Who do we choose to be?

December 09, 2014

Writer

There were two big stories in the news today that represent the choice facing all Americans. First, a postal worker who decided to steal money from over 2,000 cards out of boredom. Not greed, but boredom. And the other? A woman who donated her modest diamond ring and wedding band to the Salvation Army in hopes that they could use the money from the sales to give needy children a Merry Christmas. Which are we?

Below is a rough transcript of this segment:

GLENN: There's two other things I want to tell you about. And, America, it's time for us to decide who we are. Which one of these stories are we? I know which one I am. I know which one I want to strive for. I know which one I believe the average person is.

But I want you to decide.

Federal authorities say a Detroit area postal employee accused of stealing as many as 2,000 pieces of mail said she did so not out of greed.

Sharon Berrien is accused of pocketing any cash from the mail and dumping the leftovers along Interstate 94. Most of the items were greeting cards.

She was charged Monday with stealing mail while working in a Detroit mail processing center. Investigators said she told them the thefts began last spring. The probe started in October when mail was found along the interstate, Interstate 94.

On November 21st, 800 pieces of mail were found in her trash bin, behind her house. Three bags were found inside of her closet. She said she kept about 1,000 to $1,500.

Investigators said, when asked why she did it, she said, well, I don't have any financial problems. I, quote, was just bored.

Here's the thing, I think it's a problem with our kids too: They're bored. We don't have anything for them to do. They don't have to work hard. No one is milking the cow. No one is mending the fence. No one is doing the things that we used to have to do as a kid. And I can't speak for your kids. I can speak for my kids. And they get bored. Idle hands are the devil's workshop. That is one of the copybook headings. Idle hands are the devil's workshop.

PAT: You never hear that anymore. Heard that from our dads, our moms. But I don't think the kids of today hear that. When was the last time you said that to your kids? Idle hands are the devil's workshop, you ever said that to your kids?

GLENN: No. Because they're not idle. They're playing games. But that's an idle mind. That's an idle mind.

Okay. So now are we those people? Are we the people that we're just so bored, we don't care that those are greeting cards. There's nothing in us that says, you know what, Sally was writing something to her niece, it was her birthday. No one has a problem with that. Are we those people that we can see past that and say, yeah, you know what, I was bored. Whatever. It makes me happy. Or are we this person?

Salvation Army found an unusual surprise in one of its red donation kettles. A diamond engagement ring. When they found this engagement ring and the wedding band that someone had dropped in the kettle, at first they thought, oh, boy, somebody had lost their ring. Then they found the wedding band as well. Now, what would you think?

Maybe somebody got a divorce is, I'm getting rid of this ring.

PAT: That's what I would think. That's what I first thought.

GLENN: Now listen to this: The charity said Monday, somebody placed a diamond ring valued at $1,850. One was a diamond ring. One was a wedding band. They found it in a kettle right outside of Boston's North Station. In the kettle, they also found a note.

Woman said: Please sell these and use the money to buy toys for needy children.

In the note, she explained that her husband had a giving spirit. I've recently lost my husband, and to honor his memory, I donate this ring. I'm hoping there's somebody out there who made a lot of money this year and will buy this ring for ten times its worth. After all, there's no value on the love and sentimental value this ring has. The money will help children. May everyone have a Merry Christmas. Happy Holidays and Happy New Year.

No word on whether they'll auction this ring. Salvation Army should auction it because I think there are a lot of people -- I offer my services. We should call the Salvation Army today. Have someone call up to the Salvation Army. We'll auction it off on the air nationally. I think you'll get a lot more than $1,800 for that. What a tremendous American story.

So the question is light or dark? Life or death? Good or evil? Which are we? Are we the county that will talk about digging up stuff from the George Bush administration just to hide what's going on today? Will we live in the past or live in the future? What will we do tomorrow? I'm not saying that I have any answers. And I'm not placing any blame on this president or the last president or the future president.

I'm asking: What are we going to do? ISIS is a part of our children's future now. What are we going to do? Live in the past or choose the future?

Jonathan Gruber -- which are we -- what are we going to accept? Are we going to be people that tell the truth and really make the case and let the people decide because we trust the people, because this is a nation of the people, by the people, for the people? And we really believe that. It's not just an old dusty document. It's an old speech that Abraham Lincoln gave. We really mean that. That we will abide by what the people say.

Are we going to treat them like morons and lie and cheat and steal just to get our point of view across and enacted? Or are we going to be better than that? Are we going to expect the people to be smart about that? I can talk to you all day about how stupid the American people. But I don't believe the American people are stupid. Some are.

And it's not that they're stupid. They're disengaged. They don't think it matters anymore. And why should they? They're not expected to do anything.

When George Bush said, hey, by the way, the stock market are cratering. Our towers have fallen. America was waiting for: Roll up your sleeves. We're going to work. What was his advice. Go shopping. Go shopping was our hard work. Idle hands, the devil's workshop. His advice to us was go spend money.

Is that who we are? Make a choice.

Had a meeting earlier this morning here in New York. Told the story -- I've been telling it for a while now. It's kind of part of a pivot point for me. I heard a story about a farmer in Ireland. And it's apparently an old Irish saying.

The farmer was out in his field and working and plowing the field. Working hard. He stops, he looks up, and he sees a man on the road walking all by himself. Carrying luggage. Apparently lost because there's nothing for miles around.

He traipses across the field and he comes up to the farmer. The farmer watches him for a while. He meets him there halfway in the field. How can I help you, he says?

He says, I'm lost.

The farmer says, well, that's clear. Where you headed?

The traveler looks at the farmer and says, well, I'm headed here. But I don't know -- have any idea how to get there.

The farmer said, where you headed?

Man told him again.

The farmer put his head in his hands. Rubbed his chin a bit, looked around. Looked down one side of the street then done the other. Turned around in the field. Looked down at his shoes. Then looked up at the traveler.

He said, well, I have to tell you, if that's where you're going, I wouldn't start here.

The point of that story is: Where are we headed? Do we even know anymore? Where are we headed? I can tell you, if we don't chart a course, we're all headed for the post office in Detroit. We'll all be bored. We won't see the difference between right and wrong. We'll just do what we want to see. Nothing else matters. It's me, me, me. The world owes it to us.

If we don't fix ourselves on some real points of principles in the sky, things that never move -- when was the last time you said, what are my principles? What are the things we really believe on? What are the things that I as a person -- forget about the dusty document -- what are the things that I hold to be self-evident, you don't even have to teach me or my children, we just know these things are right. And are you doing them? Where are we headed as a country? Yeah, I know we have a lot of debt. Yeah, I know Congress. Yeah, I know the president.

Well, you don't understand -- look how much money it costs to elect someone. I got it. Problems. Bigger than I could possibly imagine. Bigger than any man could possibly solve. I got it. Where are you headed? Stop telling, yeah, I certainly wouldn't start here. Yeah, I know, but this is where I'm at.

So I know it's going to be harder to get where I need to be, but this is where we're at. Choose. Life or death. Choose today. Look, if you're thinking about life isn't worth it, I'm telling you right now it is. I'm telling you right now it is.

But you have to make that decision. And may I suggest, make the decision. Make the decision.

I don't know what tomorrow brings. Make the decision. Stop worrying about the -- the sun will rise. And you're either going to find warmth or freak out that it's not going to come up over the hill. Find the warmth. Sun is rising. You have today. Don't waste another day. Choose today who you are.

'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 America’s next generation trading freedom for equity?

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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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