Review of Sarah Palin’s “Going Rogue: An American Life”

As one would expect, Sarah Palin’s book “Going Rogue: An American Life” is political in nature – and yet, regardless of your politics, I think any woman with American Judeo-Christian morals would enjoy this book immensely, especially if she is a mom. Men will also enjoy her messages of ethics over politics; dealing with the political machine; and balancing family with work.

Sarah Palin wrote this book to clear the air on a number of issues. She writes about how the media turned around her actions and words to portray her badly; the GOP campaign advisors did nearly as much damage; and the people of Alaska and her own family wound up suffering as a result. This book clears her family name where it was smeared; outlines the non-basis of ethical charges leveled at her and her office; and explains why she felt it was in the public’s best interest for her to step down from her position as Governor of Alaska.

The book tells quite a great deal about Sarah Palin’s life and character. She is driven to serve the public. She is amazingly balanced. She is a mom first at heart and loves America.

Sarah’s description of her family life is awe-inspiring. As a mom who is busy with her own volunteer work as well as children in travel sports, reading about all she does makes me think, “If Sarah can do all this and also serve in public office, surely I can do this!” She has a great relationship with her husband; although his work keeps him away from home for weeks at a time, they are able to coordinate their complicated schedules so that the children are always taken care of. She is very involved with all aspects of her kids’ lives, acting as a high school girls’ basketball coach and traveling the wide reaches of Alaska to get her children to their various sporting events.

As a public servant, her ethics are unaffected by party affiliation. She personally keeps down her living and travel expenses that are paid by the public. She is not afraid to stand up to the establishment to get her job done properly. Her honesty in answering questions during the McCain campaign is what inspired the title of the book: her “handlers” were complaining that in going off-script she was “going rogue”.

Early in the book, Sarah bares to all her feelings as she discovered she was pregnant with her fifth child; then again, as she received the news that he would be born with Down syndrome. Not wanting the news to affect her job in any way, she kept the pregnancy quiet until her seventh month; she never got the chance to prepare her family properly for the special challenges they would face. Later in the book, she will talk about her “grizzly bear mama” feelings as her children, including the youngest and most innocent, are unfairly attacked by the media.

As a person, Sarah is very “real”. She does not care about high fashion; she hunts; she runs; she personally handles fish guts. Sarah pays due respect to mothers everywhere, whether they are full-time stay-at-home moms, working moms, work-at-home moms, or professional volunteer moms. Whatever your call in life, she believes you should listen to your conscience and follow it.

Some notes on where Sarah stands on some issues, which will affect how some read her book. Sarah was baptized Catholic but is a practicing Evangelical Christian. She is pro-life in all circumstances. She believes in contraception, which has put her at odds with some pro-life groups. She believes in free competition, small government, and stream-lined budgets. She admires the Republican Party of the Reagan years but does not align herself completely with either political party.

I have heard people say that they thought this book was “ghost-written”, but I could hear Sarah’s voice telling her story throughout. In the Acknowledgements section she thanks Lynn Vincent and a number of assistants for helping to get her words on paper. While she evidently did not personally write every word, it is apparent that the meanings of the words are hers and that she was involved in the book process from beginning to end.

Sarah loves Facebook, which puts information in the hands of the people. You can find her fan page here.

Follow her on Twitter here.

Find her website "Sarah Palin for America" here.

Please Read the Government Document on Rightwing Extremism for Yourself

Regarding the document entitled "(U/FOUO) Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicaliaation and Recruitment":

I encourage everyone to read this document for themselves. I interpret the point of the document is that they are looking for groups that have the potential for violence. But in doing so many people who are involved in innocent activities could potentially have their rights to privacy taken away as the government examines them looking for that potential activity. The Department of Homeland Security has the right to wiretap and read emails of people deemed suspicious. This * on page 2 of the 9-page document explains what defines rightwing extremism:

"* (U) Rightwing extremism in the United States can be broadly divided into those groups, movements, and adherents that are primarily hate-oriented (based on hatred of particular religious, racial or ethnic groups), and those that are mainly antigovernment, rejecting federal authority in favor of state or local authority, or rejecting government authority entirely. It may include groups and individuals that are dedicated to a single issue, such as opposition to abortion or immigration."

