Doc Thompson: NYC Mayor de Blasio among those putting "overheated rhetoric that angers and divides people" in wake of NYPD shootings

December 22, 2014

Writer

TheBlaze Radio’s Doc Thompson and Skip Lacombe took over The Glenn Beck Program this morning and started things off with a look at one of the weekend’s biggest stories - the execution of NYPD police officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos. The killings were done seemingly in retaliation for the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner. With tensions between police and the communities they serve so strained, are leaders like NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio doing more harm than good?

Below is a rough transcript of this segment

DOC: I was leaning against the wall waiting for my smoothie. The lady about 60, 65, says to me, excuse me, sir. Are you in line? And I said, no, no, I'm sorry. I'm waiting for my smoothie. And she said, oh, okay, thank you. Merry Christmas. And she walked over and got in line with what I assumed was he grandson. She's Christmas shopping on Saturday. This was a black woman. And I thought to myself, having just gotten a text message minutes earlier about the huge protests that were going on at the mall of America over the Ferguson and Eric Garner cases out of New York and St. Louis. This woman didn't have a problem with me because I'm white. She didn't assume the worst. I didn't assume the worst about her. It was two people going through their lives respecting one another and saying, are you in line? No. I'm sorry. Line is right over there. Okay, thank you. Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas. It was a pleasant exchange. Because we were individuals. We weren't a white guy, a black lady. We weren't being divided up by that -- at that moment by the race baiters who seek to divide us for their own good. About 20 minutes after that, I was standing in the middle of this mall in Dallas where they have a huge like three-foot, two-foot pool of water. And as an attraction, kids can get inside these inflatable balls and they run in them on the water. And there's like four or five of them running and they'd fall down inside the ball and the water splashes up around it. It was really brought entertaining. I stopped with my wife and we're watching them, laughing at the kids. And a couple came up, stood next to me. They didn't have any kids that were playing. And started laughing at the kids as well and talking about it and said how much fun it looked and I engaged them in a conversation. And I they really need to make some of these for adults.

SKIP: I was going to say. I've seen the bouncy things on the water. They look like fun.

DOC: And the man, a black man and his wife, I was just telling her the same thing. And we engaged in a pleasant conversation the fun the kids were having a Saturday before Christmas. And it wasn't a black guy or a white guy trying to keep each other down, yelling at each other. We wrapped up the conversation by wishing each other a Merry Christmas. And this is what I experienced all day Saturday. And I kept thinking in my mind, juxtaposing that with all of the reports I'm getting out of New York in the Mall of America and other protests everywhere else. And I'm just walking through the mall going, why? And it comes down to what I said a few moments ago, and that is because when we think in those terms about what's going on in New York with the cops being shot and the protests and everybody upset, we're thinking in terms of groups of people. We're actually doing some of the very things that we're critical of people like Al Sharpton. We're thinking in groups. We say, stop segregating us, Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson. Stop race baiting. But if I allow them to do to to me, I'm doing the same thing. I'm thinking in terms of those people are marching because they're ticked off about something, instead of looking at each person as an individual. That's the key right there. Is unfortunate he all across our approximately all across our society we don't look at individuals. The courts don't. What happened to looking at each case and saying, you know what, there's mitigating circumstances here. It's not just three strikes and you're out. Looking at each case judging them based on the actions of that person and that case. That is the fail right now. We're allowing these race baiters like Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, Eric Holder and President Obama to do this to us. We're allowing Mayor de Blasio to do this to us. If you're not familiar with the story there, were two police officers who were shot execution style point blank by some nut with a gun. And he made references to shooting pigs, killing comes to, as some sort of retaliation for Ferguson and also Eric Garner. That's where we're at right now. It reached that level. Just days before Christmas that's where we're at. My name is Doc Thompson, along with my cohost Skip LaCombe, pinch-hitting for Glenn today. We're regularly heard on the radio six to nine eastern time. You can get it on I-Hart radio and the apps as well for it. Skip, what are the names of the Officers? The two officers that were shot, and this is really important, that we say their names. I don't know their names off the top of their head but Michael Brown, I know Eric Garner. We know their names. But we don't know the Officers off the top of our head.

SKIP: It was Rafael Ramos and then Wenjian Liu. I know I'm slaughtering the names.

