[Show picture of refrigerator. Wait for audience sighs.]
Gayle and Jim Tolbert are, of course, bright spots in our lives. And yes, they contribute to the overall economy when they buy goods and services. But much more importantly, they represent a longstanding belief we would do well to reclaim: the value of human life shouldn’t be charted on a spreadsheet. My parents, like millions of other elderly and disabled citizens, have resisted mounting pressure to volunteer. They refuse to chip another fragment away from our common sense of dignity, by reminding us that human worth is measured in hugs and kisses, not dollars and cents.
[Show picture of Baby Leah.]
This is my precious little girl, Leah. You can’t tell by looking at her, but Baby Leah has a genetic disorder called fragile X syndrome that brings cognitive impairment. She is one who will always consume a higher share of resources than she will likely ever produce. Some have suggested people like Leah should be put out of their misery. But if we are honest with ourselves, it’s not their misery we are trying to end. It’s our inconvenience. Leah, like so many other disabled citizens, can’t give back.
Or can she?
[Show picture of Tommy and Joy hugging Baby Leah.]
On the scale of hugs and kisses, she seems to be doing pretty well.
[Pause for sighs.]
Every developed nation on earth is asking what to do about those who cost more than they produce. But we are a nation founded upon a fundamental belief that all people are created equal and are endowed by the Creator with unalienable rights including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. In that spirit, I challenge us to remember our past rather than fear our future. Yes, times are difficult. Yes, our challenge is great. But we must not forget that greatness is shown when we defend the weak and protect the vulnerable. Strength and growth are by-products of bearing and raising the young, not pillaging and sacrificing the old. We become a virtuous people when we give to the poor and treasure the weak.
So I invite you to join a growing movement lighting our nation’s future.
Form a family and invest in the next generation. Every stable home becomes yet another foundation stone for rebuilding this great nation.
Elect leaders who recognize that government exists to defend the rights of the weak rather than indulge the appetites of the strong.
In short, become a bright spot!
God bless you. And may God bless the United States of America.
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Contents
Cover
Title Page
Welcome
Dedication
Prologue
Part OneChapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Part TwoChapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Part ThreeChapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-One
Chapter Forty-Two
Chapter Forty-Three
Chapter Forty-Four
Epilogue
Newsletters
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the authors’ imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Copyright © 2014 by James C. Dobson and Kurt Bruner
Cover design by Mike Heath
Cover photography by Mike Heath
Cover copyright © 2014 Hachette Book Group
All rights reserved. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the publisher is unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the publisher at permissions@hbgusa.com. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.
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First ebook edition: May 2014
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