Glenn: This letter shows why we need to be standing up for the voiceless all over the world

March 12, 2015

Writer

On radio this morning, Glenn read a powerful letter by a dissident being held in an Iranian prison. The letter was addressed to President Obama - but did anyone in the White House read it? Glenn not only read it, but was moved to share it with listeners all over the country to remind them what America used to stand for.

The letter reads:

February 6th , 2015

Heshmatollah Tabarzadi

Gohardasht Prison, Karadj. Iran

Honorable Barak Hussein Obama

President of the United States of America

1600 Pennsylvania Ave

Washington, D.C. United States of America

Dear Mr. President:

Without human rights and democracy there will never be a lasting peace and security in the world. Please allow me to speak as a prisoner of conscious and a journalist opposed to the Islamic religion cleric's rule over my homeland Iran.

I was one of the student leaders who was considered to be an architect of a student uprising on July 9, 1999, by the regime. That was an uprising that was a true turning point in the movement for democracy. We wanted change of regime because our calls for reform had proven ineffective. And so I spent six years in the notorious Evin prison. Two of those years were in solitary confinement. I was freed but rearrested and imprisoned again, and again.

Over five years ago when the people of Iran were asking you to support them against the tyranny of the Shia clerics, you, as the president of the most powerful country on earth, were secretly writing letters to the dictator of Iran.

In 2009 while Khamenei was ordering the suppression of the people to his paramilitary forces, killing the people on the streets and the university campuses, imprisoning and torturing

journalists, intellectuals, the young and the old mercilessly, your friendly communications to the tyrant of Iran continued in the name of the people of the United States, ignoring the human rights of the people of Iran. You helped Khamenei to continue his Islamic tyranny in the name of Allah and Islam.

During our 2009 uprising, I saw untold crimes against humanity committed against the people of Iran. I saw a woman in her late 20s get kicked so hard in her spine that she flew through the air. On Ghods Street, near Tehran University, I saw another young woman as her head was pounded into a car by the basij paramilitary forces. All the while, they screamed disgusting epithets like "whore" and worse.

Mr. President; the people of Iran are not backward fascists nor fanatic religionists as the ruling Islamic clergies are. When the day comes that the boots of the tyranny is lifted off our neck, it will be proven that Iranians are capable of handling democracy, secularism and social justice.

Mr. President; all we want is to be a part of the international community, we want to be a free democratic people, master of our own destiny, live in Pease and prosperity, and be the decision makers for our homeland. We oppose nuclear bomb and the militaristic arrogance of the ruling cleric regime. If the international community wants peace in the Middle East, support the People of Iran not the tyrants.

The Islamic clerics have taken our nation hostage to their fanatical Islamic tyranny. In 2009 when the people of Iran loudly and clearly asked for your support for their freedom and sovereignty, you ignored us and empowered the tyrants to imprison, torture and kill us.

Mr. President; I have the honor of being the cellmate of a good American, Pastor Saeed Abedini. I heard that you met with the wife and children of my cellmate, that his son, little Jacob asked you to help release his father for his birthday, however, you have refused to demand the release of the hostage Abedini from the old tyrant Khamenei.

You claim that the only choice that you have is either make a deal with Khamenei, may I say- to surrender to him- or "war". May I dare to say that this claim is a form of misinformation, and intimidation of the people of America?

Mr. President; we Iranian people submit to you and the people of the world that there is another way. Please Sanction and weaken the illegal regime of Khamenei, and empower the people to overthrow the tyranny. You know that you can support the people in many ways such as giving us internet communication access that the Khamenei regim cannot police and allow us to organize and rise up against these godless tyrants.

No tyranny will last forever, but the nations will always be there and history will judge. Help us to overthrow this tyranny and become a free and democratic member of the international community and a friend of the United States.

With Respect

Heshmatollah Tabarzadi

Journalist, prisoner of conscious

Here's how Glenn reacted:

"The world is going over the cliff. And I want you to listen to me carefully. When everybody -- in my own circle said, Glenn, you're crazy. It's not going to go this way. Why are you going to Auschwitz? It's not going to happen again. Never forget. We'll always remember. It won't happen that way. And I said, there will come a time when people will beat Jews in the streets. There will be a mass emigration out of Europe. The old times of the Nazis of the 1930s are coming back again, and you better decide right now who you are. Do you stand with the Jew, or do you not stand with the Jew? "

"That was crazy talk. It's happening. And it's going to get worse. And it's not just the Jew. I had someone from the Simon Wiesenthal Center come into my office. One of the head guys, just three weeks ago, he said, Glenn, I need you to stop talking about the plight of the Jewish people so much. Please."

