn called for people to return to the people they were on 9/12/2001 and wrote on GlennBeck.com:

Do you watch the direction that America is being taken in and feel powerless to stop it?
Do you believe that your voice isn’t loud enough to be heard above the noise anymore?
Do you read the headlines everyday and feel an empty pit in your stomach…as if you’re completely alone?
If so, then you’ve fallen for the Wizard of Oz lie. While the voices you hear in the distance may sound intimidating, as if they surround us from all sides—the reality is very different. Once you pull the curtain away you realize that there are only a few people pressing the buttons, and their voices are weak. The truth is that they don’t surround us at all.
We surround them.

What were the 9 Principles and 12 Values Glenn asked people to untie around?

The Nine Principles

1. America is good.

2. I believe in God and He is the Center of my Life.

3. I must always try to be a more honest person than I was yesterday.

4. The family is sacred. My spouse and I are the ultimate authority, not the government.

5. If you break the law you pay the penalty. Justice is blind and no one is above it.

6. I have a right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, but there is no guarantee of equal results.

7. I work hard for what I have and I will share it with who I want to. Government cannot force me to be charitable.

8. It is not un-American for me to disagree with authority or to share my personal opinion.

9. The government works for me. I do not answer to them, they answer to me.

12 Values

Honesty

Reverence

Hope

Thrift

Humility

Charity

Sincerity

Moderation

Hard Work

Courage

Personal Responsibility

Gratitude

After announcing the 9.12 Project on FOX News, Glenn went into detail on the origins the next day on radio (including the crying in the earlier video):

The following is from the transcripts of the 3/17/2009 radio show:

