Perspective vs. Opinion: How Do You Find What Really Matters?

Glenn talked today about longtime conservative Erick Erickson, who has been struggling with devastating health issues in the last year. Erickson wrote a powerful piece on the Resurgent sharing what it’s like to face death and realize what things are truly important in life.

Listen to what Glenn had to say on today’s show (Soundcloud clip embedded above).

In his piece headlined “As I Lay Literally Dying, Politics Doesn’t Really Matter,” Erickson wrote:

“I have to tell you that American politics really does not matter when you have kids and are dying. You begin to seriously ask yourself what you want your kids to know if you’re gone. My kids, were they to learn about me from Google, would really only know what people who hate me think about me.

“I was far more worried about my kids’ relationship with God and their mother than about their politics or the political fight of the day. American politics today is such small ball gutter politics. The stakes are so small that the fights are all that matter. And I want my kids to have no part of that. Sure, there are fights that matter. But there are many more fights you think matter than actually do.”

This is far from the first time someone has come to this realization. Remember when Glenn lost his voice for a month? He spent that time thinking a lot about what matters most and what words are worth saying … especially if we don’t have much time left.

Here’s the video of the emotional monologue Glenn delivered in complete silence:

This article provided courtesy of TheBlaze.

GLENN: You know, everybody -- everybody has an opinion. And I don't think anybody's opinion is more valuable than anybody else's. I've been doing this for 40 years, and it still is remarkable to me that people care about my opinion. Because I barely do.

And as I get older, the more I realize, yeah, this is just another guy's opinion. And now -- now that everybody has Facebook and Twitter, you're a publisher. You realize the power that each of us have now?

Just ten years ago, if you wanted your voice to be heard, you really had to do something. I mean, you really had to do to -- you had to go through and network and get jobs and get on the air and then make that a success. You had to -- you wanted to publish a book, you had to go to Simon & Schuster or something like that. You had to go to these crazy -- I mean, it's crazy. You should go to these meetings with me. Crazy meetings. And these gigantic New York boardrooms. You don't have to do any of that now.

And so while we have -- we have made all of that meaningless. All those hoops that you had to jump through. We have found so many people with different opinions now that nobody -- they wouldn't have been able to have a voice. And it's really good.

But everybody has an opinion. And so it devalues -- or, no, it puts into perspective how much somebody's opinion is worth. No more than somebody else.

What is worthwhile is perspective. Because that's hard to find. That takes a lifetime. And sometimes, it takes just standing in another place. Everybody can view an event one way, but there might be Zapruder. There might be somebody who is standing in another location with another angle, and they capture something that nobody else saw. That's perspective.

I think that's what we should all be seeking. Not more opinions.

I read a -- I read an article -- I read an article from somebody who is really important to the conservative movement. Here's -- here's the title: As I lay literally dying, politics doesn't matter.

I write this with multiple blood clots currently in my lungs. By the end of the day, I'm tired and out of breath. My chest is tight.

Thankfully, this go-around is not fatal. But a year ago, I was rushed to an ICU with my blood oxygen level steadily declining below 90 percent, and my lungs were slowly suffocating me. And as nurses were sticking needles in my arms and pumping me full of fluids, doctors were calling my wife to tell her that they thought I had lung cancer.

I have to tell you that American politics really doesn't matter when you have kids and you're dying. You begin to seriously ask yourself: What do you want your kids to know if you're gone?

If I would have died, my kids would have learned everything about me from Google. They would only know what people who hate me think about me.

I was far more worried about my kids' relationship with God and their mother than about politics or the political fight of the day. American politics today is such a small ball, gutter politics. The stakes are so small, that the fights are all that matter.

I don't want my kids to have any part of that. Yes, there are fights that do matter. But there are many more fights you think matter than actually do.

Having very nearly died, my priorities have taken more than a small shift in the last year. I'd rather be preaching than blogging. My faith is way more important than me. My kids' faith is way more important to me than my own faith. There, the priority.

That's perspective. I would pray for you and for me, that we can find that perspective that Erick Erickson found, without getting the diagnosis that he had received.

