Peace Thru Strength, USA Pride vs “Enemy-Centric” Policy

Video of Freedom Fest Speech

Governor Palin today posted the core content of her Freedom Fest speech on Facebook:

Earlier this week, I spoke at the Freedom Fest in Norfolk, Virginia; and, evidently, the media was asked to leave – not by me, that’s for sure. I want my message out, so despite reporters making up a story about “Palin people kicking us out” (uh, the “Palin people” entourage would consist of one person – my 15-year-old daughter, Willow – and I have no doubt she could take on any reporter, but I know for certain she didn’t “kick ‘em out” of the event). Anyway, here are some of the key issues I spoke about.

DEFENSE SPENDING

It takes a lot of resources to maintain the best fighting force in the world – especially at a time when we face financial uncertainty and a mountain of debt that threatens all of our futures.

We have a federal government that is spending trillions, and that has nationalized whole sections of our economy: the auto industry, the insurance industry, health care, student loans, the list goes on – all of it at enormous cost to the tax payer. The cost of Obamacare alone is likely to exceed $2.5 trillion dollars.

As a result of all these trillion dollar spending bills, America’s going bust in a hurry. By 2020 we may reach debt levels of $20 trillion – twice the debt that we have today! It reminds me of that joke I read the other day: “Please don’t tell Obama what comes after a trillion!”

Something has to be done urgently to stop the out of control Obama-Reid-Pelosi spending machine, and no government agency should be immune from budget scrutiny. We must make sure, however, that we do nothing to undermine the effectiveness of our military. If we lose wars, if we lose the ability to deter adversaries, if we lose the ability to provide security for ourselves and for our allies, we risk losing all that makes America great! That is a price we cannot afford to pay.

This may be obvious to you and me, but I am not sure the Obama Administration gets it. There isn’t a single progressive pet cause which they haven’t been willing to throw billions at. But when it comes to defense spending, all of a sudden they start preaching a message of “fiscal restraint.” Our Defense Secretary recently stated the “gusher” of defense spending was over and that it was time for the Department of Defense to tighten its belt. There’s a gusher of spending alright, but it’s not on defense. Did you know the US actually only ranks 25th worldwide on defense spending as a percentage of GDP? We spend three times more on entitlements and debt services than we do on defense.

Now don’t get me wrong: there’s nothing wrong with preaching fiscal conservatism. I want the federal government to balance its budget right now! And not the Washington way – which is raising your taxes to pay for their irresponsible spending habits. I want it done the American way: by cutting spending, reducing the size of government, and letting people keep more of their hard-earned cash.

But the Obama administration doesn’t practice what it preaches. This is an administration that won’t produce a budget for fear that we discover how reckless they’ve been as fiscal managers. At the same time, it threatens to veto a defense bill because of an extra jet engine!

This administration may be willing to cut defense spending, but it’s increasing it everywhere else. I think we should do it the other way round: cut spending in other departments – apart from defense. We should not be cutting corners on our national security.

THE U.S. NAVY

Secretary Gates recently spoke about the future of the US Navy. He said we have to “ask whether the nation can really afford a Navy that relies on $3 to $6 billion destroyers, $7 billion submarines, and $11 billion carriers.” He went on to ask, “Do we really need... more strike groups for another 30 years when no other country has more than one?”

Well, my answer is pretty simple: Yes, we can and, yes, we do because we must. Our Navy has global responsibilities. It patrols sea lanes and safeguards the freedoms of our allies – and ourselves. The Navy right now only has 286 ships, and that number may decrease. That will limit our options, extend tours for Navy personnel, lessen our ability to secure our allies and deter our adversaries. The Obama administration seems strangely unconcerned about this prospect.

OBAMA’S FOREIGN POLICY INHERITANCE

When George W. Bush came into office, he inherited a military that had been cut deeply, an al Qaeda that had been unchallenged, and an approach to terrorism that focused on bringing court cases rather than destroying those who sought to destroy us. We saw the result of some of that on 9/11.

When President Obama came into office, he inherited a military that was winning in Iraq. He inherited loyal allies and strong alliances. And thanks to the lamestream media pawing and purring over him, he had the benefit of unparalleled global popularity. What an advantage! So their basic foreign policy outlines should have been clear. Commit to the War on Terror. Commit to winning – not ending, but winning the war in Afghanistan. Commit to the fight against violent Islamic extremism wherever it finds sanctuary. Work with our allies. Be resolute with our adversaries. Promote liberty, not least because it enhances our security. Unfortunately, these basic principles seem to have been discarded by Washington.

