What an Indian Chief Taught Ben Franklin From a Single Wooden Arrow

September 28, 2016

Writer

If you try to break a single pencil, you probably can. Group a bundle together and the task compounds exponentially. This simple lesson, taught to Benjamin Franklin by an American Indian chief, revealed how the Founders could defeat the most powerful nation on earth.

"He took an arrow, and he handed it to Ben Franklin," Glenn said Wednesday on his radio program.

Unknowingly, the chief demonstrated an ancient Roman concept.

"Imagine just rods and you have two bands . . . a band at the top and a band at the bottom. Have you ever seen that symbol before?" Glenn asked. "It's the fasces symbol. It's where we get fascism. You gather enough people together, you can't break them."

Fascism requires everyone to be the same. The motto of the United States --- E pluribus unum --- is the exact opposite of fascism: one from many. Individualism and personal responsibility are defining principles of the American ideal.

"The idea of America is self-reliance and self-governance," Glenn said. "So my question to you is, Do you even know what that idea is anymore, and are you really willing to live that idea?

Read below or watch the clip for answers to these singular questions:

• How is fascism related to the Tower of Babel?

• Do you prefer building with identical bricks or one-of-a-kind stones?

• Have we been talking about the Constitution and Founding Fathers too much?

• How is the Constitution like a security system?

• Are you willing to fight for the idea of America?

Enjoy this complimentary clip from The Glenn Beck Program:

Below is a rush transcript of this segment, it might contain errors:

GLENN: Benjamin Franklin was trying to figure out, how do we pull this off? How do we beat England, the most powerful nation on the earth?

Remember, this is a country that the -- the sun never set on. Its empire was so spread out, its empire was always in the daylight. How are we going to beat that? We are a bunch of farmers.

And an Indian chief was there with him, and he took an arrow. And he handed it to Ben Franklin. Let me hand this pencil to Stu. Break the pencil.

He said, "They're easy to break one by one, but if we gather them all together -- yeah, no, you shouldn't be able to do it. I don't have enough in there if you can -- yeah, you can't break them. Right? Yeah, can't break them.

STU: No. I wish I was -- I was hoping for like a really powerful moment to show my muscles off. But no, cannot do it.

GLENN: Yeah, right. So no, you can't break them, and this is just with 12 pencils. You can't break 12 pencils.

Okay. If you imagine as just rods and you have two bands at the top -- this group of pencils, and you have a band at the top and a band at the bottom -- have you ever seen that symbol before? What is it called? Fasces. Fasces symbol. It's where we get fascism. You gather enough people together, you can't break them.

So this was a Roman idea. But the Native American chief didn't know that. But here's -- here's the difference between fasces and e pluribus unum. E pluribus unum: From many, one.

Fascism requires you all to be the same. It goes back to the Tower of Babel. "Let us make bricks, and we'll build a tower to the sky."

What politician tells his people, "Hey, everybody, you're going to be so excited about my new plan: We're all going to make bricks?" You don't start that way.

You start with, "Let me tell you what we're going to do. We're going to build a tower that's going to reach the sky." Not, "Let's make bricks."

This -- he was not speaking of bricks. The Scripture talks about bricks and stones. Stones are individual. When you are forced to make bricks -- what happened with the pharaoh? He was taking people and all making them slaves. Making them all uniform, making them exactly the same. You made a brick in that mold, and that's who you were. Nothing else. We're not going to make anything out of stones anymore.

The Lord builds things out of stones. We are all unique. We are all different. And it may take some extra time. But when you cobble that together, there's nothing more beautiful than a stone fence. Much more beautiful than a brick fence. A brick house. A stone -- a natural field stone house is beautiful because it's a work of art. It took time to put it all together.

Fascists, they make everybody the same. The Indian chief knew is, you guys are rallying around a principle. And if you can get everybody around that principle -- and what is that principle? What is the idea of America?

Because right now, we're not fighting for the idea of America. I don't know anybody who is even talking about it. We're even talking about the Constitution. But the Constitution is not the idea of America. We've been too technical. We've gotten bogged down in the -- the Founders and the Constitution and everything else. And I know that sounds crazy, coming from me. Bogged down in the Constitution? Yes.