Download the pdf here:
http://www.fas.org/irp/eprint/rightwing.pdf

Demand for Retraction of Pro-Life Extremist Label

"Demand for Retraction

To:
The Department of Homeland Security

As a pro-life citizen of the United States of America, I am gravely concerned by the inflammatory statements within the Department’s newly-released warning entitled: “Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment.”

To label pro-lifers as “rightwing extremists” and “domestic terrorists” is incorrect as a matter of law and wrong as a matter of policy. This type of unconstitutional language targets peace-loving, pro-American citizens of the United States and their fundamental First Amendment rights.

I respectfully demand an immediate and full retraction. It’s time to target the REAL terrorists — focus your attention on rooting out those people who are bent on causing harm to our country and REMOVE the pro-life community from this warning."

To sign this petition with the American Center for Law and Justice click here.

Beauty Queen Loses Crown on Gay Marriage Issue

“In my country, and in my family, I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman,” said Carrie Prejean as Miss California at Sunday night’s Miss USA pageant in Las Vegas.

I try to imagine what must have been going through her mind as she was asked how she felt about homosexual marriage. If I answer this honestly, I will lose. If I lie, I will be asked to live a lie for the entire time I wear this crown. Carrie chose to be true to her beliefs. I wonder if she was set up?

“It did cost me my crown,” Carrie told Billy Bush, who co-hosted the ceremony, on Monday. “I wouldn’t have had it any other way. I said what I feel. I stated an opinion that was true to myself and that’s all I can do.”
“It is a very touchy subject and he is a homosexual and I see where he was coming from and I see the audience would’ve wanted me to be more politically correct,” she added. “But I was raised in a way that you can never compromise your beliefs and your opinions for anything.”

Read Fox New’s follow-up interview here.

Carrie has had 2,000 Facebook Friend requests since the incident. Show her your support! There are already several Facebook groups showing support.
One is “Supporting Miss California Carrie Prejean”

Prolife and other Opinionated Bloggers Beware: 1st Amendment Rights in Jeopardy!

According to a report that outraged members Congress on both sides of the aisle, the Department of Homeland Security may be targeting people who express opinions opposed to the agenda of this administration. Top on the list are pro-lifers, proponents of gun ownership, those opposed to gay marriage, and returning veterans. Read the story here:
http://wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=95317

White House Confirms it got 2 Million Red Envelopes

"President's mail worker claims letter campaign 1 of largest in 35 years

The White House mail office has confirmed it received a "deluge" of as many as 2.25 million red envelopes symbolizing the empty promise of lives snuffed out in abortion in a massive campaign that was larger than most White House mailing
movements in the last 35 years."
- See World Net Daily for the rest of this story.

Just a reminder that the deadline to submit comments to the Department of Health & Human Services is midnight, April 9.

Here's a link from AUL Action that provides additional information about the proposed removal of conscience protection.

UN Commission Ends with Delegations Saying No to Abortion

"UN Commission Ends with Delegations Saying No to Abortion
By Samantha Singson

(NEW YORK ? C-FAM) As the sun rose on the last day of negotiations at the Commission on Population and Development (CPD) at the United Nations (UN) today, delegations were still embroiled in a contentious debate over language concerning ?sexual and reproductive health and rights,? which some radical NGOs and UN committees have interpreted and used to promote abortion. As UN member states came together at the closing meeting to adopt the document, delegations took the floor to define abortion out of the document.

Up until the eleventh hour, the contentious term ?sexual and reproductive health and rights? remained in the draft document. Just prior to adoption, Iran took the floor to object to the phrase which has never before been included in any negotiated UN document. Iran stressed that the term remained problematic for a number of delegations and urged the Commission to revert back to previously agreed upon and carefully negotiated language from the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Program of Action, which is understood not to create any right to abortion.