How RFK's example can help our nation in the wake of Trump's attack

Rowland Scherman / Contributor | Getty Images

How did you feel last Saturday when you heard the news that a former president of the United States narrowly avoided an assassin's bullet by a mere few inches? Were you angry at the media for their constant demonization of Trump and his conservative contingency? Did you blame the left for curating a political climate that fostered an assassination attempt?

In his immediate reaction to the news, Glenn pointed us back to a similar moment in American history: April 4th, 1968—the day Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated.

"The best speech I've ever heard given was by RFK Sr. on the day Martin Luther King was killed" - Glenn

Robert F. Kennedy, the father of current independent presidential candidate RFK Jr., was en route to Indianapolis when he heard the terrible news. His security team, expecting violent outrage across the country, asked RFK Sr. to turn around and head back to safety. But as Glenn said, RFK Sr. believed in the good in people and demanded to give his speech. He arrived in Indianapolis Park late in the day, and he addressed the crowd of predominantly black campaign supporters.

There were no riots in Indianapolis that night.

The message RFK Sr. gave that night wasn't one of vengeance, hatred, or hopelessness, but of calm and goodness. He appealed to the best in people. He called for people to set aside their differences, anger, fear, and confusion and instead express love and compassion towards one another. RFK Sr. asked for wisdom and the pursuit of justice so that we might be resolute in our unity as the country faces another difficult chapter.

What we need in this country is love and wisdom and compassion toward one another.

Glenn has made a similar plea to our nation—a plea for unity and not to lash out in fear and anger. Don't use this time to blame your friends and family who disagree with you politically for what happened or to tell them "I told you so!" Instead, reach out with compassion and grace. This is a turning point in American history. Let's turn it upward, away from hatred and violence and towards unison and compassion.

Fortunately, President Trump walked away from his attempted assassination with very minor injuries. The bullet that wounded Trump's ear could have just as easily ended his life, and his survival is nothing short of a miracle.

Sadly, that miracle didn't extend to everyone attending Trump's ill-fated Pennsylvania rally. Three other people were shot. David Dutch and James Copenhaver, both Pennslyavia residents, are thankfully in stable condition. Corey Comperatore, however, tragically died after being shot while protecting his wife and daughter from the hail of gunfire.

“Corey died a hero."

Camperatore, a 50-year-old loving father and husband from Buffalo Township, Pennsylvania leaves behind his daughter Allyson, his wife Helen, sister Dawn, and many other friends and family. Camperatore was a man of service, having spent 43 years as part of the Buffalo Township Volunteer Fire Company and had worked his way to becoming the fire chief when he stepped down to spend more time with his daughter.

Corey Comperatore's firefighting gear outside the Buffalo Township Volunteer Fire Company. The Washington Post / Contributor | Getty Images

Corey's friends and family have nothing but good things to say about him, and judging by their testimonies, Corey's final heroic act was consistent with how the volunteer firefighter lived his life.

According to many people who knew Compertore, he was a true patriot who loved his country. He was a fan of President Trump. Compertore was very excited to attend Saturday's rally, which he expressed in his last social media post.

Corey_Comper/X

During his speech addressing the shooting, President Biden expressed his condolences to the Comperatore family, stating that "He was a father. He was protecting his family from the bullets that were being fired.”

Democrat Mutiny? These prominent Progressives and Democratic leaders DEMAND that Biden withdraw

NurPhoto / Contributor, Justin Sullivan / Staff, Cindy Ord / Staff | Getty Images

Biden is still taking hard blows from both sides of the aisle after his abysmal performance in last month's presidential debate. As Glenn pointed out in his post-debate coverage, Biden came across as so incompetent that it has made many Americans scared that, should the country face a major threat, Biden would be unable to respond to it. This includes many Democrats, who are finally admitting that Biden isn't as fit as they have been claiming for the last four years.

