The Power of the Founding Documents

December 01, 2016

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Read anything from Woodrow Wilson, 28th president of the United States, about the Declaration of Independence, and you'll learn that he despised it. When he wasn't ridiculing this Founding document, he would say it was great for its time, but no longer relevant.

He was wrong.

"The Declaration of Independence is the idea of America. The Constitution is the engine on how to make it work or the framework . . . the fence around the idea. The Constitution means nothing without the idea. And the idea is that all men are created equal," Glenn said Wednesday on his radio program.

All laws signed by the president of the United States are dated and noted with the number of years from July 4, 1776, the date of the Declaration of Independence. Laws aren't signed and dated going back to 1789 for the Constitution or 1791 for the Bill of Rights. All laws signed by the president date back to July 4th.

"Quite honestly, anybody on the left, you have to love the Declaration of Independence because it freed the slaves. It was the Declaration of Independence that was used as the argument to free the slaves. It was the argument used by Martin Luther King that all men are created equal. And it's time our country lives up to that standard," Glenn said.

We come together when we start talking about the principles of America, outlined in our Founding documents. They are the bridge that can bring us back together.

Listen to this segment, beginning at mark 24:02, from The Glenn Beck Program:

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

GLENN: Let's go back to this caller who called in yesterday and I think makes such a great point on the power of speaking softly, evenly, and the power of friendship, of somebody not giving up on you. This was a guy who said he was so progressive, he was almost a communist, and an atheist.

His friend read my book Liars, gave it to him and said, "You just have to read this chapter. It will blow your mind." He did. He now considers himself a constitutionalist and a religious guy. He's now reading the Bible.

I asked him yesterday, "So what was the turning point? What happened?" Listen to the power of our founding documents. Listen to this.

CALLER: I --

GLENN: Is there -- is that it?

PAT: He just said I.

GLENN: That was a shorter clip than I thought.

STU: And he did not get into the Constitution at all.

JEFFY: You feel the passion though.

STU: Yeah.

PAT: All right.

CALLER: I had always heard the statement of, I believe it was Stalin, that said, "In order to make an omelet, you got to crack a couple eggs."

GLENN: Yes.

CALLER: And I never really took that to heart, until I read your book. And I realized that it was true, that by hook or by crook, a progressive will get whatever they have to get done, done. And whatever weight stays behind them or who stand in front of them, it doesn't matter.

And what you were talking about, just a second ago, if I may guide -- I don't want to veer too far off. But what you were talking a second ago, about, you know, what would make you a progressive in your face, the first question that came to my mind -- because I -- you know, when I read that book, I was awe-struck. And I said, "None of this fits without something making it so."

GLENN: Hmm.

CALLER: What I mean by that is, you can't have these rights if they didn't come from anywhere.

PAT: Uh-huh.

CALLER: So I read -- I said, "You know, there's got to be somewhere this starts." So I read -- I went and got a pocket copy of the Constitution. And I said, "Let's start from the beginning."

GLENN: Jeez, Josh, do you realize how remarkable you are?

PAT: And rare.

GLENN: I mean, you are just so rare to, A, have the open mind, to, B, be willing to challenge the things that you hold dear, to see -- then go do the actual work is remarkable.

CALLER: But the thing is the communists don't hold those things dear. That that's the problem. They don't know what to believe in, so they believe in nothing but the state. That's what I was. That's where I was. I had nothing to believe in, Glenn.

And then I said, "Okay. These rights come from a creator." And when I watched your video, I said, "I have to find that creator. I have to find where this all began."

GLENN: It is -- I have been saying for a while now, and I've been saying it -- I just got a call from somebody last night who said they saw me on NBC election night, and they said they hadn't heard me for a while. A big conservative guy. And he said, "We were watching NBC." And he said, "You come on. And then you get off." And I didn't see it. I didn't watch what they said afterwards, but apparently Tom Brokaw and everybody else verified total voice of reason. And he said, "My wife and I looked at each other and went, Glenn Beck is the voice of reason? Glenn Beck?"

STU: We don't even say that and --

GLENN: Right. And this is a friend of mine. This is a friend of mine. Glenn Beck is the voice of reason? How upside down is the world?

But the point I've been trying to make to the New York Times and to everybody else, and to you, we have much more that we agree on than we disagree on, if we say, "Let's build a road back to each other." What is it that we can agree on that's big? That's not about policies. That's big.

Well, I think we all find a few things total common sense that we don't even -- where we're never taught. They just are true. That we were created and that each of us were given certain rights.

And everybody knows the minute you're born, you have rights. Yeah, but you can't just do whatever you want to that baby. That baby has rights. That baby has a right to have a life, to explore life the way it decides to explore, to go and make its way in the world, and nobody can take any of that stuff away from it.

We know that. Well, that's we hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal and endowed by their creator with certainly inalienable rights. Among them, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

And that government is instituted among men, that we created this government for the sole purpose -- its primary purpose is to protect the rights of that child, to make sure that child has no one telling that child what to do. That that child has every right, from the moment of birth, to the moment of death, that those certain inalienable rights remain with that child.

That's why we've put government together.

And when a government becomes opposed to that or becomes a threat to those rights, that the people have got to abolish it or alter it. And most importantly, not fall into chaos, not just say, "We're going to burn the thing down." You have the right to alter or abolish and replace that government with a government that will protect those rights.

Who disagrees with that?

See, the reason why we're arguing is because we're not talking about principles anymore. You'll know the right way to vote. You'll know the right way to go when we can all agree on that.

The progressives want to take and destroy -- I know this sounds like hyperbole, but it is true, and you can look it up.

Read anything from Woodrow Wilson on the Declaration of Independence. He despises the Declaration of Independence. And when he -- and when he isn't out and out ridiculing it, when he's trying to play up to an audience that might love the Founders, he'll say, "It was a great document for its time, but it has no relevance today."

Well, yes, it does. First of all, all laws that are signed in by the president, date -- the date and then say, "Two hundred and X-number of years from July 4th, 1776." All laws signed in don't go to 1791 for the Bill of Rights, or 1789, the Constitution. All laws signed in with the president's signature date back to July 4th, the Declaration of Independence.

And why is that important? Because the Declaration of Independence is the idea of America. The Constitution is the engine on how to make it work or the framework or the -- the fence around the idea. The Constitution means nothing without the idea. And the idea is, is that all men are created equal. It's why the government didn't fall apart, and it's why, quite honestly, anybody on the left, you have to love the Declaration of Independence. Because it was the Declaration of Independence that freed the slaves. It was the Declaration of Independence that was used as the argument to free the slaves. It is the argument used by Martin Luther King, that all men are created equal. And it's time our country lives up to that standard.

Because that's the idea. And it says in there, "And among these rights are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." And then the Constitution furthers that and says, "Okay. There are these top ten." And then it has to go further because, "Okay. All right. You weren't ready at the beginning. Freedom -- freedom. No slavery is a right that I guess we have to write down for everybody."

We come together when we start talking about the principles of America. And you saw it happen right there. You saw it happen with the guy who started with Liars and went, "Wait a minute, I can't believe that -- this is the truth on progressives? It can't be. It's coming from a book by Glenn Beck." Let me go to the back. Look up the footnote. Let me just Google search it. Let me just see if that's true. Oh, my gosh, it is true.

Well, why doesn't this work? And it leads you back to the things that we hold self-evident.

Featured Image: John Trumbull's painting, Declaration of Independence, depicting the five-man drafting committee of the Declaration of Independence presenting their work to the Congress. The painting can be found on the back of the U.S. $2 bill. The original hangs in the US Capitol rotunda.

'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 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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