URGENT CALL for PRAYER AND ACTION - 1/25 UPDATE: ''American Pastor Saeed's sham trial in Iran began on Monday. Iran claims that his conversion to Christianity and work in house churches politically undermines the Islamic Republic. His Iranian attorney, who had less than 24 hours to prepare, strongly argued that Pastor Saeed's faith did not threaten Iran's national security. This was Pastor Saeed's only day to present a defense, and his father was the only family member allowed at trial. On Tues., Iran violated American Pastor Saeed's most basic human rights by barring him and his attorney from a trial that could lead to his death. Iran forced fellow Christians to testify against Pastor Saeed and told one witness to prepare to testify again in a month. Despite the promises from the "hanging judge" trying his case that Saeed would be released on bail and a sentence could be expected next week, Iran has denied bail and Saeed remains in jail. On Thurs., he was suddenly said to have been transferred to another part of the prison, but he now cannot be located. Demand the U.S. State Department speak out against this ongoing atrocity and demand Pastor Saeed's immediate. (The U.S. State Department's response has been abysmal; it has failed to demand this American citizen's release.)... There is still time to speak out and call for international pressure on Iran. We must not be silent. Please keep this pastor in PRAYER and SIGN THE PETITION with almost 200,000 others to ask for his release > http://aclj.org/iran/save-american-pastor-iranian-abuse-imprisonment
''Marching for Life;'' -by Sarah Torre, January 25, 2013, http://blog.heritage.org/2013/01/25/march-for-life-2013-a-pro-life-generation/print/?roi=echo3-14355892304-11124846-1291348b54f80f2c5e1861f172f37059&utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Morning%2BBell
"Later today, hundreds of thousands of people will descend on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., for the annual March for Life.Crowds are expected to exceed [1] last year’s 400,000 participants, to walk a now-familiar route to the steps of the Supreme Court to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade [2] decision that, along with an accompanying ruling in Doe v. Bolton [3], legalized abortion-on-demand across the United States.The official theme of this year’s march is “40 = 55M [4].” It’s an equation meant to reflect the enormous cost [5] of 40 years under the ethic of Roe: Since the Supreme Court’s decision in 1973, an estimated 55 million abortions have been performed..."
''Today, roughly half [8] of Americans now identify themselves as “pro-life,” including many of the millennial generation who will make up the crowds at today’s march. More than 100 pro-life laws [9] have been passed in states across the country since 2010, including parental notification, informed consent, and abortion clinic regulation legislation. Charmaine Yoest, president and CEO of Americans United for Life [10], which is leading the legal defense of life, notes [11]: 'There is a rising tide across this country of pro-life legislators who are picking up the flag and advancing the defense of life in law.'"
"...as then-President Ronald Reagan wrote [18] in 1986:
'Respect for the sanctity of human life has not died in America. Far from it. With every passing year it shines ever more brightly in the hearts of more and more of our citizens as they come to see the issue with greater clarity in all of its dimensions. As we carry this message to our courts, our legislatures, and our fellow citizens, let us never be discouraged. … May we soon rejoice in the day when reverence for human life is enshrined as surely in our laws as in our hearts.''
