Rick Perry in On My Honor, by Gov. Rick Perry
On Civil Rights:
Suing for girls in Boy Scouts is part of strategic assault
In the 1976 lawsuit Schwenk vs. Boy Scouts of America, the "Schwenck" was Carla Schwenk, a nine-year-old girl from Portland, Oregon, who had been turned down for membership in a Cub Scout Pack. The lawsuit, brought by her mother, Roberta, alleged that th
BSA's refusal to allow Carla membership in the Cub Scouts was discriminatory and in violation of state law. In all, the Boy Scouts have been involved in thirty lawsuits since the filing of the Schwenk case. The suits fall into four categories:
Girls seeking membership in the BSA; Scouting's "duty to God"; Scouting's duty to be "morally straight"; and Scouting's access to "government forums." Evidence of a planned, strategic assault on the Scouts did not arise until the American Civil Liberties
Union (ACLU) became involved, with cases that focused on the reference in the Scout Oath to "duty to God." Getting God out of public life has been a major goal of the ACLU for a quarter of a century or longer.
Source: On My Honor, by Gov. Rick Perry, p. 57-63
Feb 12, 2008
On Civil Rights:
Homosexuals are inappropriate role model for adolescent boys
BSA units do not routinely ask a prospective adult leader about his (or her) sex life. The organization takes the position that this subject is a private matter & certainly not part of any Scout program. In the Scout Oath, the boy promises to be "morally
straight." The Boy Scout Handbook says that to be "morally straight" is "to be a person of strong character. The BSA's position is that a homosexual who makes is sex life a public matter is not an appropriate role model of the Scout Oath and Law for
adolescent boys. I do not believe the teaching of sexual preference fits within the parameters of Scouting's mission. The defining characteristics of homosexuality and heterosexuality is sex. Scouting is not intended to advance a discussion about sexual
activity, whether of the heterosexual or homosexual form. You will find few parents of Scouts concerned about the homosexual scoutmaster whose sexuality is not disclosed as long as sexuality in no way enters into the scout-scoutmaster relationship.
Source: On My Honor, by Gov. Rick Perry, p. 69
Feb 12, 2008
On Drugs:
ACLU shouldn't protest random drug sweeps in public housing
The ACLU [protested] new community policies initiated by the law-abiding poor to protect their homes and families from youth gangs and drug traffickers. In 1997, the Chicago Public Housing Authority began conducting random sweeps in public housing
projects in search of drugs and guns. The sweeps were initiated by members of the community fed up with crime and were beginning to have a deterrent impact. Then the ACLU showed up. They filed suit, saying the sweeps violated the Fourth
Amendment concerning unreasonable search and seizure. The result of the suit was to turn the Housing Authority's policy into a joke because it was forced to provide advance notice to gang leaders and their
supporters before conducting a sweep, and tenants could forbid them from entering. Meanwhile, the rapes, the beatings, and the shootings go on, thanks to the ACLU and its crusade for the "rights" of criminal thugs.
Source: On My Honor, by Gov. Rick Perry, p.129-130
Feb 12, 2008
On Education:
My parents didn't sue when I was paddled at school
If my dad found out that I was paddled at school, his first question of the principal would be, "What did the boy do wrong?"
It wasn't ever a question about whether someone who didn't share my bloodline had the right to discipline me. It was merely assumed, in a community where parents shared the same interest of raising children to respect authority and
live by established values, that other adults exercised their authority in a manner consistent with what was best for the child. If an educator did that today, the threat of a lawsuit wouldn't be far behind.
The ability of the community to set guideless and enforce them is greatly impaired by a litigious climate that has arisen out of distrust among adults who share no sense of community with one another.
Source: On My Honor, by Gov. Rick Perry, p. 35
Feb 12, 2008
On Education:
Boy Scouts granted right to use schools in 2002 NCLB law
In 2001, members of Congress went to work to include in the No Child Left Behind Act the Boy Scouts of America Equal Access to Schools Amendment. The amendment passed in both houses and became a part of the No Child Left Behind
Act, which in turn was signed by President George W. Bush on January 8, 2002. It specified that no school receiving U.S. Department of Education funds "shall deny access or a fair opportunity to meet to, or discriminate against, any group
officially affiliated with the Boy Scouts of America that wishes to conduct a meeting within that designated open forum or limited public forum, including denying such access or opportunity or discriminating
for reasons based on membership or leadership criteria or oath of allegiance to God and country to the Boy Scouts of America."
