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Never Forget With Real Context
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“Never forget” sounds strong until you realize how many people no longer know what they’re supposed to remember. On the 25th anniversary of 9/11, we talk honestly about national memory, gratitude for the men and women who served, and why remembering can’t be reduced to a yearly moment of silence. If we forget the facts, we also forget the stakes and that vacuum always gets filled with a new story.
We also dig into the real-world battle over what gets taught to students, including the controversy in Texas social studies standards about describing 9/11 as an attack by radical Islam. When public language gets edited for comfort, public understanding gets weaker, and that shows up fast in debates about Sharia law, constitutional freedom, and whether Americans still recognize the threats that target a free society.
Then we pivot to some Good News Friday encouragement from the convention, including a powerful reminder of how stories shape courage. We share a standout moment from Speaker Mike Johnson about John Quincy Adams and the simple, stubborn virtue behind lasting reform: “Duty is ours, results are God’s.” We close with practical moral clarity for Christians who feel torn in elections, focusing less on personalities and more on principles and policies that either restrain evil or promote it.
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9/11 Remembrance And Never Forget
SPEAKER_01Welcome to the intersection of faith and culture. It's the Wall Builder Show, taking on the hot topics of the day from a biblical, historical, and constitutional perspective. Rick Green here with David Barton and Tim Barton, our websites, wallbuilders.com and wallbuilders.show. WallBuilders.show for all the radio programming and wallbuilders.com for everything else. David and Tim, of course, uh today, 25th anniversary of 9-11. I've seen so many clips over the last couple of days that I wish every, you know, every school kid in America would have to watch every year. And uh and frankly, adults as well. We have we have forgotten uh what Islam did to our country. And uh man, the fact that we have the mayor of New York that we have right now, it's it's hard to believe. But hopefully today can be a day of of remembrance and a day of rededicating ourselves to defending the flag because we know what the flag stands for, not just because we're have some sort of you know fearful patriotism, but instead a patriotism that's born out of an understanding of who we are. And 9-11 is a great day to remember who we are.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, and I think uh in the midst of it, too, for everybody who is listening who is veteran or active duty, uh, we are so grateful for the service of the people that that signed up, um, that that were willing to put their life on the line. We're supporting um all of the different um activities, uh the missions, the endeavors uh that were going on. We we recognize and and as as we are trying to uh preserve freedom in America with all the things that we are doing, um if it was not for our military, um, we understand the the greater level of challenges and threat that would be happening. Uh and and we are so grateful for the military. But guys, even in the midst of uh thinking about 25 years um after 9-11, the slogan never forget. I it I was thinking about that today, actually, even some yesterday, uh, and just how that is a great slogan. The problem is uh there's there there can be ambiguity and subjectivity to it um if you don't know what you're never supposed to forget. So it's a great phrase, but it's a little bit like you know, Nike's slogan was just do it. Uh if you don't know the context of just do it, is it like, man, I'm angry. I want to punch somebody in the face, and you're like, just do it. Well, that's not really how that phrase is designed or created. But Nike, Nike has done thousands and tens of thousands of ads to give us the context for that slogan, for that phrase, uh, in the athletic sense. You you you go for it, do hard things, persevere, just do it. And because the they they didn't just give us a slogan, they gave us context for the messaging. We know what that means. I think one of the challenges is we have removed the context, uh, and not taught. I mean, really, for more than a decade, arguably almost two decades, but at least a decade plus, uh, we we have not really communicated well what we're trying to never forget. Um, and it's a little bit what we do with American history here at Walbot. There's a Patriot Academy trying to help reinstill that foundation of people uh of the Nehemiah idea of we're gonna we want to rebuild what's been torn down. If we don't know what we're trying to rebuild, if we don't know what we're supposed to never forget, it's easy to go the wrong