THE WAR ON TERROR

His administration has banned the phrase “war on terror,” preferring instead politically correct nonsense like “overseas contingency operations.” His Homeland Security Secretary calls acts of terrorism “man-caused disasters.” His reckless plan to close Guantanamo (because there’s no place to go after it’s closed) faces bipartisan opposition now.

The Attorney General just announced that a decision about where to try terrorists like 9/11 master mind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed would not be announced until after the mid-term elections. Is there something he’s afraid to tell us?

The President’s new National Security Strategy does not even use the word “Islamic” when referring to violent extremism. Does he think the ideology of those who seek to kill Americans is irrelevant? How can we seek to defeat an enemy if we don’t acknowledge what motivates them and what their ultimate goals are? President Obama may think he is being politically correct by dropping the term, but it flies in the face of reality. As Senator Joe Lieberman noted, refusing to use the word Islamic when describing the nature of the threat we face is “Orwellian and counterproductive.”

AFGHANISTAN

In Afghanistan, it is true that President Obama approved deploying additional forces to the conflict – most, but not all the troops requested by commanders on the ground. But it took months of indecision to get to that point, and it came at a very high price – a July 2011 date to begin withdrawal.

This date was arbitrary! It bears no relation to conditions on the ground. It sends all the wrong signals to our friends and to our enemies. We know our commanders on the ground are not comfortable with it.

As that great Navy war hero, Senator John McCain recently put it: “The decision to begin withdrawing our forces from Afghanistan arbitrarily in July 2011 seems to be having exactly the effect that many of us predicted it would: It is convincing the key actors inside and outside of Afghanistan that the United States is more interested in leaving than succeeding in this conflict.”

Does the President really believe the Taliban and al Qaeda won’t be empowered by his naming of a starting date for withdrawal? They now believe they can beat him simply by outlasting us. What sort of effect does he think this will have on the morale of our troops – and of our allies?

ALIENATING OUR ALLIES

It’s not the only area where the Obama administration has failed our allies. They escalated a minor zoning issue in Jerusalem into a major dispute with our most important ally in the Middle East, Israel. They treated the Israeli Prime Minister shabbily in Washington. When a Turkish sponsored flotilla threatened to violate a legal Israeli blockade of Hamas-run Gaza, the Obama Administration was silent. When Israeli commandos were assaulted as they sought to prevent unmonitored cargoes from being delivered to Hams terrorists, the Obama Administration sent signals it might allow a UN investigation into the matter – an investigation that would be sure to condemn our ally Israel and bemoan the plight of Hamas. Loyal NATO allies in central Europe were undermined by the cancellation of a missile defense program with virtually no warning. At the same time, Russia and China are given preferential treatment, while remaining silent on their human rights violations.

CODDLING ADVERSARIES

Meanwhile, the Obama Administration reaches out to some of the world’s worst regimes. They shake hands with dictators like Hugo Chavez, send letters to the Iranian mullahs and envoys to North Korea, ease sanctions on Cuba and talk about doing the same with Burma. That’s when they’re not on one of their worldwide apology tours.

Do we get anything in return for all this bowing and apologizing? No, we don’t. Yes, Russia voted for a weak sanctions resolution on Iran, but it immediately stated it could sell advanced anti-aircraft missile to Iran anyway, and would not end its nuclear cooperation. In response to North Korea’s unprovoked sinking of a South Korean Navy ship, China warned us not to take part in military exercises with our ally.

And while President Obama lets America get pushed around by the likes of Russia and China, our allies are left to wonder about the value of an alliance with the U.S. They have to be wondering if it’s worth it.

AN “ENEMY-CENTRIC” FOREIGN POLICY

It has led one prominent Czech official to call Obama’s foreign policy “enemy-centric.” And this “enemy-centric” approach has real consequences. It not only baffles our allies, it worries them. When coupled with less defense spending, it signals to the world that maybe we can no longer be counted on, and that we have other priorities than being the world leader that keeps the peace and provides security in Europe, in Asia and throughout the world.

Together with this enemy-centric foreign policy, we see a lessening of the long, bipartisan tradition of speaking out for human rights and democracy. The Secretary of State said she would not raise human rights with China because “we pretty much know what they are going to say.” Democracy promotion programs have been cut. Support for the brave Iranians protesting their government was not forthcoming because President Obama would rather try to cut a deal with their oppressors.

When the world’s dictators see the United States unconcerned with human rights and political freedom, they breathe a sigh of relief, because they know they have a free hand to repress their own people.

This goes against the very ideals on which our republic was founded. There is a long bipartisan tradition of speaking out in favor of freedom – from FDR to Ronald Reagan. America loses something very important when its President consigns human rights and freedom to the back burner of its international priorities.

