Sarah Palin - Faith and Freedom Coalition Speech lyrics

Thank you so much. You do inspire me. Thank you. Oh my goodness. Thank you so much, Iowa. I'm so happy to get to be here. Todd and I are just thrilled to get to have-- traveled from Alaska to get to visit with you all and to be here on an Iowa state fairground. It brings back some really good memories. And as we were driving through, I'm looking around-- "Where's that fried bu*ter on a stick?" That's what I missed. Those fried twinkies. Didn't see the menu doggone it. But wonderful, wonderful to get to be here with you. We love being in Iowa: the heart of the country. It's just so reflective of what's good about America. You are so reflective of what's good about America. You're unpretentious, hardworking, humble, very candid, you tell it like it is, and you'll tell a politician exactly what it is that you're thinking and desiring in our country. And that's appreciated. I love that candidness. And absolutely wonderful to get to be here with Phyllis Schlafly. I was a teenager in college, and I remember not having grown up in a really political family, schoolteachers for parents, and just-- you know, common sense-- good folks in the family, but not really politically active. Ronald Reagan was president at the time, and I remember tuning into Phyllis Schlafly and Beverly LaHaye and some of these women who certainly seem to have a lot of answers that our country needed to hear. And, as a teenager, I remember paying some subscription dues to-- I think it was the Phyllis Schlafly Report; it was the Eagle Forum and Concerned Women of America. And, in my dorm room even, I had a decal on the window: "Concerned Women of America," and said it like a Madonna post or something like that, and I thought, "Man, I'm probably the only one on campus with such a thing." But recognizing it even back then, how important it was for women-- for all concerned Americans to stand up and be able to work for truly equal opportunity, without government telling us how to do it, but culturally to allow opportunity for all. And that's what Phyllis helped usher in: that mentality, that thinking. I wish I had her energy. She just cited the verse about those who wait upon the Lord will renew their strength. They'll mount up with wings as eagles, and they'll run and not be weary. And that is Phyllis and I'm thinking, well, I went running this morning through some hills in Iowa, and I was really weary. So I need that kind of strength. We all do from someone like Phyllis. She paved the way. She shattered gla** ceilings left and right and, again, didn't rely on government to do it for us. She had the elbow grease and the brains and the wherewithal to just get things done for, not just women in America, but for all in America. So absolutely honored to be here. She's the original Mama Grizzly. Well, Faith and Freedom Coalition. I want to thank you for amplifying our voice, for taking the good cause around the country, for resisting that fundamental transformation that so many liberty-loving Americans never signed up for. You remind us of the inherent link between faith and freedom. Our rights are endowed by our creator, and faith is the integral part in securing our liberty. That's what it is that you represent, remind, and empower us to live out. And our founders knew this. John Adams, remember, wrote that, "Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate for the government of any other." But look around today: everywhere it seems that we see it. Faith, a religious freedom, is under attack, and it's pushed out the public square. And it's censored. You'll see it blatantly-- keep your eyes and ears open for this-- you'll see it blatantly come this holiday season. Around Christmas time, it seems to really rear its head lately. You'll see the censorship and the double standards, unless we do something about it. Friends, we need a Great Awakening about this. We need a call to action. So I want to talk about what that battle is that's brewing. The phrase "War on Christmas" sounds like an oxymoron. I mean, how can there be a war on the holiday that celebrates the Prince of Peace. But Christmas is under attack. And it's a symptom of a bigger issue. We hear story after story now of some A.C.L.U. letter being sent to a school district threatening them, telling them they better not sing "Silent Night." Or a college campus being banned from having Christmas tree sales. Or the traditional innocent nativity scene banned from public display less that little plastic baby doll, this nestle in a dusty hay-filled major give such offense to an angry atheist armed to an attorney. Well, I'm not going to just lament the problem of our eroding freedom to worship and celebrate our faith. I'm going to do something about it, and I challenge you to also. I just wrote about this Tuesday-- I have a book that comes out-- I say in a very jolly Christmasy way that, "Enough is enough." Say enough is enough with this politically correct police out there that is acting to erode our freedom to celebrate and exercise our faith. Some scrooge wants to force Christ out of Christmas and wants to ban Jesus out of the reason for the season? I wrote about this more in the book-- it's more than just talk about more politically correct scrooges screaming, "Bah Humbug!" But see, the War on Christmas is just the tip of the spear in a larger battle to marginalize expressions of faith and make America's true religious freedom just a thing of the past. So I wrote answers and actions to protect the heart of Christmas. And I did mix in there funny family stories