DOC: These officers were just doing their job. Out on patrol. And as critical as I am over the race baiting -- it's important you remember, yeah, they may have contributed to the anti-cop sent minutes that some people have. They may have ginned some people up, gotten some people excitable. But this is not a fire in a movie theater situation. Did they contribute to it? Maybe. But the ultimate blame for what happens is on this nut who shot them. He has a history of mental illness. It is ultimately his fault. What I find so frustrating from the race baiters is how they started back pedaling and saying, oh, wait a minute. I -- categorically deny or categorically reject that this should have happened. The president said I categorically condemn the shooting of these police officers and it certainly wasn't necessary.

SKIP: Of course they are going to come out and say this. They can't give a quick little nod and say, yeah well, that's what happens.

DOC: It's unfortunate in a time of great tragedy, some would resort to irresponsible overheated rhetoric that angers and divides people. This is the criticism you should be heaping on President Obama and de Blasio and Eric Holder. See, everybody is failing at this. It's not just the cops being shot. It's not just Michael Brown. It's not just Eric Garner. It's all of it. And everybody is failing somewhere. There's enough fails in getting this wrong to go around. They're all missing this. President Obama did not pull the trigger. Did he gin some people up? Yeah. His biggest fail is by now back pedaling and saying, unconditionally condemning the murder of the two New York police officers and there's no justification for the slayings. Yes, there is a justification for the slayings if you listen to everything else Obama has said in the past. If I had a son, he would look like Trayvon Martin. He talks about the fails. He supported the wearing of the "I can't breathe" shirt by people like L e Bron James. What is that saying, then?

You're saying that it's true. You're saying if -- by supporting LeBron James wearing the t-shirt and the other protestors out there, you're saying it's true, that police officers are shooting black kids. And it's epidemic.

SKIP: Indiscriminately.

DOC: Right. And you know how you know? Because that's what the protestors have said. You cannot as president separate yourself from the protesters and say, well, I believe in some of what they say but all the other stuff is comploong.

SKIP: He likes to come around and say in a round-about way I'm not going to go and comment on these types of things but he will come out and talk about Lebron James wearing the "I can't breathe "shirt or people holding their hands up coming out of a football game. So he is come, saying I do stand with you and the supports. I can't breathe either or whatever.

DOC: There's no justification in the slayings? No, based on what Obama said. I there is justification. But he obviously does. When you stand with the protestors and say there are cops killing black kids and it's epidemic, which is part of their mantra, you can claim you want peaceful demonstrations all you want but who is going to say it's not justified to stop people even using deadly force if you believe they're going to kill people. Case in point. You're at your home sleeping. Minding your own business. A guy breaks in your house tonight. And attempts to kill you. Are you justified in using deadly force to stop him?

SKIP: Absolutely.

DOC: Absolutely. If cops are out there randomly shooting black kids, isn't it justified to stop them? With deadly force? Again, if you buy in to this crap President Obama and Eric Holder and others are saying. That cops are killing black kids simply because they're black. De Blasio is even worse. De Blasio said if it's unfortunate that in a time of great tragedy, some would resort to the irresponsible overheated rhetoric that angers and divides people. Wait a minute, wait a minute. Overheated rhetoric? What did de Blasio say? What did de Blasio say after Eric Garner? Do you remember? Both in press conference and in interviews, official interviews, he said, that he has warned his son to be careful.

That cops may shoot him because he's black.

SKIP: It's different for the black kids out there. You know, it's different if you're going out there. I'm worried about sending my kid out there with the horrible Officers -- this is from the mayor. The mayor of New York is saying the NYPD officers are indiscriminately attacking black people. What do you expect is going to happen? That is dangerous talk.

DOC: Mayor de Blasio said, police officers are shooting black kids. Or are inclined to shoot black kids simply because they're black. That's what he said. So who is really putting overheated rhetoric that angers and divides people? It's not me. I'm the one who said, reasonably, if you resist arrest, police are going to use force to arrest you and what happens? Sometimes it ends up being deadly. It's not pleasant. It's not fun. I feel bad for anybody who suffers. And their families as well. But the fact is both of those men resisted arrest. That's it. It's tragic. Maybe you need some better training. I don't balk at that. But you know who else needs training? Not just the police. Citizens.

SKIP: People, absolutely.

DOC: All people.

SKIP: Eric Garner and Michael Brown would still be alive today if they did just one thing. Listen. Listen to instructions from a police officer. If a cops tells you to do something, do it. Take them back in the legal court next year if it's some sort of a problem and you think they're in the wrong and you're in the right. Hell, the ACLU will probably help defend knew that case. But if a cop tells you to do something, you do it.

DOC: Right. Did he tell his son, did de Blasio tell his son that? Just listen to police officers? Did he tell white kids that? Because what, they're going to let off white kids if they resist arrest? It's asinine.

'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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