A Journalist's Perspective on Sarah Palin

I have to be honest. Before this evening, I (along with much of the American population) was completely misguided into not thinking much of Sarah Palin's abilities. I am now 100% ashamed about that fact. Granted, I'm not so sure she should be the one to fill the GOP ticket for the 2012 presidential election -- but that is undoubtedly for other reasons than her "lack of ability." She is a powerful speaker. She is real, passionate and is way beyond the terrible label the media give her.

Sarah is dignified. She has a bold presence that is impossible to ignore. I had the pleasure of shaking her hand, along with about 10 others, out of the 1500 that were present for the Vitae fund raiser tonight. As a journalist, I fail to understand how one could still feel like a true journalist after tearing a woman like this apart. If any of these so-called "journalists" were actually present when she spoke to a crowd, and were honest about her impact -- we would never see the kind of coverage she has been given. I went to this event with a bias... and not one in her favor. I left with my eyes opened and I now see her for how she should be seen. I have gained so much respect for her after tonight's event. I greatly admire this woman who stands so strong when so many stand against her.

Her speech tonight was invigorating. She spoke about a number of things relating to the pro-life cause. She was real. I could tell that it wasn't a "show" to gain support. We were all there for one reason -- to join together as pro-lifers and inspire each other to do more in the movement. She did her part and shared with us all that she had been through with the challenges God has placed in her life. She talked about her daughter's struggle and how Bristol has used her personal difficulties to help others. Unlike how the media want to pummel Bristol, saying she is a hypocrite... Bristol is using her experiences to tell others how difficult it is and wants them to learn from her as an example of what could happen. Sarah mentioned her struggle with finding out her son had down's syndrome and truly "walking the walk" of accepting what God has put before her and standing strong. She talked about how she knows God doesn't give people more than they can handle and through faith -- she could face any challenge. She talked of what a joy her son is and how she knew as soon as she held him in her arms that she was ready.

I admire Sarah for being so honest about the experiences and challenges that have been placed on her family. Contrary to what the media tell the world, these challenges do not make her weak -- they make her (and her family) a solid example for how to pull through and trust in God. Whether it was Bristol's unplanned pregnancy or her son's diagnosis -- the Palin family stood together and supported each other. I feel blessed to have been at the Vitae event tonight. Not only did I meet some great people, but I learned what the media have covered up for so long -- the beauty and passion of Sarah Palin.

It's not over

After the initial shock of the passage of the healthcare bill, I tried to think logically and reasonably. Yes, I was still unbelievably upset and disappointed... however, what good does it do to merely be upset- that only makes it seem that nothing can be done.

Something CAN be done. Does anyone know what happens in November 2010? Yep, all the congressmen who voted in favor of this bill better be ready to face the consequences of their actions. The majority of the American people did NOT support this bill being passed. What is the job of our *REPRESENTATIVES* in Congress??? To *REPRESENT* the American majority. It seems to me, that is failing to happen.

Secondly, this bill is not set to go into effect until 2013. What does this mean? The next presidential election is also pivotal. The bill could likely be overturned if Republicans take back the House and a solid candidate is elected president. This could be a long shot... but, if the American people truly read up on what is actually in the bill- there could be more of a revolt than expected.

I would love the chance to understand what is going through the heads of political leaders. What happened to the America I know and love? What happened to a country built on freedoms of LIFE, LIBERTY and the PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS?? There are a few things that I carry around with me on a daily basis- among those things is a pocket Constitution and Declaration of Independence.

The Declaration of Independence states: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

I wrote something on this a while ago and it seems to definitely apply now:

Unalienable rights? What does this mean? This simply means that these rights cannot be given OR taken away. They are simply regarded as rights that any and every human being is endowed... not by man, no... but by their Creator. In many cases this means God. This is not necessarily to bring about a discussion of whether or not God exists - but to explain that every human being has these rights, whether or not they are stated by another. Now, to explain further, there is a difference between having these rights and having a "right to" these rights. A man who chooses to murder another, for example, has given up his rights to liberty. He chose to inflict on another person's right to life, therefore he shall be put in jail. Choices we make in life will certainly have an effect on what rights you will have a "right to have." As I have said in the past... not all freedoms are awarded to those who bear ignorance. If you do something stupid, there will be a consequence.

