Glenn Beck's Rally to 'Restore Honor' Gathers Half a Million Americans, Makes History
The crowd easily exceeded 500,000 people
On Saturday, August 28, 2010, a massive crowd of people gathered in Washington, D.C. for a "Restoring Honor" Rally. The Rally was called by Glenn Beck, who has captured the heart of many Americans and raised the ire of some in the main stream media.
The pundits who condescendingly sought to marginalize the event for weeks before it happened - going so far as to attempt to paint it with allegations of racism - should have been ashamed. The stage was filled with men and women of color, who, with the raucous support of the hundreds of thousands gathered, affirmed our solidarity as Americans. Dr. Alveda King reminded the crowd that we are 'united by blood as one race, the human race.'
PrintWASHINGTON, DC (Catholic Online) - On Saturday, August 28, 2010, a crystal clear, sunny day in Washington D.C. a massive crowd of people gathered for a "Restoring Honor" Rally. The Rally was called by Glenn Beck, the popular radio and television personality who has captured the heart of many Americans and raised the ire of some in the main stream media.
The sheer numbers demonstrated that the rally had support well beyond the persistent efforts by some in the media to marginalize it as a "tea party" event. Of course, in their condescension these same people used that term in a disparaging manner. The crowd easily exceeded 500,000 people. The event stage was set up at the base of the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. However, the massive crowd stretched along the Lincoln Memorial, on both sides of the reflective pond stretching all the way to the Washington Monument.
An opening song, reflecting on the aftermath of the tragedy of 9/11, was written for the event and beautifully performed by a woman named Angelica Tucker. It set the theme: "We must rebuild our lives, our strength, and our hearts. not just the buildings we lost." It was followed by an eloquent prayer by Evangelical Bishop Harry Jackson of Washington's Hope Christian Church who is emerging as one of many men of courage, honor and character unafraid to speak and live the truth in our day.
The address given by Dr. Alveda King, the niece of Dr. Martin Luther King, secured this heroic and inspiring woman's place in American history. This is the 47th anniversary of her uncle, the late, great Christian minister and human rights hero, Dr Martin Luther Kings' famous "I Have a Dream" Speech. He would have been proud of his niece. She is an heir of his legacy and certainly has his extraordinary gift for prophetic rhetoric which can rouse the heart of a Nation.
This was a masterful and inspired speech, given on the day when the Nation honors one of our greatest Americans. Dr Alveda King candidly and honestly declared that "our material gains seem to be going the way of our moral losses" but then insisted "We are Not without Hope!". She referenced the iconic words of her uncle, adding "I Still Have a Dream". She roused the crowd and called the Nation to unity through the restoration of the guiding principles which inspired her uncle's heroic life and death and informed the American experiment.
The pundits who condescendingly sought to marginalize the event for weeks before it happened - going so far as to attempt to paint it with allegations of racism - should have been ashamed. The stage was filled with men and women of color, who, with the raucous support of the hundreds of thousands gathered, affirmed our solidarity as Americans. Dr. Alveda King reminded the crowd that we are " united by blood as one race, the human race."
The address given by Glenn Beck followed, calling the Nation to 'Wake Up'. He told the hundreds of thousands gathered in the Nation's Capitol that it was time to "Start the Heart of America again." Framing his address with copious references to the founders and founding documents he used the backdrop of the Lincoln memorial and the Washington Memorial to accentuate his message. He honored the heroism of the founders and the genius of the American experiment. However, he also acknowledged the limitations and the scars of those who helped found the American experiment. This was the most significant part of Beck's address. He repeatedly explained to the crowd that scars and mistakes are invitations to learn, change, grow and improve - insisting that this is true for people and for Nations. He is correct.
He invited the crowd to continue the "unfinished work" which Abraham Lincoln referred to in his Gettysburg Address, telling those gathered to make a choice for the future. He proclaimed it is "...what we do from here that matters. This is the point of choice!" His final historical reference was to John Newton; the Captain of a Slave ship in the 1700's who in the midst of a threatening storm at sea turned to God and was dramatically converted. He reformed his life and wrote the Hymn Amazing Grace, which Beck called the best song ever written for bagpipes. At that moment, bagpipers emerged and the melody of that song began.
As the platform filled with 240 religious leaders from every religious tradition, the crowd began to sing the hymn, led by an unidentified but gifted man whose beautiful voice enhanced the emotion laden moment. With a prayer led by a heroic man who overcame great obstacles in his own life, the whole point of the day was again underscored and the official part of the Rally to Restore Honor came to a conclusion.
