Sarah Palin in America by Heart, by Sarah Palin
On Abortion:
Supreme Court oath: impartially apply Constitution
The Supreme Court, along with the rest of the federal judiciary, has tremendous power over our lives today. Their rulings mean the difference between the survival of innocent life and the state-sanctioned killing of innocent life. The reason this is
the case is because so many of the people who appoint and approve our judges and justices erroneously believe the courts' duty isn't to interpret the law but to MAKE the law. In cases where their agenda can't prevail among the people's representatives in
Congress, they have turned to the courts to make policy. That means having judges and justices who are no longer guided by the Constitution and the law, but by their personal opinions.But if you look at the oath of office that every Supreme
Court justice takes, you see that it commits them to a very different standard. They pledge not to pick winners and losers based on their hearts or their "empathy," but to impartially apply the Constitution and the law.
Source: America by Heart, by Sarah Palin, p. 14-15
Nov 23, 2010
On Abortion:
Supported 1990s TV ad: "Life: What a Beautiful Choice"
For those of us lucky enough to be parents, there is no greater proof of the existence of God than to look into the face of your new baby. This is the greatest gift of family: putting the big things, and little things, into their proper perspective.
Family makes us understand that the greatest things in life aren't our doing, that they're not tidy or predictable.A brilliant pro-life educational campaign from the 1990s made this point very well. It was a commercial that showed smiling, laughing
children, with a voice-over that said, "All these children have something in common. All of them were unplanned pregnancies that could have ended in abortion. But their parents toughed it out & discovered that sometimes that best things in life aren't
planned." It ended with the simple message: "Life: What a beautiful choice." There was no call for legal action and no guilt ascribed--just a simple message affirming life and reminding Americans that being open to life and family is beautiful.
Source: America by Heart, by Sarah Palin, p.103-104
Nov 23, 2010
On Abortion:
New feminism: pro-woman, pro-life sisterhood
Together, the pro-woman, pro-life sisterhood is telling the young women of America that they are capable of handling an unintended pregnancy and still pursue a career and an education. Strangely, many feminists seem to want to tell these young women that
they're NOT capable, that you CAN'T give your child life and still pursue your dreams. The message is: "Women, you are not strong enough or smart enough to do both. You are not capable."The NEW feminism is telling women they are capable and strong. And
if keeping a child isn't possible, adoption is a beautiful choice. It's about empowering women to make REAL CHOICES, not forcing them to accept false ones. It's about compassion and letting these scared young women know that there will be some help there
for them to raise their children in those less-than-ideal circumstances.
I believe this so strongly because I've been there. I never planned on being the mother of a son with special needs. I thought, "God will never give me something I can't handle."
Source: America by Heart, by Sarah Palin, p.153
Nov 23, 2010
On Budget & Economy:
"No thank you" to federal dollars with fat strings attached
The Obama administration's mammoth $787 billion stimulus package is a good example of this tactic of bribing the states to surrender their rights. As governor of Alaska, I angered a lot of state bureaucrats and their allies in Juneau when I turned down a
chunk of the federal money slated for Alaska in Obama's stimulus bill. I accepted the money that would go to create construction projects and provide needed medical care to the disadvantaged, but I said, "no, thank you" to dollars that had fat federal
strings attached to them.The debt-ridden, unsustainable stimulus scheme disrespected the Tenth Amendment by attempting to bribe the states with money in exchange for more Washington control. The money would have gone to fund government, not real jobs
in the private sector. Embarrassingly, the Republican-controlled state legislature overrode my veto and Alaska accepted the funds. And now, to pay for them, Alaskans will have to put up with even more rule-making from Washington.
Source: America by Heart, by Sarah Palin, p. 76-77
Nov 23, 2010
On Civil Rights:
America follows faith in how we treat special needs kids
What our culture does when it translates religious values into secular terms and applies them to useful ends isn't about brainwashing or converting--quite the opposite. It's a way of conferring a rich moral heritage while respecting everyone's religious
freedom.All the great religions call on us to follow the Golden Rule: to treat others as we would like to be treated ourselves. One of the best ways America follows this faith in a secular way is in the treatment we give to individuals with special
needs. Without so much as mentioning religion, we strive to treat these most vulnerable members of our society the way we ourselves would like to be treated.
