"RISE" : Fulfilling HER Destiny
By Thom Palmer
September 13, 2016
This article examines Hillary's history and accomplishments. In addition to this short biography, take a look at what they've accomplished with the Clinton Foundation. If you're not a Hillary supporter, you really need to read this, because it will clear a lot of stuff up for you. What is it about this lady?
Why are so many people so sure that Hillary is the most qualified candidate, man or woman, who has ever sought the Presidency? In light of all the witch-hunting, abusive attacks, double standards and sexism, with dozens of phony scandals being thrown at her, why doesn't she just quit? Who needs it? Well, as you'll read, WE do, and there's nobody better to begin to correct some of the most important issues facing the nation as well as humanity itself.
Hillary called half of Trump's supporters "DEPLORABLE". The funny thing is that Trump supporters seem to agree, and they're okay with the tag. The other half are actually undecided, unsatisfied with their candidates xenophobia, racism, sexism and corruption. Those people need to know that Politifact rated virtually ALL of Trump's statements at the so called "Commander-in-Chief" forum as False, Mostly False, or Pants on Fire. 173 lies in 25 minutes, or one every 9 seconds. As someone said recently, "You don't have to be a racist to support Trump. You just have to be okay with it". I think there are less racists in Trump's camp than you think, and they still need to learn the facts about Hillary.
Let's examine some of the highlights of Hillary's life so far. A life and path that has led her to this moment. By examining the past, the present makes more sense, and the future is easier to extrapolate. When forecasting climate change, future profits for businesses, etc., we need to take the facts from the past, combine them with present data, and then use logic to draw the line into the future. The model reveals a most unbelievable destiny, but the destiny was not a matter of stars aligning in a certain pattern, cannot be explained by simply calling it "being in the right place at the right time". Her place in history has been designed and written, engineered, and has been tested and put on trial by fire, honed, tempered, and refined over the last six decades...by HER.
EARLY DAYS
We are often impressed when we see a kid take on a highly mature subject at a very early age. We look at them as a prodigy, having a fairly good idea that this kid is going to be somebody someday. Growing up, Hillary Rodham was a good student, who regularly raised her hand and engaged in class discussions. She was a favorite among her teachers. Active in sports, Brownies and then Girl Scouts, she moved into her teens with a higher level of drive than most pre-teens seem to feel. Her parents were conservative Republicans, but advocated for Hillary to be independent and to not be limited in what she decides to do in life by her gender, so in her mind, there was no difference in what a woman could do versus what a man could do in life. Then, in 1961, at age 13, she sent a letter to NASA, asking them what steps she could take in order to be an astronaut some day. They responded that "No women were being accepted into the space program". This must have had quite an impact on her, since her mother had always told her that she could be anything she wanted to be when she grows up. I would imagine that, from everything I know about Hillary, that this irked her first, and then this hard headed Republican kid got mad. As the 60's rolled on, she watched as women began fighting for equality and respect.
She was never afraid to take a chance. Never afraid to fail, get back up, dust herself off, and try again. In High School, she was in the Student Council, National Honor Society member, and lost her bid for Class President in her Senior Year to a boy who told her "You are really stupid if you think a girl can be elected President." I would love to hear the conversation with this boy, now a 67 year old man after Hillary is elected 45th President of the United States of America.
Because her parents were Republican, and they were her biggest influences, the young Republican's political career began at just 13 years old, when she helped canvass neighborhoods in Chicago for Republicans and Richard Nixon in 1960. At age 17, she actively campaigned for failed Republican candidate Barry Goldwater. Her youth minister introduced her to Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1962. It appears that the stage was set for young Hillary to begin making a difference.
COLLEGE YEARS and POST COLLEGE
What does a highly driven girl do when she loses her bid for High School Class President to a misogynist? She dusts herself off and runs for Class President in college and wins, of course. Wellesley College, Massachusetts, graduating in 1969. By then, having been around politics a while, Hillary realized that her ideals were more closely aligned with the Democratic Party, and she broke with her parents and registered as a Democrat, having seen the Republican party become less and less a party of the people, and more the party of big business. She saw President Johnson follow through with President Kennedy's goals of improving civil rights, and she was very moved by the speeches and peaceful protests by Martin Luther King, Jr. Hillary felt that the best way to improve things in the United States was to become a part of the solution, so, she attended Yale Law School and graduated with Honors in 1973. She then did one year of post-graduate study on children and medicine, which as you'll read later suggests that many of her bold goals had been set, and she was taking the steps to implement them at just 27 years of age.