"Now, this is hard to understand, but he was right. And I said, what?"

"He said, the Jewish people right now themselves are saying Christians wake up to what's happening to Christians. What's happening to Christians is worse than what's happening to Jews right now. And it's going to happen to the Christians. It's going to happen to the Jews. It's going to happen to the Muslims. It's going to happen to all of us. It doesn't matter. Pick something. You're straight. You're not straight."

"Because we've lost our humanity. Now, here's the key. When I went to Auschwitz I talked to one of the righteous among the nations and I said to them five years ago, I said how do I water the seed because the seed of righteousness is in everybody? How do I water it? What do I do?"

"She said to me, remember. The righteous didn't suddenly become righteous, they just didn't go over the cliff with everyone else."

"The world is now going over a cliff. We have people who are in prison. America used to be the person that listened to the dissidents, that listened to the person who is different than us. But all they wanted was a right to be free. And they were put in prison because of their -- their political ideology. Their sexual -- their gender. Their religious identity."

"We used to stand with those people. We used to be a nation that used to be a beacon, a torch. People used to look at us. And say, well, if the Americans would just hear the story, the Americans would stand. I'm not talking about the troops. I'm talking about you. I'm talking about the American people."

"It's time to remember, America, who you are. It's time to choose who we are. It's time to be those people. I made you a challenge. Pick up your stick, five years ago. 8/28 this summer. Five years ago. It takes five years to really change a man. I made you a challenge. Pick up your stick. Five-year anniversary of 8/28 is coming up this summer. Pick it up, brother. The time is now."

5 Democrats who have endorsed Kamala (and two who haven't)

Zach Gibson / Stringer, Brandon Bell / Staff | Getty Images

With Biden removed from the 2024 election and only a month to find a replacement before the DNC, Democrats continue to fall in line and back Vice President Kamala Harris to headline the party's ticket. Her proximity and familiarity with the Biden campaign along with an endorsement from Biden sets Harris up to step into Biden's shoes and preserve the momentum from his campaign.

Glenn doesn't think Kamala Harris is likely to survive as the assumed Democratic nominee, and once the DNC starts, anything could happen. Plenty of powerful and important Democrats have rallied around Harris over the last few days, but there have been some crucial exemptions. Here are five democrats that have thrown their name behind Harris, and two SHOCKING names that didn't...

Sen. Dick Durbin: ENDORSED

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High-ranking Senate Democrat Dick Durbin officially put in his support for Harris in a statement that came out the day after Biden stepped down: “I’m proud to endorse my former Senate colleague and good friend, Vice President Kamala Harris . . . our nation needs to continue moving forward with unity and not MAGA chaos. Vice President Harris was a critical partner in building the Biden record over the past four years . . . Count me in with Kamala Harris for President.”

Michigan Gov. Whitmer: ENDORSED

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The Monday after Biden stepped down from the presidential VP hopeful, Gretchen Whitmer released the following statement on X: “Today, I am fired up to endorse Kamala Harris for president of the United States [...] In Vice President Harris, Michigan voters have a presidential candidate they can count on to focus on lowering their costs, restoring their freedoms, bringing jobs and supply chains back home from overseas, and building an economy that works for working people.”

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: ENDORSED

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Mere hours after Joe Biden made his announcement, AOC hopped on X and made the following post showing her support: "Kamala Harris will be the next President of the United States. I pledge my full support to ensure her victory in November. Now more than ever, it is crucial that our party and country swiftly unite to defeat Donald Trump and the threat to American democracy. Let’s get to work."

Rep. Nancy Pelosi: ENDORSED

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Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who is arguably one of the most influential democrats, backed Harris's campaign with the following statement given the day after Biden's decision: “I have full confidence she will lead us to victory in November . . . My enthusiastic support for Kamala Harris for President is official, personal, and political.”

Sen. Elizabeth Warren: ENDORSED

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Massasschesets Senator Elizabeth Warren was quick to endorse Kamala, releasing the following statement shortly after Harris placed her presidential bid: "I endorse Kamala Harris for President. She is a proven fighter who has been a national leader in safeguarding consumers and protecting access to abortion. As a former prosecutor, she can press a forceful case against allowing Donald Trump to regain the White House. We have many talented people in our party, but Vice President Harris is the person who was chosen by the voters to succeed Joe Biden if needed. She can unite our party, take on Donald Trump, and win in November."