We could always do more, but America says a lot about itself in the way we support these
amazing families. Not just with laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act, but in our private lives; in countless individual gestures in countless communities, our faith-rooted values are put to work to help special kids and adults.
Source: America by Heart, by Sarah Palin, p. 240-241
Nov 23, 2010
On Civil Rights:
Slavery in Constitution was a lasting shame for a century
To our great and lasting shame, slavery continued in the US for almost a century following the adoption of the Constitution. Although the controversy never went away, in the end it took the bloodiest war in our nation's history to end the evil practice.
Hundreds of thousands of Americans died, but slavery finally died with them. And in an important and overlooked way, our Founders began this painful process.
Source: America by Heart, by Sarah Palin, p. 30-31
Nov 23, 2010
On Civil Rights:
Women's movement was "seat at table"; now "control table"
When I was tapped for the V.P. nomination, I got a lot of, quite frankly, sexist criticism. Some of it came from conservatives who didn't think a woman had any business being on the campaign trail with young children. I'm used to that; I've heard it
since I first entered politics two decades ago. But most of it came from liberals who claimed to believe that women should pursue careers outside the home. They said I was being hypocritical about running for office while I had small children because
conservatives supposedly had rules about that kind of thing. Problem was, there was nothing in anything I advocated then (or since) that isn't empowering to women and doesn't encourage them to be all they can be.Americans understand that the rise
of the mama grizzlies is a healthy development, not just for women but for our country. It's the women's movement coming full circle, from demanding a seat at the table to sharing control of the table to provide a better future for our kids.
Source: America by Heart, by Sarah Palin, p.130-131
Nov 23, 2010
On Civil Rights:
I am a feminist, and grateful beneficiary of Title IX
It surprises some people to hear that I consider myself a feminist. I believe both women and men have God-given rights that haven't always been honored by our country's politicians. I believe women and men have important differences, but those
differences don't include the ability of women to work just as hard as men (if not harder) and to be just as effective as men (if not more so). I also consider myself a grateful beneficiary of the movement for female equality, particularly
Title IX, the federal law that mandates equal opportunity for women in high school and college sports. So I proudly call myself a conservative feminist.
One question liberal feminists would do well to ask themselves is why most American women today reject the label "feminist."
Source: America by Heart, by Sarah Palin, p.139-140
Nov 23, 2010
On Corporations:
I fought against crony capitalism as governor
Government is taking over more and more of the role that the free market has traditionally played in America. The problem is that when government is calling the shots, it's politics that matters, not good ideas, hard work, or perseverance.
It's called crony capitalism, and it's something I fought against as governor. In Alaska, we took on "Big Oil" and its allies in government who were taking the 49th state for a ride.
My administration challenged lax rules that allowed corruption and irresponsible resource development, and we even took on the largest corporation in the world at the time, Exxon-Mobil.
Our reforms helped reduce politicians' ability to play favorites
and helped clean up corruption. "Big Oil", including executives and lobbyists of BP, Exxon, Conoco-Phillips, and others, didn't pal around with me, but, then, that was a mutual decision.
Source: America by Heart, by Sarah Palin, p. 84-85
Nov 23, 2010
On Education:
All "winners" creates generation of entitled little whiners
Everyone's into building their kids' self-esteem by telling them they're all "winners." I understand the good intentions behind this, but I also worry that we're not giving our kids the chance to discover what they're made of.
When we don't let them fail, when we tell them every average effort is superlative, we're keeping them from discovering that hidden strength. We may think we're helping them, but really we're holding them back.
In fact, we may be creating a generation of entitled little whiners. I came across an article recently that reported how growing numbers of employers today complain that many young job applicants exhibit all the signs of having been--there's no other wor
for it--spoiled. These young people feel entitled to jobs and salaries they haven't earned. They have unrealistic views of their own capabilities. They don't take criticism well, and they demand lots of attention and guidance from their employers.