Because what is the Constitution? The Constitution is only a fence around the idea. How do we -- we have this idea. How do we build a government around that idea, that the only job of the government is to protect that idea.

We've been rallying for the Constitution. Why?

We should rally around the idea. Because that idea is pretty gone. It's pretty gone.

When you say people don't understand personal responsibility, what are you saying? The idea of America is over. Because without personal responsibility, there's no chance. Our faith has failed us.

Well, the idea of America is self-reliance and self-governance. And all of our Founders said, "Without a religious and/or moral people, this system won't work." They're saying the Constitution won't work.

Because the people no longer want the idea. They no longer want to be that person. So my question to you -- not to all of America -- to you, is: Do you even know what that idea is anymore, and are you really willing to live that idea?

There is such growing hate right now, and we're making everybody into bricks. I'm really disappointed in Ted Cruz.

Let me rephrase that. I'm disappointed in me. Why would I make this about him?

Now, part of it is, I want to believe that -- that George Washington can exist. I want to see it from somebody. I want to see somebody that is willing to stand and lose everything because it gives me hope. It gives me hope that I can do it.

Well, if he can do it, I can do it. Somebody who is just unwavering. But that's what I'm looking for.

And I'm not a politician. I don't say that in a pejorative way. Politicians go to compromise. You have to compromise. Our system was built on compromise. And so you get to a point to where you're like, "Okay. I got to compromise here or here. Where am I going to compromise?"

And if anybody is against that, what do you think the majority of Trump supporters are doing? They're compromising. They're saying, "I know I don't want this in Hillary Clinton. I know I have my values. I know he's not that. But I'm going to compromise."

And the only difference between us is the level of compromise that you're comfortable with. And we're not all bricks. We're stones. And we're meant to be stones. So you're not my enemy. He's not my enemy. I have no reason to be angry with you.

And to be honest, you don't have any reason to be angry with me. We're stones. We see things differently. And our levels of compromise are different. That's it. That's it.

We both love the country. I think there are Hillary Clinton -- lots and lots and lots, the vast majority of Hillary Clinton supporters love our country. I think Hillary Clinton does. She just has a different view of what our country is. And why is that?

Because while we argue the Constitution, we're arguing over the security system. Imagine if you spent generations arguing over the security system for a house and you paid no attention to what was in the house. You don't even know anymore why that security system was even put in, in the first place. Nobody's even talked about the treasure. The treasure is probably gone.

If the family hasn't looked and known what that security was on for, they might have sold it. They might have given it away. They might be using it as an ashtray or a footstool. You don't know. Because nobody has said, "What the hell are we even protecting?"

The treasure could be gone. And we're arguing over the security system, if that.

We're now arguing over which one should be in charge of selecting the security system, and neither one of them have even talked about the security system, let alone the treasure.

They're just saying, "I'm not moving from this address." They want you to move your house into another ZIP code. No, sir, we're not.

What difference does that make? Because it's not about the stuff, it's not about the location. This is another controversial thing to say. But all these -- all these lefties, they always say the same thing, "Donald Trump gets elected, George Bush gets elected, if John McCain gets elected, if Bob Dole gets elected, if Ronald Reagan gets elected, I'm -- go ahead and fill in the blank, everybody. I'm going to...

STU: Moving.

PAT: Leaving. Leaving the country. I'm going to Canada.

GLENN: I'm going to move to Canada. Okay. Okay. Go.

STU: None of those racists ever say they're moving to Mexico.

GLENN: Right. Yeah, right. I'm going to move to Canada. Okay. You're going to move to Canada. I'm not threatening I'm going to move to Canada if these guys are elected. First of all, Canada is not going to protect you from anything. Second of all, let me spin this around: I'm not going to move from here because of something -- hopefully. I'm going to move towards something.

If India all of a sudden had the idea, the original idea of America and said, "Look at our Constitution."

Now, I'd have to give it 25 years to see if it was stable, but if all of a sudden they had the idea of America, and we were like, "Holy cow, look at -- look at. They're kind to each other. They understand moral sentiments and the invisible hand of the market. They understand both parts of Adam Smith. They're good, they're charitable, they're standing on principle, and it's an entrepreneurial place, where you can go chart your own course. There is no caste system, no overseer that's going to keep you down."

