Something to Think About ...

Hat tip: Townhall.com

Just Look

From Gerald Van der Leun at the incomparable American Digest:

Just Look

From His Own Mouth

If, God forbid, The Obamessiah succeeds in his attempt to fool some of the people enough of the time to become the next president, what's the first thing he'll do? In this ad, we hear the truth from his own mouth. The excerpts are from a speech he gave to Planned Parenthood a little over one year ago.

For more information about this ad and its origin, read this short post by Kyle-Anne Shiver, Amer. Fam. Council Fights Obama. Great Ad, at her website Common Sense Regained.

10/26/08 Update: See From His Own Mouth II

A Class Act

On October 13, Sarah Palin made a campaign appearance in Virginia Beach, VA. Read this first-person story of Rebekah Curtis' encounter with her for a spontaneous example of Sarah's innate goodness and compassion. How many other politicians on a tight schedule, and surrounded by a phalanx of security agents, would have taken the time to do this?

I’m a 22-year-old amputee and have had a lot of health and mobility problems over the past couple of years. I just got a new leg and am finally getting back on my feet. (Pun intended!) Even a few weeks ago, standing for fairly short periods of time was impossible without a lot of pain. At the McCain/Palin rally in Virginia Beach Oct.13, my family stood for around eight hours straight, and I wasn’t any more sore than anyone else. But that wasn’t what made the day one of the happiest of my life.

We arrived at four in the morning and were the first in line, out of an estimated 25,000. Since we were in front, we were able to rush like mad when they opened up the area around the stage, so we were only about six or eight feet from it. I had a special request for Governor Palin, if I was lucky enough to meet her.

After the speeches, when Sarah walked down the stairs, my mom’s was the first hand she shook. People were already crowding in and shoving things at her to sign, and she started to move away. I was so disappointed, but Mom grabbed her hand and asked her if she would grant my request — to sign my leg. She kept moving, and Mom said, “Sarah!” one last time, and this time asked her to sign my artificial leg.

Read the rest of it to see what happened.

Gov. Palin Makes the Pro-Life Case

Earlier today. Sarah Palin gave a remarkable speech in Johnstown, Pennsylvania in which she movingly and eloquently made the case for the pro-life point of view. Here is a partial transcript:

“In this same spirit, as defenders of the culture of life, John McCain and I believe in the goodness and potential of every innocent life. I believe the truest measure of any society is how it treats those who are least able to defend and speak for themselves. And who is more vulnerable, or more innocent, than a child?

When I learned that my son Trig would have special needs, I had to prepare my heart for the challenges to come. At first I was scared, and Todd and I had to ask for strength and understanding. But I can tell you a few things I’ve learned already.

Yes, every innocent life matters. Everyone belongs in the circle of protection. Every child has something to contribute to the world, if we give them that chance. There are the world’s standards of perfection … and then there are God’s, and these are the final measure. Every child is beautiful before God, and dear to Him for their own sake.

As for our beautiful baby boy, for Todd and me, he is only more precious because he is vulnerable. In some ways, I think we stand to learn more from him than he does from us. When we hold Trig and care for him, we don’t feel scared anymore. We feel blessed.

It’s hard to think of many issues that could possibly be more important than who is protected in law and who isn’t – who is granted life and who is denied it. So when our opponent, Senator Obama, speaks about questions of life, I listen very carefully.

I listened when he defended his unconditional support for unlimited abortions. He said that a woman shouldn’t have to be – quote – “punished with a baby.” He said that right here in Johnstown –“punished with a baby” – and it’s about time we called him on it. The more I hear from Senator Obama, the more I understand why he is so vague and evasive on the subject. Americans need to see his record for what it is. It’s not negative or mean-spirited to talk to about his record. Whatever party you belong to, there are facts you need to know.

Senator Obama has voted against bills to end partial-birth abortion. In the Illinois Senate, a bipartisan majority passed legislation against that practice. Senator Obama opposed that bill. He voted against it in committee, and voted “present” on the Senate floor. In that legislature, “present” is how you vote when you’re against something, but don’t want to be held to account.

Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, a Democrat, described partial-birth abortion as “too close to infanticide.” Barack Obama thinks it’s a constitutional right, but he is wrong.

Most troubling, as a state senator, Barack Obama wouldn’t even stand up for the rights of infants born alive during an abortion. These infants – often babies with special needs – are simply left to die.

In 2002, Congress unanimously passed a federal law to require medical care for those babies who survive an abortion. They’re living, breathing babies, but Senator Obama describes them as “pre-viable.” This merciful law was called the Born Alive Infants Protection Act. Illinois had a version of the same law. Obama voted against it.

Asked about this vote, Senator Obama assured a reporter that he’d have voted “yes” on that bill if it had contained language similar to the federal version of the Born Alive Act. There’s just one little problem with that story: the language of both the state and federal bills was identical.

In short, Senator Obama is a politician who has long since left behind even the middle ground on the issue of life. He has sided with those who won’t even protect a child born alive. And this exposes the emptiness of his promises to move beyond the “old politics.”

In both parties, Americans have many concerns to be weighed in the votes they cast on November fourth. In times like these, with wars and a financial crisis, it’s easy to forget even as deep and abiding a concern as the right to life. And it seems our opponent hopes that you will forget. Like so much else in his agenda, he hopes you won’t notice how radical his ideas and record are until it’s too late.

But let there be no misunderstanding about the stakes.

A vote for Barack Obama is a vote for activist courts that will continue to smother the open and democratic debate we need on this issue, at both the state and federal level. A vote for Barack Obama would give the ultimate power over the issue of life to a politician who has never once done anything to protect the unborn. As Senator Obama told Pastor Rick Warren, it’s above his pay grade.

For a candidate who talks so often about “hope,” he offers no hope at all in meeting this great challenge to the conscience of America. There is a growing consensus in our country that we can overcome narrow partisanship on this issue, and bring all the resources of a generous country to the aid of both women in need and the child waiting to be born. We need more of the compassion and idealism that our opponent’s own party, at its best, once stood for. We need the clarity and conviction of leaders like the late Governor Bob Casey.

He represented a humanity that speaks to all of us – no matter what our party, our background, our faith, or our gender. And no matter your position on this sensitive subject, I hope that spirit will guide you on Election Day. I ask you to vote for McCain-Palin on the November fourth, and help us to bring this country together in the rational discussion of compassion and life.”

Hat tip: Kathryn Jean Lopez in NRO's The Corner

You can watch the C-SPAN video of the entire 30-minute speech here:
Palin Campaign Speech in Johnstown, PA.

A Pleasant Surprise

If last night's debate has you feeling a little glum, here's a video that'll cheer you right up again. Watch this – then spread it around. Truly outstanding!



Hat tip: Jay Nordlinger of NRO

A Comparison: Pro-Life vs. Pro-Death

The National Right to Life Committee has produced a comparison chart which clearly and succinctly summarizes our two major candidates' respective positions on the issue of legalized infanticide. Take a look:

 

(Click on picture to enlarge.)

You can download a full-color PDF version of this chart here (633 Kb).

Along those same lines, take a look at this gripping and powerful video, "Therefore Choose Life," produced by Catholicvote.com. One does not need to be Catholic to recognize that as a group, they are stalwart and uncompromising on the issue of the sanctity of life. I'm Jewish myself, but on this question, it makes no difference. Those of us who agree that all life is precious must unite on this issue, while we respectfully disagree on many others.

If you agree that the taking of an innocent life is murder, then let's lay aside our doctrinal differences long enough to make sure that the pro-life team wins, while the pro-death candidates taste the bitterness of defeat.

Hat tips: Stuart Smith for the National Right to Life chart, and Gerald Vanderleun of American Digest (FWIW, also not a Catholic – but who cares?) for the video.