Source: America by Heart, by Sarah Palin, p.165-166
Nov 23, 2010
On Families & Children:
Mistake to assume teen daughter was a "good girl"
When my 17-year-old daughter dropped the bomb on Todd and me with her announcements that her adolescence had been prematurely halted and, in most unfortunate circumstances, she was going to have a baby, our little world stopped spinning momentarily.
Bristol was a "good girl," and this wasn't supposed to happen. Preoccupied with the enormous job of being governor of the nation's largest state, I assumed that Bristol was making only wise decisions while staying with my sister in Anchorage.
I kick myself to this day for my selfish assumption. I made a mistake.I helped deliver [my grandson] Tripp. I wouldn't trade that experience for anything, but at the same time I knew it all should have been happening ten years from then.
A contradiction? Perhaps. But Tripp is a dream; he's the most beautiful baby I have ever seen.
Source: America by Heart, by Sarah Palin, p. 95-96
Nov 23, 2010
On Families & Children:
Founding Fathers took strong families for granted
It sounds strange to us today, given how preoccupied we can be with the problems the family faces, that the men who laid the foundation of our republic said so little about the institution of the family. The founders took it for granted that strong
families instilled in children the habits and disciplines necessary for those children to govern themselves in adulthood.What the founders focused their energy on, then, wasn't a government that sought to control or shape families, but a government
that could capitalize on the virtues of trust and self-restraint that families create--a government that could respect and honor good citizens by allowing them to liver and prosper in freedom. The Constitution's relationship to the family, then, was
meant to be reciprocal: to depend upon the virtues of family life to make its system of government work, while protecting the freedom of families to create self-governing citizens.
Source: America by Heart, by Sarah Palin, p.111-112
Nov 23, 2010
On Families & Children:
On Down baby: God won't give me something I can't handle
I never planned on being the mother of a son with special needs. I thought, "God will never give me something I can't handle." And when I found out that my baby would be born with Down syndrome, I thought immediately, "Hey God, remember you promised you
wouldn't give me something I couldn't handle? Well, I don't think I can handle this." This wasn't part of my life's plan, and I was scared. I didn't know if my heart was ready. I didn't know if I was patient & nurturing enough.
But when Trig was born
I understood that God DID know what he was doing! What at first seemed like an overwhelming challenge has turned into our greatest blessing. All the time, it seems that God was whispering in my ear and saying, "Are you going to trust me? Are you going to
walk the walk or just talk the talk?" But when they laid Trig in my arms & he just kind of melted into my chest, he seemed to say to me, "See, Mom, God knows what he's doing. He gave me to you, and you to me, and this is going to be a wonderful journey."
Source: America by Heart, by Sarah Palin, p.153-154
Nov 23, 2010
On Free Trade:
Government is unnecessary for economic cooperation
The justification that supporters of greater government intervention in our economy use is that free market capitalism, left to itself, is unfair. Government must therefore step in to regulate the free market in order to ensure a fair outcome.This
argument has been around for a long time. I remember back when I was studying the American economy in my high school history class, the late economist Milton Friedman had won the Nobel Prize in economics a few years earlier and he was all the rage.
Friedman uses the making of a pencil to illustrate the power of human economic freedom--and the damage government can do when it steps in to replace the collective energy and decision making of free individuals: "None of the thousands of persons involved
in producing the pencil performed his task because he wanted a pencil. No one sitting in a central office gave orders to these thousands of people. None of their differences prevented them from cooperating to produce a pencil.
Source: America by Heart, by Sarah Palin, p. 87-88
Nov 23, 2010
On Government Reform:
1950s push for AK statehood based on lack of representation
In practice, I've always interpreted the Tenth Amendment to mean that the best government is government that is closest to the people. We Alaskans have good reason to believe in this principle.
Much of the motivation for the drive for statehood back in the late 1950s was because of the way the feds ran the territory Washington, DC. Without representation in
Congress, and all the things that statehood affords, there were laws made by the other states that hindered Alaska's development. For instance, when Alaska was just a territory, a law was passed called the
Jones Act, which requires that goods shipped between US ports be carried by US vessels. This restriction has greatly increased the cost of goods from the Lower 48 for Alaskans.