[bold and italics emphasis mine; for more on things underlined, go to website link above]
PRAYER FOR THE PRESIDENT: Heavenly Father, I pray for the President as I do for all our leaders, that they would know you as their personal Savior and Lord, that the policies they put in place will reflect a Bibllical worldview, that all policies will only MOST EFFECTIVELY promote the welfare and security of our nation, that none would do harm in any way to Americans now and in generations to come. I pray that any policies which do not do so will be effectively opposed and defeated. Thank you for those who are commited to only doing what is right for our country, that you will cause them to prosper and their numbers to be increased. In the name of our sovereign God and the Lord Jesus, Amen. - Stan''Marching for Life;'' -by Sarah Torre, January 25, 2013, http://blog.heritage.org/2013/01/25/march-for-life-2013-a-pro-life-generation/print/?roi=echo3-14355892304-11124846-1291348b54f80f2c5e1861f172f37059&utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Morning%2BBell
"Later today, hundreds of thousands of people will descend on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., for the annual March for Life.Crowds are expected to exceed [1] last year’s 400,000 participants, to walk a now-familiar route to the steps of the Supreme Court to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade [2] decision that, along with an accompanying ruling in Doe v. Bolton [3], legalized abortion-on-demand across the United States.The official theme of this year’s march is “40 = 55M [4].” It’s an equation meant to reflect the enormous cost [5] of 40 years under the ethic of Roe: Since the Supreme Court’s decision in 1973, an estimated 55 million abortions have been performed..."''Today, roughly half [8] of Americans now identify themselves as “pro-life,” including many of the millennial generation who will make up the crowds at today’s march. More than 100 pro-life laws [9] have been passed in states across the country since 2010, including parental notification, informed consent, and abortion clinic regulation legislation. Charmaine Yoest, president and CEO of Americans United for Life [10], which is leading the legal defense of life, notes [11]: 'There is a rising tide across this country of pro-life legislators who are picking up the flag and advancing the defense of life in law.'"
"...as then-President Ronald Reagan wrote [18] in 1986:
'Respect for the sanctity of human life has not died in America. Far from it. With every passing year it shines ever more brightly in the hearts of more and more of our citizens as they come to see the issue with greater clarity in all of its dimensions. As we carry this message to our courts, our legislatures, and our fellow citizens, let us never be discouraged. … May we soon rejoice in the day when reverence for human life is enshrined as surely in our laws as in our hearts.''[bold and italics emphasis mine; for more on things underlined, go to website link above]
"Obama’s Second Inaugural Address, Translated;" by Amy Payne, January 22, 2013
Members of Congress—who are about to debate raising the debt ceiling tomorrow—should have paid attention yesterday. The President was very clear that he sees no urgency about reducing the debt and cutting the deficit. In fact, in his second inaugural address, President Barack Obama was honest about his intentions to grow government in order to remake our country along his progressive vision.
To sell his agenda, the President borrowed imagery and terminology from America’s first principles. But he twisted the American founding idea of “We the people” into the liberal “It takes a village.” His rhetoric on the issues only thinly disguised his true meaning. Let’s translate some of his key points.
Obama on “we the people”: “For the American people can no more meet the demands of today’s world by acting alone than American soldiers could have met the forces of fascism or communism with muskets and militias. No single person can train all the math and science teachers we’ll need to equip our children for the future. Or build the roads and networks and research labs that will bring new jobs and businesses to our shores.”
Translation: In case you didn’t hear me the first time, you didn’t build that [1]. He may have surrounded these words with lip service to the Constitution and America’s promise of freedom, but the President revisited his core message here: It takes a taxpayer-subsidized village to build things. According to his philosophy, entrepreneurs don’t create jobs—the government does.
Obama on the fiscal crisis: “We, the people, understand that our country cannot succeed when a shrinking few do very well and a growing many barely make it….We must make the hard choices to reduce the cost of health care and the size of our deficit. But we reject the belief that America must choose between caring for the generation that built this country and investing in the generation that will build its future.”
Translation: I will continue to push for more tax increases instead of reforming Medicare and Social Security. On this point, the President followed up his promise that he will not negotiate on the debt ceiling by digging in his heels on taxes and entitlement programs. The “hard choices” he refers to on health care and the deficit are more tax increases—because he “reject[s] the belief” that entitlements must be reformed [2] if they are going to stay around for the next generation.
The debt limit showdown continues this week: The House ...[voted on Wed.] ..[to approve] a plan that [will] extend the debt ceiling for three months while forcing Congress—specifically, the Senate—to pass a budget. If they do not pass a budget by April 15 under this plan, Members of Congress would stop getting paid. If House Republicans so much as blink, the President and his allies will steamroll them.
