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Glenn headed to Charleston, SC after heartbreaking shooting at a church leaves nine dead

June 18, 2015
Wilson

Writer

A heartbreaking story out of Charleston, SC. Alleged shooter Dylann Roof gunned down nine people at Bethel AME Church in South Carolina Wednesday night. On radio this morning, Glenn said he would be flying to Charleston on Friday to show the community that they are loved and supported by people all over the world.

Stay tuned to GlennBeck.com and Glenn's Facebook page for more details on his planned visit.

Glenn first announced his plans on his Facebook page:

I am going to Charleston SC tomorrow. I don't have the details yet. But I want you to join me. Let us no longer...

Posted by Glenn Beck on Thursday, June 18, 2015

Below is a transcript of this segment from the 9am hour of radio. The latest details on this story can be found at TheBlaze.com

In Charleston, South Carolina, police are widening the search for a gunman who opened fire and killed nine people. He's a white guy about 21 years old. We know very little about him at this hour.

We have a partial of his license plate. We know that he came in to the church. The church. During a Bible study. And he sat there for about an hour. He then got up, walked out. Went to his car. Came back in and shot nine people.

The Embassy Suites was a interim headquarters for the church, as people began to gather. People began sobbing and screaming as they learned about the details of what happened.

Let me say this. Tomorrow I'm going to be in Charleston, South Carolina. I called WSC this morning when I heard the news. They're our affiliate. And I asked them if they could host us. We're in New York, and we're on our way.

Tomorrow, I would like to ask you to join me. I don't have any details yet of where we will be. Where we will gather. I hope to be somewhere close to the church. But I believe -- and I read this story, my heart broke. And my heart was lifted up at the same time.

Where there is great darkness and evil, there is also great light. This church behaved so amazing last night. They gathered together and prayed. And when I heard their prayers, I knew where we needed to be.

I'm perplexed. But I'm not in despair today. I really believe that Charleston is going to show the rest of us an Amish moment.

Do you remember -- do you remember when the shooter came into that Amish community and opened fire and killed all of their children in a schoolhouse? Do you remember what the Amish did? The Amish immediately forgave him, forgave his family, and reached out to the family. They gave some of the funds that were raised for the families to his family and begged him -- I'm sorry, begged them, the shooter's family, not to move away, to please stay in our community. That's what Christians are supposed to do. And I think the Amish are one of the few that have it.

But I have a feeling that Charleston will show us that Christian moment. They're going to show us that Amish moment. I don't know why, but this isn't Ferguson. I don't know why, but this isn't Baltimore. This is a place where the slave trade happened. This is a place -- I have a dog tag from Charleston, South Carolina, as part of our history collection, I have an actual dog tag. But it's not for a dog it's for a human being. This was the place that was the heart of darkness at one point. It's not anymore. They're not those people. And I refuse to be dragged back into the 1960s or the 1860s. The 18 and 1960s are long gone.

Now, I don't know why this shooter shot people. He might shoot people because he's a racist. He might have shot people because he's an anarchist. He might have shot people because he hates Christians. I don't know why he shot people. But either way, whether it was because of race, or he was anti-Christian, or he just wants to stir up trouble, it's evil. Chaos is evil.

There is persecution, but we're not forsaken. We may feel cast down, but we're not destroyed.

It's time we take our light and stop hiding it. Stop being afraid of it. Why were you born? I -- I think I'm just figuring out why I was born. Why were you born?

There's a reason all of us are here, and it's not to watch TV. It's not to work. It's not to -- it's not just to gather more stuff. It's not to go on vacation and have fun. It's not to climb the corporate ladder. It's none of those things.

We were born so miracles could happen through us. I really truly believe we were born so we could -- we could show the power of God. That he would be working through us. Right now, we're -- we either don't have any light, or it's so dim in all of us, it's just -- it's just in tradition. You go to church just because, well, I don't know, my parents went there. That's why people are leaving our churches. Because that's not enough.

Who cares. Who cares about tradition like that. Who wants to go for that reason.

Donald Trump said yesterday, no, I'm very Christian. I go to church, definitely on Easter and Christmas. You know why? Because you don't get anything out of it. Because nobody is putting it into action. It's all a bunch of words.

Why were you born?

I think God raised us up, that he could show his power in us and that we might declare his name.