In an attempt to get consensus, the chairwoman from Mexico suspended the meeting and after twenty minutes, returned to the room and announced that Iran?s proposal would be accepted and that the term ?sexual and reproductive health and rights? would be removed from the text. The document was then adopted by consensus.

Several delegations, however, went further and made statements to explicitly define abortion out of the CPD document and to reiterate that the document created no new rights. Comoros, Peru, Poland, Ireland, Chile, the Holy See, Malta, and Saint Lucia spoke out against the other remaining reproductive health-related terms such as ?reproductive rights,? ?reproductive health services? and ?sexual and reproductive health? and emphasized that these could not be construed to ?support, endorse or promote? abortion.

Malta?s ambassador stated that his delegation was finding it more difficult in accepting the resolutions of UN bodies like the CPD where there were consistent attempts to expand ?reproductive health? to include abortion.

Saint Lucia made an explicit objection to the term ?safe abortion? because the term could ?give the impression that abortion was a procedure completely free of medical and psychological risks.? Saint Lucia also highlighted a provision in the CPD document which called on states where abortion was legal to ?train and equip health service providers and should take such measures to ensure that such abortion is safe and accessible.? The Saint Lucian representative stressed that her delegation understood this provision did not impact the right of healthcare providers to refuse to perform or be complicit in abortions as a matter of conscience, stating, ?Again, no new rights are created or acknowledged in this document, and the universal right to conscience can in no way be overridden or weakened.?

Only the representative of Norway expressed regret that the term ?sexual and reproductive rights? was not accepted in the text, saying that his country had widespread access to abortion and virtually no negative effects on women.

The CPD will next meet in April 2010. "

The Coburn Amendment: Protect the Right of Conscience in Health Care Reform

"On March 6, 2009, President Obama rescinded important conscience regulations that President Bush put into effect in order to ensure legal protections for Americans serving in the health care field. The rule is enforced by the Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Civil Rights in order to protect providers from discrimination or coercion based on their beliefs. Senator Tom Coburn has introduced an amendment to the 2010 Budget Resolution that attempts to stop President Obama's attempt to weaken conscience protections for health care professionals. Senator Coburn's amendment ensures that any funds used in the budget’s health care reserve fund will not be used to violate the conscience of health care providers or to allow government bureaucrats to make health care choices for patients, including which doctors they may see." - The Susan B. Anthony List

Go to the following link to send the following letter to your Senators:
http://www.sba-list.org/c.ddJBKJNsFqG/b.4179747/siteapps/advocacy/ActionItem.aspx?aid=12087&msource=c4alerts&tr=y&auid=4697751

I am writing to you today to ask you to support Amendment number 828 to S.Con.Res 13.

This amendment ensures that the funds made available through the budget’s health care reserve fund will not be used to violate the conscience of health care providers or to allow government bureaucrats to make health care choices for patients, including which doctors they may see.

The Department of Health and Human Services finalized a rule in January 2009 to clarify existing protections for Americans serving in the health care field.

The regulation, posted in the Federal Register on December 19, 2008, will reinforce current laws protecting health care workers who have a right to follow their conscience. They merely preserve the rights of individuals to refuse participation in abortion-related health care. Clarity of the current law is needed so people know their rights.

Unfortunately, on March 6th, the Obama administration formally moved to rescind this important rule. For this reason it is crucial that the Senate act to protect the right of conscience for health care workers.

In the face of increasing shortages of qualified health care personnel, these regulations will also help ensure that pro-life doctors, nurses and hospitals continue to provide valuable services to needy communities around the country.

Thank you for your attention to this matter, I would appreciate a response.

