Transcripts For CSPAN2 Values Voter Summit Afternoon Plenary Session 20140926

The new military act you refer to is an important contribution to democracy. But we also have to make sure that we safeguard and protect the integrity of the voter. And we have to make sure that the machinery that we use is not used to subvert the very vote that were trying to lift up. [applause] so i got you. There are places like oregon that are experimenting and its a positive thing. But im going to say this, brother. Im on twitter. Bottom line the bottom line is we are going to use those social media tools. But we also have to engage where people are. There are people who are not plugged in and need to cast a ballot. There are some who are and they can have alternatives. But our job is to organize that community in the broadest sense and link issues of importance to what they do. You talk about economic jeff, my last point. Payday lenders is a scourge, a scourge in our community. [applause] their are potential regulations that are going to be issued soon determined by the Obama Administration and in part created by a group called the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau that the caucus struggled to make happen. Thats what were getting this s progress. So im saying dont disconnect what is happening on the ground with the importance of the vote that you cast. And that is how i think we use that anger to motivate people to come out and to make a difference in their own lives. Just point out the people that one of the best voting reforms thats been happening in the country is online Voter Registration. If your state doesnt have it youve got to push for it because it has been radical in getting people to sign up and to register to vote, especially young people. So thats where we are seeing the promise of online, you know, Online Technology in voting. And dont forget that when sandy happened, all of a sudden new jersey to get out a way to do online voting. So we need to understand that there is a slow public got to make sure there is technology appeal to everyone, thank you. And he made the following this panel for those of you from maryland, virginia and d. C. , there is Voter Registration right outside. [applause] my name is derek morgan and my question is how can we really not only take this time to change this movement, i me take this opportunity to change the movement into a moment, but what can odyssey do, why are we afraid to speak to the real issue which i feel is racism and White Supremacy. What will we do if we really realize that we could boycott . I mean we have speeded some restate your question for me. I guess we tiptoe and dance around the real issue, the root of the issue which i feel is racism and White Supremacy which and cuts us off. Let me this, because we all know that within a week of being in office, eric holder said that we as a nation, we were a nation of cowards as relates to the issue of race. And so any of you whod like to take that on, but i would love for congressman lewis to lead that off. Let me just say to the young brother, i dont think any that one of us are going to deny that the scars of racism is still deeply embedded in every corner of the american society. We are not going to run from that. We are going to deal with it. We cannot deal with it alone. Youve got to use the vote. Youve got to organize and mobilize. You just cannot talk about it. Weve got to do something about it. Thats what another generation did. Let me just add to that speech congresswoman, as you and, i want to push back a little bit because i think as a special as we did with younger and Younger Generations theres this notion we kept having to fight this notion of postracial america, kept having to fight that mr. Tipping pushed out over the public space. We are not there yet. I agree but the problem is you the Younger Generation that is so happy with where we are, doesnt happen Historical Context in where weve been. And to his point, so i had a son who, into a store having to indoctrinate all of it harder come anytime we bought stuff about black people he got nervous because hes in a school where everybody is tiptoeing through to look and Holding Hands and singing kumbaya riding unicorns under a rainbow. But we know that he as a young kid in a school that is dealing with that racism needs to be would see it for it is, what it is without a wink and down. How do we begin to do that so when we have rough conversations we dont run from the racism conversation come at the same time we dont when everything for it. Let me just say that this town hall meeting and the 70 some workshops are because of your question. So the Congressional Black Caucus is very sensitive to that because diversity has created a new problem for us with younger folks who dont understand the history of what a mr. Lewis or elaine or others went through. So let me say to the young people, congresswoman marcia fudge is having a Town Hall Forum tomorrow morning and shes bringing the dreams with Phyllis Agnes the young folks can be engaged in that. We have 70 some workshops and with africanamerican members, black folks in the Congressional Black Caucus who have planted this because they want you to understand that behind this didnt just happen. Getting the contracts, making sure we have black folk who are engaged, the hotel that were in, because we understand racism exist. So we move members to be where they are black contractors. We have insist on things because we know racism prevails visit some of values voter summit earlier today. Well take you live now for remarks having a by former president candidate Rick Santorum and former Alaska Governor sarah palin. Get out of the way and will move right into our program. I want to mention tonight once again and will be in reception. We just learned governor Mike Huckabee will be joining us so this is your chance to kind of interact with them one on one if youd like to join us. But also in attendance will be governor bobby jindal, senator Rick Santorum, representative mark meadows, steve king, dave brad. He was the professor that unseated representative eric cantor, and many others and theyll be from our 30 p. M. Until seven in the congressional room. You must have a ticket and those are 100. As a special treat at 5 00 tony perkins will be doing his washington watch live Radio Program and so as you go up the steps to the registration you can see that over to the side. Remember the media, they are our guests and were very honored to have them joining us. So please be respectful as they do the best to cover this event. And also the Family Research council is going to door hats and tshirts and things you want to take him with you and thats just at the bottom of the stairs as you head up. Check that outcome take some of that stuff over its great stuff. Also want to invite you to be part of the conversation on twitter and that hashtag is vvs14. Youll be hearing more about this big want to be sure that your church is signed for something called the i pledge sunday 2014. We have a great time here at the values voter summit and it is kind of a summit and we come back down again but this is a great followup to that and a way for you to keep engaged leading up to the november 4 election. Is a national simulcast to rally christians from all 50 states on sunday october 12. Once again its a great way to follow up what we are doing. Do you know in 2012, folks, in 2012 over 93 million registered voters stayed home . How anyone could remain totally, you know, didnt care about what was going on in this Current Administration is totally beyond me but this is something we can never let happen again. This is a great way to energize your church, your congregation and you can take advantage of that by going to i pledge sunday 2014. Com and learn more about that. If you havent picked up a copy of undeniable put up i kind of Research Council and the Liberty Institute, these are free and we want you to get a copy of those and you can do this either at the Liberty Institute exhibit or also at the base of the stairs Family Research council is giving those out. We want to learn more about the Liberty Institute, the great work theyre doing. What are the cosponsors of this event, also the ones who worked so hard to put this together. So lets look at the monitors now and learn more about Liberty Institute. For four years, Liberty Institute is on a mission to defend peoples freedom. We battled and highly contested arena of issues so many religious liberty across america. Decades later we are still protecting the rights of americans to express their faith openly and without censorship. There are groups in this country who are wellfunded. Theyve got great lawyers and their object is to remove god from our public life. As a Nonprofit Organization we oliver institute specialized in defending liberty religious freedom. Its hard for folks to be up to stand up and take on some of these big challenges and so thats why Liberty Institute is there so we can come alongside them whether a person or temerity and they can stand with them and defend their religious liberty. We work with the best attorneys in the country including 24 of the top 50 law firms in the nation. They take these cases in their Community Volunteering for some citizen who is now under attack. No one is immune from this fight for religious liberty and our opponents have no shame. They have no respect. They are vigilant about going after everyone who ever displace anything that has to do with faith. Is a government takes away religious liberties, but then all of our freedoms are in jeopardy. People ask the question what can i do . You can do a lot. Make it a cinch to get involved to support Liberty Institute with your prayers, financially, instantly sharing this information with other people. We cant do it without you. All it takes for evil to triumph is for good people do nothing. Together we can win this battle. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the president of Liberty Institute, Kelly Shackelford. [applause] a thank you very much. This is a great group of people. And as you saw from the introduction to Liberty Institutes mission is to defend and to restore religious freedom. Thats how the Founding Fathers made it to be. I think most of the stuff those are under attack and the typical person under attack doesnt have all the money to go hire a legal team so we provide the best legal teams in the country when those things do happen to some people ask me, how did you get involved in this . Back when i was in high school i knew had to get some and little thinking and speaking and i thought i dont need to be a past i need to be a pastor or. Isnt that a god or satan a choice . [laughter] as a look at that is probably better at law and it went to law school and did well and got out and had these wonderful job offers. I remember thinking, lord, i think it would suffocate if i did the regular golfing. What do you want to do . I thought i want to use my legal skills and unlike the case of i want to help pastors and churches and religious freedoms and are founding principles. I even like to go to seminary part time. And i laughed because there was no paying job to do that. I didnt ever expect it would be. Two weeks later i got a call from two partners in major law firms and they said wed come to lunch with this . When we sat down they said, we started to donate our time for religious freedom but we are now getting so many calls that its hurting our ability to make a living. We were wondering would you be willing to come on and two legal cases, help pastors, churches and you can even go to seminary part time if you want to. [laughter] now, you know, being a young 20 something i need a little spiritual mitchard, isolating pray about it, like that wasnt an answered prayer. When i suggested they said how much did he . A bit out of the pocket to get the organization started and a 25 years later Liberty Institute is the largest Legal Institute in the country that focuses exclusively on religious liberty in the trendy. Its an american story. [applause] i know i probably dont have to tell you this but the attacks are greater than anything ive ever seen in 25 years i have been doing this. You have seen it. Not too far from your, wall street daschle Walter Reed Hospital banned family members from bringing bibles to their own family members until that was exposed. We have situations, a wonderful young girl who was told at a Major University to take her cross necklace off because quote it might offend someone at the school. Until we got involved. You probably saw the five Year Old Girl we had to represent this year who was actually told to stop praying over meal and the lunch cafeteria. I think of 25 years ago when i started doing this if you and toby you will have to represent churches i wouldve said this is not the soviet union. We dont have to defend charges against the government in this country. Now every week we have a new church that we have to represent. That just wants the church, increase the size of the century, wants to be the homeless, that wants to do things churches can do with those rights used to be understood. Now they have to be fought for. Everybody is aware of hobby lobby, case that went to the Supreme Court. Very few people vote know what was argued in the case. The solicitor general of the United States, the highest lawyer for our federal government, stood up in the Supreme Court in front of the justices and argued that once you make a decision to go into a forprofit business and incorporate, you are making the decision to waive your religious freedoms, and cool, you now play by the government rules. Thats the argument. Some people say yeah, but we won that case. We won that case 54. So these are arguments that wouldnt even be made in the past, and its not just religious employers. Its religious employees. I dont have time to go to all the cases, let me to about one we filed this week. A wonderful guy by the name of eric walsh. Eric walsh is africanamerican, ph. D, director of Public Health for the city of pasadena, california, wonderful, wonderful christian guy. The state of georgia said we want you to come be our director of Public Health. And they offered him a job which he accepted. And then he was asked to send in his sermons because some people were complaining, some gayrights activists, that you dont know what this guy believes in and where he goes to church. They ended up firing him not because of anything he said on the job or anything he did on the job, but because they found his sermons and they fired him for what he said in his own church on a sunday. Now that is a massive violation of religious freedom. We dont allow that in this country, these are things we are now having to fight for. If we dont stand for i dont care if youre an employer or employee, we will find yourselves in the country without religious freedom. So its necessary for people to stand up like eric walsh, like hobby lobby and like each of us. I would point out, we have these available at the table in a smaller form. We just to serve every of all the attacks on religious freedom. This is the one from this is everything from an eight yearold boy caught praying over his new lifted out of the seat and carried to the prince was on the story is told to never do that again. All the way to Senior Citizens were told their meals will be taken away from them because they were federally funded and they were praying over their meal. That violates separation of church and state. Its in the north, south, young, old, people of wealth, people with the resources. There is no way to avoid the attacks right now. And look, i talk to people all the time is or what if im not religious, should i care . The answer is absolutely. Our founders called religious freedom our first freedom for a reason. They understood the field is religious freedom, you lose all your freedoms. He wont have political freedom. And let me talk about that a second. Do you really think if the government is going to allow you to talk, if they will not allow you to talk about your faith or where you go after you die or how you should live your life now, do you think that government will allow you to criticize the people running the government . The one thing that totalitarianism will never allow our citizens hold and allegiance to one higher than the government. So when ever totalitarianism comes in, the first flashpoint, the first part is always an attack on religious freedom. Thats why the founders understood when this starts to happen, it means youre about to lose your country if you dont get things under control. Which is why religious freedom is the very core, the reason people got on boats and came to this country. If we lose that, we lose the United States of america. Weve got to be willing to fight. Ill give you one example of how quickly its moved. Thats, take the military. Are cases in the military. A lot of people heard about this case, the Mojave Desert memorial put up in 1934 by the hands of world war i veterans who just simply wanted to remember those who have sacrificed for their country. Its a sevenfoot cross with a little plaque on the bottom that says for the dead of all wars. Sat there for 70 years until the aclu brought a lawsuit saying you have to get this done because this is across and its on federal land. Unbelievably of the District Court and court of appeals, federal District Court, they say tear it down. Let me show you a picture of what the Court Ordered be done while he was on appeal to the Supreme Court. Assuming they have that picture to display. I mean that is, if you can tell, thats the Veterans Memorial, that cross with the bag around it with a chain around the bottom and a padlock. Thats in the United States of america. Some people will say why are you making a big deal about this . You won that case at the Supreme Court. That cross is now back up. The aclu lost. You one. Yes, we won 54. 