BLOGSeptember 26, 2017

‘A Country Founded on Equality’: Bono Encourages Americans with This Stirring Speech

During a U2 show in San Diego, the singer Bono reached out to Americans who feel discouraged and reminded them of the greatness of their country.

America “has become our second home,” Bono said. “It’s not just a country, is it? … It’s a great idea; it’s one of the best ideas ever.”

“A country built on hope cannot be driven by fear,” Bono went on to say in the brief address in between songs. “A country founded on equality cannot allow hate to pull it apart.”

On radio Tuesday, Glenn and Stu listened to Bono’s words of encouragement in a time when Americans could especially use some perspective.

“What a great message,” Glenn said.

This article provided courtesy of TheBlaze.

GLENN: So what matters most today? What matters most? There's a lot of stuff that matters. Matters a lot. But to me, what matters most is trying to find ways to feel good about ourselves. But not on, I feel better because I just had a bowl of M&M's. Yeah, you're going to feel crappy after that. Once you finish it, you're going to feel crappy.

Something that's real. And we have lost perspective. Sometimes you get so close to something, you're like, "It's a blue dot. It's just a blue dot and a green dot and a red dot." Back up. Back up. Gain some perspective. You're too close. It's a Seurat painting. It's a painting of a park in Paris. "Oh."

And right now, Americans are too close and all we're seeing are blue dots, red dots, green dots. We cannot see -- we don't have perspective at all on who we are.

And everything is -- everything -- you know, we didn't talk about this yesterday. I mentioned it. And let me mention it again. But we should talk about it.

Did you see what Facebook said about how they missed the -- some of the influence advertising from Russia? Did you see this?

STU: No.

GLENN: So -- what's his name running for president.

STU: He's not running for president at least. Mark Zuckerberg.

GLENN: Zuckerberg. So Zuckerberg said, "You know, one of the things we missed is they were setting up a lot of advertising for Black Lives Matter." Now, isn't that interesting?

STU: They were setting it up for Black Lives Matter.

GLENN: Russia was paying for ads for Black Lives Matter. Isn't that interesting?

STU: That is interesting.

GLENN: That doesn't seem to really go along with the Hillary Clinton, we want her out. We want Donald Trump in, does it?

STU: No. What was the explanation?

GLENN: There was no explanation, other than, that's one of the reasons they missed it.

STU: So you think it was they were covering themselves? Like, trying to send them off the trail? Or --

GLENN: No, no. They only want chaos. They only want us to rip each other apart. Do I think that Vladimir Putin would have liked to see Hillary Clinton win? No. Does that make him for Donald Trump? No.

I think what Vladimir Putin really wants is chaos in the West and chaos in America. He knows that Abraham Lincoln was right. If there's ever going to be a revolution, if we're ever going to kill -- if America is ever going to die, it's going to by her own hand. It's going to be suicide. Because we'll just tear each other apart. And so that's what they're doing. They are doing everything they can to push every single button to tear us apart. And we're gladly going right along with it.

As we're watching -- do you think Vladimir Putin and our enemies -- any enemy of America, do you think they're not licking their chops when they see what we're doing this week, just with the NFL? They're laughing. This is great for them. Kim Jong-un, this is great for him. Because we're destroying ourself, because the thing that we always had was unity. We always -- America -- look, America is -- I guess I'm the quintessential American because this is really the way I feel about me.

I'll get it right. But only after I've exhausted every other possible opportunity. Eventually, I'll get it right. That's America.

We'll get it right, but only after we've -- only after we've tried everything else. But we do get it right. And we come together. When push comes to shove, we come together. When we do, we change the world. That's why we have to remain divided.

And there are people on all sides that want us to be divided. Because once we say, you guys, both of you, knock it off -- see, the children -- if you have children, you know this. The children know if they can divide mom and dad, they win. They win.

