NINETY-SIX
On p. 96 of GR, Sarah continues her discussion of her appointment by Governor Frank Murkowski as chairman of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (AOGCC). She writes, "I began commuting into Anchorage five days a week, diving headlong into a learning curve that would deepen my knowledge of Alaska's energy resources, the energy problems facing the country, and the close relationships clouding judgment on both.
"When Murkowski tapped me for the commission, he quickly named me chairman. That meant I also became the ethics supervisor of the staff, a job that turned out to be more than just a compliance title. When a staffer hinted right away that [Randy] Ruedrich seemed to spend a lot of time running the Republican Party from his new AOGCC office, plus dealing with GOP operatives as a National Republican Committeeman, I mentioned it to the party boss-slash-commissioner."
As we all know, the conflict created by Ruedrich's abuse of his office, and the failure of anyone to do anything about Sarah's protests, eventually compelled her to resign from the AOGCC, rather than be placed in the position of "winking at" Ruedrich's violations.
It is interesting to notice where the Good Lord placed the Governor at this point in her life and in her career.
She was situated in a job where she received a fast education in energy issues and in ethics issues.
She may not have fully realized it at the time, but she was being trained, on "the field of battle," in just those two areas of combat that are so critical to the entire nation right now: Energy security and independence, on the one hand, and ethical/moral issues on the other hand.
Just as physical and moral strength are required for an individual to survive (mens sana in corpore sano--a sound mind in a sound body), so the FREE FLOW of ENERGY, and the FREE FLOW of TRUST and GOOD FAITH between citizens is required for the "body politic" to survive.
If our energy sources dry up, we will not survive as a Free People.
If trust and good faith and ethical/ moral bonds between citizens are not preserved and maintained, we will not survive as a Free People.
Sarah refers above to "diving headlong into a learning curve" about energy issues. She learned well, and she is clearly and indisputably one of the world's experts on energy issues, and will carry this precious knowledge and expertise with her into the White House.
Just as importantly, she is now a savant in ethical issues.
But there is a difference.
In learning about energy, it was a question of ACQUIRING doctrine and experience and expertise. This is the nature of what we might call "intellectual" education: You absorb and digest the subject matter.
Her ethical training was different.
In a sense, in lieu of ACQUIRING something she had to LOSE something: She had to resign her lucrative six-figure salary in order to "sleep well," as she says.
The irony involved in winning this kind of knowledge and wisdom is that you must first lose something …
Ah, but the gain, the rewards later on are, dare I say it, the Scriptural "hundred-fold"!!!
Because of her sacrifice for principle, The Governor has become a shining and luminous example and inspiration to tens of millions of Americans!!!
She followed the paths of the Lord perfectly, IMHO, in the station where He placed her: LEARNING about energy issues, and LIVING OUT moral/ethical issues!!
Praise be to Divine Providence, the Providence that used Governor Murkowski, whatever his personal motives were, to place Sarah in this position of learning and of suffering, of doctrine and of dolor!!!
In the same way, we may thank the same Providence for using Senator McCain, whatever his motives were, to make Sarah the VP candidate of the GOP in '08--she was revealed to the whole nation at the critical moment of obama's seeming total triumph with his DNC acceptance speech in Denver, when discouraged patriots everywhere needed the lift and boost and inspiration that the Governor provided--and provides to this very day and hour!!
Now, in spite of years of vicious lies; in spite of years of horrible slanders; in spite of years of hateful propaganda, she is poised to become one of our greatest presidents ever, and will provide luminous leadership on energy and ethics issues, as in all else.
Deo Gratias--Thanks be to God!!!
