47 years ago, Martin Luther King delivered his famous “I have a dream” speech at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC. Today, on August 28th, Glenn Beck took the stage for a similar reason, to deliver a message to Americans that the country needs to go back to the basics, go back to understanding unity, liberty, and individuality. The event was not political in the least. Despite addresses by prominent conservative figures such as Gov. Sarah Palin, the focus of 828: Restoring Honor was more along the lines of paying tribute to the brave men and women who have fallen in the line of duty, defending freedom. Despite the media’s accusations leading up to and during the event, Beck never once compared himself to Martin Luther King, Jr., with the exception of acknowledging his inferiority to the late civil rights movement leader.

400,000-500,000 people came out to celebrate with Beck. Not far away, Rev. Al Sharpton decided to hold his own rally. Attendance? 3,000. The event kicked off at around 10am this morning and went until 2pm. However, every word said was something that you must hear. Whether you’re Canadian, American, Australian, or Indian, the message of faith, hope, and charity is one that transcends ideological boundaries, and most certainly geographical ones. You can view the full event on the C-SPAN website. It’s worth the investment of time.