direction. And, you know, guys, just a year or two after 9-11 happened, if you're looking at 2003, 04, 05, 06, the idea that there would be a Muslim socialist mayor in New York City, people would have said, You're crazy, it's never gonna happen. But we forgot what we were supposed to never forget. Uh, and so I I think in the midst of today, first of all, again, I'm so grateful for the military, um, for the men and women that have done so much. Um, I I have brothers, uh, cousins, so many friends, uh, active duty and and veterans that have been part of military service, and I'm so grateful for. And I know uh certainly because of part of what President uh Biden did uh with the Afghanistan withdrawal and giveaway that a lot of veterans have been very disheartened and frustrated and now uh with some of the voices out there uh that are are used to be conservative voices that are becoming increasingly anti-American voices in many ways. It has further disheartened a lot of people. So for the veterans, uh man, we're praying for you. We're grateful for you. We think your service mattered, it made a difference. Uh, and we we could not be a free nation the way we are now had it not been for you. And this is not to ignore the fact that there could have been corruption or bad things, but I I think this in my mind reiterates why it matters that we know our history, because when you forget your history, instead of never forgetting, what when you forget what you're supposed to never forget, and again, because there wasn't context put with it, uh as as opposed to again, Nike's slogan that they give you commercial after commercial after commercial. For years they have done this. You know what that slogan stands for. We have forgotten that. And so, guys, my prayer is that we don't do that with American history, um, that we are able to put that that messaging out in front of people again, do they recognize, hey, what we really need is to restore the Christian foundation of America. That's what is going to help us be free going into the future.
Texas Standards And Radical Islam Debate
SPEAKER_00You know, Tim, in that context of never forget and talking about remembering history, it's interesting that just last week Texas finalized its history social studies standards for students for the next decade, twelve, fifteen years, whatever. And it's interesting that one of the significant fights that happened in those history standards was over the way that 9-11 attack was presented. Because on the 9-11 attack, they added in a clause that this was an attack by radical Islam and that sent people through the roof. You can't say that, and care was there, which is interesting. I find it interesting that CARE uh has been lobbying so many of the state board members, and and this is after Governor Abbott has declared CARE a terrorist group, and they're actively down lobbying on this and organizing people and having people show up there. And it was a fight just to be able to say that 9-11 was the result of an attack by radical Islam.
SPEAKER_03And Dad, just to remind everybody, I I think uh, and and correct me if I'm wrong, care stands um for the Center of American Islamic Relations. And so this is the Islamic relation, like the PR firm for America, essentially. And so when you're saying care, uh we're we're talking about the PR side uh of Islam, is what that is. This is the American PR side, the, and is it the Center for American Islamic Relations, something to that effect. Um, but that's that's what was banned because they recognized that this organization, so much of their funding was coming from actual terrorist organizations overseas, from actual Muslim terrorist organizations that are attacking and murdering and all kinds of evil things overseas. That's where they've gotten so much of their funding and support to promote more Islam in America. So that's who we're talking about.
SPEAKER_00And so, even the fact that you had to have a fight over saying that 9-11 was an attack by radical Islam, the fact, the fact that that's even a fight at all shows how much we've forgotten, probably in the last 15 years. I don't think 10 years ago that would have still been a fight, but I think in the last 15 or so years it is. And we really have forgotten why that's coming. It's interesting because that that whole um downgrading of radical Islam is what we're now seeing in state after state with our legislative network. We're seeing all these states saying, hey, wait, wait, we don't want Sharia law in our state. How can we keep Sharia law out, which is radical Islam? That is the legal code of radical Islam, which surplaces and supplants the U.S. legal code and the U.S. Constitution. They follow that more than they follow the laws of the land. And so that is an ongoing debate. And that's a great point, Tim,
Convention Good News And Charlie Kirk
SPEAKER_00is you kind of wonder if people even remember what that means.