Clearly, Glenn Beck's dreams for a Rally which could "restart the heart of America" exceeded all expectations. Even the Press, which for days leading up to the event had minimized, mocked and trivialized the event, immediately began to acknowledge its massive size and possible significance. Then, they quickly regrouped and the punditry began all over again. I imagine the implications of the event will be fodder for much pontificating for weeks. However, any honest reporter must admit that this was clearly an historic event.
The people who gathered in the Capitol on August 28, 2010, from all over the Nation and representing a wide cross section of the people of the United States of America, left filled with hope, encouraged and challenged to serve and participate.That can only be good for what ails this Nation.
- - -
Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for January 2013
General Intention: The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him.
Missionary Intention: Middle Eastern Christians. That the Christian communities of the Middle East, often discriminated against, may receive from the Holy Spirit the strength of fidelity and perseverance.
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What hypocrite catholics that bash Glenn Beck. Continue to vote for your pro-murder, pro-homosexual, pro-covetousness socialist party called Democrats and then demonize the man because he is a Mormon. Your progressive anti-catholic ideology has not only helped to dismantle our country through your mindless devotion to them, but your unfaithful nudging in our Church has left the pews nearly empty. Thank God the Holy Father has taken the reigns and started the slow process of restoring our leadership to its proper form. Now I know why so many of you politely showed your concern when our great Pope was ordained. I assume those of you that thirst for the blood of Glenn Beck will find yourselves sooner or later leaving the Church and joining the UCC or ELCA ranks when your leftist priests and bishops are replaced and you find your world view is not shared by your Church (and never was).
I'm sorry. I'm a devout Roman Catholic, and I find the fact that this article is on catholic.org appalling, the worshiping of Beck aside. He's a loose cannon that only says what's "in" and what "sells". Colbert is a better Catholic, for God's sake. And that's saying something. There is nothing truly religious here that can be taken (within context) as being truly helpful for the Catholic faith. He's an evil man. Period.
Pete Brady: All I can say to you as far as November is concerned is good luck. For my part, I lost all hope of any kind of real reform through political action over a decade ago, back when I saw what the GOP did to Pat Buchanan. He has the distinction of being one of the few American pols since Bill Fulbright able not only to read a speech but to write one. This country has little use for his kind these days. Americans nowadays prefer illiterates like Bush 2. Perhaps electing such people helps many voters enjoy a sense of superiority.
Jack Gordon: I listed three reasons why I would be "highly critical" of anything out of the Democratic Party. To your point, I agree with you. For both parties my highest "political" criticism is the "debt" they seem to have no trouble foisting on generations of Americans yet unborn. The "moral" condemnation they both deserve relative to that debt is the "inflation" associated with it. The American electorate appears to be on a path to demand something dramatically different out of this November's mid-term election. What I believe, what I hope America wants is a dramatic, objective, and "VISIBLE" reduction in the size of government. A whopping reduction in federal spending. Across the board, all departments. Our surest guarantor of "security" is a sound currency and debt, if there is to be any, satisfied by those who incurred it.
Mr. Mayer: You have said absolutely nothing a Muslim extremist couldn't agree with, at least to the point where you stopped using capital letters. But your post does help us understand that there isn't really a lot of difference between the Becksters and the jihadists.
DON'T FIGHT AGAINST GOD OR YOU WILL LOSE, I GUARANTEE IT, FIGHT WITH GOD AND YOU CAN DO NOTHING BUT WIN!!!Way to go Glen Beck, and way to go America - Nathan Moyer, Victoria B.C. Canada!!
And, Mr. Brady, since you probably like to be thought of as a fair-minded man, what exactly are you "highly critical" of that comes out of the other wing of the single party that rules this nation? I know the Dems and Reps say they are not at all the same thing, but only the candidates' names change and the single letter designating the pols' party, a 'D' or an 'R', is different. They all do pretty much the same thing once in office. Each gives us his or her load of corruption, deficit spending, bad judges, rampant militarism, etc., and is then run out of office by a 'reformer.' Frankly, it's all kind of boringly predictable.
You can follow Glenn Beck, or Christ. Do not engage in the foolishness of confusing the two in any way.
When all else fails: ranting and raging is all that is "left".
Actually, NH, I'm highly critical of anything out of the Democratic Party. Because 1.) they are anti-Life, i.e., their party platform is for abortion on demand, 2.) they are anti-Family, they espouse "gay rights," and 3.) they are "socialist" if not downright "communist" to the core, making them un-American. And the last time I checked we are not a "constitutional democracy" but a "REPUBLIC." Big difference. You need to check the definition of "socialism;" it's not "privately owned companies," but rather "government" control of the private sector. If you want to exercise your "constitutional right" to a free press nothing is stopping you. Start your own newspaper, TV station, or blog. The worse thing happening in America is ObumaCare which says that to be a citizen I MUST buy something, not "Beck." And the only nonsense here is your rant.