Tradition, service honor, fiscal responsibility, courage, and freedom. Lieutenant colonel west says that these values are under attack by the far left and the obama administration. This is about on hour. Thanks so much. It really is an honor and pleasure to be here with you all at Liberty University. Theres only one thing im kind of upset about. Someone did not pay the heating bill up here. This morning when i woke up at 5 00, i went for a nice little run, and i had a tshirt and shorts on. When i got off the airplane here i was looking for some long johns. But it is beautiful here in the blue ridge mountains. Theres something about Liberty University. You can see it on video or look at pictures, but being here is an incredible experience. I want to thank each and every one of you for taking time out of your busy schedules to allow me to shares thoughts, perspective and insights, about what i think is an incredible institution. It was started in 1971. The Singular Mission of this institution is so important. But then when you think about what is happening here today in this week its freedom week. And freedom week reminds me of a scripture that comes from john chapter 8 verse 36 and it says so if the son makes you free you will be free indeed. And Liberty University, that motto and understand mean a university that is called liberty. That incredible. But your motto that says, training champions for christ. That is something that is very noble and an Important Mission statement for where we are in this country. When i think about the Mission Statement, just the same as the Mission Statement as if you go to basic training or officers basic course for field artillery. There to train you and prepare you and get you ready to go out for subsequent missions. Just the same as you think about that placard at the university of notre dame it says play like champions today. So i want to talk to you not about you being trained to be champion for christ, i want to talk to you about being a champion for christ. Not just being a champion for christ but also being a champion for your country, because i really and truthfully believe the two are connected. And if we dont continue to understand that connectivity between being a christian and being an american, then i think were going to lose this great blessing of liberty you share as the name of your school. So just as a warrior, once they finish their training, they must go out on the battlefield. Each and every one of you here that are students at this great university, you will leave and go out into an incredible battlefield we call the world, the ute of the america. Consider this title of the institution. The title liberty, is the second of the three inalienable rights guaranteed to you not by man but by the creator. Those three inalienable rights theyre in the declaration of independence. That was written by an incredible son of virginia, man by the name of Thomas Jefferson. You should be proud you attend a university that is named after one of the three inalienable rights coming from our creator. So i want to start by going through the bible because theres no way that i will come here to Liberty University and not bring the sword of the spirit which is the word of god, because that is going to really be the thing that prepares you to go out and be champion for christ and for this country. So i want to start with one of my favorite scriptures. Joshua chapter 1 versus 35 through 9 and says no man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as i have been with moses i will be with you. I will not fail you for for sake you. Be strong and courageous so you shall give the people possession the land which i swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, be careful to do according to all the law which moses, my servant, commanded you. You do not turn from the right to or left so you may have success wherever you go. This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth but you shall meditate on it day and night so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it for then you will make your way prosperous. And then you will have success. Have i not commanded you be strong and courageous do not tremble or dedismayed for the lord your god, is with you wherever you go. The first two important points about being a champion for christ and for country is, number one competence. Because here in this book you have all of the great precepts all of this is the greates leadership manual that has ever been written in the world. Anything that you come up against in life, you can find an answer to it here. And here for those of you in rotc, one of the most important things that happen in your life is when you accept the mantle of litership, the command of a unit. That exactly what was happening here for josh. A moses gods servant passed away, and all of a sudden god turned over to joshua and said, tag, youre it. Youre in charge and you must take these people across the jordan river and give them the land that i said they would possess. And you can just imagine joshua not exactly the most eloquent of men, the incredible responsibility he had. For what god told him was very simple. This book of the law that i had begin to moses, do not turn from it to the left or to the right. I will also tell you in being a champion not just for christ but also for your country theres another book you must not turn from to your left or to your right. That the declaration of independence. Thats the United States constitution. Because what i find happening in these United States of america is when people dont understand what the rule of law means theyre easily swayed. When you find out that people dont understand that your First Amendment right theres freedom of religion, and the free exercise thereof, then you have organizations such as the