Source: On My Honor, by Gov. Rick Perry, p. 78-79
Feb 12, 2008
On Education:
New discoveries make evolutionary explanation less plausible
Have you ever noticed how the left commonly claims people of faith and positions of faith are diametrically opposed to science? "You believe in the Creation Story? Well that's fine in terms of your faith, but of course science has discounted the
possibility." You can't have rational discussions with the left about the validity of evolution because they claim science has already weighed in. Yet, science reveals new discoveries all the time, and in so doing, for instance, makes the evolutionary
explanation less plausible. If, however, someone makes an argument for intelligent design, we are told it should be taught in a class on faith. The left advocates tolerance while crushing dissenting views.Of course the secular news media cannot
advocate a faith perspective, but they can refrain from expressing a bias that people of faith hold irrational views about issues that have scientific ramifications. They can also explore the SCIENTIFIC basis for theories such as intelligent design.
Source: On My Honor, by Gov. Rick Perry, p.185-186
Feb 12, 2008
On Energy & Oil:
Manmade global warming: "It's-All-Our-Fault" theory
You can't have rational discussions with the left about nature versus nurture or global warming because they claim science has already weighed in. Yet, science reveals new discoveries all the time. Here we are again at a well-worn crossroads: The left
advocates tolerance while crushing dissenting views.When it comes to manmade global warming, many scientists who once advocated it is caused by human activity have abandoned that theory after closer study. Where are the stories on this growing
SCIENTIFIC movement? Alas, many in the news media have already invested too much in a particular storyline, just as some scientists continue promoting It's-All-Our-Fault theory because their research grants are dependent on it. In 25 years, when this
theory has been discarded alongside other ideas that didn't stand the test of time, perhaps there will be a one-day story announcing its demise. Then the left will be on to its next theory created to advance a particular political agenda.
Source: On My Honor, by Gov. Rick Perry, p.185-186
Feb 12, 2008
On Families & Children:
War on the Boy Scouts is a microcosm of larger culture war
This book demonstrates that the so-called "War on the Scouts" is a microcosm of a larger phenomenon, a "culture war" that has been tearing at the seams of our society for forty years, and that pits traditional values such as service, selflessness, and
sacrifice for the common good against a newer doctrine that elevates the self above society and regulates morality to a shapeless form of relativity. The attacks on the Scouts are but one front in a larger war. The forces of moral relativity--the most
famous of which is the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)--would remove any mention of God from the public square, would sanitize our society of bright lines dividing right and wrong, and would elevate doing what "feels good" as a moral imperative
higher than doing what is necessary for us to live together. I am passionate about this subject because Scouting was central to my life as a young boy growing up on the rolling plains of West Texas.
Source: On My Honor, by Gov. Rick Perry, p. 7
Feb 12, 2008
On Families & Children:
We gravitate to bad behavior unless we revere authority
Most of the time, disobedience is a form of rebellion and a lack of respect for people in positions of authority. Reverence for authority starts in the home, where children learn the rewards and consequences of good behavior and bad. I am not talking
about reviving an era of stern discipline, such as the use of the belt or the switch. I am referring to parents who allow their children to develop a sense of self so at odds with society that those children cannot conceive of respecting their peers, let
alone people in positions of authority. We would all gravitate toward monstrous behavior if no one socialized us. It seems to be our "wild" nature to do so, and only proper nurturing can redirect us. The one thing every child does is have an innate desire
to please his parents, perhaps just in the hope of getting attention. This desire must be put to good use. Establishing boundaries and norms and requiring children to stick to those rules to receive approval is essential.
Source: On My Honor, by Gov. Rick Perry, p.141-142
Feb 12, 2008
On Families & Children:
Free speech for "Coming Out Day" but not "Family Values"?
Recently in Oakland, California, a group of African American Christian women who are city government employees formed the Good News Employee Association. They defined their group as a "forum for people of Faith to express their views on the issues of the
day, with respect for the Natural Family, Marriage and Family Values." They posted their flier on an employee bulletin board after others had used the bulletin board to advertise "gay rights". They asked for formal approval to use the city's employee
e-mail system and bulletin board regularly, but were denied on the grounds that their flier would "promote harassment based on sexual orientation." Gay rights advocates employed by the city had used the communication system to promote "Happy Coming Out
Day," but the city's bureaucratic overseers deemed the words "marriage" and "family values" unacceptable. This is but one example of efforts to limit free speech and to curb values that have been central to the American experience for many decades.
Source: On My Honor, by Gov. Rick Perry, p.155-156
Feb 12, 2008
On Government Reform:
What's wrong with restricting ex-felons from voting?
