All photos copyrighted to Missy Stewart. Please do not use without permission.
Elvis Presley may be Tupelo’s favorite son, but after Governor Sarah Palin took the stage sporting blue suede shoes before a crowd of more than 8,000 cheering supporters, there’s no doubt she’s Tupelo’s favorite daughter. Governor Palin was in Tupelo as the keynote speaker for the Extraordinary Women’s Conference on Saturday, October 22, 2011.
The former vice-presidential candidate spoke of Mississippi’s native land and waters being a crossroads in America, making the point that America is now at a crossroads:
“I believe that God has shed His grace on thee, America, and I don’t want us to sit back and squander what it is that He has blessed us with… our forefathers and our foremothers fought and died to protect our freedoms today. I do not believe that we shall fulfill our destiny as a nation that puts its trust in God if we sit back and watch some fundamental transformation of our country, turning it in to something that we don’t recognize. We don’t need a fundamental transformation of America, we need a fundamental restoration of America!”
Governor Palin then spoke of her own personal challenges and crossroads, specifically about callus criticism of her son, Trig, who was born with Down Syndrome almost four years ago:
“Look, when society wants to eliminate their weakest links, as some would refer to the disabled or the very old… when society destroys them, it also destroy any ability or need for compassion, for tenderness, for empathy, even for goodwill, and those are the very best parts of humanity and the characteristics of a country that can embrace and know and share true hope comes from people like Trig… Trig is the best thing that has ever happened to our family.”
“America is indeed the last best hope of man on earth”, she told the audience, explaining that “some people are waiting on a superman or a superwoman to come in and fix the problems that we face, but we know that it’s going to be His [God’s] light, and His truth, and His love that makes all the difference. There’s not going to be a politician or a celebrity or a government program that meets the needs of our families and our nation. It’s all about Him and His everlasting hope that He gives us.”
Governor Palin closed by encouraging everyone to “get up, get out there, and do good” because America is a shining city on a hill and God has shed His grace on America.
Before leaving the stage, Governor Palin was presented the Key to the City of Tupelo by Fred Pitts, Tupelo City Council President.
All photos copyrighted to Missy Stewart. Please do not use without permission.