freedom from religion foundation, that can start to go out and attack the very basis who we are, judeochristian faith heritage. Did not say religion. I said faith heritage. We have people that are not able to come back and stand against us. Ill give you a great example. One of the incredible traditions of university of tennessee football is before every home game there was all memberster that delivers a prayer. This organization from wisconsin actually wrote a letter to my university and told them to cease and desist of offering prayer before football games. Now, some of us, we have at snow on our heads we remember when we used to have prayer in schools. I remember playing high school in atlanta, georgia and a local minister would come out and give a prayer before each football game. I never remember any kid getting carted off the field with a tragic injury because that past youre would stand up and pray for both. But see if we have people that tell us about the thing called separation of church and state, were not rooted in the word here. Were not rooted in the words here, then all of a sudden we start to allow people to said us from our judeoclip faith heritage. When you talk about separation of church and state you need to ask where you fine that in the declaration of independence . Do you find it written in the federalist paper inside do you find until the United States constitution . No. It was simply a concept that was written in a letter by Thomas Jefferson to the baptist convention. Saying here in the ute of america we would not have any type of established religion. We will not have a head of state who is also the head of church, which is what they had in england. He never meant for it to be that we would not be able to express ourselves in prayer. Thats why it says freedom ofll and the free exercise thereof. But if youre not competent if you turn away and not medicate on these things day and night as god told joshua and as im trying to tell you here as you get the opportunity to do here at Liberty University, youre not going to be prepared to go out and be truly the champions of christ and country. The other important thing about being the champion is courage. If you listen in those short scriptures, how many times did god tell joshua to be strong, and have good courage. Youre not crawled as christians to be scared. Youre not called as christians to be scared. If you want to be scared youre not following the example of the person who went to the cross because if he was scared, he would not have done it. Thats truly what you are training to be here. Training to be champions for christ and champions of the country, means you have to develop an intense level of competence and you must be courageous. But its not just that. It means also developing an incredible sense of boldness, and one of my favorite scriptures when you talk about boldness, it is found in eye saya 54 versus 17 where it reads very simply no weapon formed against you will prosper and every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn. this is the heritage of the servant of the lord and their vindication is from me. If you know my history you can Google Search my name and see all kind of nice Little Things written and said about me. But no weapons against me shall prosper, and every tongue that rises to condemn is not going to happen. See, thats the type of boldness you have to have. I if youre competent if you have courage you should have boldness. Alplexer in the great, the man who conquered the known world before he was 33 years of age, said very simply fortune favors the bold. And think about where you are right now. Freedom week. Being trained as a champion at a university called liberty and that happens to somebody in 1971 had a bold vision, and you think about what liberty started as in 1971 and where Liberty University is today. You have an incredible honor and privilege to be sitting and studying on this campus. Something that there are children all over this country would love to be able to have and share, and you must be bold in proclaiming it, just the same as the person was bold in establishing it. Or else i can tell you ive been to speak at the depaul university, Northwestern University cornell university, marquette university. The reason why this is special to me tonight . Because i dont have to worry about someone sitting out there just being there to heckle. Because you are here on this campus because theres Something Special about you. Theres something within you that is different. You are here because of an incredible boldness that you have. And in a country where all of a sudden people are saying young people dont have values young people dont believe in this church stuff and this christ stuff. Show them. Through your competence through your courage and your boldness that they are wrong. Being a champion for christ and country, it does not end with that courage and confidence and boldness. Theres also Something Else you need to have. That Something Else is called perseverance. When i think about perseverance i go through the book of john, and in the book of john i read these words, at 16 and 33. These things i have spoken to you so that in me you may have peace. The world you will have tribulation but take courage. I have overcome the world. Think about how youre sitting here right now. All dressed up and looking nice beautiful campus going out and have pizza or tacos chili whatever and even though its cold outside youre going to a place, a room that is warm, you have peace. Think about your Christian Brothers and sisters who used to live in mosul iraq who all of a sudden one day someone knocked on the door and gave them three choices. You convert, you submit, or you die. The oldest Christian Communities and civilizations being driven out. Think about how just a couple