The New Jersey chapter of the ACLU sought to throw out state sanctions prohibiting ex-felons from voting, claiming they were being disenfranchised. One of its allies in the fight referred to such voting restrictions "as the last vestige of slavery."
The ACLU argued in its suit that because the ex-felon population is disproportionately made up of racial minority members, the voting prohibitions were discriminatory.
While I think it is important for society at large to be sensitive to the notion that members of the minority community, even today, are more likely to be targeted for criminal activity, that doesn't mean those convicted of wrongdoing should
be given a break. If voting is a privilege, what's wrong with tying it to behavior expected of all American citizens.
Source: On My Honor, by Gov. Rick Perry, p.131-132
Feb 12, 2008
On Homeland Security:
1976: Vietnam-era C-130 pilot in US Air Force
When I got to Texas A&M in 1973, I was not confronted by the student unrest that was gripping campuses in the late 1960s; A&M remained a conservative place dedicated to training military officers. When I graduated, our nation was still embroiled in
Vietnam. I received my commission in the Air Force, earned my pilot's wings, and jumped into the co-pilot seat of a C-130. Not fancy flying, like the jet fighters.In 1976, I was flying a C-130 on tactical airlifts to South America, Europe, and the
Middle East as a pilot. As such, I was relearning through international travel that America is unique because Americans understand that freedom is not the same as license, and that it comes with social obligations. One such obligation is to defend freedo
with one's life, as I was willing to do and many before me and after me have done. In my case, that calling never took me to the field of battle. I was fortunate. I left the Air Force in 1977 and returned to the family farm and ranch.
Source: On My Honor, by Gov. Rick Perry, p. 8 & 20
Feb 12, 2008
On Homeland Security:
2004: DoD only unofficially supports Boy Scout Jamboree
For 70 years the Boy Scouts have had a Jamboree. Every 4 years, Scouts and their adult leaders gather on the red soil of the US Army's Fort A.P. Hill in Virginia for a 10-day gathering of events and skill demonstrations. The 2005 Jamboree drew some
40,000 participants and is estimated to have pumped $17 million into Virginia's economy. The ACLU decided in 1999 to launch a lawsuit against the Department of Defense to bring an end to its sponsorship of Scout troops and its support for the Jamboree
(about $7 million). The suit targeted the DoD's logistical support of the quadrennial Jamboree. It was also aimed at sponsorship by the DoD of BSA units overseas. In Nov. 2004, the DoD entered into a settlement in which it agreed to remind military bases
that official sponsorship of any non-government organization (such as the Boy Scouts) is prohibited. Contrary to what the ACLU may want you to think, boys attending the Jamboree are not required to pray or to attend church at the gathering.
Source: On My Honor, by Gov. Rick Perry, p. 81-83
Feb 12, 2008
On Principles & Values:
Hometown of Paint Creek TX is a "throw-back in time"
In some respects, Paint Creek is more an idea than a place; a reaffirmation that there is more to life than the rush of people going to and from work. To some, Paint Creek is a throw-back in time--a fading memory of the way things used to be. For me,
Paint Creek was the center of civilization, and everything else was an alternative universe. Our spot of farmland was perched along the rolling plains of West Texas. Dad called our area the Big Empty. I called it paradise. I had thousands of acres to
explore, a dog I called my own, and a Shetland pony. We had every amenity a boy could need: electricity from the Rural Electrification Agency; a 14-foot-deep water well in lieu of running water; a1920s bungalow-style house with 6 rooms; a radio to listen
to weather reports; a #2 washtub for taking a bath; and a fresh garden by the side of the house, fresh milk from the cow in the pasture, and free-range eggs from the chicken coop. If we were deprived of anything, no one told me. Life was good.
Source: On My Honor, by Gov. Rick Perry, p. 15-16
Feb 12, 2008
On Principles & Values:
Entered politics in 1984; 5th generation in political family
After settling in Haskell County, my great-great-grandfather was elected county judge from 1900-04. My great-grandfather was elected a county commissioner. After him, my grandfather, Hoyt Perry, ran for county commissioner in the 1940s, but was defeated.
My father, Ray, lost the first time he ran for county commissioner in 1964, but he was elected in 1968 and served for 7 terms. The urge to get involved in public service was strong for me. In 1984, I was elected to the Texas legislature representing
Haskell County. In 1989, I switched political parties--a traumatic event for someone who was raised in a "yellow dog" Democrat family (the idea being that one would vote for a yellow dog before voting for a Republican). Soon after, I took an even bigger
gamble: I would run for statewide office against incumbent Democrat & national populist figure Jim Hightower. No one said I had a chance. The voters said something different, electing me in a squeaker as state commissioner of agriculture in 1990.
