What did Glenn learn from watching 'Mary Poppins' with his daughters?

December 01, 2014

Writer

Over vacation while visiting a small town Glenn went to a local theater and watched a showing of Mary Poppins. The town was such a throwback, in many ways reminded him of a time when, despite its flaws, understood that we’re in this life together. As he watched the movie he kept thinking - what would America be like if Walt Disney had given up? A very inspirational take.

I took my older daughter Mary and Cheyenne, my youngest daughter, to Mary Poppins.

We were in a small town over the weekend. Went to a little theater in our little town out in the mountains. And to try to bring people downtown to do shopping, they had little bed races and live performances and the lighting of the Christmas tree and fireworks and Santa came on back of the fire truck and everything. And I remember when all small towns used to do this. Maybe they still do. I've just been away for so long.

But there's a movie theater in town. One movie theater. Only seats 200 people. And they offered Mary Poppins for free. Free popcorn, free soda, free movie. Free. Just come. I thought there had to be some catch. There wasn't. Who does this?

Neighbors do this.

Our answers to all of the problems that are going on in the world are waiting for us to rediscover them. They are waiting right now mainly in the small towns where people are still real. They're waiting for us to humble ourselves and stop thinking that we're above these simple answers. That it was somehow or another, we're better than these simple people because we're not.

The poem, 'The Gods of the Copybook Headings' by Rudyard Kipling, comes to mind again and again and again. With terror and slaughter they return.

The answers that we need today are the same answers that we have needed when Greece was young. Hard work. Don't lie. Don't cheat. Don't steal. Don't covet. Don't commit adultery. Honor your family. Honor your family. Honor your parents. Honor yourself. Be charitable. Have empathy. Be humble. Have compassion. Honesty over political correctness.

They all will return one day. Those all will come back one day. And we will either see the miracles that bring them back or we will witness the slaughter that brings them back.

As I sat in that small little movie theater in a small little town in the mountains, I watched 'Mary Poppins'. And I saw Mr. Banks. Walt knew that this story was not about saving the children. Mary Poppins didn't come to save the children. Mary Poppins came to save the dad, Mr. Banks. That's a message from 1964. That was the year I was born. Save the dad. 'Feed The Birds'. It's a song from Mary Poppins. The Sherman brothers who wrote that song wrote all the music. They said that they used to come in to Walt's office. He would call them in on Friday afternoon, 5:00. As they were getting ready to leave and he would just say, play the song for me. And they would stand by the window as they would play 'Feed The Birds' and he would cry. And he would say, that's it. That's the answer.

He knew. Frank Capra knew. Yet Frank Capra and Walt Disney while they were alive mocked relentlessly. But those are the men who brought us the answers the last time around in the media.

Why aren't we doing the things we know that are right? Most likely because it's too hard or because we think we can't get there from here. Or people make fun of us. People tell us that we'll fail. It doesn't matter if you fail. Why do we continue to worry about what other people think when the whole world is upside down? Why do we care what other people think? Why do we care what society says? Look what society is. We should be basing ourselves and saying, if that's what society says, then we should go the other direction. Why do we care if the world calls us a failure?

I think in the end it's more important to say, I tried, than it is to say, I succeeded.

What matters are the acts -- are we doing the things, are we doing the acts every day that propel us out of bed or are we dragging ourselves out of bed just to do the things we have to do? Why aren't we doing the things we long to do? Why aren't we living the life we long to live? I suppose we all have a million reasons. But none of them are good enough, because without you doing your part, without you doing whatever it is you're supposed to do, the whole thing falls apart.

As I watched that movie, Mary Poppins, in the theater this weekend in this small town, I thought to myself, what would the world have been like if Walt Disney didn't conquer his fear? If Walt Disney would have given up? If he would have listened to his brother. If he would have listened to his critics. Without Disney doing what everyone said was impossible, we would have lost an entire generation of the Liberty Tree, Johnny Tremain, Davy Crockett, Daniel Boone. We would have lost Johnny Appleseed. A world without Disneyland. A world without a talking Lincoln. The happiest place on earth. 'It's a Small World'. No Mickey Mouse Club, no Spin and Marty, no The Adventures of Zorro if Walt Disney would have listened to the critics.

Without those things, who would we be? Without his stories of the culture, his stories of empowerment, of do the right thing. You have it within your grasp. Would we have made to it Ronald Regan and without Ronald Reagan reminding us who we are would we have made it to today?

One summer in the late 1960s, we were given the same choice we were -- we're giving right now. Roll around in the mud like pigs at Woodstock, burn your cities to the ground. Or reach beyond yourself and walk on the moon. Last time we were presented, we walked on the moon. Both of those choices were presented to us in the same summer. We have the same choice again but where is Neil Armstrong?

I'm convinced our culture now run by those who chose the pigs in the mud have pulled the greatest con on some of the greatest people that ever lived. They have convinced Americans that they just can't do it. They've convinced you that you just can't make it. That somebody is trying to keep you down. They've convinced the American people that life isn't worth it, that life isn't worth the pain or the hassle. Just check out. Take the easy route. Medicate.

It's all lies. All of it lies. I can point to the easy choice. I can point to the pigs, the sex, the drugs, the sloth, the death, the take it from them. Can you please help me point to the higher choice? Because we better find it. We better share it. We better hold it up. I declare that man walks upright, not on his hands and knees. We do not crawl to others. We do not beg them to feed us. To coddle us, to care for us. We're a man. Stand up, stand up straight.

It's going to take all of us to right this ship. All of us saying, I choose to live and do. Together we can reach the heavens again. Together we can choose hope and honor and courage and love. We have to stop telling each other that we can't do it. We have to stop telling each other what's wrong and what's stopping us. Let's dismiss those who want you to blame the government, blame your parents, blame Hollywood, blame your boss, blame the banks. Dismiss them. Focus on what we can do. Focus on powerful you really are. What tools you have been given and get to work.

Two most powerful words in any language, I am. Say it every day. Monitor what you're saying after "I am."

Just check yourself for a little while. Just make a mental note, what do you follow those two words with every single day? "I am" what? I'm tired. I'm hopeless. I'm spent. Replace that. I am capable. I am strong. I am healthy. I am smart enough. I am worth it. I'm successful. I'm whole.

Choose. Choose your path. Because make no mistake. Life is a choice. And we walk out on to the field every single day. And we can either choose to be popular, we can choose to be nincompoops. We can choose to remain ignorant and we can put our hands up and be popular. Or we can choose to do the right thing and not worry about our popularity.

Life is a choice. What choice are you going to make today?

'Rage against the dying of the light': Charlie Kirk lived that mandate

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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

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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?

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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?

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