In 1970, after graduating from Wellesley, she secured a grant and first went to work for the Children's Defense Fund. In the summer of 1971, she went to Washington and worked on Senator Walter Mondale's subcommittee on migrant workers, housing, sanitation, health and education. It as here that she was introduced and became involved in George McGovern's 1972 Presidential bid, working on western states. Once more, she lost (McGovern lost), and once more, Hillary would dust herself off and keep on going. At Yale Law School, she volunteered in their Child Study Center, studying new research on early childhood brain development. She also volunteered at New Haven Hospital, where she took on cases of child abuse, providing free legal service to the poor. After graduating from Yale, she served as staff attorney for the Children’s Defense Fund in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
In 1974, she was hired as one of the 44 lawyers to investigate Watergate. Hillary was one of the people in the room listening to Nixon's Watergate tapes for the first time, and advised the Judiciary Committee in the House of Representatives. In the fall of that year, after Nixon's resignation, she was hired at the University of Arkansas Law School, where her boyfriend from Yale, Bill Clinton was also a Professor. They would marry shortly thereafter.
By the age of 27, Hillary Rodham had amassed more political knowledge and insight than just about anybody her age could be expected to absorb. She had already formed her thoughts and ideas on how she could make a difference, and was constantly going out of her comfort zone, traveling the country to amass more data.
FIRST LADY OF ARKANSAS
In 1975 after four years of dating, Bill and Hillary tied the knot. She was appointed in 1978 President Jimmy Carter to the board of Legal Services. The same year, husband Bill won bid for Governor of Arkansas, the first of five terms as Governor before winning the Presidency. Hillary was hired and then became a partner in the Rose Law Firm, served on the Board of Directors for Arkansas businesses such as TCBY and Wal-Mart, where she fought for equal opportunity for women as well as environmental issues pertaining to business. This gave her a needed and comprehensive insight on economics and business. She chaired for the Arkansas Education Standards committee and co-founded Advocates for Children and Families, and served on the boards of Arkansas Children's Hospital Legal Services and the Children's Defense Fund. She wrote a weekly newspaper column titled "Talking it Over". Talking it over appears to have been a prelude to her ability to go into the community and discuss and learn about issues affecting everyday Americans. She was twice named to the list of The 100 Most Influential Lawyers in America.
FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES
At age 45, Hillary became the First Lady to the 42nd President of the United States. After nearly two decades of doing good work in Arkansas, Bill won his 1992 bid for the Presidency. In retrospect, it is highly theorized that this was Hillary's first and second term as President. I do not believe Bill could have done it without her, and the active role she played and good work she had done in Arkansas, combined with one of Bill Clinton's campaign slogans "You're getting two for the price of one" tells me that she served side-by-side, more than likely advising Bill on a daily basis. Which one was actually in charge? I'm not sure, but by the end of the Clinton Presidency, our economy was booming, we were running a budget surplus, and the world at relative peace.
Within five days of taking over the White House, Bill named Hillary to head the President's Task Force on Health Care Reform. Her efforts raised national awareness on the problem of millions of uninsured Americans. While her objective of transforming heath care failed, her efforts gave way to later compromises, which led to the Affordable Health Care Act passed in 2009, allowing millions of Americans to gain health insurance, allowing students to remain on their parents insurance policies through age 26, and forbids insurance companies to deny or drop people for pre-existing conditions. Since passing ACA, the rate of inflation of insurance premiums has been at the lowest level in decades.
In addition, Hillary worked on many other health care issues, such as initiating the Children's Health Insurance Program, increases in funding for prostate cancer, childhood asthma, assistance for Gulf War Veterans who had been suffering the toxic side effects of the chemical "Agent Orange" used in that war. She is credited with the Adoption and Safe Families Act, helping orphaned children, rallying support from private foundations who helped lobby for the Act's passage in 1997 and then the Foster Care Independence Bill, helping unadopted children transition to adulthood. She held and hosted numerous White House conferences that related to children's health, school violence, reading development which pediatricians provided free books for new mothers to read to their infants, which in turn nurtures their rapidly developing brains. She pushed for annual mammograms for older women, covered by Medicare, in order to reduce the rate and survival of breast cancer. She was involved in many decisions made by the President, such as Welfare Reform, violence Against Women, and continued her work for gender equality in economics, employment, health care and education.