of weeks ago, young pakistani couple christians, someone said they had burned pages out of a koran, a mob attacks them. The wife, who was pregnant, theyre both thrown into a kiln and set on fire. Look up the young lady pakistani christian girl named julia aftab who went was confronted and told to convert. She said ill never give up my lord saviour,izize, to wit she gentlemen went away and came back and threw acid on her and powder acid down her throat. When she went to the hospital to be treated, there was rumors put out that she had spoken against the Prophet Muhammad and had spoken against islam. She was shot in the hospital and the doctors refused to treat her. Thank god that there were people that have that same light that you have here that found young julia and brought her back to the United States of america, where she is thriving. She has earned her degree from a school down in houston, texas and she is about to get married. Thats what perseverance is. You can have the confidence you can have the courage, you can have the boldness, but if you dont have the perseverance youre not going to be a champion for christ and country. Because think about this faith that you have accepted. The christian faith. That has been so persecuted throughout history and still today it is being persecuted. But yet somehow, this faith continues on. Yet somehow another generation steps up to say that, i will follow the man who went to the cross on calvary who died for my sins. The ultimate story of service, of sacrifice and commitment. It is that perseverance that you will not not just as you are being trained as a champion for christ but to go out and truly be a champion for christ. But even with the perseverance theres Something Else you need and god recognized you needed. And paul recognized you needed. And he wrote about it. Thats called assurance. Even with perseverance, you still have to believe that theres an assurance that is there. So when you turn over to romans chapter 8 ill read these two verses. Verse 31 00 what hen that she say to these things of if god is for us who is against us . And in verse 37, it says, but in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through him who loved us. Youre more than a conqueror. So even if you have the perseverance, even if you have the boldness, even if you have the courage, have the confidence, you have the assurance that if you step out there, there is nothing that will be able to stand up against you. And that is really something that is the essence of who we are in the United States of america. This country was started at a time when 13 rag tag little colonies took on the greatest power that the world knew at that time. Because why . They believed in one simple thing. The title of your university. In liberty. They believed in freedom. They believed it was worth fighting for. They believed in creating something that the world had never known. And so when you look at those 56 men who signed the declaration of independence those 56 men who basically signed their own death warrant, they asked for Divine Providence because they were willing to sacrifice their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor. Much as the person we worship as christians sacrificed his life. He gave away the fortune of being the son of god. He left his sacred honor on the cross. So that all of us can sit here. Being a champion for christ is also being a champion for this country. That doesnt mean that we disavow or disregard anyone else. We just understand that theres a different relationship between the Christian Life and the life as i said of service sacrifice commitment. We understand what it means to persevere. We understand the assurance that im sure the Founding Fathers had. There was a young lady i met tonight from yorktown, virginia. Can you imagine the euphoria of that rag tag bunk called the revolutionary army when the british at yorktown surrendered . The assurance they had. And they got to see that incredible day. Confidence courage boldness perseverance assurance. What is the moe important thing . As you leave here, which you will do one day in being a champion for christ and country is confidence. And confidence comes in one simple verse which is my favorite verse out of the bible. Phillipans 4 13. I can do all things through christ jesus who strengthens me. When paul wrote that understand he was chained in a roman prison. Soon to be executed. What manner of person chained in a prison could write that he could do all things through christ just strength. A person that is a champion. And that is what you have as your promise, that is what you have as the confidence for you to go out because paul didnt say, i can do a few things. Paul didnt say issue can do a couple of things. Paul said, i can do all things. And as you go out to be the champions of christ and country, saying we can do all things. We can restore our economy get americans back to work. Someone here will finally come up with the means by which we can finally reduce our debt, reduce our deficit spending. Look at america and all the Energy Resources she has with can produce and consume and export because we can do all things. And that is the blessing of what Liberty University teaches you. America in 238 years, has done all things. Now, some people will say america is not exceptional. Some people say america has not done great things. Ive been to 13 different countries. Ive been in three different combat zones. What you have here in the United States of america is unique and unlike any other place. I was born in the inner city of atlanta, georgia, and look at where i stand tonight. Look at what ive been able to do and achieve. Is because in america you can do all things inch america you have an equality of opportunity that says no matter where you come from no matter