GLENN: 9/10 we were burying our heads in the sand or we were playing politics. It was about Republicans or Democrats. On 9/11 we were freaking out and no one knew who attacked us, where did this come from, what is this. On 9/12 no one in the government had to tell us what to do. We just did it. We went and we found a place to give blood. We went and we gave money. We gathered together. We gathered our family around. We prayed. We were the people that our grandparents were and nobody had to tell us. But then again the parties got involved and George Bush told us to do our patriotic duty and go shopping. That’s offensive. That’s not our patriotic duty. That’s part of the reason we’re here now today because our patriotic duty was to go shopping. That’s not it. And I remember saying on the air, "Please, Mr. President, give us something to do. Let us be involved in the solution." It’s not just, oh, we’re going to go and bomb them. We’ve got to fundamentally change. We’ve got to be involved. Give us something to do. And they didn’t — well, no, I take that back. The two parties, what they did is they gave us something to do, argue with each other and hate each other. And I was part of it. I didn’t see it. I didn’t see. Well, now I do. And I started seeing it, what, 2006, 2004 and said, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, guys, we’re on the wrong track here; wait a minute; see what’s going on? And others have woken up. And it’s both the Republicans and the Democrats. It’s both of them. And we just need to be those 9/12 people.
Let me tell you this: Those values I had been working on for a long time, the values and the principles. And I had been reading and we really did a lot of research and et cetera, et cetera, but I just scribbled them down, the 9 and the 12. I just scribbled them down right before I went on the air. I hadn’t even counted the number of them. And I went on the air and I gave them to you and then I got into a break and I said to Stu, I said, gee, I wish I — how many do I even have here? One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine. I wish I could have come up with another one but I ran out of time. And then I came up with the other ones and there were twelve. And I said, what a wild coincidence: 9/12.
You know, in Iran if you’re looking for the twelfth Imam, they call you a Twelver. The Twelvers over in Iran are evil. They are so bad that the Ayatollah Khomeini back after the Islamic revolution banned them, wanted them all killed. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is a Twelver. But you know what? I’m not looking for the twelfth Imam, but I’m a Twelver, too. I’m a 9/12er. And that’s what I announced on Friday. Commit yourself to live the principles that you knew were true and the values that you knew were true on 9/12. Become a 9/12er and don’t be afraid of it. Don’t be ashamed. Try to understand all of what’s going on in your world through those values and those principles and don’t — you know what, I notice that the website is — has been — I mean, it’s remarkable what’s happening. It’sthe912project.com, the912project.com. And it’s a meeting place to look at the different news and then try to find solution and what principles are we violating. It’s a place where you can find some of the quotes from the founding fathers that might help you solve. There’s going to be so much more on this. But really hope this is a meeting place where you can find solutions and you can present solutions and you can meet together and you can say, look, we’re going to do this project, we’re going to do a march on Washington and it’s going to be on this day, and you can try to put it all together as long as it’s all framed with those principles and values, then I’d be with you. I’d be for you. The minute it gets out of — the minute it becomes a movement for power and a movement for political clout or a movement for anything else other than those principles and those values, I’m in. The minute it — or I’m out the minute it becomes about that. I’m in as long as it becomes about those.
You know, everybody says we don’t have a special interest group for us, we don’t have a lot. You are going to be the special interest group, but it is important that — and I’m going to let this happen organically. I’m not going to steer it. Whatever it is you decide to put together. Now look, this is a very libertarian idea and, you know, libertarian is like trying to round up a bunch of cats. It’s almost impossible. You are going to disagree with people. You are going to have a hard time getting through, but forget about arguing about the parties. Forget about arguing, "Oh, well, you guys did this and you guys did that." Forget about it. It is a waste of time, and I really believe time is running out. So focus on what you are, who you believe, what you think we need to do as a country and stop tearing the other side apart because we — at least I do. I know who the Republicans are. They sold their soul to the devil, for power and money.
Now, that’s not all of them, but the ones, the ones who have been in control, they are that. And a lot of them have decided they would become progressive Republicans. The Democrats who’s running the party right now is the same thing except they are an extreme to the left. There are good people in both parties, but they’re alone. And here’s what I believe can happen. It may not but it will be up to you. What can happen. If you decide to keep this as a grassroots, if you use the meetup.com, you use the912project.com and you heard these cats together and you put together some real principles and you live by those principles, I’m telling you that I can bring my camera from state to state, I can bring my television and radio show from state to state and there will be politicians that will beg you for your support. They will beg you because they will fear you because you will be in such great number. But that will only happen if you don’t make it about politics, if you only make it about principles and values. Once it becomes about politics, it’s done. You must stand for principles, and the number one principle you just stand for is to reestablish the Constitution. It has been so perverted by man, this country has been so perverted, it needs to be reestablished. And if you will stand on the founding principles and you know what you’re talking about, that’s why I said in the show — and people I know blow this off but, gang, unless you know what you’re supposed to know, unless you know who our founders are, you won’t be able to do this. They will win. They will win. You must know who the founders are.
You know, I read a great quote. I’m reading a book about Harry Truman right now and I was reading a part of his childhood and he was a mousey little kid. He had glasses. So he couldn’t go out and play and, you know, et cetera, et cetera. But all of the kids when they would be playing, you know, cowboys and Indians, they would ask him, "No, no, no, wait a minute, what happened with Marshal Dillon, what happened?" And he would explain it because he knew history. And he said all readers are not leaders but every leader must be a reader. You must know history. You must know ours. And it hasn’t been taught. Develop and we’ll help you on this on the 9/12 project. We’ll help you develop book clubs. We’ll help you with developing things where you can grab your neighbors together. I had notes stuffed in my mailbox in my neighborhood. I thought I was alone in my neighborhood. I had notes stuffed into my mailbox: Please, Glenn, will you join us at our table, will you join us in our… yes, I will, because you’re my neighbor and this is going to happen in the neighborhoods. It’s going to happen in your house. That’s the only way it will work, if it’s done on a small scale and yet everybody is doing it across the country. This is true grassroots.
STU: I still don’t see how any of this explains the crying.
GLENN: I was going to explain that, wasn’t I?
STU: That was the thought at one point.
GLENN: I’m a chick.
STU: That explains the crying.
GLENN: I just believe in my country. I just believe in my country.
STU: A lot of people believe in their country without crying on national television every three minutes.
GLENN: I believe that it has been so perverted and on Friday I had so much hope that it could be saved because there are so many people that feel the way I do, and it was amazing to see them and to feel them and to know that they were all across the country.
STU: There was a lot of people there, most of them not crying. Just pointing out.