I know I'm getting all preachy or religious, but our country has no choice. We can either look to man. And I'll tell you who is going to be there. Al Sharpton will be there. He's on a plane right now. He'll be landing and he'll be at a prayer vigil today at noon. And do you think he'll say, let's all come together? Do you think that the people that went into political mode last night when they first heard about this shooting, do you think they're going to bring us together? Or do you think they'll use this community to drive a wedge?

Let's hold the arms up of this community and let them show us how to heal. That's what's going to happen in Charleston. But, you know what, Charleston has a choice today. My gut tells me -- I know -- I know these people. I know what they're going to choose. I think this community is going to show America what it's like to be an American and a Christian. To be a good neighbor. I think they're going to show us the 1860s and 1960s are dead and buried. We're not those people.

I don't have any of the details, but I want to witness them tomorrow. I want to be there tomorrow because I think something great is going to happen in Charleston. I think it began last night. I think there was a flash for about two minutes of absolute evil and darkness, and then I think people said, I'm going to be a lamp stand. I'm not going to hide my light anymore. I'm going to put it right up for everybody to see it. And they did. I watched them pray.

This is a community in mourning.

Remembering Charlie Kirk: A tribute through song

MELISSA MAJCHRZAK / Contributor | Getty Images

On September 17th, Glenn commemorated his late friend Charlie Kirk by hosting The Charlie Kirk Show Podcast, where he celebrated and remembered the life of a remarkable young man.

During the broadcast, Glenn shared an emotional new song performed by his daughter, Cheyenne, who was standing only feet away from Charlie when he was assassinated. The song, titled "We Are One," has been dedicated to Charlie Kirk as a tribute and was written and co-performed by David Osmond, son of Alan Osmond, founding member of The Osmonds.

Glenn first asked David Osmond to write "We Are One" in 2018, as he predicted that dark days were on the horizon, but he never imagined that it would be sung by his daughter in honor of Charlie Kirk. The Lord works in mysterious ways; could there have been a more fitting song to honor such a brave man?

"We Are One" is available for download or listening on Spotify HERE


Has free speech been twisted into a defense of violence?

CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / Contributor | Getty Images

Celebrating murder is not speech. It is a revelation of the heart. America must distinguish between debate and the glorification of evil.

Over the weekend, the world mourned the murder of Charlie Kirk. In London, crowds filled the streets, chanting “Charlie! Charlie! Charlie!” and holding up pictures of the fallen conservative giant. Protests in his honor spread as far away as South Korea. This wasn’t just admiration for one man; it was a global acknowledgment that courage and conviction — the kind embodied by Kirk during his lifetime — still matter. But it was also a warning. This is a test for our society, our morality, and our willingness to defend truth.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni recently delivered a speech that struck at the heart of this crisis. She praised Kirk as a man who welcomed debate, who smiled while defending his ideas, and who faced opposition with respect. That courage is frightening to those who have no arguments. When reason fails, the weapons left are insults, criminalization, and sometimes violence. We see it again today, in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination.

Charlie Kirk’s life was a challenge. His death is a call.

Some professors and public intellectuals have written things that should chill every American soul. They argue that shooting a right-wing figure is somehow less serious than murdering others. They suggest it could be mitigated because of political disagreement. These aren’t careless words — they are a rationalization for murder.

Some will argue that holding such figures accountable is “cancel culture.” They will say that we are silencing debate. They are wrong. Accountability is not cancel culture. A critical difference lies between debating ideas and celebrating death. Debate challenges minds. Celebrating murder abandons humanity. Charlie Kirk’s death draws that line sharply.

History offers us lessons. In France, mobs cheered executions as the guillotine claimed the heads of their enemies — and their own heads soon rolled. Cicero begged his countrymen to reason, yet the mob chose blood over law, and liberty was lost. Charlie Kirk’s assassination reminds us that violence ensues when virtue is abandoned.

We must also distinguish between debates over policy and attacks on life itself. A teacher who argues that children should not undergo gender-transition procedures before adulthood participates in a policy debate. A person who says Charlie Kirk’s death is a victory rejoices in violence. That person has no place shaping minds or guiding children.