And that's why it's critical, as parents -- if you're a new parent, you need to have a talk with your spouse and say, "We're never going to be divided." I don't care -- I don't care if you've just told the children we're going to go out on a killing spree tonight. When they come to me and say, "Mom said we're going on a killing spree," I'm going to respond to them, "Your damn right we are." Then I'm going to come to you away from the kids, and I'm going to go, "What the hell are you talking about with the killing spree? We're not doing the killing spree." But as far as the kids know, I am all in on the killing spree.

Kids understand, divide mom and dad, and you're -- and we win. They're toast.

Breaks up the family. The kids in our society, they know this too. And that is why -- that's why you feel like looking at people on both sides and just say things like grow up. Because they're behaving like kids. And they are trying to appeal to either mom or dad.

It's why the adults, even though we disagree, I'm not going on a killing spree with you. Yes, we are, kids. I mean, yes, we are, kids.

The adults will have a reasonable conversation. But we have to be united. And because we are letting our emotions, we are letting our fear and our anger drive us, we are becoming part of the problem.

And it's because we feel as though we're under attack in every aspect of our life. We feel as though my kids are under attack. The culture is under attack. My job is under attack. My finances are under attack.

My church is under attack. My faith is under attack. Everything. Everything that I am.

I'm constantly under attack.

And as long as people can make you feel that way, they can control you.

But once in a while, somebody can come from overseas, somebody who has perspective because it's not their family. And they can remind the family exactly who they are.

Bono just did this in San Diego. I just got an email from the editor of 180.com. And he said, happened to be in a concert with my wife in San Diego.

You need -- you need to hear this. This is Bono on stage in San Diego just a couple days ago. Listen.

BONO: This is a country that we love, a country that has become our second home. And you've been so generous to our band. And we don't take that for granted. We really love this country, and we love you. And it's not just a country, is it? It's an idea. It's a great idea. It's one of the best ideas ever. Is it not?

(applauding)

America. But if we're honest, that idea right now is in need of some encouragement. Some protection. A country built on hope cannot be driven by fear!

(applauding)

A country founded on equality cannot allow hate to pull it apart. Is that not true?

GLENN: Founded on equality.

BONO: We all have a stake in your success. We want the city on the hill to shine. We all have a responsibility to work for that promise. Because there's nothing -- there is nothing this country cannot do when you work together as one. One!

(applauding)

The United States of America.

(music)

GLENN: What a great message.

STU: He believes it too.

GLENN: What a great message. That's what makes it good.

STU: Yeah, I mean, it really is. It's from the U2 tour, which is fantastic, by the way. I saw it in Dallas. And he did a similar thing there. I think that was after the time, after the shooting.

GLENN: Uh-huh.

STU: And he was talking about how we really need to honor, you know, Steve Scalise and the service he's put in -- like, you would never hear a band do this, right? That's not what happens. But he was praying for Steve Scalise's recovery. I mean, it's fantastic. And he legitimately believes America is a great place and believes in the founding ideas of this country, even though you don't agree with him politically on everything.

GLENN: When was the last time you heard somebody say a country that was founded on equality cannot be ruled by hate?

STU: That's amazing because you don't hear that it's founded on equality very often.

GLENN: No. Never.

STU: And, obviously, there were major flaws in that. But it's just like we had heard earlier with Brad Meltzer, it's like, there's flaws in everybody. You know, this country is never --

GLENN: It's like looking at a Model T and saying, "Henry Ford was an imbecile. He was an imbecile because look at the Model T.

The Model T was an idea. It was an idea: Man doesn't have to use a horse.

What it turns into is up to the future generations. Yes, it didn't have air bags. I can't believe he wanted people to die. It didn't have air bags. They didn't think of it that way, at that time.

STU: They did the best they could. And, honestly, like, if you wanted something that could actually rejuvenate -- you forget sometimes that we live in a great place. And you watch the news with all the kneeling and everyone fighting about it and all the division, stuff like that really does bring you -- like a cool place. You can see the video. I guess we're going to have it up on GlennBeck.com. Or 180report.com is where it was submitted from.