54. [applause] i want you to see, that picture, you change one justice, that picture is the law. Which is why theres a lot of work to be done. Some come and you think at least thats over and these attacks on Veterans Memorial. No, no. We have six more of these cases around the country including additional a quick video on that case. [applause] the last order in the case was to tear down that Veterans Memorial within 90 days. We have gotten a stay and were going to go all the way to the u. S. Supreme court if necessary to make sure that that never happens applause like [applause] these attacks not just come on external symbols but its happening internally as well. While i dont have time to go through all those i will just give one example and thats Sergeant Mark. Sargeant mocha by the what is your. I hope you get to meet the v. Is here. He talked about his case last year. Sergeant mark is a hero, 19 actors in the air force, patched up over 600 people in iraq, had to clean the blood of his buddies off his boots. Came back to the United States only to be told by his lesbian commander that he need to agree with her on gay marriage. And when he said look, you know, this is about the mission of the air force but we get Different Police on these things. She said no, i need you to affirm the you agree with me on gay marriage. When he wouldnt answer that question she relieves him of his duties after 19 and a half years. And the actually had to file without help a complaint to get this overturned. And deal with the First Response was when he filed a complaint . They read him his miranda rights and open a criminal investigation against him to intimidate him. But do you know what . It didnt work because Sergeant Mark had already made his mind up on what he was going to do. [applause] and he was result awarded a medal for his distinguished service over and above normal service for this country, and he is now on his way to retire and all these attacks that were against him have fallen. Hes been protected. But we shouldnt have to protect him. But the point is this isnt a the we didnt think usually with a problem in and now were having to fight for these things. And so some of you will say probably, im really glad that value voters have the depressing speaker there, that shop offered i. Let me to you the good news. The good news is with all these attacks on religious freedom, we have a method of dealing with this and its not a theory. That is if you look at all the legal groups that are nonprofits around the country whether they left or right whatever they are, they use the same method. Raise as much money as you can, hire as many attorneys that he can, but those attorneys in an office in washington, d. C. Or new york and ship them run the country to cover as many cases educating. Thats not our model. Our model is there all these attorneys who would to law school because they wanted to stand for what was right. They wanted to ride in on a horse and save the day. And 30 years later these are the best litigators at the best law firms in the world and in our country. But they have never gotten to do a case for their faith or for their country. We come along and we said look, if we give you everything you need, are you willing to give your time . Feel like ive been waiting 35 years, signing a. We know whats going to happen when they do a case to all their talent, although it gets, although training is lined up with their faith and their love for their country. I have never felt that before. And its kind of unfair but we know we now have them for the rest of their lives as one of our volunteer attorneys. We have done this long enough that we now have a the top 50 law firms in the country, over half that dont just donate their time. They fight each other over who gets to donate their time for the privilege of doing these cases and defending our country. [applause] and the result of that is twofold. Number one, for every case we spent for every 10,000 we spent on the case, we get 60,000 donated from these attorneys. Were able to multiply the resources. Additionally, if you look at a nonprofit legal groups and their winloss record, 50 50, if they are very good maybe there are 6040. Our win right now for 12 years straight has been above 90 . [applause] because when we do a case our attorney lives in montana, if thats where the case is. Is from one of the biggest law firms there. He grew up there. He is known there. He and the judge were fishing buddies when they were 12, okay . When the aclu guy flies in from newark city he is at a disadvantage. And additionally our people are the best of the best of the best and every time they going to court its one of the best law firms and one of the best attorneys versus did a government lawyer or a nonprofit lawyer. Is a huge event. This country was built on religious freedom. If people are willing to stand up and we had the resources i want to encourage you as we started this effort, my group started originally out of a little state call texas. We were just planning to be texans but when you start winning 90 something of your cases peoples are asking you to view cases elsewhere. We knew we are being spread all over the country and so we began to go national and to grow rapidly because theres so much need, so many people that need help. I would ask you if you could do us a favor to be our ambassador. To let people know that there is help out there, they can go to our website and see what their rights are. They can get a copy of all the attacks around the country. So i would encourage everybody here, theres if you wish into the. Go to Liberty Institute. Org when you get a chance. Make sure you and all. You get an email on what cases are going on and the most important ones in the country. Go to our booth. You can get a copy, a small copy one of these with a listing of the cases. You can get a copy at 5 00 a we signed my book which were giving way for all of you all for free if you want to can get one supreme irony. I just want to end with a story. A number of years ago i was minding my own business eating lunch looking at my newspaper. I saw something ive never seen which Senior Citizens Holding Picket signs. I thought thats unusual. They have been told they could not pray over their meals in the Senior Center and they couldnt sing gospel songs. I had a young guy fresh out of military to start with is the isolate see if we can help these people. Before i could finish my sentence he was peeling out of the parking lot. He gets there and they say we are the halfpence, the nobodys. We dont have any power. There are four guys from the city council, they controlled everything. We never that anybody would help us, much less lawyers for free. So these young attorney comes back to me and he says this we are christian organization. Were going to send him a letter, tell them the constitution think they are to and try to get this corrected. They decided to fight it so we had a press conference and i had all the seniors behind and at the end i said does anybody want to say anything . From incomes barney clark. Barney is 77, fought in world war ii, as a western suit and cowboy boots. He walks up and he says, i fought in world war ii for these freedoms and i aint going into the corner to pray. They can arrest me, as long as it says what im arrested for, arrested for praying. He turned around and walks in the back. About an hour later we get a call from bill of a producer saying we want the guy in the hat. [laughter] he testified in the senate, which is his first plane ride. You been in the navy. [laughter] short story is, we ended up winning this case. We won an injunction they can never interfere with their interfere with their gospel songs but we even want a little money so they go a Celebration Party in the Senior Center. My favorite parker part was what happened after the case. Everybody in the city watched the socalled power let the seniors be a powerful City Council Members but they all decided lets hold a recall election and they would and they do all four of those people out of office a plus not [applause] and about a year and a half ago i got a postcard from one of the seniors because she wanted me to know that she was that one of new City Council Members. [laughter] sometimes we sit around and think what can i do, i one person. We can do anything we want in this country if were willing to stand up just like those interested. God bless you. Thank you for having made. [applause] hey, folks. Were also very proud that one of our sponsors for the values voter summit, a new sponsor this year, the National Organization for marriage. And coming now to introduce Great Organization and we are proud to be associated with. Coming now would you please welcome to introduce our next speaker, president brian brown. [applause] well it is a real privilege and honor to be able to introduce the next speaker who is truly a champion for our values. He is someone who stood up time and time again in defense of the truth about marriage, in defense of the truth about the nature of human life and human dignity, and hes someone that many of us have looked up to for a long time. Now, there are some as many of you know within the Republican Party that think would be a good idea to take the three legs of this tool, social conservatives, economic conservatives, Foreign Policy conservatives, take the three legs and just get rid of that social conservative leg, just maybe lop it off a little bit. But those of us in this room know that that is the exact way that we have been losing elections, not winning them. [applause] the simple truth is that you cannot blame social conservatives or lost elections when you spent over 1 billion and almost no ads did you mention marriage. Its not our fault. Instead when we have leaders who boldly stand for the party platform, who boldly stand for the truth that marriage is the union of a man and a woman, for the truth that life begins at conception, voters can trust them because theyre standing up and talking about what they believe and. The reality is that if someone will betray the core truth about our values on marriage and life, then why would they not betray our values in Foreign Policy or in the economic realm. They all go together. And our next speaker has stood up and we know that some of the stood up on our values here at home but hes also stood up on economic freedom, and most importantly in Foreign Policy. Senator Rick Santorum before all of us were talking about syria and iran, where what we heard every day in the news and were chatting about them, back in 2003, offered and moved through congress the accountability act, to hold terrorists accountable. [applause] the iran freedom and support act in 2005 to encourage democracy in iran. And again to hold the folks that we do damage to our country accountable. He was a bold leader, a visionary leader who realized that to be a conservative is to stand with all three legs of the stool. It is my privilege and honor to give you former president ial candidate and u. S. Senator Rick Santorum. [applause] thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you. Your very kind. Thank you very much. Thank you, brian. Thank you for the great work you do and the National Organization of marriage. And thank all of you for being here. This is my ninth speech here at values voters summit. Its because theres only been nine value voters summit. I told tony beckstead that expect a pen next year, like an attendance been for 10 years. But i come here because, as brian said, we together have been out there fighting the battles on these fronts. We have been successful in many respects much more than certainly anyone expected on some issues. Particularly on the life issue which you have seen some dramatic and dynamic changes in america come to the realization of the dignity of all human life. I can type for me personally thats a very important issue for me, one that was not just one that ive been after speaking about for a long time and taking podiums but have been living. I want to give your regards from karen and our seven children, and take i want to give you regards from our little girl, stella, who through the grace of god and prayers is now sixth in a half years old. [applause] and we are you know, i have taken these podiums thousands of the literally thousands of them to talk about life, but through bela god has given karen and i a gift of not just talking about life, but living an example of the blessings and, frankly, the crosses that come with the acceptance of the dignity of all human life. It is a wonderful opportunity that i have to witness to that. In fact, karen and i had just finished a book that will be coming out in february that would be a very raw witness as to the life of a family, somewhat high profile family with a special needs little girl. And the name of the book, which i hope you will have the opportunity to see is bell is a gift. And so im very excited about that in sharing the reality of accepting life in all of its forms and respecting it for what it is and what it can be. We have been out here fighting the battle now have values voter summit for nine years and i think we all realize and efforts beaches over these last nine years and for many years before about the real clash thats going on, the clash of worldviews. I like to talk about it in terms of the tickets between the American Revolution and the french revolution to the American Revolution of which we descend is when the police and godgiven rights, the dignity of all human life and the rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, that is the foundational principles by which america stands and makes the most prosperous free nation in the history of the world. And that there others in western civilization who defend it from another revolution. It was a secular revolution, anticlerical revolution that believed in rights being given to you by the state where you place the king, the sovereign king with a sovereign state. The state is one that gives us writes. Ladies and gentlemen, that clash is front and center in america today. And we are seeing it like weve never seen it today. You deserve from Kelly Shackelford and the assault on religious liberty in america unprecedented but not unexpected. E. If you understand and if you look at the world through clear eyes, not through rosecolored glasses or through some contorted view, that you look at the real struggle that is taking place in america today, it is very easy to see where we are going. Many people have criticized in the past for going out in front on some issues and saying this will never be a problem in america. In 2004 and 2006 and the United States Senate Something everyone said is premature, why are you talking about this . This will never be an issue in america. Go back and read the debate. But was it on . A federal marriage amendment. This will never be an issue. This cant possibly happen here. If you look clearly through the prism of the struggle that is at hand, it is easy to see why i introduce the workplace religious freedom act 12 years ago. To protect the very people that we now are seeing in court cases like hobby lobby. Its easy to see where we are going it you know what the fight is. And thats why its