Conservative commentator Glenn Beck today addressed thousands of activists at the Mall asking them to restore the traditional honor and values of the nation. "For too long, this country has wandered in darkness, and we have wandered in darkness in periods from the beginning," Beck said as he opened his "Restoring Honor" rally.
"We have had moments of brilliance and moments of darkness. But this country has spent far too long worried about scars and thinking about the scars and concentrating on the scars. Today, we are going to concentrate on the good things in America, the things that we have accomplished - and the things that we can do tomorrow. The story of America is the story of humankind," he added.
The rally has been billed as a peaceful and non-political "re-dedication" of the traditional honor and values of America. The event is taking place on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, the same stage where civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech 47 years ago. Demonstrators from all walks of life attended the event.
Former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin also addressed the crowd. Addressing the crowd, Palin evoked the legacies of King, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln and said "We must not fundamentally transform America, as some would want. We must restore America and restore her honor."
"Here today, at the crossroads of our history, may this day be the change point," Palin said. "Look around you. You're not alone. You are Americans! You have the same steel spine and the moral courage of Washington and Lincoln and Martin Luther King. It is in you. It will sustain you as it sustained them,” added Palin.