But it's -- Bono does this a lot. And I think because he's a celebrity. And because he occasionally says things that are liberal or things you might not agree with, people brush him off and throw him into that same sort of pile of annoying celebrities.

In reality, the guy freaking loves this country. And he's been consistent about that for a very long time.

GLENN: Somebody asked me the other day, if you could interview one person, who would it be? And I said, Elon Musk.

STU: Really?

GLENN: Yeah, but I think it might be Bono. If I could interview one person, it might be Bono. Elon Musk, for sure. But just ahead of him, maybe Bono. Because he has experience on both sides. And he sees it -- he has grown and seen it. And seen it work and fail from both sides.

STU: He has incredible perspective. And he's a great interview. The guy, he's got a way with words. Elon would be interesting too because he's so connected to what's coming in the future.

GLENN: Yeah, I heard a quote from him. I watched an interview with him over the weekend. And I heard a quote from Elon Musk. And he said -- they said, "Why are you -- why are you doing this? Why are you doing all these things, and why are you going to Mars and everything else?"

And he said, "Because I want to be able to think of the future and be happy."

Isn't that amazing?

STU: Yeah.

GLENN: I want to be able to think --

STU: He's a pretty pessimistic dude.

GLENN: No, he is a pessimistic dude. But I thought that was interesting. I want to be able to look at the future and be happy.

RADIO

Could passengers have SAVED Iryna Zarutska?

Surveillance footage of the murder of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska in Charlotte, NC, reveals that the other passengers on the train took a long time to help her. Glenn, Stu, and Jason debate whether they were right or wrong to do so.

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: You know, I'm -- I'm torn on how I feel about the people on the train.

Because my first instinct is, they did nothing! They did nothing! Then my -- well, sit down and, you know -- you know, you're going to be judged. So be careful on judging others.

What would I have done? What would I want my wife to do in that situation?

STU: Yeah. Are those two different questions, by the way.

GLENN: Yeah, they are.

STU: I think they go far apart from each other. What would I want myself to do. I mean, it's tough to put yourself in a situation. It's very easy to watch a video on the internet and talk about your heroism. Everybody can do that very easily on Twitter. And everybody is.

You know, when you're in a vehicle that doesn't have an exit with a guy who just murdered somebody in front of you, and has a dripping blood off of a knife that's standing 10 feet away from you, 15 feet away from you.

There's probably a different standard there, that we should all kind of consider. And maybe give a little grace to what I saw at least was a woman, sitting across the -- the -- the aisle.

I think there is a difference there. But when you talk about that question. Those two questions are definitive.

You know, I know what I would want myself to do. I would hope I would act in a way that didn't completely embarrass myself afterward.

But I also think, when I'm thinking of my wife. My advice to my wife would not be to jump into the middle of that situation at all costs. She might do that anyway. She actually is a heck of a lot stronger than I am.

But she might do it anyway.

GLENN: How pathetic, but how true.

STU: Yes. But that would not be my advice to her.

GLENN: Uh-huh.

STU: Now, maybe once the guy has certainly -- is out of the area. And you don't think the moment you step into that situation. He will turn around and kill you too. Then, of course, obviously. Anything you can do to step in.

Not that there was much anyone on the train could do.

I mean, I don't think there was an outcome change, no matter what anyone on that train did.

Unfortunately.

But would I want her to step in?

Of course. If she felt she was safe, yes.

Think about, you said, your wife. Think about your daughter. Your daughter is on that train, just watching someone else getting murdered like that. Would you advise your daughter to jump into a situation like that?

That girl sitting across the aisle was somebody's daughter. I don't know, man.

JASON: I would. You know, as a dad, would I advise.

Hmm. No.

As a human being, would I hope that my daughter or my wife or that I would get up and at least comfort that woman while she's dying on the floor of a train?