Source: On My Honor, by Gov. Rick Perry, p. 22-23
Feb 12, 2008
On Principles & Values:
It's about freedom OF religion, not freedom FROM religion
The ACLU and like-minded liberals would have us believe that the Establishment Clause equates to freedom FROM religion rather than freedom OF religion. Instead of a reasonable interpretation of the Constitution in a pluralistic society that protects our
citizens from a state-sponsored religion being forced upon them, they want to take a more drastic step, which is to whitewash the public square and our public dialogue of any reference to God. Their view is that if one citizen believes there is no God,
they must be protected from public references to an Almighty Creator. In an effort to protect a minority view, they go so far as to maintain the position that an atheist, or a non-Christian, cannot be exposed to the majority of religious viewpoints in
America without unduly being indoctrinated. What about believing enough in your fellow men and woman to acknowledge that maybe they can think for themselves? What about the educational value inherent in Christian children being exposed to a menorah?
Source: On My Honor, by Gov. Rick Perry, p. 87
Feb 12, 2008
On Principles & Values:
Romney disallowed Boy Scouts to participate in Olympics
In 2002, BSA contacted Olympic officials under the assumption that the Scouts would participate as they had at the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics, working at many venues and participating in various ceremonies. Sometime that fall, however, the Scouts were
advised that they were no longer welcome to participate. Chief Scout executive for the council Marty Latimer said, "We don't understand what's wrong. They just don't want us and won't talk to us." He said that Romney had not returned calls from several
Scout executives seeking an explanation. We can't get him to return our calls. An Olympic spokeswoman denied that the Scouts had been shut out because of gay protests over the Dale decision. Several years have gone by, and neither Mitt
Romney nor anyone else who served as an official of the 2002 Winter Olympics has given a clear and logical explanation of why the door to volunteerism was shut on a willing "army" of Boy Scout volunteers.
Source: On My Honor, by Gov. Rick Perry, p.121
Feb 12, 2008
On Principles & Values:
No state-sponsored morality; but sponsor value organizations
I believe developing within our children the desire to succeed, hand in hand with the economic competency ensured by a quality education, is the key to continuing our prosperity. You cannot divorce values from knowledge and expect results.
Ultimately, knowledge harnessed for self-indulgence instead of societal good leads to moral decay and ultimately economic decay. I do not advocate state-sponsored morality in the most general sense, but
I do argue for the protection of organizations and entities whose influence on American values have been profoundly positive.
And I do argue that we continue to make the case to our fellow citizens about the virtue of making right choices, while recognizing in a free society people must ultimately have the prerogative to make wrong choices.
Source: On My Honor, by Gov. Rick Perry, p.175
Feb 12, 2008
On Principles & Values:
Secular humanism emanates out of man's sin of pride
I believe secular humanism emanates out of man's great downfall: the sin of pride. To put God on the throne of our lives, to surrender to a Higher Being in complete submission, in the secular humanist's mind, is to surrender credit for the accomplishment
of one's life. It is essential to say, "I am not so great because everything I have ever accomplished is a gift from God." To some this is not an appealing notion. Yet, where does our capacity to think, dream and emotionally connect come from? It is a
gift present within our DNA. This, by the way, is true even if there is no God (a notion I dispute) because our every gift emanates from the unique combination of the genes inherited from our parents.The life of the secular humanist has a depressing
end. Regardless of how great they may consider their accomplishments in life, or how much money they make, it is still the case that they have lived their life for a philosophy that elevates self instead of a worldview that elevates the Creator.
Source: On My Honor, by Gov. Rick Perry, p.180-181
Feb 12, 2008
On Welfare & Poverty:
Many homeless chose their lifestyle; take a hard approach
When Los Angeles passed an ordinance prohibiting people from camping out on city streets and sidewalks throughout the day, the ACLU sued; the ordinance was ruled unconstitutional. Recognizing that some people suddenly find themselves homeless because of
tragic, unanticipated circumstances, I would not say that all homeless people are voluntarily in their predicament. Many homeless have chosen their lifestyle--not as a conscious lifestyle choice made in prior years of sobriety but through a series of
decisions that not only led to their homelessness, but also perpetuate it. They choose to drink, they choose to get high, they choose to engage in a life or crime, and often they choose to do it all on the streets instead of in shelters where there is
strict enforcement of prohibitions on such behavior. The homeless need help. But the help they need is to make some of their behavior more difficult to engage in. If you take a hard approach to blight, then you create a disincentive for continuing blight
Source: On My Honor, by Gov. Rick Perry, p.127-128
Feb 12, 2008
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