SPEAKER_03Well, and and I I don't want to derail us uh of Good News Friday because there is good news. Uh and actually there was good news from the convention yesterday. Um we we talked uh a little bit, I guess, yesterday on Foundations of Freedom. We talked about that first day of the convention. Uh and today we get to highlight some of what happened in the convention. Yesterday, certainly it was a day that um so many people honored Charlie Kirk. It was neat to me to see at the convention uh so many acknowledgments of Charlie Kirk. Um certainly when you had uh JD Vance giving a huge shout out, acknowledgements Charlie Kirk. But I got guys, I thought when RFK acknowledged that the reason he's a Republican is because of Charlie Kirk. That is that is huge and certainly shows the power of connection, of relationship and conversation, which I do think is something so important that we keep in mind. Uh, because RFK, shortly after Charlie was murdered, um, he he was on camera talking about when Charlie had first invited him on a show. And is that that maybe 21, 22, um when RFK went on the show. And and RFK was like, look, when when I was going on a show, uh, we both knew Charlie knew, I knew that we're coming from like different paradigms, different worldviews. You know, this is worlds colliding. But he talks about how it was a great conversation and it was impactful, and Charlie was respectful. And uh it that broke some barriers that ultimately Charlie was able to literally like reach across the political aisle to someone on the other side, but help him see, you know what, we have way more in common than you realize. And actually, what we're fighting for, you care way more for what we're fighting for than what the the side that you think you're on, than what they're actually fighting for, because that side, that's not the side of your family, right? That's not the side of JFK anyway. So for him at the convention to say Charlie Kirk's the reason I'm a Republican, that there were just several incredible shout outs, acknowledgements to Charlie Kirk, which was great. Uh, but there were some really um fun moments. Uh, I I had a couple of clips. Um, our producer Justin uh has pulled. Um, guys, I don't know if there's any anything you want to highlight anywhere you want to go, um, or if I should just maybe call on those clips. What do you guys think?
SPEAKER_01Well, how did you pick? That's the hard part. Because there was still a lot yesterday, too, you know, day before yesterday that we didn't get to cover. Like you and I were talking off air. You even had guys like Justin and Gagey and uh the the champ that won the fight at the White House card and uh so many good things. So did you did you put them all out and throw a dart and just uh like whatever it landed on? That was what you picked?
SPEAKER_03Well, so so yes, that's that that's a super valid question. Um, so in fairness, uh the two things that I I chose.
Mike Johnson On Duty And Perseverance
SPEAKER_03Um one of them I chose because our our friend, Speaker Mike Johnson, um, that we have known literally for decades. Uh before he was in Congress, we were friends. When he was in Congress, we did lots of stuff together. But uh one of the really fun things, uh three of us, uh Rick, Dad, and I, we've all done dozens, if not hundreds. Dad, you for sure have done hundreds. Um, Rick and I have at least done dozens of Capitol tours, spiritual heritage tours, where we walk people through the Capitol and we just tell some of the history of what's there. We talk about the paintings and what the paintings were about, the stories uh that they were representing and the statues, who those people were, and then the story of their life, and and let people see kind of some of that spiritual foundation, the fact that the U.S. Capitol building uh was the home to the largest Protestant church in America for decades. Thomas Jefferson actually attended that church. So many presidents did. So we go through a lot of this history, but there's a a spot in the rotunda, which was uh part of the Capitol building built in 1807. That's where the old House chamber was. Now it's one of the places that has a ton of statues. And in there, there's some little plaques, these kind of gold plates on the ground that are where presidents uh had sat when they were in Congress. Well, there's only one president that actually was president and then went and served in Congress because everybody else would have thought, like, that's a demotion. You don't go that way. John Quincy Adams is the only one who went the opposite direction. He was president. And when he lost his re-election bid to Andrew Jackson, his heart was still burdened. He said, Man, there's some evils in America that have not yet been remedied. And he goes to Congress and he became the