Sharpen Those Sabres - The Day Has Come

So the day has come. The hope that every loyal supporter of this site and the other myriad Sarah Palin sites has secretly held in their hearts for months on end, ever since that day of despair last November. At times it seemed that the hope was becoming forlorn, that passions would rise only to fall back in doubt and confusion. Last week was the worst of days. I read the comments here and was seared by the grief and pain of many posters, magnified in their despair by the taunts and vicious barbs of the trolls as they whooped and danced with delight, drunk with triumph as they sensed that their cowardly, twisted schemes had finally broken a good and virtuous woman.

And then came her speech.....emotional – yes....heartfelt – of course....sincere – without question. As I watched it, though, my first reaction was one of sadness. I thought of the despairing words of the Roman poet Catullus as he mourned his dead brother..

Frater, ave atque vale........Brother, hail and farewell....

But when I watched it a second time my perspective began to shift. There was sadness, of course, and regret but threading through the narrative a growing sense of hope and defiance....this was not submission, this was not surrender...this was a call to arms.

Productive, fulfilled people determine where to put their efforts, choosing to wisely utilize precious time... to BUILD UP.

And there is such a need to BUILD up and FIGHT for our state and our country. I choose to FIGHT for it! And I'll work hard for others who still believe in free enterprise and smaller government; strong national security for our country and support for our troops; energy independence; and for those who will protect freedom and equality and LIFE... I'll work for and campaign for those PROUD to be American, and those who are INSPIRED by our ideals and won't deride them.

I WILL support others who seek to serve, in or out of office, for the RIGHT reasons, and I don't care what party they're in or no party at all. Inside Alaska – or Outside Alaska.

And later, on Facebook, a more personal message, focussed directly on those of you who have kept the faith. For the first time she publicly acknowledged your loyalty and support and stretched her hand out towards yours...

I shared with you yesterday my heartfelt and candid reasons for this change; I’ve never thought I needed a title before one’s name to forge progress in America. I am now looking ahead and how we can advance this country together with our values of less government intervention, greater energy independence, stronger national security, and much-needed fiscal restraint. I hope you will join me. Now is the time to rebuild and help our nation achieve greatness!

God bless you! And I look forward to making a difference – with you!

Sarah

A few months back I wrote a post on my own blog about Sarah Palin. I suggested that after all the electoral excitement of last year she might follow in the footsteps of General de Gaulle and return to Alaska and wait for a call from her fellow Americans rather than throw herself into a frenzy of party political activity. Like all my previous posts I expected it to disappear unread into the ether. But to my astonishment I began to get traffic and that’s how a retired teacher from the ancient Wealden forests of Sussex became involved with C4P.

As you might guess Charles de Gaulle is one of my heroes although some commentators were unhappy that I should link the Governor with him as he was no friend of America – and I can appreciate that. He was no great friend of Britain, either. But, like Governor Palin, he was deeply proud of his own beloved country and risked all to restore and recover it’s greatness.

I now read the Governor’s two recent messages as very similar in spirit and intent to de Gaulle’s broadcast from the BBC to his fellow Frenchmen after the Germans crushing victory in 1940. Remember he spoke at a time when Hitler’s rule extended over most of Europe and his troops were already massing on the Atlantic coast of France to smash their way into Britain and initiate the nightmare of the thousand year Reich. America and Russia were on the sidelines giving no sign of being ready to intervene and this is the message he sent to the French people as they were broken and bowed beneath the Nazi heel..

But has the last word been said? Must hope disappear? Is defeat final? No!

Believe me, I who am speaking to you with full knowledge of the facts, and who tell you that nothing is lost for France. The same means that overcame us can bring us victory one day. For France is not alone! She is not alone! She is not alone!

All the mistakes, all the delays, all the suffering, do not alter the fact that there are, in the world, all the means necessary to crush our enemies one day.

I, General de Gaulle, currently in London, invite the officers and the French soldiers who are located in British territory or who might end up here, with their weapons or without their weapons, I invite the engineers and the specialised workers of the armament industries who are located in British territory or who might end up here, to put themselves in contact with me.

Whatever happens, the flame of the French resistance must not be extinguished and will not be extinguished.

Like de Gaulle in 1940 Sarah Palin sees her own beloved country heading for desperate and dangerous times. She herself is surrounded by enemies from all sides who seek to break her spirit. But her message is clearly one of defiance.

She has ridden out alone from the citadel and stands on the crest of a hill that looks down towards the unknown. She has unfurled her banner and waits to see who will join her.

Sharpen those sabres – the day has come.....