Obama on green energy: “We will respond to the threat of climate change, knowing that the failure to do so would betray our children and future generations. Some may still deny the overwhelming judgment of science, but none can avoid the devastating impact of raging fires, and crippling drought, and more powerful storms. The path towards sustainable energy sources will be long and sometimes difficult. But American cannot resist this transition.”
Translation: I will continue to increase regulations on the energy sources we use and throw taxpayer money into “green” energy companies. Despite the ever-growing Green Graveyard [3] of companies like Solyndra that took taxpayer money only to go bankrupt, the President clings to this unworkable and expensive policy. And his linking of climate change to “more powerful storms” points to a renewed push for policies like a carbon tax [4] to punish people for using energy—a policy that would harm the economy and produce no tangible environmental benefits.
Obama on foreign policy: “We, the people, still believe that enduring security and lasting peace do not require perpetual war….We will show the courage to try and resolve our differences with other nations peacefully. Not because we are naive about the dangers we face, but because engagement can more durably lift suspicion and fear.”
Translation: The terrorists are on the run, and I still think we can negotiate with nuclear bullies like Iran. Even as Obama pulls troops from Iraq and Afghanistan, the hostage crisis in Algeria shows that al-Qaeda [5] is alive and well. Though Iran continues to rebuff international inspectors [6] and basically do whatever it wants, Obama seems perpetually optimistic that more talks with this hostile regime—and others like it—could make them change their behavior.The President said yesterday that “fidelity to our founding principles requires new responses to new challenges.” Though the plans he laid out are not new, they definitely require a response if we are to preserve the founding principles we cherish, including our individual right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Congress has been warned, and by the President no less, that he is in no mood to compromise. If they give in, a liberal agenda like we’ve never known before will be implemented, while needed reforms to our entitlement programs will not take place. Holding the line is more important now than ever.
[phrases in bold AND italics emphasis are mine]
Quick Hits:
Obama on “we the people”: “For the American people can no more meet the demands of today’s world by acting alone than American soldiers could have met the forces of fascism or communism with muskets and militias. No single person can train all the math and science teachers we’ll need to equip our children for the future. Or build the roads and networks and research labs that will bring new jobs and businesses to our shores.”
Translation: In case you didn’t hear me the first time, you didn’t build that [1]. He may have surrounded these words with lip service to the Constitution and America’s promise of freedom, but the President revisited his core message here: It takes a taxpayer-subsidized village to build things. According to his philosophy, entrepreneurs don’t create jobs—the government does.
Obama on the fiscal crisis: “We, the people, understand that our country cannot succeed when a shrinking few do very well and a growing many barely make it….We must make the hard choices to reduce the cost of health care and the size of our deficit. But we reject the belief that America must choose between caring for the generation that built this country and investing in the generation that will build its future.”
Translation: I will continue to push for more tax increases instead of reforming Medicare and Social Security. On this point, the President followed up his promise that he will not negotiate on the debt ceiling by digging in his heels on taxes and entitlement programs. The “hard choices” he refers to on health care and the deficit are more tax increases—because he “reject[s] the belief” that entitlements must be reformed [2] if they are going to stay around for the next generation.
The debt limit showdown continues this week: The House ...[voted on Wed.] ..[to approve] a plan that [will] extend the debt ceiling for three months while forcing Congress—specifically, the Senate—to pass a budget. If they do not pass a budget by April 15 under this plan, Members of Congress would stop getting paid. If House Republicans so much as blink, the President and his allies will steamroll them.
Obama on green energy: “We will respond to the threat of climate change, knowing that the failure to do so would betray our children and future generations. Some may still deny the overwhelming judgment of science, but none can avoid the devastating impact of raging fires, and crippling drought, and more powerful storms. The path towards sustainable energy sources will be long and sometimes difficult. But American cannot resist this transition.”