Former President Barack Obama: DID NOT ENDORSE

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Former President Barack Obama wasted no time releasing the following statement which glaringly omits any support for Harris or any other candidate. Instead, he suggests someone will be chosen at the DNC in August: "We will be navigating uncharted waters in the days ahead. But I have extraordinary confidence that the leaders of our party will be able to create a process from which an outstanding nominee emerges. I believe that Joe Biden's vision of a generous, prosperous, and united America that provides opportunity for everyone will be on full display at the Democratic Convention in August. And I expect that every single one of us are prepared to carry that message of hope and progress forward into November and beyond."

Prominent Democratic Donor John Morgan: DID NOT ENDORSE

AP Photo/John Raoux

Prominent and wealthy Florida lawyer and democrat donor John Morgan was clearly very pessimistic about Kamala's odds aginst Trump when he gave the following statement: “You have to be enthusiastic or hoping for a political appointment to be asking friends for money. I am neither. It’s others turn now . . . The donors holding the 90 million can release those funds in the morning. It’s all yours. You can keep my million. And good luck . . . [Harris] would not be my first choice, but it’s a done deal.”

How did Trump's would-be assassin get past Secret Service?

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Editor's Note: This article was originally published on TheBlaze.com.

Former President Donald Trump on Saturday was targeted in an assassination attempt during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. It occurred just after 6:10 p.m. while Trump was delivering his speech.

Here are the details of the “official” story. The shooter was Thomas Matthew Crooks. He was 20 years old from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. He used an AR-15 rifle and managed to reach the rooftop of a nearby building unnoticed. The Secret Service's counter-response team responded swiftly, according to "the facts," killing Crooks and preventing further harm.

Did it though? That’s what the official story says, so far, but calling this a mere lapse in security by Secret Service doesn't add up. There are some glaring questions that need to be answered.

If Trump had been killed on Saturday, we would be in a civil war today. We would have seen for the first time the president's brains splattered on live television, and because of the details of this, I have a hard time thinking it wouldn't have been viewed as JFK 2.0.

How does someone sneak a rifle onto the rally grounds? How does someone even know that that building is there? How is it that Thomas Matthew Crooks was acting so weird and pacing in front of the metal detectors, and no one seemed to notice? People tried to follow him, but, oops, he got away.

How could the kid possibly even think that the highest ground at the venue wouldn't be watched? If I were Crooks, my first guess would be, "That’s the one place I shouldn't crawl up to with a rifle because there's most definitely going to be Secret Service there." Why wasn't anyone there? Why wasn't anyone watching it? Nobody except the shooter decided that the highest ground with the best view of the rally would be the greatest vulnerability to Trump’s safety.

Moreover, a handy ladder just happened to be there. Are we supposed to believe that nobody in the Secret Service, none of the drones, none of the things we pay millions of dollars for caught him? How did he get a ladder there? If the ladder was there, was it always there? Why was the ladder there? Secret Service welds manhole covers closed when a president drives down a road. How was there a ladder sitting around, ready to climb up to the highest ground at the venue, and the Secret Service failed to take it away?

There is plenty of video of eyewitnesses yelling that there was a guy with a rifle climbing up on a ladder to the roof for at least 120 seconds before the first shot was fired. Why were the police looking for him while Secret Service wasn't? Why did the sniper have him in his sights for over a minute before he took a shot? Why did a cop climb up the ladder to look around? When Thomas Matthew Cooks pointed a gun at him, he then ducked and came down off the ladder. Did he call anyone to warn that this young man had a rifle within range of the president?

How is it the Secret Service has a female bodyguard who doesn't even reach Trump's nipples? How was she going to guard the president's body with hers? How is it another female Secret Service agent pulled her gun out a good four minutes too late, then looked around, apparently not knowing what to do? She then couldn't even get the pistol back into the holster because she's a Melissa McCarthy body double. I don't think it's a good idea to have Melissa McCarthy guarding the president.

Here’s the critical question now: Who trusts the FBI with the shooter’s computer? Will his hard drive get filed with the Nashville manifesto? How is it that the Secret Service almost didn't have snipers at all but decided to supply them only one day before the rally because all the local resources were going to be put on Jill Biden? I want Jill Biden safe, of course. I want Jill Biden to have what the first lady should have for security, but you can’t hire a few extra guys to make sure our candidates are safe?

How is it that we have a Secret Service director, Kimberly Cheatle, whose experience is literally guarding two liters of Squirt and spicy Doritos? Did you know that's her background? She's in charge of the United States Secret Service, and her last job was as the head of security for Pepsi.