If it was truly the spirit of the idea of America, I would move there in a heartbeat. Because I'm not betraying my country. My country is an idea. Everybody else's country is a space. My country is an idea.

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America’s moral erosion: How we were conditioned to accept the unthinkable

MATHIEU LEWIS-ROLLAND / Contributor | Getty Images

Every time we look away from lawlessness, we tell the next mob it can go a little further.

Chicago, Portland, and other American cities are showing us what happens when the rule of law breaks down. These cities have become openly lawless — and that’s not hyperbole.

When a governor declares she doesn’t believe federal agents about a credible threat to their lives, when Chicago orders its police not to assist federal officers, and when cartels print wanted posters offering bounties for the deaths of U.S. immigration agents, you’re looking at a country flirting with anarchy.

Two dangers face us now: the intimidation of federal officers and the normalization of soldiers as street police. Accept either, and we lose the republic.

This isn’t a matter of partisan politics. The struggle we’re watching now is not between Democrats and Republicans. It’s between good and evil, right and wrong, self‑government and chaos.

Moral erosion

For generations, Americans have inherited a republic based on law, liberty, and moral responsibility. That legacy is now under assault by extremists who openly seek to collapse the system and replace it with something darker.

Antifa, well‑financed by the left, isn’t an isolated fringe any more than Occupy Wall Street was. As with Occupy, big money and global interests are quietly aligned with “anti‑establishment” radicals. The goal is disruption, not reform.

And they’ve learned how to condition us. Twenty‑five years ago, few Americans would have supported drag shows in elementary schools, biological males in women’s sports, forced vaccinations, or government partnerships with mega‑corporations to decide which businesses live or die. Few would have tolerated cartels threatening federal agents or tolerated mobs doxxing political opponents. Yet today, many shrug — or cheer.

How did we get here? What evidence convinced so many people to reverse themselves on fundamental questions of morality, liberty, and law? Those long laboring to disrupt our republic have sought to condition people to believe that the ends justify the means.

Promoting “tolerance” justifies women losing to biological men in sports. “Compassion” justifies harboring illegal immigrants, even violent criminals. Whatever deluded ideals Antifa espouses is supposed to somehow justify targeting federal agents and overturning the rule of law. Our culture has been conditioned for this moment.

The buck stops with us

That’s why the debate over using troops to restore order in American cities matters so much. I’ve never supported soldiers executing civilian law, and I still don’t. But we need to speak honestly about what the Constitution allows and why. The Posse Comitatus Act sharply limits the use of the military for domestic policing. The Insurrection Act, however, exists for rare emergencies — when federal law truly can’t be enforced by ordinary means and when mobs, cartels, or coordinated violence block the courts.

Even then, the Constitution demands limits: a public proclamation ordering offenders to disperse, transparency about the mission, a narrow scope, temporary duration, and judicial oversight.

Soldiers fight wars. Cops enforce laws. We blur that line at our peril.

But we also cannot allow intimidation of federal officers or tolerate local officials who openly obstruct federal enforcement. Both extremes — lawlessness on one side and militarization on the other — endanger the republic.

The only way out is the Constitution itself. Protect civil liberty. Enforce the rule of law. Demand transparency. Reject the temptation to justify any tactic because “our side” is winning. We’ve already seen how fear after 9/11 led to the Patriot Act and years of surveillance.

KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI / Contributor | Getty Images

Two dangers face us now: the intimidation of federal officers and the normalization of soldiers as street police. Accept either, and we lose the republic. The left cannot be allowed to shut down enforcement, and the right cannot be allowed to abandon constitutional restraint.

The real threat to the republic isn’t just the mobs or the cartels. It’s us — citizens who stop caring about truth and constitutional limits. Anything can be justified when fear takes over. Everything collapses when enough people decide “the ends justify the means.”

We must choose differently. Uphold the rule of law. Guard civil liberties. And remember that the only way to preserve a government of, by, and for the people is to act like the people still want it.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

Stand with Voddie Baucham’s family in this time of loss

In the quiet aftermath of a profound loss, the Christian community mourns the unexpected passing of Dr. Voddie Baucham, a towering figure in evangelical circles. Known for his defense of biblical truth, Baucham, a pastor, author, and theologian, left a legacy on family, faith, and opposing "woke" ideologies in the church. His book Fault Lines challenged believers to prioritize Scripture over cultural trends. Glenn had Voddie on the show several times, where they discussed progressive influences in Christianity, debunked myths of “Christian nationalism,” and urged hope amid hostility.