and unique family traditions and Alaskanan recipes-- there's some entertainment in there. It's not just a political lecture-- you know, shoved down your throats type a narrative. But, I even include in there my moose chili recipe. I want you guys to know how we do that. And-- what it is, though, is a call to action and it's imperative, because we must protect our constitutionally protected freedom of faith. See, it's really interesting, to me, that-- that's why I want to take this on tonight-- interesting that the scrooges, those-- so often, the people who are too enlightened for religion or church, well, they're the very same people who have a zealot-like faith in their own church, which happens to be the church of big government. And what's that done for you lately? Oh, they're so enlightened, but what's that done for you lately? Let's see: one agency of our big-bloated government purposely targeted and hara**ed innocent, conservative citizens just because they happened to disagree with the liberal policies of our city-liberal president. Another agency, despite all our phone calls, secretly s**ed in every piece of digital data that has ever pa**ed across the internet. Another couldn't be bothered to defend our U.S. amba**ador and conciliate on the anniversary of 9/11 during a murderous terrorist attack. And then we were blown off by a flippant response of, "What difference does it make?" And another transformed overnight from friendly Smokey-the-Bear-type park rangers helping the tourists into a police force that was tossing out our World War II veterans from their own war memorials. And, folks, the crowning achievement of their church of big government: Obamacare, with its architect, the president, now broadcasting his ShamWow-style infomercials defending this train wreck in all of its deception. Well, you can see they think that their church of big government knows best with Obamacare. Oh goodness, even if you liked your own healthcare plan, you can't keep it, because, "You silly goose, you silly Iowans. You didn't really like that health plan that you had and that you could afford. You just thought you liked it. Our dear leaders know better. They won't let you keep it, nor afford your new one. Because, what do you hicks in flyover country know? What do those hockey moms in Wasilla know about how to raise our families or run our businesses or spend our own income or run our own lives, according to our own priorities, or manage our own healthcare?" Well, the lapdog media, they let them get away with all of this-- the lies, the deception-- for far too long. And irrepairable damage is done. This, recent though tiny acknowledgment that, "It's the Obama website that's broken-- that's what's the problem. Just fix it. Yeah, fix the website. That's the ticket. Don't worry, people." Government says now that they've called the best and the brightest to fix the website. "Good lord, a broken website? I don't give a flying flip about a malfunctioning website!" That is just another distraction. It is a demonimous fix, is what you'll find with working on a broken website. That does nothing to address the far-left, stifling, strangling, shackling agenda on America. Don't give a rip about those websites fixer-uppers sent in to save the day for Obama again. It's just a distraction. "The best and the brightest, though," he says, "They'll fix it." Hey, supposedly the best and the brightest have been calling the shots for quite a long time now, and where has that gotten you? Well, what do the best and the brightest have to show for it? Mm-- poverty aggressively on the rise in this land of plenty. And unemployment is still ticking up and we've got shuttered businesses, shuttered cities. A record number of Americans simply giving up and no longer even bothering to look for work anymore. The welfare lines are growing and growing, and national debt grown so large in the last 5 years-- you know it's increased over 50 percent under this administration, and those who have been too chicken to stand up against incurring even more debt. But that debt that's rising is growing so large that even our kids and grandkids are never going to be able to pay it back, no matter how they spend it, those Orwellian, double-speaking words that we hear so often today know the economy is still miserable and, with every overreaching; inefficient; and ineffective big government solution that the church of big government supposes. Folks, our freedoms fade. Should we have faith in it when it surely doesn't have faith in us? Now, that church, you have to ask yourself, "Does it care about you?" or, "Does it have faith in your ability and your right to govern yourself based on your priorities?" That church that is now so arrogant that it believes it can spy on our citizens and lie and block our participation in a democratic process within our republic. No, I think that, truly, we should not have faith in it because it does not have faith in us. And things must change. And friends, there is an implicit warning in those words of John Adams: "Our Constitution wholly inadequate to any besides the moral and religious people." He said that as a warning: he warned us our liberty to pence on a moral character because an immoral and indifferent people fall prey to unscrupulous leaders. Those who would ignore the Constitution in favor of their own fundamental transformation agenda. He had that warning, I think providentially, and he left us that gift of a warning. Leaders who would enrich themselves in their ? goes bankrupt, leaders who would exempt themselves from the laws that they enforce on