leader of the anti-slavery movement in Congress. He was there for 17 years, spent his entire life fighting against slavery. He ends up dying in the Capitol building. And when he died, the burden God put on his heart had not been accomplished. Slavery had not been ended. But his last term in Congress, there was a young freshman who was there. And this young freshman uh joined the anti-slavery movement. And John Quincy Adams, every week, was giving these impassioned speeches against slavery. And this young freshman hears all these speeches. And when John Quincy Adams dies, this young freshman is one of the congressmen on the Republican side that said, We want to carry the torts. Now, when I say on the Republican side, uh there wasn't a Republican Party yet, but this guy became the first Republican president. It was Abraham Lincoln. Um, Abraham Lincoln literally was in part mentored by John Quincy Adams from those anti-slavery speeches. Anyway, so we'll tell kind of the bigger picture story of John Quincy Adams and Abraham Lincoln. So, guys, one of the clips I pulled uh was a moment when Mike Johnson is telling part of that story. Now, he tells most of the story as an encouragement to people that are there because one of like the crux of the story, at one point there was somebody that came to John Quincy Adams because he fights against slavery for so long. At the time he's in Congress, it's mostly a pro-slavery Congress. He's not been successful, but he keeps going, persevering over and over and over until one day somebody comes to him and says, Uh, Mr. Adams, you've been fighting slavery for so long and there's there've been no visible signs of success. How do you stay motivated? And his answer was based on his life motto. His life motto he wrote was, Duty is ours, results are God's. And he tells this person asking it, It's only up to us to do the right thing. It's up to God what happens after that. So, so Mike Johnson is telling the story. So I only have this one clip from it, but I thought this is so great, this one clip. Uh, so if if you guys don't remember this part of the story, this was my favorite part of Mike Johnson telling that story.
SPEAKER_04Why is that? He's the only person in the history of the United States who ran for the House after serving as president. Maybe our current president would do that. No, no, I don't think he's gonna be too busy.
SPEAKER_03I love that he tries to like back it up. He's like, look, I don't want people to think President Trump's gonna run for Congress, but I love the idea that he's dropping this little kernel, like, hey, maybe Trump just, you know, he'll he'll run for Congress next speaker of the House after Mike Johnson. I don't know. Um, but I love the fact that in telling the story of the only president that ever goes to Congress after being president, and then he gives a little head nod to Trump. I love that part again. Knowing that story, knowing that Mike Johnson, I mean, very likely, Dad, he probably learned that story from you, which also I think is amazing. Um, but that he gives a head nod to President Trump, I thought that was hilarious.
SPEAKER_01I think it's hilarious, too. Uh, I've never thought about that, or the adding that to the story, especially with a president like Trump. Um, but I I gotta say, guys, I mean, seriously, it is uh, you know, I know David, you don't ever you're the most humble guy I know, even though you're the most brilliant guy I know, and you've had such an impact on the on the country. But for me, when I watch Mike Johnson's videos that have gone viral, giving that to her, telling that story, when I hear that story in that kind of a position, I can't help but say, you know what? That's my boss, that's my mentor that brought that story to life for millions of people. And I'm just thankful for you, man. I'm tearing up. I can't help it. But I'm so thankful for you and Cheryl being so faithful for so many years. All of the things you've traveled across the company 400 times a year speaking, being a George Whitfield, to see that story being told from the stage like that, or to see those videos go viral with the current speaker of the house, it's fruit. It's fruit of the labor that you that you gave. So anyway, I know you hate it whenever I point out something like this, and you don't you're you're so humble, you don't like this stuff to be pointed out. But for I know Tim feels the same way. I mean, we're proud. We're proud, proud to be students that learned at your feet and to see people like Mike Johnson in the same way. So I just think that's really, really cool what we just heard.
SPEAKER_03Well, I'm gonna take it to break so Rick can find a Kleenex. Uh but you guys hang on, there's so much more good news here on Good News Friday. You're listening to the Wall Builder Show.