Susan B. Anthony List Activist

The Red Envelope Campaign

The idea behind the Red Envelope Campaign is to bombard the White House with red envelopes, symbolizing the blood of innocents that has been shed by abortion. The ideal send date is March 31 or ASAP. If people send the envelopes from all over the US this week, the White House will receive them during Passover and Holy Week. Click here for the address and instructions:
http://redenvelopecampaign.com/

Fairness Doctrine is not Fair

Help radio commentators such as Michael Savage to retain their freedom of speech. Sign the World Net Daily's petition against the Fairness Doctrine here:
http://www.wnd.com/index.php?pageId=88811

From the American Family Association

"President Obama has lifted a ban on federal funding for international groups that promote or perform abortions, reversing a policy of his predecessor, George W. Bush.

Obama's actions mean that hundreds of millions of your tax dollars will go to help groups like Planned Parenthood perform abortions around the world.

His actions came one day after the 36th anniversary of the landmark Roe v. Wade Supreme Court ruling that legalized abortion in all 50 states.

Please take the actions suggested below. It will not cause Obama to reverse his decision, but it will send a notice to him that unborn babies are human and deserve the same rights as the born.

Take Action!
· Send President Obama an email, asking him to stop funding the killing of unborn children.
· After you send the e-mail, please make a phone call (202-456-1414) and leave a message that you strongly disagree with Obama's using tax dollars to fund abortion."

Life at Conception Act

Please pray for the future of this act, which is not going away. I found this text at opencongress.org

Text of S.3111

S 3111 IS

110th CONGRESS

2d Session

S. 3111

To implement equal protection under the 14th article of amendment to the Constitution for the right to life of each born and preborn human person.


IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES


June 11, 2008

Mr. WICKER (for himself, Mr. BROWNBACK, Mr. BUNNING, Mr. BURR, Mr. DEMINT, Mr. ENZI, Mr. INHOFE, Mr. MARTINEZ, Mr. THUNE, Mr. VITTER, and Mr. VOINOVICH) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


A BILL

To implement equal protection under the 14th article of amendment to the Constitution for the right to life of each born and preborn human person.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,


SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘Life at Conception Act’.


SEC. 2. RIGHT TO LIFE.
To implement equal protection for the right to life of each born and preborn human person, and pursuant to the duty and authority of the Congress, including Congress’ power under article I, section 8, to make necessary and proper laws, and Congress’ power under section 5 of the 14th article of amendment to the Constitution of the United States, the Congress hereby declares that the right to life guaranteed by the Constitution is vested in each human being.


SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
For purposes of this Act:

(1) HUMAN PERSON; HUMAN BEING- The terms ‘human person’ and ‘human being’ include each and every member of the species homo sapiens at all stages of life, including, but not limited to, the moment of fertilization, cloning, and other moment at which an individual member of the human species comes into being.

(2) STATE- The term ‘State’ used in the 14th article of amendment to the Constitution of the United States and other applicable provisions of the Constitution includes the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and each other territory or possession of the United States.

A Novena to Fight FOCA

Dear Readers,
I received the following email from an unknown source and think it is worth publishing here. Please remember to also contact your senators, congressmen, and President-Elect Barack Obama over the next week, if you have not already done so. It is a matter of life or death.
God bless you,
Elizabeth

“Dear Friends,

If you are apposed to abortion then there is bad news on the horizon.
For those of you who do not know, the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) is
set to be signed if congress passes it on January 21-22 of 2009. The
FOCA is the next sick chapter in the book of abortion. If made a law
then all limitations on abortion will be lifted which will result in
the following:

1) All hospitals, including Catholic hospitals will be
required to perform abortions upon request. If this happens Bishops
vow to close down all Catholic hospitals, more then 30% of all
hospitals in the United States.

2) Partial birth abortions would be legal and have no
limitations.

3) All U.S. tax payers would be funding abortions.

4) Parental notification will no longer be required.

5) The number of abortions will increase by a minimum of
100,000 annually.

Perhaps most importantly the government will now have
control in the issue of abortion. This could result in a future
amendment that would force women by law to have abortions in certain
situations (rape, down syndrome babies, etc) and could even regulate
how many children women are allowed to have.