What our response to Israel reveals about us

JOSEPH PREZIOSO / Contributor | Getty Images

I have been honored to receive the Defender of Israel Award from Prime Minister Netanyahu.

The Jerusalem Post recently named me one of the strongest Christian voices in support of Israel.

And yet, my support is not blind loyalty. It’s not a rubber stamp for any government or policy. I support Israel because I believe it is my duty — first as a Christian, but even if I weren’t a believer, I would still support her as a man of reason, morality, and common sense.

Because faith isn’t required to understand this: Israel’s existence is not just about one nation’s survival — it is about the survival of Western civilization itself.

It is a lone beacon of shared values in the Middle East. It is a bulwark standing against radical Islam — the same evil that seeks to dismantle our own nation from within.

And my support is not rooted in politics. It is rooted in something simpler and older than politics: a people’s moral and historical right to their homeland, and their right to live in peace.

Israel has that right — and the right to defend herself against those who openly, repeatedly vow her destruction.

Let’s make it personal: if someone told me again and again that they wanted to kill me and my entire family — and then acted on that threat — would I not defend myself? Wouldn’t you? If Hamas were Canada, and we were Israel, and they did to us what Hamas has done to them, there wouldn’t be a single building left standing north of our border. That’s not a question of morality.

That’s just the truth. All people — every people — have a God-given right to protect themselves. And Israel is doing exactly that.

My support for Israel’s right to finish the fight against Hamas comes after eighty years of rejected peace offers and failed two-state solutions. Hamas has never hidden its mission — the eradication of Israel. That’s not a political disagreement.

That’s not a land dispute. That is an annihilationist ideology. And while I do not believe this is America’s war to fight, I do believe — with every fiber of my being — that it is Israel’s right, and moral duty, to defend her people.

Criticism of military tactics is fair. That’s not antisemitism. But denying Israel’s right to exist, or excusing — even celebrating — the barbarity of Hamas? That’s something far darker.

We saw it on October 7th — the face of evil itself. Women and children slaughtered. Babies burned alive. Innocent people raped and dragged through the streets. And now, to see our own fellow citizens march in defense of that evil… that is nothing short of a moral collapse.

If the chants in our streets were, “Hamas, return the hostages — Israel, stop the bombing,” we could have a conversation.

But that’s not what we hear.

What we hear is open sympathy for genocidal hatred. And that is a chasm — not just from decency, but from humanity itself. And here lies the danger: that same hatred is taking root here — in Dearborn, in London, in Paris — not as horror, but as heroism. If we are not vigilant, the enemy Israel faces today will be the enemy the free world faces tomorrow.

This isn’t about politics. It’s about truth. It’s about the courage to call evil by its name and to say “Never again” — and mean it.

And you don’t have to open a Bible to understand this. But if you do — if you are a believer — then this issue cuts even deeper. Because the question becomes: what did God promise, and does He keep His word?

He told Abraham, “I will bless those who bless you, and curse those who curse you.” He promised to make Abraham the father of many nations and to give him “the whole land of Canaan.” And though Abraham had other sons, God reaffirmed that promise through Isaac. And then again through Isaac’s son, Jacob — Israel — saying: “The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I give to you and to your descendants after you.”

That’s an everlasting promise.

And from those descendants came a child — born in Bethlehem — who claimed to be the Savior of the world. Jesus never rejected His title as “son of David,” the great King of Israel.

He said plainly that He came “for the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” And when He returns, Scripture says He will return as “the Lion of the tribe of Judah.” And where do you think He will go? Back to His homeland — Israel.

Tamir Kalifa / Stringer | Getty Images

And what will He find when He gets there? His brothers — or his brothers’ enemies? Will the roads where He once walked be preserved? Or will they lie in rubble, as Gaza does today? If what He finds looks like the aftermath of October 7th, then tell me — what will be my defense as a Christian?

Some Christians argue that God’s promises to Israel have been transferred exclusively to the Church. I don’t believe that. But even if you do, then ask yourself this: if we’ve inherited the promises, do we not also inherit the land? Can we claim the birthright and then, like Esau, treat it as worthless when the world tries to steal it?