PATRICK T. FALLON / Contributor | Getty Images

For liberty and virtue

Liberty without virtue is national suicide. The Constitution protects speech — even dangerous ideas — but it cannot shield those who glorify murder. Society has the right to demand virtue from its leaders, educators, and public figures. Charlie Kirk’s life was a challenge. His death is a call. It is a call to defend our children, our communities, and the principles that make America free.

Cancel culture silences debate. But accountability preserves it. A society that distinguishes between debating ideas and celebrating death still has a moral compass. It still has hope. It still has us.

Warning: 97% fear Gen Z’s beliefs could ignite political chaos

NurPhoto / Contributor | Getty Images

In a republic forged on the anvil of liberty and self-reliance, where generations have fought to preserve free markets against the siren song of tyranny, Gen Z's alarming embrace of socialism amid housing crises and economic despair has sparked urgent alarm. But in a recent poll, Glenn asked the tough questions: Where do Gen Z's socialist sympathies come from—and what does it mean for America's future? Glenn asked, and you answered—hundreds weighed in on this volatile mix of youthful frustration and ideological peril.

The results paint a stark picture of distrust in the system. A whopping 79% of you affirm that Gen Z's socialist sympathies stem from real economic gripes, like sky-high housing costs and a rigged game tilted toward the elite and corporations—defying the argument that it's just youthful naivety. Even more telling, 97% believe this trend arises from a glaring educational void on socialism's bloody historical track record, where failed regimes have crushed freedoms under the boot of big government. And 97% see these poll findings as a harbinger of deepening generational rifts, potentially fueling political chaos and authoritarian overreach if left unchecked.

Your verdict underscores a moral imperative: America's soul hangs on reclaiming timeless values like self-reliance and liberty. This feedback amplifies your concerns, sending a clear message to the powers that be.

Want to make your voice heard? Check out more polls HERE.

Civics isn’t optional—America's survival depends on it

JEFF KOWALSKY / Contributor | Getty Images

Every vote, jury duty, and act of engagement is civics in action, not theory. The republic survives only when citizens embrace responsibility.

I slept through high school civics class. I memorized the three branches of government, promptly forgot them, and never thought of that word again. Civics seemed abstract, disconnected from real life. And yet, it is critical to maintaining our republic.

Civics is not a class. It is a responsibility. A set of habits, disciplines, and values that make a country possible. Without it, no country survives.

We assume America will survive automatically, but every generation must learn to carry the weight of freedom.

Civics happens every time you speak freely, worship openly, question your government, serve on a jury, or cast a ballot. It’s not a theory or just another entry in a textbook. It’s action — the acts we perform every day to be a positive force in society.

Many of us recoil at “civic responsibility.” “I pay my taxes. I follow the law. I do my civic duty.” That’s not civics. That’s a scam, in my opinion.

Taking up the torch

The founders knew a republic could never run on autopilot. And yet, that’s exactly what we do now. We assume it will work, then complain when it doesn’t. Meanwhile, the people steering the country are driving it straight into a mountain — and they know it.

Our founders gave us tools: separation of powers, checks and balances, federalism, elections. But they also warned us: It won’t work unless we are educated, engaged, and moral.

Are we educated, engaged, and moral? Most Americans cannot even define a republic, never mind “keep one,” as Benjamin Franklin urged us to do after the Constitutional Convention.

We fought and died for the republic. Gaining it was the easy part. Keeping it is hard. And keeping it is done through civics.

Start small and local

In our homes, civics means teaching our children the Constitution, our history, and that liberty is not license — it is the space to do what is right. In our communities, civics means volunteering, showing up, knowing your sheriff, attending school board meetings, and understanding the laws you live under. When necessary, it means challenging them.

How involved are you in your local community? Most people would admit: not really.

Civics is learned in practice. And it starts small. Be honest in your business dealings. Speak respectfully in disagreement. Vote in every election, not just the presidential ones. Model citizenship for your children. Liberty is passed down by teaching and example.

Samuel Corum / Stringer | Getty Images

We assume America will survive automatically, but every generation must learn to carry the weight of freedom.

Start with yourself. Study the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and state laws. Study, act, serve, question, and teach. Only then can we hope to save the republic. The next election will not fix us. The nation will rise or fall based on how each of us lives civics every day.

Civics isn’t a class. It’s the way we protect freedom, empower our communities, and pass down liberty to the next generation.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.