Needless to say this information is disturbing, but sadly
true. As Catholics, as Christians, as anyone who is against the
needless killing of innocent children, we must stand as one. We must
stop this horrific act before it becomes a law.

The Plan :

To say a novena ( 9 days of prayer ) along with fasting
starting on January 11th. For Catholics, the prayer of choice will be
the rosary with intentions to stop the FOCA. For non Catholics I
encourage you to pray your strongest prayers with the same intentions,
also for nine consecutive days. The hope is that this will branch and
blossom as to become a global effort with maximum impact. We have very
little time so we all must act fast. Just do three things:

1) Pass this letter to 5 or more people

2) Do it in three days or less

3) Start the novena on January 11th and pray for nine
consecutive days.

(please also fast for at least two days during the novena)

Remember that with God all things are possible and the
power of prayer is undeniable. If you are against the senseless
killing of defenseless children then the time is now to do something
about it!

May God bless you all!!”

My Friend was on Television!

I am so proud of my esteemed friend and colleague Leticia Velasquez for appearing on the television show "Faces of Pro-Life" to talk about the upcoming March for Life. View it here.

Urgent Action Needed!

President Elect Barack Obama has a new website in which you can post your comments on his proposed policies. Please go here to voice your opposition to the Freedom of Choice Act.

Will there be a Bailout for the Abortion Industry?

Read the article here from World Net Daily.
Click here for an easy-to-fill-out form petitioning against such a bailout.

Warning about this Sunday's Second Collection

Why should you return the second collection envelope EMPTY this Sunday? Read this revealing essay from the theological magazine "First Things".
Obama and the Bishops
By Richard John Neuhaus
http://www.firstthings.com/onthesquare/?p=1216
I am printing out a portion of this article and enclosing it in my envelope instead of cash.

Teach Your Kids to FLY!

Thinking back to my childhood, I seemed to have been born with an organizational system in my head. My room was kept beautifully. All my collections were kept together in a way that made sense. If Mom asked me to organize the pantry, or Dad needed help sorting screws in the garage, I was all too happy to dive into the project and see it to completion.

An only child for 11 years, I was the definition of a perfectionist. This quality was of a great advantage in academics, and would have been the key to success in a worldly career. But in family life, where the tending of primary relationships is key, it is a hindrance.

Weaning myself away from perfectionism was a process that took several years, and many major life changes. Marriage was a first step, birth an important second. However, I was still cleaning my floors every day when my first child was a newborn. It took a second child to make me tired enough not to care so much. Spic-and-span changed to clean-enough.

I first heard about FLY LADY when I started homeschooling. A quite vibrant young mother with several children told about how Fly Lady’s system had gotten her in control of her house and her life. I was skeptical, thinking everyone needs to come up with her own system of organization.

Hearing about setting timers was a real turn-off to me. After constantly wearing a watch through my twenty-fifth year, I found that the ability to go without one was like taking off one’s fetters. I could appreciate the minutes and all the lovely baby things that could be encompassed within them.

In hindsight, if I had followed Fly Lady’s tips during my homeschooling years, I would never have gotten into the spot I am now in. While my main living areas are in good order, my drawers and closets are filled with unsorted collections of things (“clutter”).

My most organized friend congratulated me on all the strategies I have been following to keep clutter at a minimum in the common living areas. I blushed reading her e-mail, wondering what she would think of my garage. In my post, I was focusing on my successes so I could push forward with the improvements needed.

My biggest problem is with my children’s rooms. I barely have the time to check if they have made their beds, and they get out of control really quickly. Fly Lady has a section just for kids, to make cleaning fun and doable. I just loved her Student Control Journal. I printed out three copies, put them into binders, and presented them to the children. They pored through them, set the kitchen timer for fifteen minutes, and went through the zone of the day. I could not believe what a difference such a short time span could make.