The shock of Baucham's death has deeply affected his family. Grieving, they remain hopeful in Christ, with his wife, Bridget, now facing the task of resettling in the US without him. Their planned move from Lusaka, Zambia, was disrupted when their home sale fell through last December, resulting in temporary Airbnb accommodations, but they have since secured a new home in Cape Coral that requires renovations. To ensure Voddie's family is taken care of, a fundraiser is being held to raise $2 million, which will be invested for ongoing support, allowing Bridget to focus on her family.

We invite readers to contribute prayerfully. If you feel called to support the Bauchams in this time of need, you can click here to donate.

We grieve and pray with hope for the Bauchams.

May Voddie's example inspire us.

From isolation to connection: Overcoming loneliness

Loneliness isn’t just being alone — it’s feeling unseen, unheard, and unimportant, even amid crowds and constant digital chatter.

Loneliness has become an epidemic in America. Millions of people, even when surrounded by others, feel invisible. In tragic irony, we live in an age of unparalleled connectivity, yet too many sit in silence, unseen and unheard.

I’ve been experiencing this firsthand. My children have grown up and moved out. The house that once overflowed with life now echoes with quiet. Moments that once held laughter now hold silence. And in that silence, the mind can play cruel games. It whispers, “You’re forgotten. Your story doesn’t matter.”

We are unique in our gifts, but not in our humanity. Recognizing this shared struggle is how we overcome loneliness.

It’s a lie.

I’ve seen it in others. I remember sitting at Rockefeller Center one winter, watching a woman lace up her ice skates. Her clothing was worn, her bag battered. Yet on the ice, she transformed — elegant, alive, radiant.

Minutes later, she returned to her shoes, merged into the crowd, unnoticed. I’ve thought of her often. She was not alone in her experience. Millions of Americans live unseen, performing acts of quiet heroism every day.

Shared pain makes us human

Loneliness convinces us to retreat, to stay silent, to stop reaching out to others. But connection is essential. Even small gestures — a word of encouragement, a listening ear, a shared meal — are radical acts against isolation.

I’ve learned this personally. Years ago, a caller called me “Mr. Perfect.” I could have deflected, but I chose honesty. I spoke of my alcoholism, my failed marriage, my brokenness. I expected judgment. Instead, I found resonance. People whispered back, “I’m going through the same thing. Thank you for saying it.”

Our pain is universal. Everyone struggles with self-doubt and fear. Everyone feels, at times, like a fraud. We are unique in our gifts, but not in our humanity. Recognizing this shared struggle is how we overcome loneliness.

We were made for connection. We were built for community — for conversation, for touch, for shared purpose. Every time we reach out, every act of courage and compassion punches a hole in the wall of isolation.

You’re not alone

If you’re feeling alone, know this: You are not invisible. You are seen. You matter. And if you’re not struggling, someone you know is. It’s your responsibility to reach out.

Loneliness is not proof of brokenness. It is proof of humanity. It is a call to engage, to bear witness, to connect. The world is different because of the people who choose to act. It is brighter when we refuse to be isolated.

We cannot let silence win. We cannot allow loneliness to dictate our lives. Speak. Reach out. Connect. Share your gifts. By doing so, we remind one another: We are all alike, and yet each of us matters profoundly.

In this moment, in this country, in this world, what we do matters. Loneliness is real, but so is hope. And hope begins with connection.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

Russell Vought’s secret plan to finally shrink Washington

Bloomberg / Contributor | Getty Images

Trump’s OMB chief built the plan for this moment: Starve pet programs, force reauthorization, and actually shrink Washington.

The government is shut down again, and the usual panic is back. I even had someone call my house this week to ask if it was safe to fly today. The person was half-joking, half-serious, wondering if planes would “fall out of the sky.”

For the record, the sky isn’t falling — at least not literally. But the chaos in Washington does feel like it. Once again, we’re watching the same old script: a shutdown engineered not by fiscal restraint but by political brinkmanship. And this time, the Democrats are driving the bus.