Yeah.

I would hope that my daughter, my son, that I would -- and, you know, I have more confidence in my son or daughter or my wife doing something courageous more than I would.

But, you know, I think I have a more realistic picture of myself than anybody else.

And I'm not sure that -- I'm not sure what I would do in that situation. I know what I would hope I would do. But I also know what I fear I would do. But I would have hoped that I would have gotten up and at least tried to help her. You know, help her up off the floor. At least be there with her, as she's seeing her life, you know, spill out in under a minute.

And that's it other thing we have to keep in mind. This all happened so rapidly.

A minute is -- will seem like a very long period of time in that situation. But it's a very short period of time in real life.

STU: Yeah. You watch the video, Glenn. You know, I don't need the video to -- to change my -- my position on this.

But at his seem like there was a -- someone who did get there, eventually, to help, right? I saw someone seemingly trying to put pressure on her neck.

GLENN: Yeah. And tried to give her CPR.

STU: You know, no hope at that point. How long of a time period would you say that was?

Do you know off the top of your head?

GLENN: I don't know. I don't know. I know that we watched the video that I saw. I haven't seen past 30 seconds after she --

STU: Yeah.

GLENN: -- is down. And, you know, for 30 seconds nothing is happening. You know, that is -- that is not a very long period of time.

STU: Right.

GLENN: In reality.

STU: And especially, I saw the pace he was walking. He certainly can't be -- you know, he may have left the actual train car by 30 seconds to a minute. But he wasn't that far away. Like he was still in visual.

He could still turn around and look and see what's going on at that point. So certainly still a threat is my point. He has not, like, left the area. This is not that type of situation.

You know, I -- look, as you point out, I think if I could be super duper sexist for a moment here, sort of my dividing line might just be men and women.

You know, I don't know if it's that a -- you're not supposed to say that, I suppose these days. But, like, there is a difference there. If I'm a man, you know, I would be -- I would want my son to jump in on that, I suppose. I don't know if he could do anything about it. But you would expect at least a grown man to be able to go in there and do something about it. A woman, you know, I don't know.

Maybe I'm -- I hope --

GLENN: Here's the thing I -- here's the thing that I -- that causes me to say, no. You should have jumped in.

And that is, you know, you've already killed one person on the train. So you've proven that you're a killer. And anybody who would have screamed and got up and was with her, she's dying. She's dying. Get him. Get him.

Then the whole train is responsible for stopping that guy. You know. And if you don't stop him, after he's killed one person, if you're not all as members of that train, if you're not stopping him, you know, the person at the side of that girl would be the least likely to be killed. It would be the ones that are standing you up and trying to stop him from getting back to your daughter or your wife or you.

JASON: There was a -- speaking of men and women and their roles in this. There was a video circling social media yesterday. In Sweden. There was a group of officials up on a stage. And one of the main. I think it was health official woman collapses on stage. Completely passes out.

All the men kind of look away. Or I don't know if they're looking away. Or pretending that they didn't know what was going on. There was another woman standing directly behind the woman passed out.

Immediately springs into action. Jumps on top. Grabs her pant leg. Grabs her shoulder. Spins her over and starts providing care.

What did she have that the other guys did not? Or women?

She was a sheepdog. There is a -- this is my issue. And I completely agree with Stu. I completely agree with you. There's some people that do not respond this way. My issue is the proportion of sheepdogs versus people that don't really know how to act. That is diminishing in western society. And American society.

We see it all the time in these critical actions. I mean, circumstances.

There are men and women, and it's actually a meme. That fantasize about hoards of people coming to attack their home and family. And they sit there and say, I've got it. You guys go. I'm staying behind, while I smoke my cigarette and wait for the hoards to come, because I will sacrifice myself. There are men and women that fantasize of block my highway. Go ahead. Block my highway. I'm going to do something about it. They fantasize about someone holding up -- not a liquor store. A convenience store or something. Because they will step in and do something. My issue now is that proportion of sheepdogs in society is disappearing. Just on statistical fact, there should be one within that train car, and there were none.