Source: America by Heart, by Sarah Palin, p. 72-73
Nov 23, 2010
On Health Care:
ObamaCare should focus on helping doctors via tort reform
Congressional Democrats hatched a plan to pass the ObamaCare bill without the House ever actually voting on it! And why? Because the support in Congress wasn't there. And the support in Congress wasn't there because public support wasn't there. The
American people have a principled wisdom that all the lawmakers & academics & schooled-up "experts" in DC fail to appreciate. Washington may have managed to make it law, but we still don't support ObamaCare. It turns out we can't be so easily bought.
Still, the bill was passed and the damage has been done. In the end, this unsustainable bill jeopardizes the very thing it was supposed to fix: our health care system. Somewhere along the way we forgot that health care reform is about doctors & patients,
not the IRS & politicians. Instead of helping doctors with tort reform, this bill has made primary care physicians think about getting out of medicine. It was supposed to make health care more affordable, but our premiums will continue to go up.
Source: America by Heart, by Sarah Palin, p. 21
Nov 23, 2010
On Homeland Security:
Calling Vietnam vets "baby killers" was shameful history
I'm grateful every day that [my son] Track and his fellow soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines live in a country that no longer looks down on their service. The treatment of servicemen and -women coming home from Vietnam--literally being spit on and
called "baby killers"--is a dark and shameful chapter in our history. We can and often do disagree with the decisions made by the civilian and military leaders who command our young men and women. And we do become war weary. But the
American people, to their everlasting credit, have no stomach for taking out our war weariness on the men and women who serve.To the contrary, I meet Americans everyday who are engaged in activities to honor & support our troops, whether it is baking
cookies, knitting wool caps for those cold nights in Afghanistan, or just writing a letter every once I n a while. Just as important, Americans continue to support our troops and their families after they come home, many of them with serious injuries.
Source: America by Heart, by Sarah Palin, p. 48-49
Nov 23, 2010
On Homeland Security:
If you love your freedom, thank a vet
Do you love your freedom? It's April 14, the day before Tax Day. We're in Boston, the home of the original American tax revolt. And everyone is in such a good mood. The crowd roars in the affirmative in answer to my question."If you love your
freedom, thank a vet." I ask all the men and women who have served or are serving our country to raise their hands. They wave, and the crowd explodes. "God bless you guys! We thank you. You're the reason we can be here today. We salute you!"
The mainstream media has been working overtime to portray these Americans as angry and bigoted. The Stars and Stripes is everywhere, rippling in the spring breeze from outstretched arms and attached to wheelchairs and strollers.
Dozens of yellow "Don't Tread on Me" flags glow in the morning sun.
Source: America by Heart, by Sarah Palin, p. ix-x
Nov 23, 2010
On Homeland Security:
Tragic mistake to allow mosque near Ground Zero
Selective evocation of religious tolerance continues today when Americans are lectured about who can exercise their freedom of religion, and under what circumstances. The plan to build a mosque just steps from Ground Zero in NYC is a good example.
NYC mayor Michael Bloomberg and other supporters of the initiative have argued that not allowing a mosque to be built at a sacred site where nearly 3000 people lost their lives in the name of Islam would somehow violate American principles of tolerance
and openness.
Many Americans, me included, feel it would be an intolerable & tragic mistake to allow such a project to go forward on such hallowed ground. Of course the supporters of this project have a constitutional right to build a mosque on private
land. But just because they can do something doesn't mean they necessarily should. This is nothing close to "religious intolerance"; it's what our Founders called "a decent respect for the opinions of mankind"--or in this case, their fellow Americans.
Source: America by Heart, by Sarah Palin, p.221-222
Nov 23, 2010
On Principles & Values:
We are free as consequence of being made in image of God
For me, this is the essence of freedom: to be a child of God whose God-given rights and responsibilities are respected by her government under the Constitution. What makes all of us
Americans isn't our ancestry or our skin color but our belief in its freedom. This isn't the kind of freedom that says, "Whatever feels good, just do it." It's the kind of freedom that says, "Don't tread on me."