This is a game, and that's what makes this sick. This is a joke. There are people in our country who thought it was OK to post themselves screaming about the shooter’s incompetence: “How do you miss that shot?” Do you realize how close we came to another JFK? If the president hadn't turned his head at the exact moment he did, it would have gone into the center of his head, and we would be a different country today.

Now, Joe Biden is also saying that we shouldn't make assumptions about the motive of the shooter. Well, I think we can assume one thing: He wanted to kill the Republican presidential candidate. Can we agree on that at least? Can we assume that much?

How can the media even think of blaming Trump for the rhetoric when the Democrats and the media constantly call him literally worse than Hitler who must be stopped at all costs?

These questions need to be answered if we want to know the truth behind what could have been one of the most consequential days in U.S. history. Yet, the FBI has its hands clasped on all the sources that could point to the truth. There must be an independent investigation to get to the bottom of these glaring “mistakes.”

POLL: Do you think Trump is going to win the election?

Kevin Dietsch / Staff, Chip Somodevilla / Staff, Kevin Dietsch / Staff | Getty Image

It feels like all of the tension that has been building over the last four years has finally burst to the surface over the past month. Many predicted 2024 was going to be one of the most important and tumultuous elections in our lifetimes, but the last two weeks will go down in the history books. And it's not over yet.

The Democratic National Convention is in August, and while Kamala seems to be the likely candidate to replace Biden, anything could happen in Chicago. And if Biden is too old to campaign, isn't he too old to be president? Glenn doesn't think he'll make it as President through January, but who knows?

There is a lot of uncertainty that surrounds the current political landscape. Trump came out of the attempted assassination, and the RNC is looking stronger than ever, but who knows what tricks the Democrats have up their sleeves? Let us know your predictions in the poll below:

Is Trump going to win the election?

Did the assassination attempt increase Trump's chances at winning in November?

Did Trump's pick of J.D. Vance help his odds?

Did the Trump-Biden debate in June help Trump's chances?

Did Biden's resignation from the election hand Trump a victory in November?

Do the Democrats have any chance of winning this election?

What is the Secret Service trying to hide about Trump's assassination attempt?

KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI / Contributor, Anadolu / Contributor | Getty Images

This past weekend we were mere inches away from a radically different America than the one we have today. This was the first time a president had been wounded by a would-be assassin since 1981, and the horrific event has many people questioning the competency and motives of the supposedly elite agents trusted with the president's life.

The director of the Secret Service apparently knew about the assassin's rooftop before the shooting—and did nothing.

Kimberly Cheatle has come under intense scrutiny these last couple of weeks, as Secret Service director she is responsible for the president's well-being, along with all security operations onsite. In a recent interview with ABC, Cheatle admitted that she was aware of the building where the assassin made his mark on American history. She even said that she was mindful of the potential risk but decided against securing the site due to "safety concerns" with the slope of the roof. This statement has called her competence into question. Clearly, the rooftop wasn't that unsafe if the 20-year-old shooter managed to access it.

Glenn pointed out recently that Cheatle seems to be unqualified for the job. Her previous position was senior director in global security at America's second-favorite soda tycoon, PepsiCo. While guarding soda pop and potato chips sounds like an important job to some, it doesn't seem like a position that would qualify you to protect the life of America's most important and controversial people. Even considering her lack of appropriate experience, this seems like a major oversight that even a layperson would have seen. Can we really chalk this up to incompetence?

Former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI / Contributor | Getty Images

The Secret Service and DHS said they'd be transparent with the investigation...

Shortly after the attempted assassination, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees the Secret Service, launched an investigation into the shooting and the security protocols in place at the rally. The DHS promised full transparency during the investigation, but House Republicans don't feel that they've been living up to that promise. Republican members of the House Oversight Committee are frustrated with Director Cheatle after she seemingly dodged a meeting scheduled for Tuesday. This has resulted in calls for Cheatle to step down from her position.

Two FBI agents investigate the assassin's rooftop Jeff Swensen / Stringer | Getty Images

Why is the Secret Service being so elusive? Are they just trying to cover their blunder? We seem to be left with two unsettling options: either the government is even more incompetent than we'd ever believed, or there is more going on here than they want us to know.

Cheatle steps down

Following a horrendous testimony to the House Oversight Committee Director Cheatle finally stepped down from her position ten days after the assassination attempt. Cheatle failed to give any meaningful answer to the barrage of questions she faced from the committee. These questions, coming from both Republicans and Democrats, were often regarding basic information that Cheatle should have had hours after the shooting, yet Cheatle struggled with each and every one. Glenn pointed out that Director Cheatle's resignation should not signal the end of the investigation, the American people deserve to know what happened.

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