This is the text of a speech I have delivered on many occasions to many groups, usually around Independence Day.  I know this is a bit long for a blog post, but I hope you will enjoy it and pass the message along.
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“For we must consider that we shall be as a city upon a hill, the eyes of all people are upon us, so that if we shall deal falsely with our God in this work we have undertaken and so cause him to withdraw his present help from us, we shall be made a story and a byword through the world…

We shall shame the faces of many… and cause their prayers to be turned into curses upon us till we be consumed out of the good land whither we are going.”

The words of the Pilgrim John Winthrop.

The image of the “city on a hill,” of course, comes from the Gospel of Matthew — the words of Jesus Christ in the Sermon on the Mount.

The “work [the Pilgrims] had undertaken” was a new life in a new world, free from persecution.

And the “present help” he referred to was the chance to reach the destination toward which his people were sailing when he delivered that sermon aboard the ship Arbella in the Spring of 1630, somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean en route to the New World.

This is not Christian revisionism — this is American history. 

From the earliest days of American civilization, the inhabitants of this continent have understood that the abundant wealth of resources and opportunity found in the New World is not man-made nor an accident of nature — but the generosity of our Heavenly Father.

In other words, not only was America a shining city on a hill, but Americans knew from the first that they were not the ones who screwed in the light bulb.

America is not an accident.


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"These developments seldom make the HEADLINES but they DO make a difference!"

"The success in Anbar is beginning to duplicated in much of the rest of the country..."

"Sectarian killings are down, and normal life is beginning to return..."

"Captured or killed more than 1500 terrorists per month!"

"Now able to begin to hold areas with success..."

"Total force reduction by 5700 by Christmas, and by July - 20 combat brigades to 15!"

"Leading to partnering to oversight!"

"Another report in March to Congress, fresh assessment on resources and objectives."

"Guiding principal - return upon success!"

"BECAUSE of the measure of success tonight we can begin to come together. And this plan has support of ALL Iraqi leaders. They have asked for an enduring relationship with America!"

"The success of a free Iraq is critical to the security of the United States."

"A free Iraq will be our partner in the fight against terror!"

"WE MUST SUCCEED!"

"Democracy movements would be reversed!"

"Speak to the Members of Congress: Join me in supporting the recommendation General Petraeus has made!"

"America does not abandon its friends - and we will not abandon you!"

"We thank the 36 nations that have troops on the ground in Iraq"

"Our nation is grateful for the sacrifices of our military!"

"We believe this is a war between good and evil and we must win, even if we lose the life of our own son!"

"It is never too late to deal a blow to Al Qaeda, to advance freedom, and to support our troops in a fight that they can win!"

Tomorrow night steps from where it all happened please join us to help drown out the madness. We will be passing out pamphlets that actually tell the truth about 9/11 - that Islamic terrorists took four airplanes hostage and killed thousands of Americans.

Our friend Karol is organizing the whole thing. Mary Katharine Ham is coming to capture the whole thing on video for a future HamNation. Let's turn out the numbers so that they are so overwhelming the "truthers" give up and go home!

Today Karol and MKH will both join me on the broadcast to give more details, but I would love to see 100-500 MuscleHeads turnout in full force.

I also want to make this noteworthy aside: We will NOT be engaged in the Geraldo Rivera like tactics used to "dispute" the Truthers from this weekend. We have the facts on our side, and it is tasteless, and classless, to lower ourselves to Geraldo's level. We can stand toe to toe, face to face, and speak truth to the truthless... and that's what we SHOULD do!

In our risk-averse culture, some tend to think any kid not helmeted, medicated, and insulated within an inch of his life is risking his life. Most kids will tell you it’s when they’re cut loose and rough-and-tumble that they’re having the times of their lives.

To me, “Kid Nation” looks like it entailed the same risks and hard work of some serious summer camping. To call it “child abuse” is more than a bit…outrageous.