important, ladies and gentlemen to elect leaders and have Leaders Within our movement which we frankly do not have many of, particularly in the republican establishment who understand the existential struggle that is in america today. And then are prepared to engage the struggle because when we lose these battles, when we lose these precious freedoms that i talk about, and Everything Else will start to fall because now the government has got more intrusive and bigger and dictatorial and the secular status to control government are the ones who will be dictating not just how you practice our religion, but how you run your business, who you do business with, and how. Economic freedom is certain to go as is Everything Else. So ladies and gentlemen, we know very well that this class of civilization, if you will, is very present in america today. So when a heard the president say at the United Nations that there is no clash of civilizations, at stake here, and this is all hogwash, this is all tried and those who dont see the world the way he sees the world, i would suggest to you thats because he sees the world as descendents of the french revolution and doesnt quite see the lines as someone who understands the dignity of all human life and the protection of liberty and the freedom of conscious, and a world, a very fundamentally different world not of western civilization, that sees god and sees people differently, fundamentally different than we do here. So yes, there is a very big clash going on right now in the middle east against a civilization that for 1300 years give it a couple inches, has been in conflict with our civilization. Those who ignore history are destined to repeat it. And unless we have clear minded leaders who can look at that clash and look into the future and say heres where we are going, heres whats next, because i have seen this before back in 2004, 2003 as brian mentioned. I introduce the syrian accountability act, the iran freedom and support act. Why . Because i said back then that iran is pursuing a Nuclear Weapon and no, no, no. But if you understand shia islam and the leaders of iran and you hear what they say, not just to the western press but to their own people, then its very easy to see the path that theyre on. The decisions that they will make, and they will be to arm and have the ability to project power with Nuclear Weapons. Theres no doubt thats what theyre doing. Theres no doubt that thats the path. And yet we have a president who is in disneyland. He is looking through at these issues and seeing a country developing advanced uranium refinement. Producing weapons, excuse me, producing rockets to fire weapons, the only weapons that there used to fire or Nuclear Weapons, throughout asia and beyond, and the program up until recently, they say now they have suspended it. That was to weaponize nuclear material. And we still are in doubt as to whether they want to pursue a Nuclear Weapons or not. Ladies and gentlemen, when i thought president bush back in 2005 and 2006 about defining this war, the American Public, about explaining to the American Public what is at stake in who the enemy is, i did so because i believed it then as i believe now that this is an existential fight. It has been for a long time. Radical islam in one form or another has been around for a long time, and its borders are very bloody. Ladies and gentlemen, we dont have borders anymore. When it comes to the technology that is available for those who want to do harm. We have all sorts of things to protect our, project fear, to terrorize. Whether its a simple film clip of a beheading or a bomb going off in an unexpected place, there are no borders that protect us. And the borders we have are not secure to protect us. We need leaders and we need to be a movement that is sure that is not defined. We see so Much Division within republican ranks in the conservative ranks about the direction to take on all of these issues and all these clashes, the clash of civilization here, as you are brian talk about, the republican as auschwitz saying no, no, we need to stop talking about these things. I dont know about you but i have never been involved in a race in order to play defense on issue into the points on the board. But thats what weve decided to do as an establishment Republican Party is to simply play defense, to ignore these can put our heads in the sand and hope that these issues go away. When, in fact, by every survey that thereve been done for folks who have extreme positions on these issues are our opponents. And yet we refuse, as brian said, a billion dollars in advertising and not a single mention of these issues. The same is true when it comes to the issues overseas. Ladies and gentlemen, i know there are people who think that america should just pack up and Pay Attention to our own problems and ignore the problems around the world, in the summer this is constitutionally provided for. Our constitution provides for limited government. It doesnt necessarily provide for uniform small government. In fact there are areas which our government should be quite robust, but limited to certain areas where government is, in fact, the only place where this responsibility lies. And that, of course, is national defense. So dont confuse small and limited, sometimes limited means limited to certain subject areas but robust in those areas to protect our freedoms and keep us secure. And that is what i argued for and thats what these republicans have always argued for. Its the three legs of the stool. Understanding how they always together to protect our liberties. Limited government to do the things that are essential that government can do, providing for common defense. And small government when it comes to areas which impose upon our freedoms, particularly on our religious liberty and our business. So people always asked me, okay, rick, if thats the game plan, if thats the struggle we are in, what do i do . I hear this all the time. What do i do . I am only one person. Well, do you realize that if you look at the last four years of the United States, you look at the survey after survey of people who consider themselves traditional value conservatives and progressive values liberal, theres twice as many conservative traditional values people in this country than are liberals . Yet for the last 30 or 40 years we have been losing ground. How does that happen . It happens because theyre willing to fight, because they are willing to sacrifice, because theyre willing not to give up. If you look at the current conservative movement, Republican Party, there are issues that we havent even lost yet and were talking about giving up. We are not even willing to fight the fight, to stand for what we say we believe in. Because we think, well, history is moving in a different way. History . We are the determine theres of history, not history. [applause] we are not to look to history, to judge us. We have somebody else that we need to Pay Attention to when it comes to judging us. And its not history. [applause] so why do we lose . Is because we dont have enough brian browns and Kelly Shackelfords and many of you after in the audience who are willing to stand up and not take no, to come back and bite. I always say we won the American Revolution not because were the most powerful army, not because were the most weapons, not because with the best generals, not because of any of those things. We won because of that last line of the declaration of independence. We mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor. If were going to win this fight here at home to protect our religious liberty, to protect the right to life, to protect the institutions, the glue that holds the family together, marriage, to protect our economic liberties, then we have to be willing to make those sacrifices. We have to be willing to join together and make a difference. When i left the campaign in 2012 in april, i went out inform and or session called patriot voices. I formed that organization for one reason, to provide an avenue for people to get involved and try to make a difference. Because ultimately that difference is made at the ballot box, but its also made in the state legislatures and in the congress and in the courts and we have to fight them all. But we also have to fight within the family. How many of your children have the same values that you do . How many of you have seen that slip away in your own family. How can we let that happen and still hope for good and Healthy America . How many of you have left let your schools, the most Popular History textbook in schools today is written by a marxist antiamerican by the name of howard zinn. Is that being taught in your schools, do you know . What are we doing to protect our children in our own classrooms . Let me assure you come they are fighting. They are fighting in schools, fighting in your home, fighting in hollywood. Brian and kelly, kelly is, pride is not the kelly is a film i recently did called one generation a way which talks about how were losing our religious liberty in america. I am fighting. I find in my business. Im fighting within my house. Im fighting by the schools are unless we all did not like they do, then the chance of american coming out on top as weve seen in the last 30 or 40 years is not good. What do we do . The answer to that, something. Do something. Now, you here and i know im talking to the choir in many respects, but all you in the choir have an obligation and responsibility to go out and sing solos in your own community, and yes, injured own business. How is it that this is has gone from a place of traditional values to a place now that has codes of conduct and education in major corporations that if you dont share these values, you have to go in for reeducation . About those values. How did that happen . We let it happen. How did the bubble get pushed out of schools . We let it happen. You can say look, it was the court. It was us. The court ruled against them, too. They come back and fight. If we are serious, i know i talk to a lot of people and they tell me, rick, you do, im scared about the future of our country, scared about whats happening. I see things falling apart. Quit being scared and start being activists and making things happen in america. [applause] the first part of doing that is to elect the leaders who are clear minded, who have experience and who have looked at these problems for a long time and has come down on the right side or of talking to leaders of our party, leaders of our movement, and yes, leaders of our government. I know theres always a rush for the new, the great bling and beautiful but it is important to see how rooted these leaders are. Because i know we have all been fooled by many, who come into washington to be the new great leaders, and turned out to be just very high profiled followers. We need leaders, and you need to hold them accountable. You need to understand where they are and understand where wy theyre going by understanding where they have been. Ladies and gentlemen, we have an opportunity in this election to do something, to get excited, and to win not just the house back, but the senate and do in a big margin. Let me assure you, if we dont, if we dont, we have two years from the of the 34 senate seats up, 24 are held by republicans. The chance of us picking up seats in 2016 are pretty close to zero. So we either go all out this time for the people that we know are going to be with us, and i mean go all out. In places where it may not look possible. This could be a year where you just never know. Who could win. Put the effort in people that you trust. And do it again in 2016 in the primaries for all of the races that youre going to be dealing with. Go and make sure that you give young people that have a track record and the energy and enthusiasm to fight this battle up here in washington, d. C. We desperately needed. Thank you all very much, and god bless you. [applause]. Featuring his end of day email briefing which is a mustread, by the way, for every values voter. Ladies and gentlemen, would you please join me in welcoming to the stage gary bauer. [applause] thank you. Thank you very much. How nice of you. Thank you. Really appreciate that. I told you this before, Ronald Reagan once told me if i was ever introduced and got a standing ovation, i ought to sit down immediately because i had nowhere to go but down after that. Youve already put me on the spot. Gil, that voice. What line did you have to get in to get that voice . I would have loved to get that voice. Great to be here, as it always is. Here we are in the sixth year of the disaster euphemistically known as the obama years. I remember last year and the year before we met here worried about losing our health care, and this year were meeting worried about losing our heads. That doesnt seem like were on the right folks, path on the right path, folks. Look, ive got a bunch of jokes id like the tell, but its a serious time. Im going to get serious real quick. Were in deep, deep trouble. Were in tremendous danger. When i say we, with the i dont mean just the United States, i mean western civilization, judeochristian civilization. I think this is a moment in our history probably nearly unprecedented because were not aware yet, were not fully awake about what were facing. If we survive, it will be due to the mercy of god and his protective hand, and it will be because men and women like you rise to the occasion. And if those two things dont happen, friends, then katie bar the door. I think anything is possible. A few weeks ago we marked the 13th anniversary of the attack on 9 11. Its kind of hard to believe, 13 years already. Even though its been 13 years, i bet every one of you could tell me where you were that morning if you were old enough, right . I was sitting next to the pentagon that morning, driving in to washington, d. C. , when i heard the unnaturally loud roar of the jet engine of that hijacked plane that just seconds later crashed into the side of the pentagon, the blast literally moving my car. Id find out later that at my very moment, friends of mine died both on the plane and at their desks in the pentagon. In the weeks and months that followed, but particularly in those days right after the event, do you remember what you did . I was watching tv nonstop. I wanted to get every bit of information i could. Why did this happen . Who did it . Was it the first blow, or were more coming . And i remember in that first 24 hours being heartened, because when i turned on the tv, i saw crowds in berlin and london and paris and toke e owe, all over the world tokyo, all over the world, bringing flowers to american embassies, sharing their sorrow with us. I remember the scenes out of tel aviv and jerusalem, people weeping with us, israeli declaring a day of mourning with us, lowering their flag along with us lowering ours. And they did that, of course, because even though they hadnt experienced the 9 11 event, not one event like that, they had been through these grinding campaigns of terror time and time again. And when you add up all the broken bones and all the ripped flesh and all the spilled blood israelis had actually suffered worse casualties than we did on that morning. And so they knew exactly what we were living through. I also remember some other images that i saw, and they made me angry. In gaza and in the west bank, people running out of their homes celebrating, dancing in the street, handing out candy to their children, shooting guns in the air. We hadnt even pulled the bodies out of the wreckage, and they were celebrating our pain and suffering. Every time some reporter asked me, gary, why do you conservatives support israel, i remind them of that day. Thats who cried with us and who celebrated our pain and suffering. In the days that followed 9 11, we saw all sorts of images. It wasnt long after that that daniel pearl, remember him . The wall street journal reporter . Captured by jihadists, tormented on videotape, made to look into a camera and say over and over again, i am a jew, i am a jew before they decapitated him and sent the video of his severed head all over the middle east as a recruiting tool. Thats what theyre doing now. What kind of evil is this that wallows in its blood thirstiness . And since then weve seen more beheadings, weve seen the bombings in london and madrid and boston. Weve seen u. S. Soldiers mowed down not in afghanistan and iraq, but at fort hood in the United States where theyre supposed to be safe outrageous the Obama Administration referred to it as workplace violence. Theres