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!