Where To Listen And Download
SPEAKER_03This is Tim Barton for the Wall Builder Show, and I just want to make sure you know that you can listen to us wherever you go. If you get up in the morning, you do a workout, if you're mowing the grass in the afternoon, if you're driving somewhere, and you want the opportunity to get some insight into political realm from a historic, a constitutional, and a biblical perspective. Hearing from incredible expert voices, we are on basically every platform that you can find. Whether it's Apple Music or iHeartRadio, Spotify, Podcast Index, Overcast, Pocket Cats, there's so many things I don't even know what all of these are. But if you go to wallbuilders.show, you will find a list of all of the places where you can listen to the program. And of course, if you already listened to the podcast, you know how to download a podcast, you know how to find that. We would encourage you to download the podcast so you can listen at your convenience. If you're not in the car, that's no problem. Download the podcast, take it with you on the road. We want to be an encouragement to you in your day. Go to wallbuilder.show to find out all the places where you can stream or download.
SPEAKER_01Welcome back to the WallBull show. I found a Kleenex and have gathered myself. And so uh we're back on this Good News Friday. A lot of things to celebrate, and and of course, the convention and these speeches and and uh and and really seriously celebrating the fact that these amazing stories in American history are becoming well known. And uh so we are thankful for wall builders and and uh for just the impact that it's having.
SPEAKER_03Well, and literally, guys, as we talked about at the beginning, you know, the fact that as today is 9-11 and and kind of the slogan was never forget, and we really have forgotten so much of our history. I mean, even that what's happened 25 years ago in New York, so many people have forgotten or were never taught. And so to this point, Dad, the fact that we now have the speaker of the house that is telling the stories that you were trying to help people relearn for decades, and now they're being told by people with some of the greatest amplification ever. It's just amazing. Um, so yeah, it's so cool to see how God has used your faithfulness and elevated it, and these people are telling the stories at the highest level. It's just incredible. Um, but whether here's one
Moral Clarity For Christian Voters
SPEAKER_03more video, guys. I I do want us to play because one of the things that I I am hearing more and more from pastors uh as they're trying to help people in their congregation that are Christians that are torn over who who do we vote for because for example, we we've mentioned this several times this week, but in Texas, when you look at James Talarico versus Ken Paxton, and and there's literally Christians who love Jesus know their Bible, but don't have a biblical worldview. I will clarify that, which is very clear by how confused they are who to vote for, because they go, Well, you know, Talo Rico's this nice guy, and it and Ken Paxton, you know, he's had some major moral issues. Uh, Dr. Robert Jefferson, the senior pastor of First Baptist in Dallas, uh, when he spoke, he provided the simplicity of the moral clarity of how Christians should think about elections. And this is as bold as we've ever seen a pastor be. And and and just it's so, again, it's so encouraging, Dad, as you have challenged pastors for so long now. All of us do. We challenge pastors to be the George Whitfields, to be bold, to be brave, to stand up in spite of what pushback you're gonna get. That Dr. Jeffers is doing that. And the way he said this, again, I think it provides so much clarity. So for anybody listening, if you're wondering, like, how do I talk to my friends that are like, hey, you know, this candidate has some major issues, even though, you know, maybe on the Republican side, like we might like that side better, but they have major issues, and this Democrat candidate seems like a nice person. Uh, here's how Dr. Drefers addressed that.
SPEAKER_02We all need the forgiveness that Jesus Christ came to offer for us. But ladies and gentlemen, there is a difference between falling interesting, and which we all do from time to time. There's a difference between falling interesting and being forced to benefit, and 504 evolution, and ladies and gentlemen, the difference between the kids for e-volution, 50%, complete the complexity, guys, the moral clarity and the simplicity, yeah, right?