breaking news today, my friends, out of oklahoma. I dont know if youve heard yet or not. A recent convert to islam trying to convert his coworkers, his boss warned him you cant do that on the job. He continued doing it. They fired him. He came back to work and cut off the head of a 54yearold woman. The storys breaking today. Weve seen christians murdered across the middle east in large swaths of africa. I dont remember any emergency meetings at the United Nations. Weve seen christian girls kidnapped and sold into sex slavery. Nuns raped and beheaded. Did you see the story . You had to look for it really closely about three weeks ago. Three nuns, i think it was in angola, two of them 70 years old, one of them 80, raped first and then beheaded. Local Authorities Say they have no idea who did it or what the motive could have been. [laughter] but i know it couldnt have anything to do with islam because the president told me. [laughter] here in the United States synagogues spray painted with swastikas in miami. In indiana about a month ago, somebody writing on three or four church walls verses from the quran calling for the killing of the infidel. I saw an interview on local tv in indiana, either a pastor or a priest from one of the churches, and the man was befuddled. He said, what, is this some sort of prank . [laughter] i mean, is this an effort to turn the local community against our muslim neighbors . Is there really somebody in indiana that thinks were all infidels and have to be killed . Sir, turn on your Television Set meanwhile in iran, the muslims who run that country believe that we are on the verge of seeing the great muslim he sigh ya return to the world messiah return to the world. Hes supposed to come out of a well in iran. And well e know him because he will conduct a great slaughter of christians and j well, s. Jews. In fact, in the quran it says when this messiah comes, jews will hide behind trees and rocks, and the trees will shout out, the jew is hiding behind me, come and kill him. And these people are marching day by day toward or Nuclear Weapons. And, my friends, its not just the jihadists which would be bad enough, putins russia is on the march. If a year ago somebody would have told you, you know, in the next year youll see a civilian aircraft shot down over the skies of europe either by russians or their operatives, everybody onboard will be killed from a dozen nations, and the bodies will lie in fields rotting for days. The president , oh, my, the president was very upset about this. He sent a team of investigators to get to the bottom of who did this, to collect evidence. Apparently, somebody forgot to tell the russian thugs that they were supposed to let obamas investigators have access to the crash scene. You know, the president does this all the time, send investigators. This would be like fdr being told about harry truman and saying, i want the names of every one of those pilots. Lets track em down on put em on trial. You know, obama and kerry constantly respond to this by saying this is the 21st century. People dont do things, nations dont do things like this anymore. They just did it. [laughter] the question before us is not whether nations and thugs still do these things, the question before us is what are free men and women going to do . And what are our leaders going to do other than playing golf . [applause] president obama says this repeatedly, the 21st century does not belong to those that destroy and kill. Let me tell you, ladies and gentlemen, nobodys claimed the 21st century yet. Theres nothing written in stone about the 21st century. It started a little rocky, you know, with 9 11. Let me tell you, there was nothing that was determined ahead of time. By the 20th century. There was nothing written in stone about naziism and communism and whether they would win or we would win. The history was written by strong men of both parties, men like fdr and truman and jfk and Ronald Reagan who rose to the occasion. And we won for another reason, because those president s and the American People and our cultural elites knew that this civilization, judeochristian civilization, western civilization is worth defending. [applause] today while our leaders show weakness abroad, obama and his allies do everything or they can to rip out of our society all the vestiges that made this judeochristian civilization, our believer that liberty comes belief that liberty comes from god, that it has to be ordered, based in virtue. Thats what made us different, and thats what the liberal elites of this country cant stand. Ladies and gentlemen, i know nobody likes to talk directory about these things directly about these things. Im under no such obligation to avoid speaktruthing. Weve got a president today more interested in defending the reputation of islam than he does in saving the lives of christians. [cheers and applause] thank you. You know, he said that in a speech in cairo. He said i consider one of the responsibilities of my office as president to defend islam from unfair and scurrilous attacks. Wouldnt you love to see the next republican nominee actually have a heart and a brain and say to him, mr. President , you know, when obama was in office for eight years i never figured, i could never find where in his Job Description defending islam against scurrilous attacks was. I thought he was supposed to defend the United States of america, but thats just me, you know . [applause] the speech this past week at the u. N. , people were praising that speech. And i guess its because if you hear pablum all the time, if every once in a while theres something with a little meat to it, you get all excited. But the speech was filled with platitudes. Listen to this. This is directly from the speech the shadow of world war that existed at the founding of the United Nations has been lifted. No, it hasnt. [laughter] its the exact opposite. The possibility of a world war is growing, its not shrinking. And its growing because of the instinctive weakness of president obama. Our enemies [applause] our enemies are emboldened, and our friends dont trust us, and theyre demoralized. Look, let me run you real quick through obamas Foreign Policy, just some of the highlights, the apology tour. He began the administration with the apology tour. We saved the world from communism and naziism, but apparently the president thought we needed to give the world an apology for something. I still havent figured it out. Remember the iranian dissidents . Didnt lift a finger for em. There were even leaks out of the white house saying this really complicates our efforts to reach out to the iranian government. I mean, this instability couldnt come at a worse time. But when the proamerican government of egypt got in trouble, what did the president do . Pulled the rug out from underneath that government as quickly as he could and turned it over to the tender mercies of the wolves of the muslim brotherhood. Thats what he did. He and his secretary of state left our men to die in benghazi. And by the way, mrs. Clinton, youre not going to get a free ride on this. You cant implement the policies and then run as if you were opposed to the policies. Were going to call you out [cheers and applause] the president regularly berates our friends and israel for building homes for israeli jews in jerusalem. Jews were living in jerusalem, ladies and gentlemen, when washington, d. C. Was still a swamp. [laughter] its no big deal, i mean, washington, d. C. s a swamp today, but [laughter] the president said this first of all, hes the most antiisrael president. Narrowly winning the title away from jimmy carter, by the way. I love, i always love reminding jimmy carter whenever i get a chance that the first family of christiandom were all jews, and the disciples were all jews. And that famous biblical figure john the baptist was not a baptist, he was a jew. [laughter] [applause] good grief, my times running out, and im just getting warmed up here. [laughter] [applause] okay. So heres what the president said, and the violence engulfing the region today has made too many israelis ready to abandon the hard work of peace. He actually said that at theup. At the u. N. My friends, nobody wants peace more than the israelis. But you cant, youve got to have a peace partner, right . And they have not abandoned the cause of peace. They have abandoned the possibility that the president of the United States will ever end his hostility toward them and begin to stand up and defend the most reliable ally the United States ever had. [applause] when boko haram killed christians in churches which they did and continue to do every sunday the president s protest is such a whisper, youve got to be on the same putting green he is to hear what hes saying. [laughter] when christian girls were abducted and sold into sex slavery, the Obama Administrations response was, um, bringbackourgirls. And guess what, folks . It ends up that hashtags and selfies, remember the first lady taking a picture of herself so she could send out the hashtag . Thats not a Foreign Policy. [laughter] i dont see the girls, and i hate to imagine what theyve been subjected to while weve been doing selfies and sending out hashtags. And then there was that moment when obama leaped over to russian leaned over to russian president medvedev and said ill be a lot more flexible after the election. Putin got his flexibility, and the people of ukraine got the stiff boot of a russian soldier on their necks. Not a very good deal there. Ladies and gentlemen, the truth is that at this very moment in all sorts of places around the world there are evil men, many of them who brag that they worship death, and they are feverishly, furiously, intently working on ways to bring to you and yours sorrows greater than the sorrows weve already experienced. Does anybody think Barack Obamas up to the challenge . Of course, of course not. No so, look, let me leave you with this. Weve got our problems, but there is still a deep reservoir in this country of the values that were at our founding. Its still there. Its hard to see sometimes, but im telling you its there, and its much more powerful that be we think. It needs leadership. We saw those values come to the fore on the morning of 9 11. I wont go through a complete description, but just think about one or two things; the policemen and firemen that ran into the World Trade Center towers even though in many cases their officers were yelling at them dont go in, the buildings could collapse. It didnt matter. They went in to save people like you. The folks on that plane that crashed in pennsylvania, not marines, not navy seals, they were businessmen going on an Early Morning trip, students going back to college, families going on vacation. They were in the middle of a nightmare. The pilot and copilot dead, several flight attendants murdered, a i jewish passenger killed by the guy sitting next to him who was one of the hijackers. The passengers go to the back of the plane, what are we going to do . An argument breaks out. Some say sit back down, others say weve got to fight back. They disagree. Somebody says, lets vote. Oh, i love that [laughter] on the day they attack our constitutional republic, what do americans do . They vote [laughter] everybody in favor of fighting back, they raise their hands. Everybody in favor of taking seats the ones that wanted to fight back won. And so they grabbed whatever they could as a makeshift weapon, and they got a drink cart, and they ran down the aisle of that airplane into the teeth of men armed with box cutters. Can you imagine what that scene must have looked like . And they brought that plane down and spared us greater suffering that morning. [applause] and then theres all the young men and women that answered the volunteer call and went off to iraq and afghanistan and fought as courageously as you could have ever asked them to do. And now watch our Political Leadership fritter away the gains they won with the blood of their brothers. And if that that is not enough inspiration for you, there are the reports that have kept me awake the last couple of nights. Hard to confirm them all in the fog of war. You may have heard about them. That in Northern Iraq today isis has taken another christian area, and they are going door to door in christian homes, and they are grabbing the children, and they are telling those chirp as they put children as they put a neck to their knife knife to their neck, denounce jesus or we will kill you. And we are getting reports from missionaries and others that in house after house there are dead christian iraqi children who will not deny their savior. Ladies and gentlemen, love your god. And your family. Stiffen your spine. Be of stout heart. Clear your mind. And get ready to do very difficult things. Because that is the only way we are going to save this precious nation, this glowing city on a hill. God bless you. Thank you very much. [applause] thank you. God bless you all. Never give up thank you. Thank you, gary. Another powerful speech from gary bauer. Always a pleasure to have him as part of the team here at the values voter summit. Folks, it may surprise you that there are now 23 states that allow me dipsal medicinal states, two states now with recreational marijuana, so we know where thats going. And you have to question, is this a good idea . Coming to talk about it is louisiana house representative john fleming who is also a medical doctor. During his time in congress, he has worked tirelessly on a balanced Budget Health care reform and protecting religious liberty and the military. Comes now to talk about this issue of legalized marijuana. Would you please welcome congressman dr. John fleming. [applause] thank you. Thank you. Great to be with you today. Are yall having fun in washington . Lets see some energy and some excitement here today. Welcome to washington. Of course, as a member of congress, i cant wait to get out of washington. [laughter] my friends, were here today to discuss the things that bind us together, issues concerning our culture and our civilization, the threats that may loom before us. Among these are life, marriage and the family, the role of god and government in our lives. In order to better understand the place of social values in society, we often talk about the end results of poor decisions and what we can do to pick up the pieces of broken families, broken lives and broken bodies. Unfortunately, we often ignore the root causes of poor decision making. I want to focus your attention today on one of the major root causes of our social problems in the hope that you will are join me in taking on you will join me in taking on a difficult but solvable problem, drug abuse, particularly marijuana. Now, why talk about marijuana . Id love to talk about sexier things like religious liberty. But listen to this, this is very important and very fundamental at this point in time. Very simply, marijuana is trending toward or a socially and legallyaccepted drug. Despite the Important Information now coming to light. Some years ago as a physician and a parent, i wrote a book on this subject based on thendata that has since been corroborated by recent studies. Heres the top line marijuana use is growing rapidly among teens and children with social and legal acceptance acting as a powerful catalyst, and this will have devastating consequences for years to come on our families and on our society. Let me catch you up with what science has confirmed. The human brain does not fully mature until the early to mid 20s. My wife says its much later than that in husbands. [laughter] the brain continues to prune and reprogram itself through the formative years of life based on environmental stimuli. The average persons first exposure to drugs, especially marijuana, is usually in the early teens and sometimes even younger. The younger a child or teen experiments with an illegal drug, marijuana being the most common, the more likely he or she will become addicted. The corollary to this is the longer a teen waits to experiment with legal drugs, the more likely he or she will avoid a lifelong addiction. Once that developing brain adapts itself to drug abuse and addiction, the battle to escape addiction will be lifelong. Though some level of chronic management and recovery is possible, backsliding into drug use again and again is more the rule than the exception. Since writing my book, preventing addiction, seven years ago, even more sobering data has come to light. Here are four more facts. Number one, 16. 