where you are born that does not determine your end station and your end achievement in life. Thats what says in the bible. That i can do all things through christ jesus who strengthens me. So if youre going to be a champion for christ, for country, you have that confidence that you can go out and be a great nation, and so when you think about being a great nation it is all about the individual. Christianity is about personal salvation, not about collective salvation. The strength of america is in the indommable individual spirit, going back to the inalienable rights you have of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. If youre not careful, if you dont want to marchon for christ and country want to be a champion for christ and country you will believe governmenting guarantee your happiness. What happens when government says they can guarantee you happiness . Ju just removed god with a big g and replaced it with government with a little g who will try to trick you and guarantee your happiness. Thats what happens when youre not a champion. O christ and country. So your challenge is very simple. Confidence courage, boldness perseverance assurance, and lastly, competence. Those are the qualities blast take from Liberty University where you have been trained to be a champion for christ. Doesnt mean a hill of beans if you go out there and not going live up to that training to be that champion. The mascot of this university is what . The play. Ever thought about that . The flame. Ever thought about that . Not the tigers. Not the volunteers. Not at the Nittany Lions the fight irish. Its the flame. And why is that so important . Because it says back here in matthew, chapter 6, chapter 5, 14 through 16, you are the light of the world, a city set on a hill, Liberty Mountain cannot be hidden. Nor does anyone light a lamp it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a good way that may may see your good works, and glorify your father who is in heaven. Theres a reason why you attend a School Called liberty. Theres a reason why your mascot is the flame. Because it was the flame that came down on the day of pen at the cost. The flame that reagan range talked about the shining city on the hill. Thats why we need you to go out and be champions for christ and country, because the name youre being trained to carry here will mean nothing if when you leave this institution you take it and you put it out. The purpose for you attending here is that you will be the next generation, the beacon of liberty, the beacon of freedom the beacon of democracy. On september 17, 1787, the day that our United States constitution was signed in philadelphia Benjamin Franklin walked out of Constitution Hall and was met bay woman by the name of mrs. Powell. Well known philadelphia socialite. Milesanhour powell, a very bold woman came up and said, well dr. Frank fran, do we have a republic or a monarchy. Franklin replied republic if you can keep it. You have a challenge students of Liberty University. There or two lights. Theres a flame that you must ensure continues on. The flame of pentecost and the beacon that is the United States of america. You must guard it or else, as someone talked about early, it can be lost to subsequent generations. I ask you tonight im 53 years of age. One day im going to be old, im going wear bermuda shorts and black shots and dress shoes. Will probably be eating tapioca and living in some high rise place that you guys will walk by or drive by and say look at those old people. But the thing is this. I am passing on to you that mantle that flame, that beacon. Im challenging you to go forth and be a champion for christ, and for this country. God bless you all and thank you. [applause] were going to start a q a session now so anyone who has questions, feel free to come up to the mics at the front of the auditorium, please. State your name and what year you are. Chad hissenbottom sophomore. Lieutenant colonel west you hit on a lot of major points that make america unique including the rule of law and ethics and things this nation was founded on so we can abide by. Im actually curious, though, as to situation in the middle east. Obviously you were in that region around this time, back in 2003 when we were able to disable saddam husseins regime and of course it was a military victory, over since then theres been much unrest and has not turned bo a blossoming democracy of freedom at this stage so, im curious what can we do to alter our strategy or what is the interest that piece of infrastructure or ethic we can change in our strategy that we can add to those countries in which we are putting intervention into so that they can realize the same sort of democratic freedom that we have or they can maintain that sort of government. You know, theres a great book out there, called the lost spring. And really talks about how the arab spring came along and we incredibly blew it because we did not engage with the young people the Secular Movement in the middle east, that were ready to step up and see those lischs and freedoms . When you talk about the two most important things they understand in the middle east, two word. Strength and might. They understand the strongest tribe. And when you dont show strength then they see weakness with compromise apiecement negotiations things things of that nature. So you have to show yourself in a dominant power because that is what their culture understands and then from that point you can start to look at how you can maybe institute some type of cultural institutional changes. Its not going to happen overnight because youre talking about centuriesold civilizations run by strong men and i think what has happened is that we have politicized our National Security strategy you cant politicize National Security strategy. When you stand