Palin's words of encouragement ring true amid "Pelosi's Folly"

- By Ian Ransom

There's little doubt that many are disgusted by the subterfuge that accompanied the passing of the "Pelosi Care" bill. If you're like me, you might even feel a tad sick, even after the encouraging signs of revival in VA, NJ and, yes, NY 23, where the GOP lost a battle so that authentic conservatism might soon win the war, as it were.

Sarah Palin's response to the bill via Facebook, however, is inspiring enough for all of us and remains a potent warning. Her point about how the nation is speeding to the point of unrecognizability is chilling, but it ought to be. It's the keenest observation of her response and, while it highlights the valid concerns of true conservative Americans, it also embodies our indefatigable spirit of optimism, even in the midst of disturbing times.

When the Democrats hurled this bill through the House like a burning spear yesterday, they were hoping to underscore one of the things they get wrong, routinely, about conservatives. Namely, they believe that we are "afraid" of change. If I may endeavor to correct that misconception, conservative Americans are not at all frightened by various changes that might shape developments in truly beneficial governance. However, conservatives do indeed have a keen eye for developments that seek to change the very fabric of government itself!

Barack Obama, Speaker Pelosi and their attendant legions traverse a deviant and dangerous path that will warp the Constitution enough to essentially "gut" the document. This faction of liberal lawmakers, borne of an atheistic and morally relativist misinterpretation of The Enlightenment, seeks to replace 'The Shining City on a Hill' with...'The Dim Housing-Project on a Landfill'.

Why would liberals wish to enact such a diminishing transformation? Because the Leftist impulse lacks the protective inner-solidity of Character, and Character is an integral component of Exceptionalism. To the liberal mind, Exceptionalism is "unfair" because liberals don't recognize it collectively in themselves, which reminds them that not everyone can have it. And if everyone can't have it, then those who do have it must be taken down and "equalized" until the mediocrity is uniform.

Pretty scary stuff, but, naturally, this doesn't apply to millionaire Democrats who fancy themselves "elite." Therein lies one of the great Leftist hypocrisies. But let there be no mistake: being elite should never, ever be confused with being exceptional, and the fatal mistake made by liberals in this regard is that they fail to see that our nation--by its very existence--makes room for everyone to at least gather under the mantle of American Exceptionalism. Yes, they gather: so long as they bring a flicker of belief in themselves, a desire to work hard, and thanksgiving for the opportunity vouchsafed by the blood of those who fought (and still fight) to attain/retain the privilege.

Our Creator may not have made provision for every human being to be "elite" (Funny how God has never had much use for the elite; If you read the Bible, you'd swear He tends to roll His eyes at them), but He most certainly threw-down a wide variety of tools for Exceptionalism, and anyone can put those tools to good use, if they choose to do so. America is the very manifestation of that reality.

Sarah Palin knows this, but she also knows that we're the only ones who can stop ourselves from throwing it all away. Being American is a privilege, not a guarantee. Like Palin, let's work hard in 2010 to guarantee that it remains a privilege.

- Ian