A DIFFERENT VIEW OF AMERICA

We have a President, perhaps for the very first time since the founding of our republic, who doesn’t appear to believe that America is the greatest earthly force for good the world has ever known.

When asked whether he believed in American exceptionalism, President Obama answered, “I believe in American exceptionalism, just as I suspect that the Brits believe in British exceptionalism and the Greeks believe in Greek exceptionalism.” Amazing. Amazing.

I think this statement speaks volumes about his world view. He sees nothing unique in the American experience? Really? Our founding, and our founding mothers and fathers? Really? And our history over the past two and half centuries?

Really? He sees nothing unique in an America that fought and won two world wars and in victory sought not one inch of territory or one dollar of plunder? He sees nothing unique in an America that, though exhausted by conflict, still laid the foundation for security in Europe and Asia after World War II? He sees nothing unique in an America that prevailed against an evil ideology in the Cold War? Does he just sees a country that has to be apologized for around the world, especially to dictators?

President Obama actually seems reluctant to even embrace American power. Earlier this year when he was asked about his faltering Middle East peace process, he said “whether we like it or not, we remain a dominant military superpower.” Whether we like it or not?! Really? Mr. President, this may come as news to you, but most Americans actually do like it. And so do our allies. They know it was our military might that liberated countless millions from tyranny, slavery, and oppression over the last 234 years. Yes, we do like it. As a dominant superpower, the United States has won wars hot and cold; our military has advanced the cause of freedom and kept authoritarian powers in check.

It is in America’s and the world’s best interests for our country to remain the dominant military superpower, but under President Obama’s leadership that dominance may be slipping away. It’s the result of an agenda that reeks of complacency and defeatism.

(I went on from there to talk about our need to end the negative, defeatist attitudes of those in leadership. I spoke further on American exceptionalism, and Willow and I ended a great evening with some great patriots. Sorry the media chose to report anything other than what actually happened at the event.)

- Sarah Palin

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US 4 Palin 6-Hour SarahPAC Money Bomb

This money bomb has not been reviewed or authorized by SarahPAC:

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Governor Palin Will Be Official Ambassador for Special Needs Ministry

Upper left: one of two big screens on either side of stage

Gov. Palin appears as the tiny figure at the center of this photo.

The first annual P. U. R. E. Celebration at the Gwinnett Arena in Duluth, Georgia was an evening of praise and worship, followed by an inspiring speech by Governor Sarah Palin. Music by Christian artists was interspersed with short speeches, some by video, by people involved with the P. U. R. E. Ministry Project and by people with special needs family members. Governor Palin’s speech was heartfelt and oriented towards the special needs community.

Music at the beginning of the evening was provided by the choir and by Brent Cochran and other Christian artists from the Blackshear Place Baptist Church in Flowery Branch, Georgia, where David Glover, President and founder of Zachariah’s Way, is an active member. Zachariah's Way was founded in memory of Glover’s grandson, Zachariah Emerson, a special needs child.

Sponsored by Zachariah's Way, the P. U. R. E. Ministry Project is a "nationwide effort to assist Christians in including, ministering to, and caring for disabled people and their families within the framework of their local church". The concept is being implemented successfully at Glover's home church, and the goal of the ministry is to help special needs people and their families become integrated into and ministered to in their local churches.

Heidi Rew from local radio station 104.7 FISH, spoke first about her older brother Clayton, who has special needs. She described his sense of humor when a child asked him why he looked the way he did. “Because I didn’t eat my vegetables!”

Speaking next, David Glover said that nearly over 50 million people have special needs, and that they are largely forgotten and by and largely not in our churches. He said that churches need to be "informed, encouraged, inspired, excited, and united to celebrate what can be." Glover said that the ministry wants to expand nationwide and that the P. U. R. E. Celebration will be in Texas next year.

Todd Fields and Praise Band brought the audience to their feet with “Blessed Be the Name." They followed with "We Will Wait Upon the Lord" and "It is Well With My Soul."

NASCAR driver David Ragan, whose older brother Adam has Down syndrome, spoke by video. Of his brother, he said, "He’s not disabled – he’s Adam, my best friend."

Beverly Ragan, David and Adam's mother, then spoke about her experiences in a racing family and about how involved Adam was with David's racing team. Adam was wearing the team shirt that was given to him by David Ragan's Nascar team. On the way out after the event, I saw people having their photos taken with Adam in front of a racing car in the Arena lobby.