the rest of us-- that's dictatorship. Leaders, remember this, that they promised to do everything in their power to fight against socialized medicine, against Obamacare. But when it came time to stand and defund it, they waved the white flag of surrender, and they threw under the bus the good guys who did stand up and fight for us: senators like Ted Cruz and Mike Lee. And you know who I'm talking about: it's both sides of the aisle doggone it. I mean, look at these Obamacare supporters now, though, especially the Democrats running in red states. They're running for re-election and they're running for political cover. They're scurrying the way from so many lies, arrogantly a**uming that-- you know, we're just too dense, or busy anyway, to do anything about it. And they try to rewrite history. But-- well, you know me well to enough to know that I'm not going to just preach to the choir and repeat and remind you all what the problem is. You know what the problem is. I'd like a call to action. Like talking solutions. So, here we go. I want to encourage you to make your voice heard, to hold politicians accountable. Tell those around you, your friends, your colleagues, tell anyone who will listen that-- ask them, "Do you like your government? You can keep your government. Just keep sitting on your thumbs and acting indifferent, and you're going to keep the government that we have." No, instead, get involved. Get involved with those independent, patriotic, gra**roots tea party movements that are out there who are standing up for the right values for America. You know what kind of cracks me up for some reason? Some of these Republicans who act a bit embarra**ed about the Tea Party movement, not understanding how independent it is, without title and organization. You know, these inside battles for positions-- that truly is a gra**roots independent movement. And some of these Republicans would kind of, when it's convenient, shy away from any a**ociation with the Tea Party. That says a lot. So keep your eyes and ears open for those who would hesitate to embrace what the Tea Party movement is all about. Remember what Tea-- Tea Party-- the acronym, what it stands for? What it stood for in the very beginning. It stood for "Taxed Enough Already." What is so wrong and radical about recognizing that we are taxed enough already and that it's the Constitution that needs to be followed. That's the blueprint that needs to leads us towards a more perfect union. What the heck is so radical about that? I encourage you to get involved in the Tea Party movement and don't stay home and, like I say, don't just preach to the choir. That 2014 midterm elections, thankfully they're just around the corner, as Phyllis Schlafly alluded to, be courageously a part of this next election cycle. Man, keep the faith that-- and the fact that you are here tonight, that proves your pa**ion, your courage, the commitment that it does take to make that positive difference that's so needed in America. It proves that you still care. So keep the faith and share it, and know that you have a role and a responsibility in protecting the heart of a free America. We got to stiffen our spines, and remember, though sometimes it may be kind of hard to believe, remember that elections come and go, so the era of Obama is coming to an end. I promise. The era of Obama-- my son had a bumper sticker that said, "The error of Obama is coming to an end"-- I think he wasn't allowed to keep it on his truck base, so-- we had a-- (laughter). But those 2014 midterm elections, your involvement there, absolutely imperative. What about after the era of Obama is over? What about our fellow Americans who will still be struggling and feeling beaten down? Struggling to come up for air after 8 years of growing government and more taxes and more debt and less prosperity and less freedom. Now, you know, coming up, you know that the other side will just offer more of the same: more false promises, more free stuff. And the media, for far too long, will go along with it, with all the deception. What will you counter it with? See this free stuff is so seductive. Why do you think marketers use free stuff to bring people in? Free stuff is such a strong marketing ploy. It's a tool. That lure of free stuff is seductive, but-- didn't you all learn, too, in Econ 101: there ain't no such thing as a free lunch. Our free stuff today is being paid for by taking money from our children and borrowing from China. When that note comes due-- and this isn't racist, so-- you know, try it-- try it anyway. This isn't racist. But it's going to be like slavery when that note is due, right? We're going to be beholden to a foreign master, because there is no plan-- there is no plan coming out of Washington, D.C. to stop the incurrence of debt, is there? All we're hearing about is why we need to grow more debt. I learned, man, if you're in a hole and you don't want to be in that hole, quit digging. Instead-- If we keep going down the road of bankruptcy, it's just common sense. You already know, I won't waste your time with what you already know. But I challenge you now, though, that-- oh, there comes a point in every great movement-- and the next movement, that Great Awakening is coming. I know it's coming. There's a point when being the opposition, though, isn't enough. For the past 5 years, haven't we all been that hockey goalie in the net deflecting many of the radical left's pucks as possible. But if we want to restore this great nation, and win back the trust of her people, we need more than defense and opposition. Our daughter, Piper, she