My friend thought I must have been processing something mental, and I denied it. But really, this all came on immediately after hearing the election results. I watched a show called “Neat” (on The Fitness Channel), in which a book lover had to narrow her beloved books from four shelves to one. I immediately went to my bookshelves and filled a box with books to donate.

A week later, I am still in de-cluttering mode, fully aware that I am trying to process the enormous implications of the election results for our country. I had been so anxious about it – and was managing my mental let-down through cleaning and sorting.

I can see how constant cleaning could be a coping mechanism for those with obsessive-compulsive disorder. And that is why I am begging people to take this system with a grain of salt. If your home is in total disarray, you need a system. If just certain areas are in disorder, hit those areas – but do not let it take over your life. If everything is in relatively good order, please do not start wrapping up your sheets with ribbons Martha Stewart style. Take your kids for a walk and enjoy the wildly divine order of nature.

FLY stands for Finally Love Yourself. If you want to teach your kids how to FLY, you need to teach them balance. They need to respect their home and environment, but also feel free to be messy and creative and unfettered by time restraints. For everything there is a time.

And for everything there is a season. For me, the pendulum had to take me further center. It had to swing a little farther to the left for me to get there. Life is a constant ebb of change requiring us to focus on our ultimate goals and constantly adjust our schedules, habits, and expectations to follow God’s will for our paths.

Painting above: Renoir's "Charpentier and Her Children"

What to do now?

I have been giving a great deal of thought to the issue of what to do as a Pro-Life advocate in a country which will now be led by a President and Congress that is largely pro-choice.

President-Elect Barack Obama comes to this position with a great deal of emotional baggage. Perhaps he perceived himself as a burden on his mother and grandmother; else why would he see a child as "punishment" for a mother with an unintended pregnancy?

My thought is that it is possible to change his heart, if he hears enough personal stories to persuade him otherwise. If every mother wrote to him her own personal story of motherhood, and why she is against abortion, I do think it could have an effect upon him. I think people should start writing to him now, as he collects his thoughts on his first actions to take when he is sworn into office.

You can reach Senator Barack Obama at:
713 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
202-224-2854
obama.senate.gov/contact/

A hand-written, heartfelt letter is always the best, but any contact is better than none at all.

Sarah Palin and Nancy Reagan: High Fashion for Women in Politics

I had to laugh when I saw the first editorial criticizing the high cost of Sarah Palin’s campaign makeover. All that time I thought she had done her hair and makeup herself! Certainly a woman who can literally hunt for her own family’s dinner didn’t need any help in that arena! Then I thought this little fact should endear her even more to American women. Most of us need a little help to look absolutely fabulous. You can almost see yourself being put into her position, becoming a surprise vice-presidential nominee, with a newborn baby and nothing appropriate to wear. You know your looks are going to be scrutinized from head to toe and all around. Considering that the entire budget spent on her behalf actually could have been spent on one outfit, by some of the rich elite, I think she was her frugal self.

What comes to mind most easily is a similar controversy over the pricey, high fashion clothing worn by the elegant Nancy Reagan. Most of the clothes were borrowed, and some were donated by the designers. Many of the pieces were in turn donated by Nancy, as is the intent of Palin.

In searching for a picture, I found that the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley will open a new exhibit, on Nov. 10.

“Resembling a Camelot-styled vignette of the late-20th Century, the exhibit will showcase more than 50 years of Nancy Reagan's fashion, beginning with her 1952 wedding dress and concluding with the suit she wore for President Reagan's funeral in June 2004.”

Read the story by Margie Ann Clark here.

Said Nancy Reagan, "I am delighted that these designers are being recognized for their incredible talent. It was an honor to wear each of these pieces, and every gown, dress and suit brings back wonderful memories; moments in my life that I will remember and cherish forever."

For more information about the Nancy Reagan - A First Lady's Style exhibit at the Reagan Presidential Library, call (800) 410-8354 or (805) 577-4000.

I also found this paper doll book honoring the fashions worn so well by Nancy, sold at Amazon.com