Brent Cochran then sang "Remember Me," which he had written especially for this event. (I was fortunate to sit beside Linda Little, a member of Blackshear Place Baptist Church, who gave me this and other information.) Cochran also sang another song he had written for the special needs community which included the words, ""If you could see Jesus through my eyes, you’d know the reason for my smile."

Kurt and Brenda Warner spoke about their experiences as special needs parents of 21-year-old Zachary. An accident when he was 4 months old left him with brain damage and blindness. Like all the other family members of special needs children who spoke, they talked about what a joy Zachary was to them.

Chris Tomlin and band followed with "How Great Is Our God" and a rendition of "Amazing Grace" that he had written for a movie about John Newton. Tomlin described his research about the former slave trader and the significance of the words added to the new rendition: "Jesus came and my chains are gone. I’ve been set free. My God, my Savior has ransomed me."

Jeff Crook, pastor of Blackshear Place Baptist Church then spoke about how the P. U. R. E. Ministry at Blackshear Place does things for special needs people that "make God smile" and has a ripple effect on special needs families. He said it isn't rocket science - it's simply calling the church to be what Jesus wanted it to be.

David Glover spoke next and announced that the P. U. R. E. Ministry Project has formed a partnership with Ambucs, which provides mobility equipment for and ramps in the homes of special needs people. He said at the same time they get to share Christ with special needs families.

See photo gallery here.

Dave Upton from the Birmingham chapter of Ambucs was there also. When Governor Palin walked onto the stage, he presented her with a therapeutic tricycle for Trig. Governor Palin seemed delighted and playfully pushed the colorful toy on the stage briefly.

See photo gallery here.

Glover said that he was about to burst some bubble. He said that you've heard that Sarah Palin was genuine, had integrity, was articulate, a believer, kind, generous, and gracious. He said that she was that and much, much more. He told how genuine and patient she had been in working with their people at the event.

As Governor Palin took the stand, the crowd stood to their feet and cheered. They had stood to their feet off and on during the evening as the Christian artists performed, but the response to Governor Palin was the most robust of the evening.

Governor Palin said what an honor it was to be here in the Peach State . She recognized the military and veterans who were present and asked them to stand. She thanked them for protecting our country and also recognized first responders in the audience.

She said Willow was with her but that Todd had stayed home because it was fishing season in Alaska. She joked about how Georgia had its Bulldogs and Alaska had its bull moose. She mentioned how the press had said her entourage had kicked them out at a recent event. Palin joked, "My entourage - that would be Willow - kicking them out."

Governor Palin announced that after she paid her taxes on it, she would be returning her speaking fee to the P. U. R. E. Ministry.

She talked about "a couple of the best days of my life" when she attended Track's graduation from boot camp at Fort Benning, Georgia. She said of the military that they are a source for good throughout the world and there is nothing to apologize for over the United States military.

Then she said, "I want to share with you a connection I have with many of you, and that would be my son Trig." She talked about how we should work to make people a little bit less afraid of people with special needs, a little more comfortable with them, and how we should make our country a more welcoming place for special needs people.

Governor Palin then talked about what each of the letters of the P. U. R. E. acronmyn represented. First, she talked about P for "perfectly created." She described her own experience when she found out that Trig would have Down syndrome. She said, "My world stopped spinning when I got that news." She said that she was overwhelmed, and that she told Todd, " I think God has overestimated us this time."

She said her sister Heather was the patient, nurturing one, a Mother Teresa and Matha Stewart rolled into one, and she could understand why God would choose her to be a special needs parent. But she said she felt God was preparing her own heart during the pregnancy, which she did not announce until she was 7 months pregnant.

She said it was winter at the time in Alaska, and people wore lots of layers. So it flew over the heads of a couple of reporters when she first announced her pregnancy. She talked about how the bloggers and "Internet goofs" had developed a "conspiracy theory that Trig is not my son."

She described how Trig melted into her chest as she held him the first time. She said that he looked up at her as if to say, "I’m here, Mom. Are you going to trust that everything is going to be OK?" She said that she asked God to "give us eyes to see this little boy's perfection."

Governor Palin said there are the world’s standards of perfection, and then there are God’s. She said that every child is beautiful before God and dear to him, that they not a burden but a blessing. She said that they have a unique place in God’s divine plan.

She said that it breaks her heart to see how some people refer to special needs people. She criticized the "vernacular slang coming out of the White House" in which people were called "retarded." She said America is too good to have to put up with that.

She talked about how when Track joined the military and hung up his hockey blades, she removed the bumper sticker about Track's hockey prowess and replaced it with one that said, "My child has more chromosomes than yours!"