So, when terrorists come to slaughter Israelis simply for living in the land promised to Abraham, will we stand by? Or will we step forward — into the line of fire — and say,

“Take me instead”?

Because this is not just about Israel’s right to exist.

It’s about whether we still know the difference between good and evil.

It’s about whether we still have the courage to stand where God stands.

And if we cannot — if we will not — then maybe the question isn’t whether Israel will survive. Maybe the question is whether we will.

When did Americans start cheering for chaos?

MATHIEU LEWIS-ROLLAND / Contributor | Getty Images

Every time we look away from lawlessness, we tell the next mob it can go a little further.

Chicago, Portland, and other American cities are showing us what happens when the rule of law breaks down. These cities have become openly lawless — and that’s not hyperbole.

When a governor declares she doesn’t believe federal agents about a credible threat to their lives, when Chicago orders its police not to assist federal officers, and when cartels print wanted posters offering bounties for the deaths of U.S. immigration agents, you’re looking at a country flirting with anarchy.

Two dangers face us now: the intimidation of federal officers and the normalization of soldiers as street police. Accept either, and we lose the republic.

This isn’t a matter of partisan politics. The struggle we’re watching now is not between Democrats and Republicans. It’s between good and evil, right and wrong, self‑government and chaos.

Moral erosion

For generations, Americans have inherited a republic based on law, liberty, and moral responsibility. That legacy is now under assault by extremists who openly seek to collapse the system and replace it with something darker.

Antifa, well‑financed by the left, isn’t an isolated fringe any more than Occupy Wall Street was. As with Occupy, big money and global interests are quietly aligned with “anti‑establishment” radicals. The goal is disruption, not reform.

And they’ve learned how to condition us. Twenty‑five years ago, few Americans would have supported drag shows in elementary schools, biological males in women’s sports, forced vaccinations, or government partnerships with mega‑corporations to decide which businesses live or die. Few would have tolerated cartels threatening federal agents or tolerated mobs doxxing political opponents. Yet today, many shrug — or cheer.

How did we get here? What evidence convinced so many people to reverse themselves on fundamental questions of morality, liberty, and law? Those long laboring to disrupt our republic have sought to condition people to believe that the ends justify the means.

Promoting “tolerance” justifies women losing to biological men in sports. “Compassion” justifies harboring illegal immigrants, even violent criminals. Whatever deluded ideals Antifa espouses is supposed to somehow justify targeting federal agents and overturning the rule of law. Our culture has been conditioned for this moment.

The buck stops with us

That’s why the debate over using troops to restore order in American cities matters so much. I’ve never supported soldiers executing civilian law, and I still don’t. But we need to speak honestly about what the Constitution allows and why. The Posse Comitatus Act sharply limits the use of the military for domestic policing. The Insurrection Act, however, exists for rare emergencies — when federal law truly can’t be enforced by ordinary means and when mobs, cartels, or coordinated violence block the courts.

Even then, the Constitution demands limits: a public proclamation ordering offenders to disperse, transparency about the mission, a narrow scope, temporary duration, and judicial oversight.

Soldiers fight wars. Cops enforce laws. We blur that line at our peril.

But we also cannot allow intimidation of federal officers or tolerate local officials who openly obstruct federal enforcement. Both extremes — lawlessness on one side and militarization on the other — endanger the republic.

The only way out is the Constitution itself. Protect civil liberty. Enforce the rule of law. Demand transparency. Reject the temptation to justify any tactic because “our side” is winning. We’ve already seen how fear after 9/11 led to the Patriot Act and years of surveillance.

KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI / Contributor | Getty Images

Two dangers face us now: the intimidation of federal officers and the normalization of soldiers as street police. Accept either, and we lose the republic. The left cannot be allowed to shut down enforcement, and the right cannot be allowed to abandon constitutional restraint.

The real threat to the republic isn’t just the mobs or the cartels. It’s us — citizens who stop caring about truth and constitutional limits. Anything can be justified when fear takes over. Everything collapses when enough people decide “the ends justify the means.”

