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Glenn: This letter shows why we need to be standing up for the voiceless all over the world

March 12, 2015
Wilson

Writer

On radio this morning, Glenn read a powerful letter by a dissident being held in an Iranian prison. The letter was addressed to President Obama - but did anyone in the White House read it? Glenn not only read it, but was moved to share it with listeners all over the country to remind them what America used to stand for.

The letter reads:

February 6th , 2015

Heshmatollah Tabarzadi

Gohardasht Prison, Karadj. Iran

Honorable Barak Hussein Obama

President of the United States of America

1600 Pennsylvania Ave

Washington, D.C. United States of America

Dear Mr. President:

Without human rights and democracy there will never be a lasting peace and security in the world. Please allow me to speak as a prisoner of conscious and a journalist opposed to the Islamic religion cleric's rule over my homeland Iran.

I was one of the student leaders who was considered to be an architect of a student uprising on July 9, 1999, by the regime. That was an uprising that was a true turning point in the movement for democracy. We wanted change of regime because our calls for reform had proven ineffective. And so I spent six years in the notorious Evin prison. Two of those years were in solitary confinement. I was freed but rearrested and imprisoned again, and again.

Over five years ago when the people of Iran were asking you to support them against the tyranny of the Shia clerics, you, as the president of the most powerful country on earth, were secretly writing letters to the dictator of Iran.

In 2009 while Khamenei was ordering the suppression of the people to his paramilitary forces, killing the people on the streets and the university campuses, imprisoning and torturing

journalists, intellectuals, the young and the old mercilessly, your friendly communications to the tyrant of Iran continued in the name of the people of the United States, ignoring the human rights of the people of Iran. You helped Khamenei to continue his Islamic tyranny in the name of Allah and Islam.

During our 2009 uprising, I saw untold crimes against humanity committed against the people of Iran. I saw a woman in her late 20s get kicked so hard in her spine that she flew through the air. On Ghods Street, near Tehran University, I saw another young woman as her head was pounded into a car by the basij paramilitary forces. All the while, they screamed disgusting epithets like "whore" and worse.

Mr. President; the people of Iran are not backward fascists nor fanatic religionists as the ruling Islamic clergies are. When the day comes that the boots of the tyranny is lifted off our neck, it will be proven that Iranians are capable of handling democracy, secularism and social justice.

Mr. President; all we want is to be a part of the international community, we want to be a free democratic people, master of our own destiny, live in Pease and prosperity, and be the decision makers for our homeland. We oppose nuclear bomb and the militaristic arrogance of the ruling cleric regime. If the international community wants peace in the Middle East, support the People of Iran not the tyrants.

The Islamic clerics have taken our nation hostage to their fanatical Islamic tyranny. In 2009 when the people of Iran loudly and clearly asked for your support for their freedom and sovereignty, you ignored us and empowered the tyrants to imprison, torture and kill us.

Mr. President; I have the honor of being the cellmate of a good American, Pastor Saeed Abedini. I heard that you met with the wife and children of my cellmate, that his son, little Jacob asked you to help release his father for his birthday, however, you have refused to demand the release of the hostage Abedini from the old tyrant Khamenei.

You claim that the only choice that you have is either make a deal with Khamenei, may I say- to surrender to him- or "war". May I dare to say that this claim is a form of misinformation, and intimidation of the people of America?

Mr. President; we Iranian people submit to you and the people of the world that there is another way. Please Sanction and weaken the illegal regime of Khamenei, and empower the people to overthrow the tyranny. You know that you can support the people in many ways such as giving us internet communication access that the Khamenei regim cannot police and allow us to organize and rise up against these godless tyrants.

No tyranny will last forever, but the nations will always be there and history will judge. Help us to overthrow this tyranny and become a free and democratic member of the international community and a friend of the United States.

With Respect

Heshmatollah Tabarzadi

Journalist, prisoner of conscious

Here's how Glenn reacted:

"The world is going over the cliff.  And I want you to listen to me carefully.  When everybody -- in my own circle said, Glenn, you're crazy.  It's not going to go this way.  Why are you going to Auschwitz?  It's not going to happen again.  Never forget.  We'll always remember.  It won't happen that way.  And I said, there will come a time when people will beat Jews in the streets.  There will be a mass emigration out of Europe.  The old times of the Nazis of the 1930s are coming back again, and you better decide right now who you are.  Do you stand with the Jew, or do you not stand with the Jew? "

"That was crazy talk.  It's happening.  And it's going to get worse.  And it's not just the Jew.  I had someone from the Simon Wiesenthal Center come into my office.  One of the head guys, just three weeks ago, he said, Glenn, I need you to stop talking about the plight of the Jewish people so much.  Please."

"Now, this is hard to understand, but he was right.  And I said, what?"

"He said, the Jewish people right now themselves are saying Christians wake up to what's happening to Christians.  What's happening to Christians is worse than what's happening to Jews right now.  And it's going to happen to the Christians.  It's going to happen to the Jews.  It's going to happen to the Muslims.  It's going to happen to all of us.  It doesn't matter.  Pick something.  You're straight.  You're not straight."

"Because we've lost our humanity.  Now, here's the key.  When I went to Auschwitz I talked to one of the righteous among the nations and I said to them five years ago, I said how do I water the seed because the seed of righteousness is in everybody?  How do I water it?  What do I do?"

"She said to me, remember.  The righteous didn't suddenly become righteous, they just didn't go over the cliff with everyone else."

"The world is now going over a cliff.  We have people who are in prison.  America used to be the person that listened to the dissidents, that listened to the person who is different than us.  But all they wanted was a right to be free.  And they were put in prison because of their -- their political ideology.  Their sexual -- their gender.  Their religious identity."

"We used to stand with those people.  We used to be a nation that used to be a beacon, a torch.  People used to look at us.  And say, well, if the Americans would just hear the story, the Americans would stand.  I'm not talking about the troops.  I'm talking about you.  I'm talking about the American people."

"It's time to remember, America, who you are.  It's time to choose who we are.  It's time to be those people.  I made you a challenge.  Pick up your stick, five years ago.  8/28 this summer.  Five years ago.  It takes five years to really change a man.  I made you a challenge.  Pick up your stick.  Five-year anniversary of 8/28 is coming up this summer.  Pick it up, brother.  The time is now."

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.

'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.