Next she talked about the U in the P. U. R. E. acronym - "Unique in his or her own gifts, blessings, talents, and desires." She said that she didn't know anyone with perfect kids. She said that Trig's challenges are more unique than those of his siblings, and that he has a unique destiny.

She said that we need to make the world a more welcoming place and open people's eyes and hearts. She said that the unifier is going to be God as society struggles to find a proper place for special needs people. She said that special needs people might not win a Nobel Prize, but that Nobel Prizes weren't what they used to be. The latter remark was met with loud applause.

She said that changes in society, especially Obamacare, are going to hurt the special needs community. She said that as insurance premium prices go up, that it will hurt the special needs community in particular. She said that many special needs families rely on FSAs (flex savings accounts). The new cap on those accounts will impose a tax increase of $13. billion dollars on the special needs community.

She said that with Obamacare, there will be fewer providers, fewer choices, increased enrollees and as a result, rationing of care. She said that faceless panels of bureaucrats would be making decisions about who would get care. She said there was some sneaky sliding in of abortion servies, and to keep your eyes and ears open for these. She said that we have to stand up for what is right and walk the walk.

Then she talked about the R in the P. U. R. E. acronym - "Receptive and responsive." She said that special needs people seem to assume the best about people's actions toward them. She said their "spirits are tuning forks for the symphony of God's creation."

She talked about God being our guiding light, our GPS system. She said that in Alaska they refer to the North Star a lot. She said that they stay speak of being focused on the North Star (God).

She said that for Trig, like many other special needs people, his hands serve as his GPS, his safety zone. She described an incident in Texas where he was afraid to cross a lawn to see some puppies playing on the other side. She said he would look at his hand and take a step forward, look at his hand and take another step.

She then remarked, "I use my hand as a poor man's teleprompter" and held up her left hand, on which she had written with a marker. I'm only guessing, but I wouldn't be surprised if she had Perfectly created, Unique, Receptive, and Eternal written there.

Governor Palin said that Trig helps her family keep things in perspective. He helps them realize that the nonsense and distractions are not what is important at the end of the day. She said that Trig is the best thing that ever happened in their lives.

She described how Track wrestles with Trig and they play until Trig taps out. She said that Track came back from Iraq "big, buff, and tough" and that he participates in jujitsu, from which he sometimes comes back a little bruised. She described how one night Trig turned an elbow to Track's nose that caused her big, buff son to tap out for the first time.

She said that Trig has not spoken his first word yet, but that she is rooting for "Mama". He also has not eaten solid food yet and she is waiting for him to have a Cheerio. She said that his slower development had been more than made up for by the actions of his little heart of gold teaching the family how to take one day at a time.

Governor Palin finished with the E in the P. U. R. E. acronym - Eternal. She quoted Jeremiah 29:11: "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

She said that we all have a cross to bear, and that special needs people may have more struggles, but we should still rejoice and be glad. She said that when Trig wakes up every morning, he rubs his eyes to get the blurriness out, looks around, and starts applauding. She said he welcomes each day with applause and giggles. She said some days are better than others, but that he applauds them anyway.

Governor Palin mentioned Matthew 18 and said that God does not fail in his promises. She said that we should show mercy to others and trust Him on it. She said that in Paul's second letter to the Corinthians, he said, "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." She said the physical struggles that special needs people face are temporary, but their spirits are eternal. She said these are momentary light afflictions, and not God's eternal reality. She said that special needs people, with their hearts of gold, are more precious to God, because they are more in touch.

Governor Palin said all things are possible as we lead our country to God. She ended with, "God bless you, and God bless America!"

The crowd stood to their feet and cheered as Governor Palin, waving in her characteristic way, walked to the back of the stage and exited, still waving.

As David Glover took the podium to make the closing remarks, his first word was, “WOW!” He told how they had asked Governor Palin to be the official P.U.R.E. ministry ambassador and that she had graciously accepted He also commented on how friendly she had been to the folks dealing with her.

He thanked the churches and individuals who had participated in the night’s event. He said the ministry’s goal is to grow 50 new ministries in the metro Atlanta area over the next year. They have 4 training seminars planned in the next 4 months for people who are interested.

Glover estimated the crowd size of the event at 1000 people. He announced that Chris Tomlin would follow with the song “We Will Rise,” and asked the audience if they would rise to the challenge presented to them. He encouraged them to extend their comfort zone to understand P.U.R.E. people and their families.

Heidi Rew gave the last remarks and asked again that those who would like to contribute to the P.U.R.E. Ministry text 27138 and type in PURE followed by the amount they wished to contribute – for example, "PURE100".