We must choose differently. Uphold the rule of law. Guard civil liberties. And remember that the only way to preserve a government of, by, and for the people is to act like the people still want it.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

Stand with Voddie Baucham’s family in this time of loss

In the quiet aftermath of a profound loss, the Christian community mourns the unexpected passing of Dr. Voddie Baucham, a towering figure in evangelical circles. Known for his defense of biblical truth, Baucham, a pastor, author, and theologian, left a legacy on family, faith, and opposing "woke" ideologies in the church. His book Fault Lines challenged believers to prioritize Scripture over cultural trends. Glenn had Voddie on the show several times, where they discussed progressive influences in Christianity, debunked myths of “Christian nationalism,” and urged hope amid hostility.

The shock of Baucham's death has deeply affected his family. Grieving, they remain hopeful in Christ, with his wife, Bridget, now facing the task of resettling in the US without him. Their planned move from Lusaka, Zambia, was disrupted when their home sale fell through last December, resulting in temporary Airbnb accommodations, but they have since secured a new home in Cape Coral that requires renovations. To ensure Voddie's family is taken care of, a fundraiser is being held to raise $2 million, which will be invested for ongoing support, allowing Bridget to focus on her family.

We invite readers to contribute prayerfully. If you feel called to support the Bauchams in this time of need, you can click here to donate.

We grieve and pray with hope for the Bauchams.

May Voddie's example inspire us.

Overcoming loneliness: Connecting in a disconnected world

Loneliness isn’t just being alone — it’s feeling unseen, unheard, and unimportant, even amid crowds and constant digital chatter.

Loneliness has become an epidemic in America. Millions of people, even when surrounded by others, feel invisible. In tragic irony, we live in an age of unparalleled connectivity, yet too many sit in silence, unseen and unheard.

I’ve been experiencing this firsthand. My children have grown up and moved out. The house that once overflowed with life now echoes with quiet. Moments that once held laughter now hold silence. And in that silence, the mind can play cruel games. It whispers, “You’re forgotten. Your story doesn’t matter.”

We are unique in our gifts, but not in our humanity. Recognizing this shared struggle is how we overcome loneliness.

It’s a lie.

I’ve seen it in others. I remember sitting at Rockefeller Center one winter, watching a woman lace up her ice skates. Her clothing was worn, her bag battered. Yet on the ice, she transformed — elegant, alive, radiant.

Minutes later, she returned to her shoes, merged into the crowd, unnoticed. I’ve thought of her often. She was not alone in her experience. Millions of Americans live unseen, performing acts of quiet heroism every day.

Shared pain makes us human

Loneliness convinces us to retreat, to stay silent, to stop reaching out to others. But connection is essential. Even small gestures — a word of encouragement, a listening ear, a shared meal — are radical acts against isolation.

I’ve learned this personally. Years ago, a caller called me “Mr. Perfect.” I could have deflected, but I chose honesty. I spoke of my alcoholism, my failed marriage, my brokenness. I expected judgment. Instead, I found resonance. People whispered back, “I’m going through the same thing. Thank you for saying it.”

Our pain is universal. Everyone struggles with self-doubt and fear. Everyone feels, at times, like a fraud. We are unique in our gifts, but not in our humanity. Recognizing this shared struggle is how we overcome loneliness.

We were made for connection. We were built for community — for conversation, for touch, for shared purpose. Every time we reach out, every act of courage and compassion punches a hole in the wall of isolation.

You’re not alone

If you’re feeling alone, know this: You are not invisible. You are seen. You matter. And if you’re not struggling, someone you know is. It’s your responsibility to reach out.

Loneliness is not proof of brokenness. It is proof of humanity. It is a call to engage, to bear witness, to connect. The world is different because of the people who choose to act. It is brighter when we refuse to be isolated.

We cannot let silence win. We cannot allow loneliness to dictate our lives. Speak. Reach out. Connect. Share your gifts. By doing so, we remind one another: We are all alike, and yet each of us matters profoundly.

In this moment, in this country, in this world, what we do matters. Loneliness is real, but so is hope. And hope begins with connection.