5 of eighth graders have experimented with marijuana. Almost 40 of tenth graders have experimented also with pot. Nearly half of 12th graders have experimented with this highly addictive substance. And we also know that 6. 5 of 12th graders are daily marijuana users. And there are 12th grade peers, 60 , who dot think theres any harm do not think theres any harm in regular marijuana use, but they dont know the facts. And that im going to share with you today. Of all the drugs kids use, legal and illegal, marijuana remains the drug of choice. Drug Rehabilitation Centers inform us that marijuana addiction is by far the most common diagnosis of teens treated in their facilities. As you know, theres been a trend over the past few decades to first medicinallize, then decriminalize and then legalize marijuana in various states across the country. While pot was part of a marginalized culture in the 1960s and, yes, im old enough to remember those days of the 1960s it is rapidly becoming a mainstream, accepted behavior as evidenced in polling and the relaxation of laws in many states. And how did this happen . As early as the 1970s, it was suggested that dying Cancer Patients could benefit from smoking marijuana. Mainly to assist with nausea. Somehow with adding real science, this morphed into the idea that marijuana is actually a safe, natural treatment for many illnesses and is otherwise harmless and nonaddictive. Consequently, as gil said, 23 states and the District Of Columbia have now legalized the medicinal use of marijuana. Such that is of last year there were more medical marijuana dispensaries in denver, colorado, than starbucks and mcdonalds combined. Areas of california were also reporting more pot dispensaries than Starbucks Coffee shops. Is it really that many sick people in california . [laughter] dare i go there . [laughter] its like marijuana became a magic cureall. But is it more likely a dangerous snake oil marketed by powerful financial interests . Sixteen states and the District Of Columbia have taken the next step and decriminalized marijuana, and two states colorado and washington have now fully legalized marijuana for recreational use. And as i and others would argue, the states have taken these steps based on commonlyheld myths. Dr. Kevin sabit, who advised the bush and Obama Administrations drug policy offices, has written an excellent book on these myths. Its called reefer sanity. I highly recommend it. Here are just some of the myths. Myth number one, marijuana is a medicine. After decades of study, we have found no beneficial medical use for the raw marijuana plant, a schedule i illegal drug under the federal law. It is true that the active ingredient, thc, can make Cancer Patients feel better, but this is much more safely achieved through use of synthetic thc, marketed as a schedule iii drug which your doctor can prescribe for you very safely and legally. There are also anecdotal claims that an oil extract from the marijuana plant not containing the active component thc may be useful in certain rare childhood seizure disorders. The fda is fast tracking this drug and will approve it for use under the supervision of a physician if proven safe and effective. Number two, marijuana is not addictive. Yes, it is addictive, folks. This is a complete myth. There is a well documented withdrawal syndrome that any Treatment Center employee can describe for you. Marijuana users can face intense difficulties getting off this drug. The next one, marijuana is harmless. First, marijuana smoke contains tar that is four times more to tent than tobacco which is potent than tobacco which is known to cause lung disease and cancer . How can it be good for you to smoke something more dangerous than cigarettes . Second is, sophisticated brain imaging studies show profound, abnormal changes to the brain in even casual marijuana users. Other studies show a spike in auto accidents, schizophrenia and suicides relating to marijuana use. In colorado there are growing reports of potinfused cookies and candies, many with dangerously high levels of thc, the intoxicating chemical in marijuana. A Poison Center in colorado has reported about a 50 spike in calls from people having Adverse Reactions to marijuana, adults and children. Its naive to think that pot cookies and candy wont end up in the hands of teenagers and even younger children. Employee drug tests in colorado have shown an increase of more than 20 positive marijuana tests from one year to the next. Raising serious issues of safety and productivity in the workplace. Similar numbers were found among tests of drivers in washington state. In colorado the number of drivers involved in fatal crashes that tested positive for marijuana doubled from 1994 to 2011. In a report released in august, a number of colorado driverses testing positive for pot and involved in traffic fatalities increased 100 between 2007 and 2012. Do you want to be driving among them . I dont. And i certainly dont want my family driving. My wife, sarah, for several years is a casa worker, you know, the courtappointed special advocate. Her job was to assist the courts in being an advocate for children in problem homes. Virtually always the central problem in the home was addiction of one, if not both parents. Myth number four, this is the same marijuana used in the 1960s. The truth is that the marijuana grown today contains almost four times the amount of thc than it did in previous generations. The thc concentration then was 4 . Today it hovers around 15 . Number five, there are many people in prison today because of simple marijuana use. What a myth, folks. Ive spoken to a number of experts in research and law enforcement, and they make it very clear that this is simply not true. This myth derives from the fact that when marijuana users are arrested for more serious crimes, Marijuana Possession may be an added charge. People also plead down from more severe charges, selling or distributing marijuana to just simple possession. Typically, a user of marijuana if arrested will appear in court and be fined and not imprisoned, and often times directed towards some type of treatment. Number six, marijuana produces a lot of revenue to the state treasury. You will hear this more and more, and it will end marijuanas black market. Thus far the colorado experiment has not brought in an a avalanche of revenue in, and the black market remains as robust as ever. Any meager increase in tax revenues will be offset in higher social costs, already or an increase in Homeless People are moving to colorado has been reported. As social problems and crimes increase, so will the burden on the treasury to provide for broken families, broken lives and broken bodies. And finally, myth number seven, marijuana is not gateway drug. Folks, again, studies show otherwise. Teens who use marijuana regularly and early in life are far more likely to become addicted to each more dangerous drugs even more dangerous drugs like crack, methamphetamine and heroin. All addicting drugs are gateway drugs. Who told me this . Drug addicts told me this. Marijuana just happens to be most frequently firstused drug. Now, my libertarian friends argue that taxpayers and society in general should not make or enforce laws that dictate to them how they should behave. Or what they should do with their lives when it comes to drugs. My answer is, it is the same taxpayers who will be required to take care of you and your family once drug cans have led to your broken families, broken lives and broken bodies. If you truly want a smaller government, then you will oppose the legalization of marijuana. [applause] have i convinced you yet . [inaudible conversations] very good. So why should you care now, and what should you do about this growing wave of acceptance of marijuana use across this country . First, it is important to remember that as marijuana becomes more acceptable in certain states, complacency builds, and the fear of its harmful effects and legal consequences begin to dissipate. The net effect is more kids using drugs. It ends up in homes, folks. The more acceptable and the less fear and the fewer threats there are to legal action or harm, the more likely its going to be in homes maybe not your home, but its going to be in your neighbors home. Studies show that the addiction rate for those who begin smoking marijuana as an adult is 1 in 11. For teens it is 1 in 6. And what is the impact on society . It has been well documented that many of our social ills derive directly or indirectly from drug addiction. Spouse abuse, child abuse, Motor Vehicle accidents, suicides, Mental Illness and failed marriages can often be linked to drug addiction. And too often theres a link back to our good friend, marijuana. You know, in denver a 48yearold man will soon stand trial for shooting his wife while she was on the phone with police, panicked at his erratic behavior. As a result of ingested marijuana. The only substance reported to be found in his bloodstream was thc. Earlier this year a 19yearold College Student jumped to his death in this denver after eating in denver after eating a single 10 thcinfused cookie. Friends who were with him say that the young man began acting crazy, hallucinate being smashing things in the hotel room before running outside and tumbling over the railing. Some will argue that those are just anecdotal examples. Even though they are among the earliest casualties, we will undoubtedly see many more examples with the increasing availability and acceptance of marijuana. My friends, as marijuana and other addicting drugs are determined by society to be more acceptable and legal, we are certain to see more broken families, broken lives and broken bodies. And deaths. Be prepared, as this will lead to a greater burden on taxpayerfunded social services and an increasing entitlement state to help those families destroyed by addiction. Thats why the time for us to speak up on this issue is now. And i would urge you to join me in this fight to stop the medicinallization, the decriminalization and the legalization of marijuana in the statehouses across america as well as in our own federal government. Thank you and god bless. [applause] well, thank you, congressman fleming. Dr. Fleming, i should say. Only, a very important issue obviously, a very important issue is the issue of marriage. There have been a number of critical decisions over this last year regarding marriage, and weve assembled an impressive panel of experts to talk about marriage in america the road ahead. So coming now to moderate this panel would you please welcome the senior fellow of policy studies at the Family Research council and the author of the book outrage how gay activists and liberal judges are trashing democracy to redefine marriage. Please welcome peter sprigs. [applause] thank you. Ill ask that members of my panel to come on out on stage and join me here. Where your name card is. Im going to introduce them individually when i get to each of them one at a time. The institution of marriage has been under stress for at least two generations now. The sexual revolution took sexual relations out of the sacred precincts of the marital bedroom and into any bedroom, and increasingly into the Public Square itself. Nofault divorce undermines the permanence of the marriage bond. Cohabitation has increasingly become a substitute for marriage. But the severing of the oncepowerful bonds which linked sex and procreation to marriage has now reached its culmination in the effort to change the or very definition the very definition of marriage itself. The idea that marriage is intrinsically by definition the union of one man and one woman which would have been taken for granted for almost the entire history of western civilization has gone from being universeally selfevident to being, in the eyes of many including some federal judges, utterly incomprehensible. Last year the u. S. Supreme court issued a ruling in the windsor case striking down the federal definition of marriage as the union of a man and woman for all purposes under federal law according to the defense of marriage act. But they dodged the issue of state definitions of by of marriage by not issuing a rule of marriage regarding californias prop 8. Subsequent challenges, state by state across the country, however, have used the rationale of the windsor ruling to challenge, to challenge the laws and, in many cases, constitutional amendments adopted by the people. Each of our guests today offers a unique perspective on the irreplaceable institution of marriage. And im going to turn first to eric tietzel, executive director of the manhattan declaration, a call of christian conscience on life, marriage and religious liberty which was founded by chuck olson in 2009. He works to make sure that the declaration serves not only as a manifesto, but a movement which continues to inform the public about these issues. Eric attended wheaton college, he worked at Colorado Christian University before coming to washington to serve with the values and capitalism project at the American Enterprise institute. Last year eric was one of several Young Leaders profiled in the New York Times under the headline young opponents of gay marriage undaunted by battle ahead. Please welcome eric tietzel. [applause] eric, im going to start with a broad question for you. Why does can marriage matter to society . How much time do you have . [laughter] you know, i was thinking about this panel today and realized that it was five years ago this sunday that chuck olson tasked Robbie George with authoring the first draft of what came to be known as the manhattan declaration. As you said, a manifesto, but really a wakeup call to the church, to be church on the most important issues of our time; life, marriage and religious liberty. I thought i would read just a bit of what the manhattan has to say about this question. It describes marriage as nothing less than the crowning achievement of gods creation. Marriage is the First Institution of human society, indeed, it is the institution on which all other human institutions have their very foundation. And vast Human Experience confirms that marriage is both the original and most Important Institution for sustaining the health, welfare and education of all persons in a society. Marriage matters because its good, and it plays a central role in gods story for the world in which we live. That fact, i think, is underscored by what for me is one of the coolest realities about scriptures testimony when it comes to the question of marriage. The bible begins with a wedding in a garden between adam and eve, and it ends with a wedding in a city between christ and his church. [applause] very good. Now, the millennial generation has seen high levels of divorce in their parents generation, yet graduating high school students, according to surveys, continue to tell us overwhelmingly that they desire marriage to be part of their future. In spite of the poor modeling they may have seen of marriage in in many cases, what does this desire tell us about the powerful good that marriage can be . Well, it tells us something. I suppose it tells us that things could be worse theres something deep inside even this generation that has no idea what marriage is, that has no idea why marriage matters, that has no understanding or conception of why the biblical meaning of marriage should have anything to do with our laws understanding of marriage. But yet they still, somewhere deep down inside, have this seasons that i should get married. Thats a good thing. Unfortunately, theyre not getting married. I think the statistic that just came out from pew is that just under half of young cult adult cans young adults between the ages of 2534 are married. Thats a fourfold increase from what it was in 1960. My participants generation parents generation, the generation before them has not exactly left a legacy of marriage for my generation to understand and grab on to, and thats why im happy to be part of a movement thats trying to rebuild the foundations of marriage. The samesex Marriage Movement is only the latest symptom in what has been a decadeslong breakdown in our countriesing of the role of marriage and in our understanding of the role of marriage in society. Ours is a much broader project. Great. And tell people the web site for the manhattan declaration. Oh, yeah, thanks. [laughter] the manhattan declaration, www. Manhattandeclaration. Org, were also all over facebook and twitter too. We hope youll read it, sign it and share it with others. This is something that everybody can sign. The more is signatures that are on it, the better the it is, the more powerful statement