is in the midst of the most important thing in the world today-- and if you looked at our schedule, our family schedule, it kind of reflects that, "Really? Middle school basketball is the most important thing in the Palin family?" Well, it kind of is right now. So, Piper, in the midst of her season, we're reminding her all the time, "Yes! Piper, be tenacious on defense. Like a barracuda. Yeah! But remember, defense alone doesn't win the game. You got to reach the goal, babe." So, in defense of our republic, criticism, as opposition, and the word "No," it's great! It's essential. But don't let the media shape some kind of false narrative that says that that's our only answer. That's bull. That is not our only answer. Common sense conservatism stands for something. So, let's get it out there. Let's better articulate as Mike Lee talks about, needing to articulate what that better vision is, and our deep concern for the downtrodden. Explain our better vision for moving the poor and underemployed out of poverty and out of the shackles of dependency on government. We stand for truth. We stand for faith, family, freedom, and work ethic, free markets, equal opportunity-- we stand for the sanctity of innocent human life itself. We stand for the things that are right and free and good about America that created the most exceptional, prosperous, safest-- the most voluntarily generous nation on Earth-- those virtues. And these are time-tested truths that show that we care sincerely for our fellow countrymen and recognize that we're not swords of the state, but free men and women who can live good and productive lives without D.C.'s appointed "best and brightest" telling us what to do. We stand for faith, and we stand for faith in something greater than self. We recognize, we're fallible; we don't pretend to have all the answers. But we can have faith in he who does. This week, I was able to speak at Billy Graham's 95th birthday party, and I tell you, I think that was the most humbling event ever that I was able to participate in. Absolutely humbling. He left us with a poignant word in a video that they showed that night. He was talking about his personal faith. His quote was, "My hope is not centered in this world. My hope is centered in our lord Jesus Christ." Billy Graham is so right to not have that hope in politicians or politics or system government. That's false hope. Hope, you know, fingers crossed, hope-- especially that politically strange hopey changey stuff that's part of our political system today-- it has proven to be futile in politics. So instead of that hope rhetoric and blindly accept it and try to be applied, well, the solution is to try something else. And, if we really want to win back America, restore America so that we can progress forward. Why did we let the left hijack that term progress? We want to progress forward this great nation towards a more perfect union for all. For that equal opportunity so that all may have that good life in the greatest country on Earth. Progress forward. Win back America, in order to do that, instead of that hopey changey stuff, let's apply a new term. How about you, perfectly, your term: that's faith... and freedom. Faith that a providential hand can still guide us, let's ask for it and accept it, and faith that we can still stand for government of the people; by the people; and for the people, as intended. And showing faith in our fellow Americans. That optimistic faith that America's best days are straight ahead; they don't have to be in the rear view mirror. And faith that we all have a role in this. You do. Everybody, individually. And playing small doesn't do anybody any good at these time. You're equipped with this. You're unique. You're given unique talents and interests and pa**ions and gifts. You're given unique circumstances to get you ready, to live out that role that you're destined for, to make a big difference, what our nation needs today. Have faith that God didn't make any mistake in you. We used to sing a song in Sunday school that, "God don't make no junk." I hum that to myself as I'm jogging along with-- sometimes some doubts, sometimes some-- Wow! Maybe, I don't know if it's the miles that are catching up with me and I'm tired, or just sometimes mentally, emotionally, you get tired of thinking. "Am I beating my head against a wall?" "Are we being effective?" "Are we making that change that needs to be made?" And, so often, I'm thinking that while I'm running, and then leaning into those verses, into those scriptures, it reminds me-- you know, God does have a purpose and a plan and He writes his name on the palm of his hands. Like I write my cheat sheet notes on the palm of my hands, he writes our name on the palm of his hands, which tells us that we are uniquely created with destiny, and I have to believe that destiny is to contribute positively in the real change that our country needs, that next Great Awakening that can fundamentally restore-- not fundamentally transform America, but fundamentally restore all that is good and right and free. Have faith that you have a role and responsibility in that mission. And finally, have faith that, even when we do get tired, we will be sustained as we work to fundamentally restore this most blessed nation. I thank you so much for your courage, your candidness, your boldness, the work ethic that-- especially it seems Iowans exemplify. The rest of the country, the rest of the world can learn so much from what it is that we have here that the heart of America. God bless you, Iowa, and God bless the United States of America. Thank you.