On the international stage, Hillary spoke out against abuse of women by the Taliban and other oppressive groups. She helped form Vital Voices, an international effort to promote participation of women in their nation's political process, which is something very impressive, as we see more women at the higher ranks of politics world-wide today as a result. Vital Voices also played a role in the "Good Friday Peace Agreement", which ended the civil war in Ireland. Her own candidacy today is testament to the success of her efforts. She actively supported the USAID, which awarded loans to small businesses begun by women. She openly challenged the Chinese government in September, 1995, when she spoke at the United Nations World Conference on Women in Beijing, a controversial and effective speech. Hillary doesn't back down to tough challenges. Never has...never will.
Regarding traditional First Lady roles, she initiated the "Save the Treasures" program, to rescue national sites and items from deterioration and neglect, National First Ladies Historical Site, Millennium Project, Sculpture Garden artwork, Restoration of the Blue Room, State dinners and other traditional First Lady duties. She hosted the Bicentennial State Dinner, which hosted more Presidents and First Ladies than any other time in history.
On November 7th, 2000, HIllary Rodham Clinton became the first First Lady ever to be elected to public office, winning the U.S.Senate seat vacated by retiring Senator Patrick Moynihan. Just as President Bill Clinton was ending his political career as an elected official, Hillary's was just beginning.
U.S. SENATE
Hillary served as Senator for three weeks while also serving as First Lady. She served on many Senate Committees and sub-committees, including Armed Services, Airland, Readiness and Management, Environmental and Public Works, Clean Air, Wetlands, Private Property, Nuclear Safety, Fisheries, Wildlife, Water, Waste Control, Risk assessment, Senate Heath, Education, Labor, Pensions, Aging, Children and Families. Very busy woman indeed. She worked to secure a $21 billion fund to assist in the cleanup and recovery following September 11th WTC, and to provide health tracking for first responders and volunteers at Ground Zero. She issued two studies in 2005 which examined disbursement of federal Homeland Security funding to local communities and first responders. She visited and spoke with American troops in Afghanistan and Iraq, continued work on heath care and other benefits for Veterans. In addition, she won the extension of the Unemployment Insurance benefits for those who lost their jobs in the 2008 financial crash. She was arguably the most active and hardest working Senator in Washington, working with Republicans to get things done for the American people, and protecting the middle class.
Veterans and First Responders
Serving in the Senate Armed Services Committee, she introduced the "Heroes at Home Act" to help family members care for Veterans with traumatic brain injuries, She increased the military survivor benefit from $12,000 to $100,000, in order to help families whose loved ones were killed in action. She worked hard for Veterans during her time in the Senate. She saved 800 jobs in New York by working across the aisle to keep the Niagara Falls Air Station open while the Pentagon was shutting down bases.
Hillary racked up quite a lot of major achievements during her time in the Senate. From expanded health care for National Guard members and reservists, fighting hard to secure funds 9/11 rescue and recovery volunteers, immigration reform, health care, stockpiling of vaccines for public health emergencies, No Child Left Behind, Prevention First Act, designed to decrease abortions and increase access to family planning, and much, much more. Looking at Hillary's voting record in the Senate, she constantly pushed for the middle class, and pushed to reduce poverty and hopelessness. There is way too much to outline in this article.
Hillary's time in the Senate, serving on the Armed Service Committee seemed to fill in the only missing link in her current experience level, which millions feel surpasses the experience and insight of any candidate that has ever run for President, man or woman. Foreign policy experience. She went on to lose her battle to win the White House in 2008, but made such a huge impression on President-Elect Barack Obama, that he simply couldn't blow the chance to have such an experienced, intelligent and well-rounded Secretary of State behind him in Washington.
SECRETARY OF STATE
Another trail-blazing accomplishment, Hillary became the first First Lady turned Senator turned Secretary of State in history in January, 2009. Hillary's responsibilities as Secretary of State were to serve as the primary adviser on foreign affairs to the President, to enact Presidential policy decisions through the State Department. She was also responsible for negotiating with foreign leaders on treaties, passports, and in advising the President on individuals for the post of Ambassadors and consuls, etc. She used what she viewed as "smart power", or strong diplomacy efforts combined with military "hard power". With global economic and social issues, "soft power" was used to improve global economics, developmental aid, technology, creativity and human rights advocacy.
