Last week, the Shelby County
Alabama Legislative Delegation hosted a "Stand Up for America Rally." More
than 1,200 people attended including featured speakers Chief Justice Roy
Moore, Adjutant General Mark Bowen and Alabama State Auditor Beth Chapman.
This is a copy of Mrs. Chapman's speech, which resulted in five standing
ovations, tremendous applause and an encore.
It's a short read and
well worth it. I hope you enjoy it as we continue to "Stand up for
America!"
Stand Up for
America Rally
Speech By: Beth Chapman:
I'm here tonight because men and women of
the United States
military have given their lives for my freedom. I am not here tonight
because Sheryl Crowe, Rosie O'Donnell, Martin Sheen, George Clooney, Jane
Fonda or Phil Donahue, sacrificed their lives for me.
If my memory serves me
correctly, it was not movie stars or musicians, but the United States
Military who fought on the shores of Iwo
Jima, the jungles of
Vietnam, and
the beaches of Normandy.
Tonight, I say we should support the President of the United
States and the U.S. Military and tell
the liberal, tree-hugging, Birkenstock-wearing, hippy, tie-dyed liberals to
go make their movies and music and whine somewhere else. After all, if they
lived in Iraq, they
wouldn't be allowed the freedom of speech they're being given here
today.
Ironically, they would be put to
death at the hands of Sadam Husssein or Osama Bin Laden. I want to know how
the very people who are against war because of the loss of life, can
possibly be the same people who are for abortion?
They are the same
people who are for animal rights but against the rights of the unborn. The
movie stars say they want to go to Iraq and
serve as "human shields" for the Iraqis. I say let them buy a one-way ticket
and go. No one likes war. I hate war! But the one thing I hate more is the
fact that this country has been forced into war-innocent people have lost
their lives - - and there but for the grace of God, it could have been my
brother, my husband, or even worse my own son. On December
7, 1941, there are no records of movie
stars treading the blazing waters of Pearl
Harbor. On September 11,
2001; there are no photos of movie
stars standing as "human shields" against the debris and falling bodies
ascending from the World
Trade
Center. There
were only policemen and firemen -underpaid civil servants who gave
their all with nothing expected in return.
When the USS Cole was bombed,
there were no movie stars guarding the ship - where were the human shields
then? If America's movie stars want to be human shields, let them shield the
gang-ridden streets of Los Angeles, or New York City, let them shield the
lives of the children of North Birmingham whose mothers lay them down to
sleep on the floor each night to shelter them from stray bullets. If they
want to be human shields, I say let them shield the men and women of honesty
and integrity that epitomizes courage and embody the spirit of freedom by
wearing the proud uniforms of the United States
Military.
Those are the people who have
earned and deserve shielding! Throughout the course of history, this country
has remained free, not because of movie stars and liberal activists, but
because of brave men and women who hated war too. However, they lay down
their lives so that we all may live in freedom. After all - "What
greater love hath no man, that he lay down his life for his friend," or in
this case a country.
We should give our military honor and
acknowledgement and not let their lives be in vain. If you want to see true
human shields, walk through Arlington
Cemetery. There
lie human shields, heroes, and the BRAVE Americans who didn't get on
television and talk about being a human shield - they were human shields. I
thank God tonight for freedom - - those who bought and paid for it with
their lives in the past - - those who will protect it in the present and
defend it in the future. America has
remained silent too long! God-fearing people have remained silent too long!
We must lift our voices united in a humble prayer to God for guidance and
the strength and courage to sustain us throughout whatever the future may
hold. After the tragic events of Sept.11th, my then eleven -year-old son
said terrorism is a war against them and us and if you're not one of us,
then you're one of them. So in closing tonight, let us be of one accord, let
us stand proud, and let us be the human shields of prayer, encouragement and
support for the President, our troops and their families and our country.
May God bless America, the
land of the free, the home of the brave and the greatest country on the face
of this
earth!