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"Stand
up
for
America!"
By:
Beth
Chapman
I'm
here
tonight
because
men
and
women
of
the
United
States
military
have
given
their
lives
for
my
freedom.
I
am
not
here
tonight
because
Sheryl
Crowe,
Rosie
O'Donnell,
Martin
Sheen,
George
Clooney,
Jane
Fonda
or
Phil
Donahue,
sacrificed
their
lives
for
me.
If
my
memory
serves
me
correctly,
it
was
not
movie
stars
or
musicians,
but
the
United
States
Military
who
fought
on
the
shores
of
Iwo
Jima,
the
jungles
Of
Vietnam,
and
the
beaches
of
Normandy.
Tonight,
I
say
we
should
support
the
President
of
the
United
States
and
the
U.S.
Military
and
tell
the
liberal,
tree-hugging,
Birkenstock-wearing,
hippy,
tie-dyed
liberals
to
go
make
their
movies
and
music
and
whine
somewhere
else.
After
all,
if
they
lived
in
Iraq,
they
wouldn't
be
allowed
the
freedom
of
speech
they're
being
given
here
today.
Ironically,
they
would
be
put
to
death
at
the
hands
of
Sadam
Husssein
or
Osama
Bin
Laden.
I
want
to
know
how
the
very
people
who
are
against
war
because
of
the
loss
of
life,
can
possibly
be
the
same
people
who
are
for
abortion?
They
are
the
same
people
who
are
for
animal
rights
but
against
the
rights
of
the
unborn.
The
movie
stars
say
they
want
to
go
to
Iraq
and
serve
as
"human
shields"
for
the
Iraqis.
I
say
let
them
buy
a
one-way
ticket
and
go.
No
one
likes
war.
I
hate
war!
But
the
one
thing
I
hate
more
is
the
fact
that
this
country
has
been
forced
into
war-innocent
people
have
lost
their
lives
-
-
and
there
but
for
the
grace
of
God,
it
could
have
been
my
brother,
my
husband,
or
even
worse
my
own
son.
If
America's
movie
stars
want
to
be
human
shields,
let
them
shield
the
gang-ridden
streets
of
Los
Angeles,
or
New
York
City,
let
them
shield
the
lives
of
the
children
of
North
Birmingham
whose
mothers
lay
them
down
to
sleep
on
the
floor
each
night
to
shelter
them
from
stray
bullets.
If
they
want
to
be
human
shields,
I
say
let
them
shield
the
men
and
women
of
honesty
and
integrity
that
epitomizes
courage
and
embody
the
spirit
of
freedom
by
wearing
the
proud
uniforms
of
the
United
States
Military.
Those
are
the
people
who
have
earned
and
deserve
shielding!
Throughout
the
course
of
history,
this
country
has
remained
free,
not
because
of
movie
stars
and
liberal
activists,
but
because
of
brave
men
and
women
who
hated
war
too.
However,
they
lay
down
their
lives
so
that
we
all
may
live
in
freedom.
After
all
-
"What
greater
love
hath
no
man,
that
he
lay
down
his
life
for
his
friend,"
or
in
this
case
a
country.
We
should
give
our
military
honor
and
acknowledgement
and
not
let
their
lives
be
in
vain.
If
you
want
to
see
true
human
shields,
walk
through
Arlington
Cemetery.
There
lie
human
shields,
heroes,
and
the
BRAVE
Americans
who
didn't
get
on
television
and
talk
about
being
a
human
shield
-
they
were
human
shields.
I
thank
God
tonight
for
freedom
-
-
those
who
bought
and
paid
for
it
with
their
lives
in
the
past
-
-
those
who
will
protect
it
in
the
present
and
defend
it
in
the
future.
America
has
remained
silent
too
long!
God-fearing
people
have
remained
silent
too
long!
We
must
lift
our
voices
united
in
a
humble
prayer
to
God
for
guidance
and
the
strength
and
courage
to
sustain
us
throughout
whatever
the
future
may
hold.
After
the
tragic
events
of
Sept.
11th,
my
then
eleven
-year-old
son
said
terrorism
is
a
war
against
them
and
us
and
if
you're
not
one
of
us,
then
you're
one
of
them.
So
in
closing
tonight,
let
us
be
of
one
accord,
let
us
stand
proud,
and
let
us
be
the
human
shields
of
prayer,
encouragement
and
support
for
the
President,
our
troops
and
their
families
and
our
country.
May
God
bless
America,
the
land
of
the
free,
the
home
of
the
brave
and
the
greatest
country
on
the
face
of
this
earth!
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