it makes to our society. So i encourage you to go to that a site and sign the manhattan declaration. Well, let me move on to our next guest who is a member of congress, representative vicki hartsler, is in her second term representing missouris fourth Congressional District here in washington. She previously served three terms as a member of the Missouri House of representatives. She is, she and her husband, lowell, own a company that sells Farm Equipment and live with their daughter on a working farm in cass county, missouri. And i just want to mention personally, i still remember so well the first time i met mrs. Hartsler was here at the values voter summit, and it was before shed been elected to congress, and she was selling or promoting a book she had written on christians running for office called, request i get this right, running gods way, Something Like that. And so its really great to see someone like this having put those principles into action and being elected to congress. Now [applause] give her a hand, yes. [applause] now, the key question, one of the key questions about marriage is what is marriage, but a second key question is, who decides . Now, missouri is one of the 30 states that amended its constitution to define marriage as the union of one man and one woman. You were very active in that campaign back in 2004, i believe, wasnt it . Tell us why you thought it was important for the people of your state to act in defense of marriage . Well, that was right after the 2004 Supreme Court decision in massachusetts where a few unelected, unaccountable judges overruled the will of the people in massachusetts and said we know better what the definition of marriage is, and we dont care what you think about it. And so missouris legislature as well as many other state assemblies across our country were very proactive in putting a measure on our ballot for the voters to decide what we wanted in marriage. And i was asked to be the spokesperp for that spokesperson for that campaign and ended up helping with that, and it was quite an experience because our election was in august. I believe there was ten other states that had their election in november, and so missouri became a focal point for the entire National Debate at that time. And even e though that even though we were outspent 22 to 1 and even though the other professional organizations who were opposed to the amendment flooded our states with professional offices and staff and we were just a grassroots, volunteer organization, our voters, our citizens came out that november, and we spoke loud and clear with 71 of the vote that we think its wise Public Policy for marriage to be between a man and a woman. And im very thrilled. [applause] now, in the last year weve seen a number of federal judges vote to strike down these state definitions of marriage. This has raised concerns for a lot of us about the balance of power both between the states and the federal government and between the three branches of government. So as a legislator, as a member of the legislative branch, what do you think about the role these judges are playing in this question . Are they taking authority that doesnt really belong to them . Absolutely. According to the constitution, the Judicial Branch is supposed to interpret law and enforce law. Its up to the legislative branch to legislate laws, and as far as that goes, the executive branch is supposed to execute laws. We need to get back to all of that. And, certainly, in the case of people across this country speaking like missouri has, the people have the right to determine these policies. Thats why we acted ten years ago, put it in our constitution. And thats a where it needs to to thats where it needs to stay, with the power of the people and not some unelected judges somewhere. Now, missouris law is being challenged as has been all across this country. And we had our first hearing, it was yesterday, where that was heard in court, and i just am praying and hoping that missouris judges will rule like the judge down in louisiana that said social decisions should be decided by the people and not by judges. So were hoping for that. [applause] now, as i mentioned in the introduction, last year the u. S. Supreme court struck down a portion of the federal defense of marriage act which had required the federal government to recognize only the union of one man and one woman as a marriage. The Obama Administration since then has been very aggressive in pushing this recognition, the widest possible, and the broadest possible interpretation of that ruling. But several pieces of legislation have been introduced in congress seeking to address some of the concerns people have about religious liberty and so forth. Can you talking a little bit about those . Sure. Theres a couple that im cosponsors that i think are very important. The first is the marriage and religious liberty act, and it hopes to address some of the concerns of the federal government coming after private businesses or Nonprofit Organizations and withholding federal support for them. And that law specifically says the federal government cannot in any way harm an individual business or entity because they uphold marriage x. That means they cant withhold loans or grants or contracts or other federal programs that perhaps that business would be interested in. And then theres another bill that deals just with foster care and the adoption p system. And ive worked on adoption issues for many, many years x im a strong supporter of that. We have 400,000 children right now in foster care with about 25 , which would be around 100,000, that are available for adoption and wanting a home. Yet we have the federal government going after only private foster care and adoption agencies and withholding their taxexempt discuss or their contracts with the government because they simply believe that those children deserve to be with a father and a mother. And that is wrong. And so we have introduced the Child Welfare provider inclusion act which would prevent the federal government from being able to do that, and it would make sure that every, every agency that wants to see these kids get in homes have that opportunity without federal interference. [applause] great, thank you. Now, our next guest, aaron and melissa klein, are not like our other panelists. They are not elected officials, not theologians, not policy analysts, they are or were the owners of a bakery in oregon called sweet cakes by melissa. [applause] now see, they already know you. [laughter] i did some research in preparing for this. I went on the nexus news search engine. I put in sweet cakes by melissa and searched for the last two years, and the very first article that came up was two years ago the oregonian, a leading paper in portland, oregon, said this in their travel section. They said farther east on maine a small strip mall is home to sweet cakes by melissa, known for its complex wedding cakes. Melissas also has filled cupcakes in flavors like red velvet and cinnamon chocolate ribbon. Indulge, youve earned it. [laughter] now, unfortunately, the next 89 news articles about them were not quite as flattering, because when they returned to the news, it was because they had joined the growing number of christian Business People who have faced the choice of sacrificing east their con either their conscience or their business in the face of demands by homosexual activists and now by the state of oregon that they participate in the celebration of a samesex wedding by making a customized cake for that event. Now, before we talk about this case that youre involved in, can you, one or both of you, tell us about the process of designing and producing a wedding cake, the process that you use . This is not just a matter of pulling a cake off a shelf, is it . No, its, its definitely not. With our business we, everything we do is from scratch, and its more than just throwing ingredients, you know, into the oven and throwing frosting on it. For a wedding we sit down with the bride and groom or sometimes the mother and the bride, and for me personally when i would sit down with them, i just would want to know everything about her wedding, and id want to know about her flowers, her dress, the centerpieces, her colors, the way her hair was going to be. I wanted to see her ring. I even would talk about, you know, where are you going on your honeymoon, and i would use all this information to help me design the perfect cake that reflected them as a couple. [applause] sorry. I dont mean to get emotional. [laughter] it just really touches my heart. But anyways, i would sit with them, and i would sit and sketch up designs, and sometimes it would take, you know, several different designs until we got the perfect cake that just matched them. And sometimes it would take two hours of sitting in a caketasting. And if they chose me to do their cake im sorry [applause] i would just feel so honored to be able to be a part of such an amazing, special day. I just couldnt get conscience agree to do it. Thank you. Go ahead and give them a hand for that. [applause] now, i do have to tell you unfortunately there is ongoing litigation over this situation so the clients are somewhat limited in what they can say about the actual and the bank, the actual interaction with the people who complained about them. You are not only attacked on social media and in the press, but eventually legal action was taken against you. Can you tell us a little but about what they did and what the state has done to what you were forced to do as a result. Up to this point, the girls filed a complaint with the bureau labor of industry. That is now gone into the process where they found evidence that suggests we discriminated. We are actually facing litigation at this point. Should be the next couple weeks as far as a court date. You know, in the end, the boycotting, that her rathmann, quite frankly they didnt harass us, they harass the other wedding vendors who did business with. It cut off our referral system. We had to shut shop down. Melissa now does very limited cakes out of our house. I mean, we are facing in excess of 150,000 in damages for this, just for simply standing by my First Amendment right. On top of that come in the state is actually told me that merely speaking about this could be construed as advertising, that i would discriminated and could defined additionally for that. Talk about the fact you made reference to your conscience. How does it make you feel to be basically told that you have to violate your conscience . For me personally, to behold they are going to force me to convey a message other than what i want to come day, its wide in the face of the constitution. You know, it is a violation of my conscience. Its a violation of my religious freedom. It is horrible to see a rogue government doing this to you. Okay. How can we pray for you Going Forward . Well, first of all, we have five kids. We have suffered some financial hardships because of this. God has been good earpiece provided up to this point. Pray for our attorneys. The treadmill Excellent Team of attorneys. We plan to appeal any decision that would be contrary to, you know, standing up for religious freedom. We pray for wisdom for them. Honestly, the commission of the industry of rabid hockey and has made it clear at this point that we have broken the law. He said we have religious freedom, but dont have the right to break the law. In saying that companies are at a declared our guilt. I say pray for him. Pray for changing up his mind. I shouldve asked this earlier, but i just wanted to clarify for our audience, this is not only about Sexual Orientation per se, but you have served gay and lesbian customers. To grow is actually a return customer. She returned one in a wedding cake or mess. Its never been about orientation. Its about mary cheney event. All right. Lets give a big hand to aaron and melissa kline. [cheers and applause] [applause] [applause] thank you so much. I cant say how that makes the field. Thank you. Our followup gas has a tough act to follow. I expect that same ovation. [laughter] dr. Jerry johnson is the president and ceo of the National Religious broadcasters located here in washington d. C. Area. Their mission is to its biblical truth to promote media excellency and to defend free speech. Dr. Johnson previously served as president of Criswell College in dallas, texas in addition to his work in education, he has also pastored churches in texas and colorado. Dr. Johnson is married and he and his wife have two children. Please welcome dr. Jerry johnson. [applause] dr. Johnson, since you are involved, what role do you think the role has played in this campaign to redefine marriage quick is huge. We should go back to 2008 when the president was elected the first time. In his speech you should remember they now duration speech they inserted gay and straight in there. That was huge in the media picked up on that. Somewhere along in his presidency, he switched from gay and straight to lg dt. Its a very interesting switch. Never says gay and straight anymore. Nowadays lgbt. But youve got five. I just looked on the website the other day. Theres about 20 different orientations now does someone want to identify. The Mainstream Media keeps repeating that, writing it in the scripts. Repeating the lingo and it is a fact in us. Thats the thing i like to say. Be very careful how you talk about these issues because part of the debate is in the language of cells. Now, what role can Christian Media player publicizing the case for the natural definition of marriage quick well, we can do a better job than we been doing. One of the things we talk about when it comes to the First Amendment, use it or lose it. And so come if youre on Radio Television or you have a blog or do a podcast or youtube, talk about this. If your pastor, preach about this. Talk about natural marriage, traditional marriage come historic marriage. Thats very important. It could also come from a Panel Discussion tomorrow because will be talking about the fact in canada, you know, sermons are turned in on wednesday for editing. We have a canadian that will be here tomorrow, a major broadcaster. On thursday they can make the corrections and on friday they havent changed it a run last week sermon. And so, this is right next door. We have not gotten to live under some self impose sharia law on this issue. You know, we have First Amendment renowned to speak into exercise and we should use it. Very good. Thank you. [applause] now, i mention that before coming to nrb, youre president of Criswell College. You had a career in higher education. So, my last question for you dare is what do you think we need to be doing to educate the Younger Generation about the importance of marriage and to equip Young Christian to defend marriage in the Public Square quick welcome which is set to challenge a lot of these assumptions. Young people always want to be on the cutting edge with it, so one of the main argument you will hear is you dont want to be on the rock side of history. Lets take that for a moment. Its not about history. It is about the future. They are not talking about history. They are talking about what you want the future to be or the sponsor this year or the last 10 years. History is on our side. The last hundreds of years of american history, our culture has recognized traditional, natural marriage. That has been the cultural norm. You go back you on that, judeochristian history. I take a cue from the apostle paul. In romans one, he didnt quote the leviticus passage we all hear so often. It is true, it is they are. But back to genesis one and paula said, you know, this choice is a rejection of the creator and the created order, the natural order. When used the word natural marriage, that is genesis one. He made them male and female, so we are talking about thousands of years of judeochristian heritage here. What we do know as cultures who have chosen this path in the past, this path in the past have not ended well. And the future is what they are talking about. Not the past. So i think weve got to be biblical. Theyve got to be clear. Weve got to be practical. Above all things, we do have to talk about it. Lets talk about protecting natural marriage. Well come i couldnt have said it better myself. Please give a big hand to rp and all. Thank you. [applause] welcome outstanding. Thank you so much, panel. That was terrific kids 80s and gentlemen, its my great honor to introduce to you by the most courageous women ive ever heard of, ever known, certainly for a cause among values voters. I