It's the kind of freedom that shouts that men and women aren't just as free as their government or their king will allow them to be. Freedom is our birthright. We are free as a consequence of being made in the image of God--even if you don't believe in
God. Not only that, but we are equally free; no person or group of persons is less free than any other.
Source: America by Heart, by Sarah Palin, p. 12
Nov 23, 2010
On Principles & Values:
American exceptionalism based on idea of right to be free
In my experience, Americans are patriotic but not necessarily idealistic. We find inspiration and motivation close to home, in our families, our communities, and our faith. Generally, we're happy to live our lives and pursue our dreams and leave others
to live and pursue theirs.And if we were an ordinary country--just one country among many others--that would be enough. All countries have the right to defend themselves, and they exercise that right whenever necessary. But
America isn't just another country, it's an exceptional country. We are the only country in the history of the world that was founded not on a particular territory or culture or people, but on an idea. That idea is that all human beings have a
God-given right to be free. So when our young men and women sacrifice to serve in the military, they are doing much more than defending a piece of land. They are defending the idea of America itself.
Source: America by Heart, by Sarah Palin, p. 37
Nov 23, 2010
On Principles & Values:
McCain is a genuine American hero for enduring Vietnam
I remember being on the campaign trail with John McCain and hearing people attack him in deeply personal ways and thinking, "Do they know that they are insulting a genuine American hero? Are they fit to tie his boots, much less take cheap shots at him?"
Most Americans are by now familiar with the outlines of the story of John's 5-1/2 years of captivity in a North Vietnamese prisoner-of-war camp. But what most Americans may not know is that John McCain doesn't consider himself a hero. Why?
Because, under constant beatings and torture, and after repeatedly refusing to be released before Americans who had been imprisoned longer than he, John signed a confession written by his captors. He describes the scene [as feeling ashamed].
It is impossible for me to truly understand how John endured what he did, much less how he could feel shame for breaking under the cruelty of his captors. But such is the remarkable character of this man and the men and women of our armed forces.
Source: America by Heart, by Sarah Palin, p. 50-53
Nov 23, 2010
On Principles & Values:
Tea Partiers love America & dislike what's happening to her
What I've learned from the Tea Party Express is this: the spark of patriotic indignation that inspired the Americans who fought for our freedom and independence has been ignited once again! Americans are reawakening to the ideas, the principles, the
habits of the heart, and disciplines of the mind that America great. It's an AMERICAN awakening. It's coming from real people--not politicos or inside-the-Beltway types. They've seen what is happening in America, so they've decided to get involved.
They feel like they're losing something good and fundamental about their country, so they've decided to take it back, because they love this country and are proud to be Americans!
I realized that the Tea Partiers ARE normal Americans who haven't
necessarily been involved in national politics before but are turned on to this movement because they love America and they don't like what they see happening to her. They're so concerned about the path we're on that they've decided to get involved.
Source: America by Heart, by Sarah Palin, p. xii-xiii
Nov 23, 2010
On Principles & Values:
"Mama Grizzlies": tough candidates also raising families
In Alaska, the only thing we take more seriously than a grizzly bear is a mama grizzly with cubs to protect. I call the new generation of American women leaders--many of whom I've met on the campaign trail and in the towns and cities of America--mama
grizzlies. These are tough, serious, formidable women like Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, Nikki Haley of South Carolina, Susana Martinez of new Mexico, and Carly Fiorina of California. These women are at the forefront of a new wave of strong, confident
American women who are positively affecting not just the Republican Party, but America itself. They're building businesses, leading men & women in government--and, while they're at it, raising families.Some people are calling the emergence of these
successful conservative female leaders a new phenomenon in America. Truth is, mama grizzlies have been with us for a long time. These are the same women who settled the frontier, taught their kids, raised their families--and fought for women's rights.