This shutdown may be inconvenient. But it’s also an opportunity — to stop funding our own destruction, to reset the table, and to remind Congress who actually pays the bills.

Democrats, among other things, are demanding that health care be extended to illegal immigrants. Democratic leadership caved to its radical base, which would rather shut down the government for such left-wing campaign points than compromise. Republicans — shockingly — said no. They refused to rubber-stamp more spending for illegal immigration. For once, they stood their ground.

But if you’ve watched Washington long enough, you know how this story usually ends: a shutdown followed by a deal that spends even more money than before — a continuing resolution kicking the can down the road. Everyone pretends to “win,” but taxpayers always lose.

The Vought effect

This time might be different. Republicans actually hold some cards. The public may blame Democrats — not the media, but the people who feel this in their wallets. Americans don’t like shutdowns, but they like runaway spending and chaos even less.

That’s why you’re hearing so much about Russell Vought, the director of the United States Office of Management and Budget and Donald Trump’s quiet architect of a strategy to use moments like this to shrink the federal bureaucracy. Vought spent four years building a plan for exactly this scenario: firing nonessential workers and forcing reauthorization of pet programs. Trump talks about draining the swamp. Vought draws up the blueprints.

The Democrats and media are threatened by Vought because he is patient, calculated, and understands how to leverage the moment to reverse decades of government bloat. If programs aren’t mandated, cut them. Make Congress fight to bring them back. That’s how you actually drain the swamp.

Predictable meltdowns

Predictably, Democrats are melting down. They’ve shifted their arguments so many times it’s dizzying. Last time, they claimed a shutdown would lead to mass firings. Now, they insist Republicans are firing everyone anyway. It’s the same playbook: Move the goalposts, reframe the narrative, accuse your opponents of cruelty.

We’ve seen this before. Remember the infamous "You lie!” moment in 2009? President Barack Obama promised during his State of the Union that Obamacare wouldn’t cover illegal immigrants. Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) shouted, “You lie!” and was condemned for breaching decorum.

Several years later, Hillary Clinton’s campaign platform openly promised health care for illegal immigrants. What was once called a “lie” became official policy. And today, Democrats are shutting down the government because they can’t get even more of it.

This is progressivism in action: Deny it, inch toward it, then demand it as a moral imperative. Anyone who resists becomes the villain.

SAUL LOEB / Contributor | Getty Images

Stand firm

This shutdown isn’t just about spending. It’s about whether we’ll keep letting progressives rewrite the rules one crisis at a time. Trump’s plan — to cut what isn’t mandated, force programs into reauthorization, and fight the battle in the courts — is the first real counterpunch to decades of this manipulation.

It’s time to stop pretending. This isn’t about compassion. It’s about control. Progressives know once they normalize government benefits for illegal immigrants, they never roll back. They know Americans forget how it started.

This shutdown may be inconvenient. But it’s also an opportunity — to stop funding our own destruction, to reset the table, and to remind Congress who actually pays the bills. If we don’t take it, we’ll be right back here again, only deeper in debt, with fewer freedoms left to defend.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

Glenn's Show Prep

What an Indian Chief Taught Ben Franklin From a Single Wooden Arrow

America’s moral erosion: How we were conditioned to accept the unthinkable

Every time we look away from lawlessness, we tell the next mob it can go a little further.

Two dangers face us now: the intimidation of federal officers and the normalization of soldiers as street police. Accept either, and we lose the republic.

Moral erosion

The buck stops with us

Stand with Voddie Baucham’s family in this time of loss

From isolation to connection: Overcoming loneliness

Loneliness isn’t just being alone — it’s feeling unseen, unheard, and unimportant, even amid crowds and constant digital chatter.

We are unique in our gifts, but not in our humanity. Recognizing this shared struggle is how we overcome loneliness.

Shared pain makes us human

You’re not alone

Russell Vought’s secret plan to finally shrink Washington

Trump’s OMB chief built the plan for this moment: Starve pet programs, force reauthorization, and actually shrink Washington.

This shutdown may be inconvenient. But it’s also an opportunity — to stop funding our own destruction, to reset the table, and to remind Congress who actually pays the bills.

The Vought effect

Predictable meltdowns

Stand firm