STU: Yeah. I mean --

JASON: They did not respond.

STU: We see what happens when they do, with Daniel Penny. Our society tries to vilify them and crush their existence. Now, there weren't that many people on that train. Right?

At least on that car. At least it's limited. I only saw three or four people there, there may have been more. I agree with you, though. Like, you see what happens when we actually do have a really recent example of someone doing exactly what Jason wants and what I would want a guy to do. Especially a marine to step up and stop this from happening. And the man was dragged by our legal system to a position where he nearly had to spend the rest of his life in prison.

I mean, I -- it's insanity. Thankfully, they came to their senses on that one.

GLENN: Well, the difference between that one and this one though is that the guy was threatening. This one, he killed somebody.

STU: Yeah. Right. Well, but -- I think -- but it's the opposite way. The debate with Penny, was should he have recognize that had this person might have just been crazy and not done anything?

Maybe. He hadn't actually acted yet. He was just saying things.

GLENN: Yeah. Well --

STU: He didn't wind up stabbing someone. This is a situation where these people have already seen what this man will do to you, even when you don't do anything to try to stop him. So if this woman, who is, again, looks to be an average American woman.

Across the aisle. Steps in and tries to do something. This guy could easily turn around and just make another pile of dead bodies next to the one that already exists.

And, you know, whether that is an optimal solution for our society, I don't know that that's helpful.

In that situation.

THE GLENN BECK PODCAST

Max Lucado on Overcoming Grief in Dark Times | The Glenn Beck Podcast | Ep 266

Disclaimer: This episode was filmed prior to the assassination of Charlie Kirk. But Glenn believes Max's message is needed now more than ever.
The political world is divided, constantly at war with itself. In many ways, our own lives are not much different. Why do we constantly focus on the negative? Why are we in pain? Where is God amid our anxiety and fear? Why can’t we ever seem to change? Pastor Max Lucado has found the solution: Stop thinking like that! It may seem easier said than done, but Max joins Glenn Beck to unpack the three tools he describes in his new book, “Tame Your Thoughts,” that make it easy for us to reset the way we think back to God’s factory settings. In this much-needed conversation, Max and Glenn tackle everything from feeling doubt as a parent to facing unfair hardships to ... UFOs?! Plus, Max shares what he recently got tattooed on his arm.

THE GLENN BECK PODCAST

Are Demonic Forces to Blame for Charlie Kirk, Minnesota & Charlotte Killings?

This week has seen some of the most heinous actions in recent memory. Glenn has been discussing the growth of evil in our society, and with the assassination of civil rights leader Charlie Kirk, the recent transgender shooter who took the lives of two children at a Catholic school, and the murder of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska, how can we make sense of all this evil? On today's Friday Exclusive, Glenn speaks with BlazeTV host of "Strange Encounters" Rick Burgess to discuss the demon-possessed transgender shooter and the horrific assassination of Charlie Kirk. Rick breaks down the reality of demon possession and how individuals wind up possessed. Rick and Glenn also discuss the dangers of the grotesque things we see online and in movies, TV shows, and video games on a daily basis. Rick warns that when we allow our minds to be altered by substances like drugs or alcohol, it opens a door for the enemy to take control. A supernatural war is waging in our society, and it’s a Christian’s job to fight this war. Glenn and Rick remind Christians of what their first citizenship is.

Glenn's Show Prep

‘A Country Founded on Equality’: Bono Encourages Americans with This Stirring Speech

Could passengers have SAVED Iryna Zarutska?

Transcript

Max Lucado on Overcoming Grief in Dark Times | The Glenn Beck Podcast | Ep 266

Are Demonic Forces to Blame for Charlie Kirk, Minnesota & Charlotte Killings?

Here’s what we know about the suspected Charlie Kirk assassin