We value it enough to gather in
these cold dark days. We are bound by duty to defend it, bound by
gratitude and grace to speak of it. We are committed to that legacy
of freedom and the rule of law embodied in our Constitution. Much
has been said of that, and much will be still, as long as this republic
stands. I have faith that you, and millions like you, will not fail
it.
Today, however, I want only to express
my gratitude to three women who have helped me recognize the true value
of the legacy we've inherited.
First, is my daughter. She
is only twelve years old, and no doubt has suffered through the whirlwind
of events over the last few weeks. I've seen the fear in her eyes
at times, and wonder, and bravery. Through rains and cold and a storm
of words, she has been constant. She has also been a constant reminder
to me of the reasons we have and treasure our Constitution and our values.
She was born in a free nation. As long as I have breath, she will
remain free.
Next, my wife. This tough
and tender British woman is the best of everything England has produced.
Her native land, too, has a legacy... won through struggle, sacrifice,
blood and bull-dogged determination to live free. Never have
I seen this woman back down from a just cause. Never. She is
an inspiration. She is a pillar. She is a rock.
Finally, a woman few of you could
possibly know. But I have known her for a dozen years. Her
story speaks volumes to my heart, and to the events we now witness.
The daughter of a small town newspaperman,
she had enough money to tune in, turn on and drop out. She became
a flower child of the sixties. But when her father died, some of
his now considerable holdings fell to her. She became the owner of
television and radio stations. And she found herself immediately
up against the system in ways she might never have imagined before.
The first day she went to see the
businesses she now owned, the legacy left by her father, lawyers
and weasels tried to put her in her place. They stepped around
her. They ignored her. When it became clear to her what was
happening, that someone was trying to shut her out of her legacy with amused
indifference, this young woman took control. She stepped in front
of them and introduced herself by name and with these words, "I OWN the
damned company."
Since that moment, she's continued
to treasure and build upon the legacy she inherited, and to defend it fearlessly.
Where others crumble against government intrusion on freedoms, against
deceptive lawsuits and outright shakedowns, she holds her ground.
Where others settle, she looks the fakers, phonies and cheats in the eye
and says "Not one dime. Not one inch."
Those examples strengthen my resolve
now as uglier events continue to unfold in our nation. They lead
to some reasonable questions. Will we crumble against intrusion and
deception and outright shakedown? Will we settle? Or will we
look phonies and the fakers and the cheats in the eye and say, "We own
the country. Not one freedom. Not one right. Not one
inch?"
I thank my daughter, my wife, and
that woman for their courage. Their examples have become a guiding
force in my life.
What a debt of gratitude we owe
the women of this nation! When you think of our founding fathers,
remember too our founding mothers and daughters. They not only toiled,
but also tolerated the speeches and the flag waving and rallies and revolution.
Stand with them. Stand by them. Stand up for your legacy.
Where it all ends, we cannot yet
know, but we know we will be part of the outcome. And let us never
forget where it all begins; with these words:
"We the people of the United States,
in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic
tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare,
and secure the blessing of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain
and establish the Constitution of the United States of America."
There, is our common legacy.
Rush
H. Limbaugh Jr Speech - "Our lives, our fortunes, our sacred honor"
NumbersUSA.org - Check out
the Immigration
by the Numbers Video