up and you say that were going to go in this direction because i believe this is what i was elect for you forget one simple thing about military operations. The enemy always has a vote and to this point i have not seen any radical Islamist Group be on the uss missouri and sign a statement of surrender. Theyre still out there. And it was interesting because there was a saying over there in the middle east in afghanistan theres an interesting saying in afghanistan. You may have the watches but we have the time. And at first when you hear that you really has he been smoking too much opium or what . When you come to think about it, what he is saying you have a device that tells you the time but you have no control of time. We have patience. And thats what we have to come to understand. You cannot do Foreign Policy with a sound bite are we there yet, mentality. Thats killing us in the middle east and theres one thing that should be consistent in any administration is the number one priority of the federal government to provide for the common defense. Yes, sir. I just want to first say my mom is a huge fan of yours and wanted me to shake your hand for her. Let me come over. Let me untether myself from this device here. Did someone check him . Huh . Thats that paranoid paratrooper. Come on, hurry up, hurry up. Okay. Send it to mom. All right . All right. [applause] so, my question is, and this is going to be a little bit its speaking of freedom and the bible and whatnot David Rockefeller in 2002, wrote a book called memoirs and in it he said something that was very shaky. ll read the excerpt. Some believe were part of a secret cabal, working against the best interest of the United States characterizing my family and me as internationalists and conspiring with others around the world to build a more big separated, political and economic structure wound covered. If that the charge i stand guilty and am proud of it. A little investigation ive done and others have done like a great canadian history professor reveals this is an organization this movement, which is much larger than just rockefeller, called the new world order, and it is a pretty much by word by word is a fulfillment of the end time one world empire that is to be filled in the book of revelations and daniel and so forth. So i was wondering, what do you know about it . Well, i cant say that i know specifically about mr. Rock feller and his writings but i tell you this. I am very concern about the United States of america becoming subservient to an organization like United Nations or a global government. When you start to look at some of the things coming out of the united nights, their Human Rights Commission and some other plates or you understand that just recently the parents of michael brown, out from ferguson, missouri travel overseas to europe to go make a complaint before the United Nations commission on terrorism. Now, i got a big problem with the unites nations trying to come in and supplant our rule of law and the standards by which we have established these great United States of america. You think about the u. N. Resolution 16 18 and how that is classifieding certain speech against certain religions to be seditious and you could be open to criminal punishment. Those are the type of thing wes have to be concern about. United states of america is a sovereign state. And when you have people that dont even believe that we have a border, that should be protected, that should cause you a lot of concern. That does not say that we as americans are not benevolent. Were the most benevolent people in the world. But the Founding Fathers wrote the three different parts of the constitution whether they call it repelling invasions, article 1, sex 8 article 4 section 4 stating clearly we have borders that have to be protected. And so it is not just that physical border, but economic borders, borders where all of a sudden the unites nations are talk bought we deal with our children. So thats a big concern. So you have to start looking for this itch think the agenda 21 agenda 21 skull and bones. I dont know about secret harvard stuff. I went to a Simple School in tennessee. Their stuff the bottom line is this. If you guys are aware of these things, make sure you protect what . I said be a champion for christ and . Country. You dont surrender your country. Okay . Okay. Yep. Mr. West do you plan to run for president in 2016 . [laughter] [applause] what a who put you up there . What was the price that look, you know, in proverbs, chapter 3 are versus 5 through 6 it says very simply trust the lord with all your heart and lean not upon your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge him and he will direct your path. I would have never thought that ten years ago when i retired from the United States military that id be standing here today. If you are obedient to gods will he will make sure youre going to be where he wants you to be. Now, a couple fridays ago i accepted a position as the ceo for the National Center for policy analysis a conservative think tank in dallas. And guess what . I think thats where god would want me to be right now. And just think about being here with each and every one of you. If each and every one of you goes out and talks to five or ten people about what i said tonight, what an incredible reach that is. That is how you make things go viral. Someone said cspan is here taping this. What happens if that gets out on cspan and more and more people see it . So, the thing is to always plant yourself where god will want you to be planted. Not where you think you want to be planted. We need to make sure that we have leader. Ship leadership that are serving us first and thats the problem in our country. Colonel west, im a junior here at liberty, also Vice President of i want to thank you so much