Many names have already been suggested as potential replacements for the Democratic nominee, but many people, including some Democrats, don't believe Biden should even stay in office for the election. Here are some prominent progressives and Democratic lawmakers who have called for President Biden's resignation:

Rep. Lloyd Doggett (Texas)

Tom Williams / Contributor | Getty Images

Rep. Raúl Grijalva (Arizona)

NurPhoto / Contributor | Getty Images

Rep. Seth Moulton (Massachusetts)

Justin Sullivan / Staff | Getty Images

Rep. Mike Quigley (Illinois)

Pool / Pool | Getty Images

Rep. Angie Craig (Minnesota)

Anna Moneymaker / Staff | Getty Images

Rep. Adam Smith (Washington)

Scott J. Ferrell / Contributor | Getty Images

Rep. Mikie Sherrill (New Jersey)

Chip Somodevilla / Staff | Getty Images

Rep. Pat Ryan (New York)

Tom Williams / Contributor | Getty Images

Rep. Hillary Scholten (Michigan)

Bill Clark / Contributor | Getty Images

Senator Peter Welch (Vermont)

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Rep. Earl Blumenauer (Oregon)

Chip Somodevilla / Staff | Getty Images

BONUS: Actor George Clooney

Cindy Ord / Staff | Getty Images

These TOP 5 new technologies left Glenn SHOCKED

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Glenn has been covering some of the most groundbreaking, exciting, and often terrifying technological advances. Some new tech has the potential to make a positive impact. Some tech is just SUPER cool, like a flame-throwing robot dog. However, there is also a dark side to technology. Glenn exposes how some new technological developments, particularly in the realm of AI, pose serious ethical questions.

Here are the top five new technologies that Glenn covered that will make your jaw drop:

Anti-gravity device

This new technology developed by Dr. Charles Buhler and his team may change everything we know about transportation and travel. Described as "propellant-less propulsion" by Dr. Buhler, this technology appears to defy gravity and is potentially a way for people to travel into and through space without the need for rockets. It doesn't stop there either, this tech could be used to forever change the way we travel here on Earth.

Human embryo-powered supercomputer

To have massively powerful AI, something, which many people seem to have an invested interest in, you need a lot of electricity to power the computers that host the artificial intelligences. Naturally, this energy consumption upsets the environmentalists so in response a terrifying solution was developed. Bio Processors are essentially computer chips powered by human cells, specifically stem cells, which are predominantly harvested from embryos. These Bio Processors have a limited shelf life, meaning they need a steady supply of stem cells to keep the computers that use them operational. What could be more terrifying than an AI that eats human cells?

Voice-stealing AI

When ChatGPT came out in late 2022 its power and versatility took the world by storm. Suddenly, students had it write entire essays in mere seconds, and it was creating songs and poems with ease. The capabilities of the ChatGPT AI were as disturbing as they were impressive, but after a recent update, it took a hard turn towards disturbing. OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, decided to give the program a voice and tried to recruit famous actress Scarlett Johansson to lend her voice to the machine. After she declined the offer, OpenAI went ahead and released the update for ChatGPT featuring a voice that sounded eerily similar to Johansson's. While OpenAI claims it's a different, similar-sounding voice actress, the idea that a computer is going around with your stolen voice is terrifying.

Flamethrower robot dog

How could you possibly ever make something cooler than a flamethrower? Simple, strap it to the back of a robotic dog of course! Originally built to help fight forest fires (ironically enough) by creating backburns, Glenn pointed out that a pack of these bad boys patrolling your property would be the ultimate home defense. Nobody would come anywhere near your house if it was guarded by a few of these firey companions.

Wormhole-generating UFO's

It's been a decade since the tragic disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. No trace of the aircraft or any of its passengers, except a few small pieces of debris, were ever found nor was an official cause of the disappearance ever given. There have been an infinite number of theories explaining what might have happened, but this one from investigative journalist Ashton Forbes might take the cake for the wildest. Forbes joined Glenn on his radio show and brought with him convincing video evidence that seemed to show the now-missing aircraft being circled by three mysterious orbs before suddenly disappearing in a flash of light. Does this video show the doomed aircraft being sucked into an artificial wormhole, or is it an amazing piece of hoaxwork?