absolutely loved and think it is totally hilarious how liberals coyle and his like count dracula, with holy water when you drop a name sarah palin. Would you like to meet sarah palin . Before she comes down, lets find out what sarah palin has been up to lately. If you look at the monitors and then we will meet sarah palin. Across the country, Everyday Americans are standing up and speaking about them what ive seen, theres more than enough reason to have faith in america. She is family oriented, does it like it is. Just like every one of us. The heart of america is good talent, just like this one. Not just me. So many americans. A great awakening of the American Public. We are handing the next generation, lessons of liberty. Look around you. Youre not alone. You are americans. A good moment that as god america in her heart. She has at all, her curry chicken strength. Caring for these people encourages me to fight an aggressive side. She is fearless, she is principled. Hopefully i can inspire others. Gutsy, spirited, real. Solution comes from you and americas hope is in you. Lets do what we know. American, weve got to do this together. The original mama grizzly, sarah palin. [cheers and applause] thank you very much. Thank you so much. Thank you very much. It truly is a nonart to get be here with all of you. I just want to take some time to thank you for your boldness, youre ignoring of what the free media does see how and a lot of guys does so often in your strong and your strong and America Needs you, needs your voice. So to just kind of guy to share that, to empower us all and inspire us all to enlarge our ranks. I want to take the time to thank you. Been here truly is an honor and speaking to americans who do more and serve more and do love those things behind the scenes that make america so exceptional. Youre at the american that the media loves to hate. But there is a book out there and maybe they havent understood i enjoy, my sisters and brothers when you suffer trials of many kind and the child media dumped on you. This is the most joyful room in washington. [cheers and applause] well, so much going on in the world and in the country, time is short here for us to do all that we can in order to affect positive change. Time is short. So are you ready to fight back and get back on the right track . [cheers and applause] it is time. It is time. All you mom of risleys out there. I am a charge against this lawless imperial president and his failed liberal agenda and the lapdog media. It is time to get off the hind end and expand our ranks and others. So it is time to stand and fight like your countrys future depends on it because it does. And take time to rejoice. In two years, it is going to be the end of an era, the obama error. [cheers and applause] abajo bgg savages did not work. Not even a smidgen. Remember the greek columns and the stadiums fall of fans and all that dream weavers staff, promising this should allow. He would bank every putts. You can keep your health care. But where are we now . We are so overrated. We are all over the false promises, domestic tonic oratory and the utopia that man was going to create here on earth. It is only us, the little guys who can just understand what theyre doing. No, we are over that and we are ready to get back to work, america. We are ready to get back to the core values that made america great. So one promise that our president has to ask is the one game that we must really undo to save our country. We did not need this fundamental transformation of america. We need the fundamental restoration of all that is good and strong and free, dad made america so great. And we must be united. Our core values of kurds and fortitude in generosity and hard work, you know, they can actually be what it is that pulls us all together again. All americans, rich and poor, men and women, every race, every background. It is time to end the politics of division. The politics of demographics and identity groups under attack except distraction. So the status quo has got to go. United we will be able to stand because here is what theyve done. These all linsky loving orwellian out of touch command and control a leader has to been running the show. They used to rail against big or other government in the man. Remember that linux they are the man. Its to play the politics of personal destruction against anyone that they would deem a threat to their power. They distract, one scandal after another, knowing that theres so many you cant keep up with all of them. No one is ever held accountable for the irs corruption to you being spied on two gosh benghazi to bail out, to bush and gore are bad, but barack, does gridlines, but we bear on the back nine. Barack bombs . There is a bomb. Our honored military when they talk about these National Security issues, are honored military on behalf of all americans who do support you and we honor you, we respect you. On behalf of all americans who feel like i do see her commanderinchief, we then will salute him. [laughter] [applause] still havent learned how to salute our marines. It is time to end the politics of division of bairs. It is time for the politics of values and i dont want anybody to be afraid or ashamed of the core values that we are here celebrating. What are they . Truth is a value. I know all about the difference between truth and the lies they can tell about you. Well, nearly every day. I know my family sees something in the paper that Goodness Gracious we would never have known about us had we not read it in the paper, you know . [laughter] splattered there in the New York Times. I learned the other day that im in the middle of another divorce or again the same divorce i guess. I dont know. I read it. It must be true. A picture ran in a liberal blog. That is where it started. Just a blog. It was a picture of me after a workout and i didnt have a ring on. Well, i rarely wear a ring, especially in alaska. Choppy and wanted or butchering a moose or sound vain, jewelry gets in the way. So we just dont. But by the way, what the heck business is it of the liberal haters anyway . Why are liberals so intolerant . Who cares . [applause] so im out in the shack with todd and his winterizing his plane. By the way, he sends his very best. Hes not able to be here because it is new season and he had one more flight to conduct, so he is out there. He is winterizing the plane. And i caught the headline. Todd and ive been together since high school. I predict what hes going to say. So this time after reading the headline, responding like is it the same day wrote last time . Is it that same 20 million divorce . Me the check. It is kind of tragic to say it, but at this point, what difference does it make . We are use to it. Sure as that will come up tomorrow we expected. And you are there. We have each others back. It is what happens to you, too. The lies that they tell about you, calling you the intolerant one, to haters, to bigots. And the disgusting charge of being racist. I speak with the most slandered group in america today. Join me in telling the Mainstream Media that we wear your scorns the pride. The lies that you tell about us come you cant defeat our armament, so while you can do is change the subject. So we wind. [applause] and pull in that race card, how much longer do you think its not even smarter. Its not even smart when one simply want their government to that within its means and to not tax us to and beyond that. Not to mortgage our kids future. And not been for todays selfish wants. Because of that we are racist . What is the smartest when they try and slap that on colonel allen west, ben carson, raphael and ted cruz and my husband, todd palin. Those truly prejudiced folks, remember this, a scream racism just to end debate. Well, dont retreat. You reload with trth, which i know is an endangered species at 1400 pennsylvania avenue truth. The medias favorite president , he just cant stop telling lies. You know, he just said that the Islamic State, isis isnt islamists. You know who thats news to . The Islamic State who calls themselves islamic. And muslims to join their death cult. If the Islamic State was in his [laughter] , why does it have such a peel around the, you guessed it, the muslim world. And like Jonah Goldberg asked him if they are, why do we give them kranz when we imprison them . Rate. Just like the terrorist attacks that will make caused by youtube. Well look, and americans can handle the truth. In fact, we crave the truth. Ignorance and deception, they are the enemies of democracy. So we can end this error. By the way, we can survive this president. The question is, can we survive the people who voted for him a second time . [laughter] it is the truth that will set us free. Freedom, that is another value. Under the three strikes, obama polo seaweed, the shackles, repression. For instance, their most powerful agency the irs decided that independent tea party teachers, all of a sudden are the enemy of the people in the irs decides they needed to know the content of prolife groups prayers and it would conduct two years of massive, burdensome audits of the most loving, giving families in america, are adoptive parents they would audit. They were targeted. The one population that looks at them and harass the prior government will would do in their heart and home and the orphans and the downtrodden and the helpless. How about that irs . How about this irs to an dance liberty and justice for all when you target americans, right back at you. We get to target you. You think its time to abolish the irs . [cheers and applause] well, what can you expect though from a dense liberal elite that now decides hes going to have religious freedom in who doesnt . Well, americans, we crave liberty and we kissed our sons and daughters in uniform goodbye and god speed to go fight for it. Freedom. You love it. Think of that. And for those of you who have served, i love to build a point now, even if you can embarrass, id love to ask you to stand up so we can honor you, we can salute you and thank you, United States military, we love you. [cheers and applause] it just gives me goosebumps. Liberty and justice for all. He secured it for us and you encourage americas finest to hang in there and keep fighting for it. So liberty and justice for all, even for those who we would disagree with, bright . Because of the inherent, godgiven passion, a need to be free. He created us with that drive to be free. Friends, we in this room, we know it. We live it. We are the liberty movement. We the people, you. Men and women serving in the military. Look at the representation of the military here in this room. You have secured the movement that liberates all United States citizens to treatment think and dont leave and do and god put dreams then you. Youve got to go get them. Thats how you live life fibril and with no regret and unique freedom to do that. We are not afraid of liberty because we know in a free and open debate, our commonsense, ethical, fair ideas, they win. But that is why they are afraid. They are desperate and divisive and value voters they are because you are there threat. You value life. You value equal opportunity and that scares the be jesus out of them because they know they cant argue against those things. Finally, it is courage that is of value. This is a time of courage. Youll be able to cheer more about Miriam Abraham ashy, the sudanese christian who refused to renounce their faith and with her life on the line and her children i found the line, the anchor hold for her and she explained that her faith was her strength. She whispers to give birth in james and she was in the testimony for the rest of the world to see. It is her strength coming from god and shes not hesitant to share that with her world. Im so thankful that this group will take the time to honor her this weekend. And also [applause] that is so admirable. Also, we have our fellow american pastor, said. Im sure to remember over the past couple of years because this is a twoyear anniversary of being imprisoned. In prison interbrand because hes a christian. He will renounce his faith either. Features moving letters now, changing minds and they are coming from his prison cell and they are letters every free american should read that we dont take for granted what it is we have here with our freedom. His courage in their hands. This is seen throughout the world facing this deadly wave of versification driven from their homes, those being sold into slavery, or marked for death of the scale yet they stand firm. The least that we can do is stand with them with courage. So friends, the accuser would say that you are the divisive one, that the media trying to say that our basic core values divide. How can truth in liberty and opportunity and scourge and life, do they divide . Only and are screwed up orwellian leadership would they be considered as something to devise. Dont be ashamed to proclaim your values and to let them. We are the movement that says yes, yes to timetested truths, great virtues, great values and approaching elections, we will approach great leaders who are hammering out and working so hard at that restoration agenda to break this country free again from a failed liberal agenda, defeating crony capitalism and respecting and supporting again our armed forces so that we may have peace or red white and blue and to value the sanctity of innocent life where children are not seen as disposable and babies as punishment as their own president referred to. Children are the best ingredients in this messed up world. Why in the world would you want to get rid of them . [applause] we will support leaders who are not afraid of truth. Then well fight for it as ones worthy of a great nation. The value voters, dont let them get you down. America needs your energy, your confidence, your voice and we do need to expand. So go on prophets of doom and the air, but as messengers of vibrant life, we are value voters and our values were our founders values. They are americas values. And i message is a message that america wants to hear and needs to hear. So as we fundamentally restore america, keep faith in that. Keep faith in the American Dream and share it because the message resonates and has since the band of brothers dumped tea into boston harbor. We can be optimistic as they were. We can be optimistic about the future of our one nation because we are under god. So stand up and stiffing your spine. The best is yet to come. Thank you, value voters are what you doing what you put up with. God what you and god bless the United States of america. Thank you. [applause] thank you, governor. Powerful speech, governor palin. Appreciate so much that she is on our side. Folks, our next speaker is an attorney, National Columnist and author of several bestselling books, including persecution, how liberals are waging war against christians. The great destroyer, Barack Obamas former republic and his brandnew book, which he will be doing a book center right after a session today, jesus on trial a lawyer of truth in the gospel. Ladies and gentlemen, delighted to have him back at our values voters summit. Please join me in welcoming two or stage, mr. David limbaugh. These back thank you very much. Sarah palin who i absolutely adore said a minute ago, asked, how long do you think the democrats will play the race card . I know how considerate she is. She was just giving me a segue into my speech about eternal issues. [laughter] there will be no cessation of their playing the race card. And i have to apologize for shamelessly promoting my book. I know nothing else had i been in a cave for three weeks. Please allow me to discuss this vote today with you and i will try not to be too selfcongratulatory. Why did i write this boat . Well, i studied the bible for years and years. I became a believer 20 or so years ago. But i did become a believer studying for this book as some people have mistakenly understood. But i had dinner with a couple of Grade School High School friends, both of whom are scant six on the one of them is sport and fish and the other. He said to me, i dont see how any rational person could be a christian. I didnt do a very good job of equipping myself. First peter three 15. Duet with gentleness and respect. I didnt really get there, so i filed that for future reference. Within three days i think rick murray, my publisher invited me to read a book on this very subject, which i chose to have this providential. I initially thought thinking well, i am not a trained theologian, so maybe i ought not do this. After can agree more it occurred to me