Hillary visited 112 countries during her tenure at the State Department, where she also worked on the empowerment and welfare of women and girls world-wide. What has come to be known as The Hillary Doctrine", she viewed improvements in women's right as playing a critical role in U.S. security interests by linking the level of violence against women and gender inequality within a state, and the instability to international security of that state. Time magazine stated that "Clinton's endurance during her time as Secretary of State is legendary". She held town hall meetings, speaking with leaders, press as well as the public in 40 countries, learning, answering questions, and promoting her peace platform and human rights agenda.
According to President Obama, Hillary was a huge player in the decision to send in helicopters to Pakistan to kill Osama Bin Laden. She advocated and encouraged taking the risk, stating that the goal was worth the risk in light of the superior talent of our Seal Teams, military power, combined with the evidence at hand. She showed strong leadership in the situation room, and helped the President get over the top on the decision to invade. It turned out pretty well. Her ability to calmly assess a bad situation and make an intelligent decision is second to none.
She lobbied for the United Nations Human Rights Council resolution, and declared that gay rights are human rights, creating a huge shift around the world and at home as LGBT employees had a safer, more stable place to work. Negotiating the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, Hillary took to the air as rockets rained down on Israel. One day after she landed, a ceasefire took effect, and things have been mostly quiet ever since. Whatever she did over there was amazing.
The list goes on and on. Under the Clinton State Department, exports of products made in the U.S.A. to China increased 50%. She negotiated with United Nations on putting sanctions on Iran, forcing them to the table to negotiate an end to their nuclear weapons program. The result of her efforts was that Iran came to the table, destroyed or delivered all of their enriched uranium to the United Nations, and agreed not to work on a nuclear weapons program. U.N. inspectors are now able to go into Iran and verify compliance, and the world is a much safer place as a result of her hard work. She worked her tail off as Secretary of State.
PERCEIVED TRUSTWORTHINESS ISSUES
Back in the mid 1990's, David Brock, a conservative Republican writer, known as a right-wing political hit man, attacked the Clinton's with scandal after scandal. The rhetoric has been repeated for the last 25 years, yet each and every scandal has been debunked by fact-checkers and investigators throughout. The attacks and the vicious lies and exaggerations continue through today. When Hillary was serving as Senator and then Secretary of State, the attacks waned for a while, and Hillary's approval rating shot all the way up to 66% as her good work nationally and on the world stage were on full display.
Brock's articles were designed to discredit Bill Clinton and de-legitimize his Presidency, as well as quash any political aspirations of Hillary Clinton, as her path was becoming evident. He later recanted his own articles, is now a Hillary Clinton supporter. He is also the founder of "Media Matters". Brock now admits that he was part of a right-wing conspiracy to smear Bill and Hillary with false information. In his book “Killing the Messenger,” Brock admits the Republican conspiracy in what he describes as “a steady infiltration of mainstream by the right-wing factories of disinformation”.
The false scandals are so plentiful, the attacks continue and are sold as fact to the public, with the objective of creating a plausibility in the minds of the electorate. Each and every fake scandal has been debunked, but as Mark Twain stated, "A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes". But in the digital age, a good lie can permeate through cyberspace and be shared millions of times before the truth has a chance to begin to fight back.
THE FUTURE OF HUMANITY
We believe that Hillary Clinton has the experience, intelligence, and proven results at a time when humanity really needs a strong leader. By year 2100, Earths temperature will have risen by three degrees over the last century, putting islands and low-lying coastal communities under water. Thousands of species of animals will become extinct, and up to a billion people will be displaced without immediate action. Terrorists are trying to take over nations, and countries are trying to obtain nuclear weapons. The world economy continues to be on edge from the global financial melt-down of 2008, and the gaps in so many aspects of life in the United States and around the world seem to widen with each and every false statement and fear mongering by conservative pundits. Glass half empty or glass half full? We choose the latter, and believe that Hillary Clinton has prepared herself for this moment in human history better and longer than any candidate in history.
We're at a crossroads of sorts in the evolution of human history. One path leads to a cliff, and it's a long way down. The other path leads to possibilities and cooperation to heal many of mans self-inflicted wounds. This is an opportunity that I certainly hope the electorate wakes up to, and give DESTINY a chance to do it's thing. It is time for us to RISE, and reject the witch-hunt once and for all. There is an unemployed man in Michigan, a polar bear in the Arctic, a whale in the Pacific, and a 5 year old girl in Indonesia counting on us to make the right decision.
"We can either FALL together, or we can choose to RISE together. The choice is ours." -Hillary Clinton
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