The referenced original post I previously wrote can be found here: http://lavidadesheri.blogspot.com/2009/06/epiphany.html ... or here: http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=95966911244

I mention this because of the misguided reasoning of those endorsing nationalized healthcare. Will this help some people? Yes. Will it accomplish what it is SAID to accomplish? Most likely, NO. The government will be taking OUR tax dollars to pay for something that will minimally cover a great number of people and inflict on ALL of these aforementioned UNALIENABLE RIGHTS. This bill will also restrict care to those who are truly in need. All you need to do is reference countries who already have nationalized healthcare- are they better off? NO. Canada and England are two good examples. Life expectancy for people who have life-threatening disorders, diseases or conditions is DRAMATICALLY less than it has been in America. There are so many problems with this bill and I don't think I could even begin to describe them here... and I haven't even mentioned the problem that I fight for every day of my life- defending the life of the unborn. I am outraged and ready to take action. Whatever it takes, I will fight for the America that I know and love. I will fight for the right of every human being to have LIFE from conception to natural death, LIBERTY to live in a country of the free, and the PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS- so long as it does not impede another's God-given right to the same. I stand for what this country was built on and will NOT back down.

I will leave you with the words of Ronald Reagan:

"There are no easy answers' but there are simple answers. We must have the courage to do what we know is morally right."

Epiphany

So, last night I prayed the sorrowful mysteries of the Rosary. Immediately thereafter I fell asleep. I then had this crazy dream... I don't remember all of it - but the main thing I do remember is that I was being chased by wolves. This morning I was sitting down at breakfast sipping my coffee and this thought just popped into my head. I, of course, am no dream-interpreter... however, it is almost as if this dream was a sort of metaphor, if you will, for where I am currently at in my life. I am in Washington D.C.... not the "safest" place for most people... especially if you are pro-life and actively working for the movement. The imagery came across to me as "I am being fed to the wolves" or "I am fighting the wolves of abortion." It was an interesting thought... This is one of the greatest wars of our time. Yet, some don't even recognize it as a battle. I am here to stand, to fight and to show that many people DO care. I am here to demonstrate the ideals and moral values that I believe this country was built. Every human life deserves a chance to live. How is it possible that some people still do not understand that it is bluntly obvious when life begins? It begins at conception - the reason being, alongside many others, is that a new, growing, developing life starts at the moment of conception. A sperm cannot grow into a human being on its own. An egg cannot grow into a human being on its own. However, once the egg is fertilized by the sperm, it becomes a zygote and develops - oh so rapidly - into a living, breathing human being. I believe the debate circles around "when does life begin" way too much. Science can show when life begins. The real question should be - when does the life deserve to live?

If you look at our Declaration of Independence, it says a great deal:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

Unalienable rights? What does this mean? This simply means that these rights cannot be given OR taken away. They are simply regarded as rights that any and every human being is endowed... not by man, no... but by their Creator. In many cases this means God. This is not necessarily to bring about a discussion of whether or not God exists - but to explain that every human being has these rights, whether or not they are stated by another. Now, to explain further, there is a difference between having these rights and having a "right to" these rights. A man who chooses to murder another, for example, has given up his rights to liberty. He chose to inflict on another person's right to life, therefore he shall be put in jail. Choices we make in life will certainly have an effect on what rights you will have a "right to have." As I have said in the past... not all freedoms are awarded to those who bear ignorance. If you do something stupid, there will be a consequence. I must credit a lot of this reflection to Doris Gordon, Founder of Libertarians for Life. I had a good conversation with her the other day about this... you should read some of her writings. Her website can be found here: www.L4L.org.

Chalk for Life!

It's Respect Life month and Students for Life of CMU are making sure that everyone is aware. On Sunday, October 21, 25 students chalked 4,000 hearts around Central Michigan's campus. These hearts represent the 4,000 lives lost every day in the United States alone from abortion. The main goal of chalking is to create greater awareness and provoke thought regarding abortion. Among the hearts were quotes and statistics. Some examples include:

"Any country that accepts abortion is the poorest of the poor" – Mother Theresa

"It is a poverty to decide that a child must die so that you live as you wish" – Mother Theresa

"Everyone who supported slavery was free. Everyone who supports abortion was born. That's how oppression works." – Anonymous

“If you can read this your weren’t aborted. Call your Mom today and thank her!” - Anonymous

“A person’s a person no matter how small.” – Dr. Seuss