let me tell you story because we you are a transfer from Wheaton College. Thats correct. How many people know what is going on with Wheaton College the r. O. T. C. Program . See, everybody here should know about this. Wheaton college is a christian allmale well, Christian College and has an incredible r. O. T. C. Program been around since 1959 or so. Thats correct. The faculty at Wheaton College are christian because they want to make sure those values are taught to their students. Well they sent out the request to the army that the incoming senior military science professor be a christian. Mikey winestein of the military religious Freedom Foundation very oxymoronic title, has now brought a case against the United States army for them wanting to send a select person a christian to be an instructor at a Christian University for the r. O. T. C. Program. Now, thats what happens when you dont Pay Attention to what is going nonyour country. I can tell you i was an r. O. T. C. Instructor good, 1993 the instructor of the year in the United States military. Because i was black combat arms instructor, they wanted to send me to a Historical Black College and university. Why do you think they want to send me a Historical Black College and university . They wanted someone that could identify with the students on that university and even going to Kansas State University i had to make sure that being a member of the faculty i was consistent with the values and standards demanded of that faculty. See again, this is how that whole separation of church and state thing gets mucked up because you have a guy that believes you should not have any faith, and it should not have an impact. That was my little paid Political Announcement for Wheaton College. Thank you. Sir, my question for you i know i asked you this question earlier but your answer would be good for all of us to hear. As a nation that i hope has a Strong National defense, what should we do with isis or isil, as theyre calling it now. Guest that an easy one. Let me tell you why you dont say isil. Okay . You say, isis. If you say isil that means Islamic State in iraq and if you say sizele that means youre not respect organize recognizing the modern day state of israel because the lavonte is a region and dont fall into that trap. Dont know why the administration continues to indicate isil but thats very dangerous. Now, that do you do with these guys . You kill them. I mean, i dont [applause] isis is winning a schoolingat battle, an operational war. When you can pull up on your social immediatey and see beheadings of americans and other people, that is how you get into someones psychology. That is how you show yourself to be the strong tribe, as we talked about. And the next thing you know all of these disaffected youth, male and females choose the globe all of a sudden want to be on that team. Its an incredible recruiting stool say, were not afraid of the United States of america. Were beheading their people. And what are they doing . Theyre talking. They dont want to come meet us face to face. You take someone like isis and you crush them. You make them wish they were northwestern are never born and you tell they were never born and you tell them whatever corner of the world they go into, someone carrying the stars and stripes on their shoulder will be there to put a bullet between their eyes. Thats the only thing they understand. Thats the only way we keep this country safe and protected from the next generation because if its isis okay, how many years ago it was al qaeda. Now isis. Whats it going to become next . Just weeing to get another change of a radical yourist group that believe their vision for the world is the right vision and again, think about what it was like to be a Christian Living in mosul, one of the oldest christian civilizations in the world, and for the first time in millenia theres not a christian in mosul. This is unconscionable. And we are sitting back and watching this happen. Got to kill them. How do you follow up that you got kill them. Im a senior here at Liberty University. What do you think would be in most effective tie combat ideological islam in the long run as in, like after isis and i mean al eda the first thing is if you how many people have ever read art of war . Moreoff you should read that. When you rad that she says to know your enemy, know yourself, and the environment, and youll always be successful. We dont admit theres an enemy. We dont have wars anymore. We have overseas combat operations. We dont have terrorist attacks. We have manindicated dares and when we do have terrorist attacks, jihaddist attacks in the United States of america we call it workplace violence. When someone stand fund front of the United States and says let me be clear, isis is not islamic. Are theyre Southern Baptists in men minimum it mennonites . Something. About if you continue to not understand and identify the ideology of your enemy, then the enemy is going to be successful against you. We did not fight in world war ii against the kamikaze. We did not fight against the blitzkrieg. Those are tactics. So when a nation stands up and says were fighting a war against terror thats the most horrible misnomer ever because terror is a tactic. If you dont understand the ideology if you dont understand what fuels them if you dont understand that this is something that has been going on for almost 1400 years when Thomas Jefferson met the day of algiers over in france, at the time when the pirates were taking our people and attacking our ships and taking them hostages and enslaving them he asked the day of algiers let me put it in southern vernacular. Why are you doing this stuff . The day of algiers replied your infidels and were commanded to the do so by our prophet in our book. You know what Thomas Jefferson did . The astute man he is. He went and got one of those books, and so today we wonder why did Thomas Jefferson have a koran . Because he wanted to understand what the day of algiers was saying that were commanded to do this. And how did Thomas Jefferson respond to the pirates . He sent the United States marines and killed them. Okay . But if you dont admit and understand the ideology, if youre trying to redefine the enemy in a way that makes you very comfortable, then this nation is going to be in the point that it is right now. The canadian soldier standing on guard who gets shot in the back of his head. The two nypd officers who were standing in in queens, some some guy runs up and puts an axe in haired the. A 55yearold woman goes to work in a chicken processing factory in moore, oklahoma, and gets beheaded. Islam ofascism jihaddism, terrorism, what just happened in jerusalem in the last 24 hours . Two palestinian guys go into a synagogue, shooting hacking, three american rabbis lost their life. How is this phrased . From the white house . As extremism. Thats exact same thing they call tea party people. They dont want to admit the ideology. Mr. West, in your opinion i would like to know what is the most pressing issue facing our country today, our deficit, immigration, the threat of isis . What should this new congress be focusing on . Well, you asked me two different questions. I will look at it in two different ways because you asked me what is the most important issue facing the country. Then you asked me what the most important issue facing the new congress. Let me start with the latter. The 114th Congress Must restore the rule of law in and order in the United States of america. They must restore that you have a legislative branch coequal branches of government separation of powers, checks and balances. Too much power is being usurp ended from the legislative branch to the executive branch, and even in the judicial branch. Too much legislating going on from the bench in our court system in the United States of america. I think that is the most important thing. Now when you want to talk about the tactics thereof, is it tax reform Economic Reforms . Getting americans back to work . So that we can once again have growth opportunity, promise and prosperity . Absolutely. But the most important thing that the new congress has to do reestablish those three branches government and the preeminence of the legislative branch and just look at the constitution and look at the powers that are given to the legislative branch. When the president stand up and says im going to do an executive order for amnesty very clear, article one section 8, clause four or the constitution says only the congress can make rules of laws in Matters Regarding naturalization. The president says he wants to repiece im out of guantanamo bay. Only the congress is allowed to make rules and laws regarding cap tours on land and sea. They have to reestablish themselvesment when you talk about what is the greatest problem confronting us as a country . We dont know who we are. We dont teach civics. You seen those man on the street interviews right . I mean we laugh but its appalling. You go up to a person and ask them a question. Yall can do this test yourself. Ask a person, what is america . And if a person says america is a democracy they dont get it. They dont understand. America is a Constitutional Republic. You must go back and study and understand that. The greatest problem that confronts us as a people is the low to no information voter that is being manipulated by Political Consultants who come up with these very trite political gimmicks, mottos and phrases, and theyre just sound bites. And we have got to have a better, more informed electorate. We really have to. So those are where i see the two biggest issues for our country. Yes, sir. Im craig i work in the snore for Global Engagement here. Dont ask me ha hard question. I hoch. One thing, since we were talking about isis before i understand that for an islamic for a muslim to die at the hands of a woman means he doesnt get the seven virgins. Why dont we send women combat soldiers in to fight isis. [applause] you already have women in combat. You have had women in combat in the United States of america since Molly Pitcher took the place of her husband on the artillery line. When you talk about women being in combat us and being rangers and special forces seals even infantry, now youre talking bat huge cultural change. What youre bringing up is the issue in kobani their Kurdish Female units that are fighting against isis and matter of fact there is one who was very celebrated and the celebration thereof, she was captured and beheaded but youre right, those are the type of things that these jihadi warriors fear. You all know about the exploits of former general blackjack pershing in the philippines when he fought against the indians. He understood that they had this fear of having any contact with pigs or what have you. So when he captured a bench of the indian insurgent fighters he slew a bunch of pigs threw the entrails into a pit shot the captors, threw them in the pit and kept one alive and he said you go back and tell them thats whats going to happen to them. Quelled the instreaks because for them the insurrection because for them, the afterlife is very important. I dont think we need to look at that as a means by which we try to get inside the enemy reside psyche, because america is not really ready, i dont think remember Jessica Lynch when show got captured at the beginning of the iraq war . America freined out. I dont think were ready to have an american female combat troop being capturedded by the enemy. Now, you have them up there flying combat aircraft attack helicopters, yes. Something different about being on the ground in a combat unit. Not