Source: America by Heart, by Sarah Palin, p.127-128
Nov 23, 2010
On Principles & Values:
Everything worthwhile comes through effort
There is narcissism in our leaders in Washington today. There's a quasi-religious feeling to the message coming from them. They are trying to convince is that not only are they our saviors, but that
WE are our saviors--not hard work, not accomplishment, just "believing in ourselves" and what we can accomplish together through government. As candidate Obama proclaimed on Super Tuesday
2008, "We are the ones we've been waiting for, we are the change that we seek."I believe in a humbler, less self-involved America. I believe in that simple, commonsense wisdom that has come down to us through the ages:
Everything that is worthwhile comes through effort. There is no free lunch. Anybody who tries to tell you otherwise is selling something--usually something paid for by tax dollars.
Source: America by Heart, by Sarah Palin, p.179
Nov 23, 2010
On Principles & Values:
Fought each Xmas as mayor to keep Jesus manger in Wasilla
When I was mayor of Wasilla, I had to fight for six Christmases to keep the baby Jesus manger scene on display on Wasilla Lake. And the Ten Commandments are becoming harder to find in American courthouses than unicorns.
Most Americans are honestly puzzled about why these religious displays are so darn controversial. The fact is that these challenges reflect more than just theoretical, legal, and constitutional differences.
They are evidence of a profound cultural divide. According to a 2008 Pew poll, 92% of Americans believe in
God or a universal spirit, and more than half of us pray at least once a day. And yet we have an influential academic and legal elite that not only fails to share this belief, but seems actively hostile to it.
Source: America by Heart, by Sarah Palin, p.210
Nov 23, 2010
On Principles & Values:
Elites in "lame stream media" consider Americans alien
What is threatening about the Ten Commandments, a moral code that Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, the religions that account for 97% of all Americans believers, recognizes as the basis for living a good life? Why can't people just live and let live?
Part of the answer is the cultural divide between our governing elites and the mass of the American people. Most of those who write for the mainstream media and teach at universities and law schools don't share the religious faith of their fellow
Americans. They seem to regard people who believe in God and regularly attend their church or synagogue as alien beings, people who are "largely poor, uneducated and easy to command," as the Washington Post once famously put it.
Perhaps for this and other obvious reasons, I often refer to the conventional press as the "lame stream media." The truth is that we ARE alien--to them.
Source: America by Heart, by Sarah Palin, p.215
Nov 23, 2010
On Principles & Values:
We are a prayerful country
I pray all the time. I always have. Saying a prayer was the first thing I did when I learned that I was going to have my first child & it was the last thing I did before I stepped out in front of more than 40 million viewers to give my speech at the 2008
Republican Convention. I asked God to crush my "self" and give me His strength and grace for that time. I also turned to prayer backstage at the vice-presidential debate in 2008, although Piper scolded me for "cheating" when I asked her to pray with m
that God would have His way and His words at the event that night!
And I'm not alone in my reliance on prayer. We are a prayerful country. What's more, I think it's significant that we pray not just in times of danger or crisis, such as during the
Normandy invasion or the 9/11 attacks, but in quieter times as well. We pray for inspiration and guidance, and also pray in thanksgiving and gratitude. We even have a quintessentially American holiday, Thanksgiving, devoted to precisely that purpose.
Source: America by Heart, by Sarah Palin, p.228-229
Nov 23, 2010
On Principles & Values:
I label myself a "Commonsense Constitutional Conservative"
The question, going forward, is how? How do we embrace our exceptionalism at home and abroad? How do we take this great awakening among the American people and turn it into a positive force for reclaiming our country and our heritage? Like so many
Americans, I have been thinking about this a lot lately.The answer is closer than many of us realize. We don't need a manifesto. We don't need a new party. We just need to honor what our country is and was meant to be. And we need to remember the
common sense most of us learned before we went to kindergarten.
If I have to label myself, I would happily slap on a sticker that read, "Commonsense Constitutional Conservative." I am an Alaskan, with an inbred spirit of independence we are so proud of
in our state, and I am proud to have been registered in the Republican Party since I was eighteen, because I believe that the planks of our platform are the strongest foundation upon which to build a great nation while protecting our God-given liberties.
Source: America by Heart, by Sarah Palin, p.266-267
Nov 23, 2010
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