precisely because im not a trained theologian i might be alert to reach people in the secular arena because thats the right platform to the extent i have four days indeed a former skeptic i might relate to people that trained theologian who may never have the kind of doubt that it could relate to them. So i decided to do it. This book is different than other christian apologetics book because i dont examine and approve for the evidence for the church and christianitys claim. I do that comprehensively, but i also go into my own spiritual journey to establish a foundation of how i made a transformation from nonbeliever to believer. I also structured the book with directories content in a way that reflects my personal journey. A lot of what got me over the socalled intellectual obstacles, which may have been not do something else, i dont know. Part of the way i got over it was studying the bible itself in studying theology. Part of my message here part of my purpose of skeptics has taken second luck for your first look at that is the case. The bible claims the power of conversion, give it a chance. See what happens. Dont believe that other people have told you about the bible. Give it a chance, even if youre not looking at youre not lucky now they come the thinking is the word of god come you might find out later it is. I had a friend, Peter Kintner whose Lieutenant Governor of the state of missouri who brought us of his law School Classmates home to visit his parents and visit him during the christmas break. Pretty much every year. One of those years he brought steve springer. We were sitting around the fireplace and talking about christianity. I always believed in god, but i didnt necessarily i didnt believe in the bible and i didnt believe necessary that jesus was divine. Steve, instead of getting defensive, in the course of our discussion, went to his desk bedroom, got his bible, brought it back and showed me a reference bible. He showed me how the passages in the Old Testament were interconnected with passages of the Old Testament and the new testament. The new with the new and the new at the old and how integrated it was. An embarrassed to admit how ignorant i was. And i didnt know is that inadequate integrated and i was blown away. But that was one seat that was later to come to version some 20 years quite a few layers later when i became a believer and i told steve when he came back to visit on another occasion a few years ago, you dont have any idea the impact you had on me spiritually. I went to my library because it came to see that my house, got the very bible. Given me, took it acting he was emotionally moved he had that impact. When you evangelize, dont let your ego get into it. You see immediate results or are failing and we never know what kind of news we can plant and how they will bear fruit in labor. [applause] what ultimately got me over the hump from intellectual doubt to intellectual bullies, i read paul little snow white and why you believe. Berman geysers christian, i read the thing some before believer, some after. Its fuzzy which have been first, but i know the Tipping Point came at a christian businessmans peer group and dave trebek era some other celebrity speaker was speaking. After he spoke, we were asked to sign a card if we wanted to learn more about jesus christ. I felt a little foolish, but someone, guess who, led me to sign a card. Couldve been the holy spirit. I send a card. Within a few days we were meeting. He was dirty believer, and we all met and he took us through a book called first steps. Which introduced us to the foreign concept that all scripture is in the messianic when i saw that mike, the private maker in the Old Testament had predicted the very town jesus would be born in. I saw the prophecies in isaiah and psalms about the specifics of jesus life on earth in his death and resurrection to the point where no bones would be broken on his side wont be pierced. He will be punished along with the transgressors. I saw those things. I said there is no way now that i can honestly deny that this is the inspired word of god. Now i couldve come up and made excuses like critical scholars do today. This book was to bring by a guy named isaiah. They go back retrospectively and say no, i say it couldnt have written it. The dead sea scrolls put a hole in their claims to critique these books. Bottom line, i knew he had written it, that god inspired this for you i knew i was holding my hand the inspired word of god. I begin to read the bible in the lg voraciously. I couldnt get by hands on it fast enough. Also just mention a few in case you arent aware of this, some other Old Testament prophecies that blow me away, not just daniel, throughout the book of daniel, chapters two and seven and predictions about the four empires in the third grade how to rapidly take over the whole world and the leader was split into four generals, just like alexander the great. Its truly a bone chillingly remarkable when you read it. The ones that get me either prediction 300 years before king josiah was born by name that this king josiah would present an offering, a pagan offering on the altar. His name is mentioned. And then king cyrus, whose betterknown to secular historians, the metal version empire. He was not only predicted by name, but he was free to learn to the holy land. There is a cooperation that hit a practice of doing this. To rebuild the temple of patio lands. Pointing to archaeological collaboration to return to their homeland and rebuild their own places of worship. That is analogously sokolov virgos. I just love that. In the book, i dont just talk about as i said the formal proofs of christian apologetics. The prophecy, archaeology, the transmission of the bible. I also go into scripture, two chapters because i am so fascinated with the bible and believe i take it at its word when i said i had the power of conversion and i want to introduce nonbelievers to some powerful theology, which is taught by god in the holy scripture to less counterintuitively, which are often paradoxical. They seem inconsistent. Dig deeper, you will find out her so much truth in them. God did that on purpose. Makes us to deeper to unwrap the riddle, to expose that enigma and its more meaningful to us. I also included a couple chapters on what i call off our moments. These inspirational stories i ran across after becoming a believer and other theological points that blow me away. The two chapters on these things hoping it might tug at the heart of a skeptic. So one of these moments is particularly meaningful to me. The aj ironside was a preacher 100 or so years ago and ray stedman mrs. People and he wrote about a bunch of things and included this story in the book. Ironside preached at a Salvation Army gathering often. There would be a guy that always sat at the back of the room, particularly attentive. Why is this guy back there . He always does at the end of my sermon. Hes good to find out who this guy was. One day the guy comes in guy comes in and was forced to sit on the front row because it is late and there were no seats. He cornered him at the end of the meeting and says whats your story . The guy said i used to be an atheist. I am not an atheist anymore but im not a christian. What caused you to be for nonbelievers to believer in god . He said that man over there. The man over there was a friend of his who is a former alcoholic, a bar owner whose life had been totally transformed by placing his trust in jesus christ. For that had a Significant Impact on him. So why cant you take the next up and become a christian . I read the new testament and this doesnt do that much for me. I read the book of isaiah and the me away. Such beautiful literature. I wish i could become a christian but i read the book of isaiah. I set my moment. He says would you let me read you a chapter out of isaiah, a little short chapter and tell me he was describing. The guy was sheepish, i dont know anything about the bible. Just give me a chance. I may do it. He said okay. This is the only part of the speech of going to read. Isaiah 53. Remember what ironside is doing to this nonbeliever. Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of lord revealed . Isaiah wrote the 700 years you for christs birth. Former time period who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the lord been revealed . He grew up before him like a tender shoot and the route out of dry ground yet no beauty or majesty, nothing in his appearance we should desire him. He would decide to reject by mankind, even a step or an unfamiliar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces. He was despised and we held him in low esteem. Surely he took up our pain and poor suffering coming year we consider him punished by god, stricken by him and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our inequities did the punishment that god has pieces on him and by his wounds we are healed. We all like sheep have gone astray. Each of us turns to red white and the board is laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflict and yet he did not open his mouth. He was led like a lamp to the slaughter and as a sheep before it tears of silence he did not open his out. By oppression and judgment he was taken away, yet two of his generation protested for he was cut off from the land of the living. For the transgression of my people he was punished. He was assigned the grave with the wicked and though he does no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. It was the lords will to crush him and cause him to suffer and though the lord makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his stay and the will of the lord will prosper in his hand. After he suffered, you will see the light of life and be satisfied by his knowledge. My righteous servant will justify many and he will bury their inequities. Therefore i will give him a portion among the grave and he will despise the toilet the strong because hes poured out his life unto death and was numbered with the transgressors where he bore the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors. The man bandstand asked if he could read a chapter that was just read to them. I had typed it in the book. He read it several times, dropped it in ironside pms and scurried off. He didnt show up for three more days. Ironside was worried he totally freaked him out. He had no idea. When he came back, ironside talk to them and that would have been . This guy when he had been in the holy band, yet curse jesus on calvary, saying this is where the christian began and all these people with them at the time, giving a flashback, all these people scurry downhill thinking they were going to get hit by a bolt of lightning. That is Important Foundation to understand the quote this guy says next. The young man breaks down in tears as he related the next chapter in his journey and told me about it. He says he made an announcement to the group. You know, friend, last few nights ive learned the one i curse on calvary was the one wounded for my transgression by his wounds i am healed. Is that awesome . Is unbelievable. [applause] i have so little time and so much to share, so im going to abbreviate this staff. Just in staccato motion. The critics say that faith and reason are incompatible. They say christianity is incompatible. Proverbs tells us to acquire wisdom and god made us in his image super infinitely intelligent god made us intelligent so we could relate to him and have a relationship with and and dig into scripture of mine the depths of its richness. That requires intellect. Theres nothing incompatible where christianity is concerned. In fact, the overwhelming weight of the evidence and ive put it down all of the book. The overwhelming weight of the evidence is christianitys truth claims are true, way beyond a reasonable doubt, way beyond any standard. If you study with an open heart and open mind, youll discover its true, but jesus christ is an historical figure who became man will be fully god and fully man lived a sinless life to die for our sins and was resurrected physically in the body. But besides that i didnt understand jesus christ. If i had understood, and mightve been a believer earlier. This is a catholic writer who wrote stuff. I read his book, the life of christ. It was amazing. He said three things distinguished cheeses from all other people, all other human beings who claim to be god. What is he was the only man ever preannounced clueless fulfilled a prophecy. Again, hes the only man who ever divided history. Dce, aed, even skeptics have to refer to people in that context, that event. Third, the most profound to me, the only man who looked like backward. And this gave me an entirely new divine christ. He was born to die. That is why when peter cut off the soldiers here, jesus said rebuke it. He was done with this nation and he was now going to die. He had to die. He had to suffer, yet to take on human form in order to experience the full suffering of humanity. He had to be human otherwise there would be not struck mathematical exercise. You can balance as divine skills. I had to be real in history. It was thrilled that he had to be fully god and order to wipe the slate clean for office past, present and future said that mankind. When we worry about evil and suffering to which i usually thought, plywood and all powerful and all of them not permit evil . But i didnt understand beyond free live in making creatures capable of love, grow and suffering because we grow in our relationship with jesus christ, all of which is profoundly important. What i didnt understand issue became man to suffer with us and for us and continues to do it today. He was fully man for that to have occurred. So is john stott said, some people imagine an indifferent god sitting on a solid steel deck chairs in different toussaint. But for the cross i wouldnt believe in christianity. Jesus christ my savior came to the year as a man and he took all of the errors for us. He was separated from my father, took all of his real history in real time, just so we could live. I dont understand, why would god say father why have you forsaken me . Wyvern he take himself off the cross . He had to suffer. Why would he say that . The next thing he said immediately he was suffering in his humanity. Even though he would god, it would be an attorney with the father and holy spirit momentarily, but his suffering was so excruciating that he said take this from me and a second later but not my will, but your will be done because he knew that the reason he came. So when we imagine our suffering and we think of unfair and dont understand why god created us to allow this suffering, remember we have a savior who died with us and for us who was not human before his incarnation, but became human and will always be human forever after so they cannot a personal relationship with him. I invite skeptics to please read this book because i tried to tell you the readers of fascination i have for the bible and i so misapprehended but it is trying to say to us until i dug in to live. I was under the misunderstanding that it was meant, that it could be supported in history. These books have been transmitted to us is written from investigated by textual critics that even liberal critics know we read the exact thing the writers originally wrote them a note their reliability can be trusted because they were transformed from spec with people who were dejected and dispirited after christ died to go proclaimers of the gospel and the reason my worries because they they saw jesus christ in his body after he died and after his tomb is empty. If the tune they couldve produced the body and ended christianity and its inception. They couldnt. He resurrected 12 resurrection appearances within 40 days. One time to 500 people pulverizing first corinthians and reviewed him to deny many were still alive paul wrote this had happened in the 30 a. D. 20 years later these people to live and they couldnt refute him. They went out and were transformed from people to claimers as i said why, no has they were like followers who believed in ideology or theology. Not like other people who believe in these other things are willing to die. It is not what distinguishes gospel writers. What distinguishes them is a bodily form after he died. He was effervescent. He was strong. If theyd seen a man who served on the cross as many scholars said they wouldve never followed him because they would have known he wasnt resurrected , but he was just one step from the grave. The truth is he was the risen christ and they base their faith on seeing him