a support unit that got attacked and is in a combat role. So culturally we have to get to that next step. Second question i told you i knew he would ask another one. He is a professor. Looking for good news in the congress. If it can be found. Who are the consensus builders. To get some work done you have to get both sides talking and agreeing. Are you seeing any hopeful signs as far as people that are bringing i would or just barking i tell you have someone in your neighbor next door, West Virginia in youre manchin who is that type of person you. Look at what happened over the series of the last Midterm Election cycles, especially most of what is termed the blue dog conservative democrat is gone. And so what you now have in washington dc are very hard Left Progressive socialists that they believe what they believe theyve dont believe in individual. They believe in the collective. The fact that Mary Landrieu is fighting hard i dont know the result of the vote with the keystone xl pipeline vote in the senate and theyre already saying were go veto it anyhow and so heres an opportunity for the United States of america to produce, consume, and export Energy Resources, to undermine someone like a Vladimir Putin and venezuela and other opec countries. Yet you have a bunch of radical environmentalists that refuse to see the objective truth. And it is creating jobs. Look at curbing, oklahoma. It is creating jobs creating way. Whats the Unemployment Rate in north dakota . Zero. The unemployment raid in north dakota is zero because of the oil fields. How come you cant take that truth to people and they say you know what youre right. And so thats the problem. We have an incredible ideological separation in the United States of america. Are we going to continue to be a Constitutional Republic or a welfare nanny state . Thats the separation nat were on right now. And if we end up having more people on the side of the welfare nanny state, as the detocqueville wrote, democracy cannot exist as form of government, october only oexist when election tort realizes they can vote their own voters will all vote for the person that promises them the most bench fits. The result being the collapse of democracy over loose fiscal policy followed by dictatorship. 1830. Democracy in america. So thats where we are. But you know what . This is a great nation and we always find a way. Okay. Last question. Out gott ahead of me. I was going to ask you about the keystone pipeline. Denied in the senate by one vote 5941. There you go. So you already talked about that. So what would be your what is your stance on the tax code . Needs to be simply identified . The tax cold has to be simplified you have progressive tax code system and when people Start Talking about raising taxes, most folks dont understand, Small Business owners operate from a personal income tax rate as subchapter sllcs. When youre raising higher taxes youre hurting Small Business owners. You can travel across the country and see closed steer fronts. Americans used to work there. 75 to 80 fors of the economy in the United States of america is Small Business owners. I believe you can easily november a flat tax system. Whenever you see flat taxes in the world you see economic growth. I believe you can have a two tier flat tax 20 and 150 . Everyone seems to like the 200,000, 250,000 as the cut line. Thats fine. But remember, the lower the rate the less deductions you have to have. At 20 and 15 i say you keep two deductions, mortgage interest and charitable contributions. But Everything Else goes away. When you look at the corporate business tax rate, high nest the world, 39. 6 , thats why trillions of dollars of capital not in the United States of america. Your defeating the whole sense of a free market, Free Enterprise economy. The basis of america. Someone said in a town in roanoke that if you have a successful business you didnt build that . Thats the antithesis of the United States of america. Thats why we have waffle house. But the corporate business tax rate take it down somewhere to 20 to 23 maybe. Definitely under 25 . And get rid of all those deductions. Just flat tax rate for the corporations. Theyll come back. Thats what we need to do. And hopefully this new congress, the 114th, will institute that. All right. Last question. Ranger. How are you doing sir. I am ryan chancellor, my second year of my master reside program and senior in the r. O. T. C. Program. He a smart ranger. My question for you is, since you started your career in the r. O. T. C. Program, do you happen to have some leadership developmental advice you can share with the cadets present here tonight that they can help them along their path in the military. Absolutely itch first started wearing a uniform in 1976 in high school, junior r. O. T. C. My father had served in world war ii my older brother served in vietnam, a marine, both wounded in combat. They said one sim thing. Dad was a corporation program. My brother was a lance corporal. Wanted to have the first officer india family and that got me on the stem. This is what say to the cadets here going be to commissioned as officers. Go in there and listen to your noncommissioned officer. His thon the person who is your platoon sergeant your squad leaders. Theyre going to respect you as i told you guys theyre going to respect you because you got a little gold bar on your shoulder. But you want them to regard you as a leader. And i think you will agree with that. Because thats the most important thing. The lieutenants i saw fail as young officers were the ones who came in and thought im going to be a general tomorrow. And they were not successful. He stood close to that word meditate on the day and night. Turn off from it. Answering that for christ in country. Im going to no the country is in good hands. Thank you