SPEAKER_03When you're saying, well, this person has sin in their life, okay, yes, but but are they advocating that everybody gets that sin? Because this is this is the distinction. When Democrats are advocating for sin, not saying That like somebody's a sinner, sure, that's a given. Which, by the way, go read Hebrews 11, right? Like every person in our faith, Hall of Fame, that the Hall of Faith, they are all guilty sinners, and some of their sins are like as egregious as they could be, but everybody is a sinner in need of a savior. There, there's none righteous, no, not one. All of sinning comes short of the glory of God. It's one thing to be a sinner in need of a savior, which we all are. It's something totally different when you are advocating for sin, you're promoting sin. And keep in mind where Jesus said, if you cause one of these little ones to stumble, you're better off tying a huge rock, a millstone around your neck, and throwing yourself in the ocean, like go drown yourself. That is a better condition for you than you to mislead and cause these little ones to stumble. And again, when you look at the Democrat Party and the policies they are promoting, they are advocating for sin. And to have a pastor on a huge stage bringing that much moral clarity, guys, that blesses my heart so much. But also the simplicity it offers for everybody listening. If you're wondering how how do I communicate with my friend the biblical reality of this, because maybe this person's a Christian and they're just confused, this is the simplicity and the moral clarity that you can communicate to them to help them understand the situation.
Policies, Principles, And What’s At Stake
SPEAKER_00Yeah, we were even talking on yesterday's program about the epiphany that kind of hit me two days ago, how that there really is not a position they're putting forth that's not radical. It's not like you have a couple of radicals running for U.S. Senate on the Democrat side. It's like they're all radicals. I mean, what they're pushing for, the policy that there's not like a common sense Democrat anymore. And there was one, what is it, last week, where that one of the Democrats took a position that is fairly, fairly reasonable, and the head of the committee, Democrat head of the committee, turned their backs on them and would not even listen to their testimony because they weren't radical.
SPEAKER_03Well, and Dad, that could be like a John Fetterman kind of person. Right. Where you look at some people that haven't lost all of their mind. But but here's the difference like to your point, we're not talking about somebody's advocating for a 14% tax and somebody's advocating for a 9% tax. That's not the distinction between the parties. That's right. It's not the little nuance where everybody's like, yeah, there should be tax, but how much should we tax? That's our difference. No, no, no. Literally, it's one party says, hey, boys and girls are real things that they're different. God made them different because there is a God and our rights come from God. And boys shouldn't play in girls' sports, they shouldn't go in girls' locker rooms. In fact, we should allow them to be uh able to grow up to be the men and women ultimately one day that God made them to be. We we shouldn't go and win their boys and girls and like cut off parts and like give them medicine that's gonna surgically castrate them, whatever else. Like this is the distinction that is happening. It's not on a tax rate, it is on fundamental moral biblical ideology, again, where Dr. Jefferson says that this is this is not uh whether somebody is sinned or not. This is literally a party that is advocating for the expansion and the embracing of sin, evil, and wicked. And so it it really should provide a lot of moral clarity and alleviate a lot of the confusion.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it's no longer right or left, Republican or Democrat. It's it's good versus evil. Well, it is Republican versus Democrat because you know, the parties are how we do this and what they stand for matters. And, you know, there was somebody last night that was saying it's not the even the person, it's the principles. So even when we, like you're talking about, get hung up on some of the personal flaws of an individual, we got to remember it's the policies they're advocating for. Or if it's a governor or a president, it's the thousands of people they're gonna bring along with them into that government and the impact they're gonna have in all of those agencies as well.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, there's no
Honor Service Members And Rededicate
SPEAKER_03doubt. And and I I now need to apologize to all the listeners. We have a huge stack of good news. Um but but the convention provided a lot of great sound bites. And obviously on 9-11, again, man, huge shout out to all the military, all the veterans. Uh, if you are listening, if if you know someone who is in the military, active duty or veteran, make sure you appreciate them today. Um, this is a special day that they need to be remembered and honored. Love on those service members. Uh, and then next week, we will try to get through our very large stack of good news.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and don't forget all those people. Like you said, Tim, so many people that signed up after, think of all those firefighters that ran into burning buildings to save lives. That's the DNA of America. Be proud to be an American this weekend as we remember, and let's rededicate ourselves to preserving it for future generations. Thanks so much for listening to the Wall Puffer Show.