Translation: I will continue to increase regulations on the energy sources we use and throw taxpayer money into “green” energy companies. Despite the ever-growing Green Graveyard [3] of companies like Solyndra that took taxpayer money only to go bankrupt, the President clings to this unworkable and expensive policy. And his linking of climate change to “more powerful storms” points to a renewed push for policies like a carbon tax [4] to punish people for using energy—a policy that would harm the economy and produce no tangible environmental benefits.
Obama on foreign policy: “We, the people, still believe that enduring security and lasting peace do not require perpetual war….We will show the courage to try and resolve our differences with other nations peacefully. Not because we are naive about the dangers we face, but because engagement can more durably lift suspicion and fear.”
Translation: The terrorists are on the run, and I still think we can negotiate with nuclear bullies like Iran. Even as Obama pulls troops from Iraq and Afghanistan, the hostage crisis in Algeria shows that al-Qaeda [5] is alive and well. Though Iran continues to rebuff international inspectors [6] and basically do whatever it wants, Obama seems perpetually optimistic that more talks with this hostile regime—and others like it—could make them change their behavior.The President said yesterday that “fidelity to our founding principles requires new responses to new challenges.” Though the plans he laid out are not new, they definitely require a response if we are to preserve the founding principles we cherish, including our individual right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Congress has been warned, and by the President no less, that he is in no mood to compromise. If they give in, a liberal agenda like we’ve never known before will be implemented, while needed reforms to our entitlement programs will not take place. Holding the line is more important now than ever.
[phrases in bold AND italics emphasis are mine]
Quick Hits:
- President Obama isn’t the only one focused on spending money on global warming. The World Economic Forum is looking at a plan for a $14 trillion “greening” [7] of the global economy.
- Today marks the 40th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision in the Supreme Court that legalized abortion. Since then, more than 55 million babies [8] have been aborted.
- Taxes are so high in France [10] now that former president Nicolas Sarkozy is reportedly thinking about moving to England.
- Only 30 percent of Americans agree with President Obama’s demand to raise the debt ceiling without addressing spending [11] at the same time.
Article printed from The Foundry: Conservative Policy News Blog from The Heritage Foundation: http://blog.heritage.org
URL to article: http://blog.heritage.org/2013/01/22/obama-second-inaugural-address-translated/
URLs in this post:
[1] you didn’t build that: http://blog.heritage.org/2012/07/16/morning-bell-obama-tells-entrepreneurs-you-didnt-build-your-business/
[2] entitlements must be reformed: http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2012/11/six-bipartisan-entitlement-reforms-to-solve-the-real-fiscal-crisis-only-presidential-leadership-is-needed
[3] Green Graveyard: http://blog.heritage.org/2012/11/05/green-graveyard-19-taxpayer-funded-failures/
[4] carbon tax: http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2013/01/carbon-tax-would-raise-unemployment-not-revenue
[5] al-Qaeda: http://blog.heritage.org/2013/01/18/algeria-crisis-confirms-al-qaeda-not-on-the-run/
[6] rebuff international inspectors: http://blog.heritage.org/2012/12/15/obama-administration-prepares-to-resume-nuclear-talks-with-iran-as-congress-ratchets-up-sanctions/
[7] $14 trillion “greening”: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/davos-call-for-14trn-greening--of-global-economy-8460994.html
[8] 55 million babies: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765620782/After-40-years-Roe-v-Wades-legacy-is-deep-divide-across-US.html
[10] Taxes are so high in France: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2266331/Nicolas-Sarkozy-Carla-Bruni-dodge-new-French-tax-hike-moving-London-setting-1billion-fund.html
[11] raise the debt ceiling without addressing spending: http://blog.heritage.org/2013/01/21/chart-of-the-week-each-americans-share-of-publicly-held-debt-is-skyrocketing/
Copyright © 2011 The Heritage Foundation. All rights reserved.
No comments:
Post a Comment