The Western Word

American Freedom Alliance
in association with
Ayn Rand Center for Individual Rights, Hollywood Republican Congress, Stand Up America, David Horowitz Freedom Center,
Children of Jewish Holocaust Survivors and San Fernando Valley Republican Club

A Symposium
Culture of Denial:
Is our Government's Refusal to Admit Reality Harming Our Security?

Our government, our judiciary and our military are in denial about some of the most basic threats faced by this country. This includes the refusal to accept the reality of a home grown Jihadist menace in our midst; the insistence that our military and intelligence services do not need every tool available to them to thwart those pledged to our destruction; an unwillingness to recognize that in age of terrorism the demands of national security sometimes requires adjustments on civil liberties; and a resistance to an acceptance that it is Islamic teachings that drive terrorism around the world, not desperation,poverty nor American policies.

This fascinating panel, featuring a member of Congress, a former member of the military and a former member of the State Department, will offer a very clear perspective on where our government is going wrong in its understanding of the world and its impact on national security.

Seminar Co-sponsors:
Ayn Rand Center for Individual Rights, Hollywood Republican Congress, Stand Up America, David Horowitz Freedom Center, Children of Jewish Holocaust Survivors, San Fernando Valley Republican Club .

Maj. Gen (ret.)Paul Vallely graduated from the US Military Academy at West Point and was commissioned in the Army in 1961 serving a distinguished career of 32 years in the Army. During this time he served as a consultant to the Commanding General of the Special Operations Command as well as the Department of Defense Anti-Drug and Counter -Terrorist Task Force. He co-authored the book Endgame – Blueprint for Victory for Winning the War on Terror, Warfooting and Baghdad Ablaze. He is a member and founder of the Iran Policy Committee and from 2001-07 was the senior military analyst for the Fox News Channel. His new book, Operation Sucker Punch - Blood for Our Future was released in January 2009. He currently serves as the Chairman of Stand Up America. He and his wife, Marian, are the co-trustees of the Scott Vallely Soldiers Memorial Fund and reside in Montana.

Stephen Coughlin is an attorney with a background in international law and international business. He is also a former consultant to the Intelligence Directorate of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In January, 2008, Mr. Coughlin, who has an expertise in the sources of Islamic terror and uses of Islamic law, was not renewed to his position at the Department of Defense. While no one in his chain of command disputed the veracity, accuracy or balance of his lectures and briefings, it is widely believed that Mr. Coughlin was compelled to leave his position because his views were considered politically unacceptable. Mr. Coughlin currently serves as a United States Army Reserve Major specializing in military intelligence.

Rep. J.D. Hayworth graduated cum laude from North Carolina State University in 1980, with a double major in Political Science and Speech-Communication. He attended North Carolina.State on a football scholarship. He was elected to Congress in 1994 and 12 years as a representative for his home state of Arizona. Before he entered politics, he was a radio and television personality, business management consultant, and public policy advocate. During his term in the House, J.D. became the first Arizonan to serve on the Ways and Means Committee where he helped write the Bush Tax Cuts of 2001 and 2003. He also was the lead sponsor of the new Education Land Grant Act, which instituted a uniform way for rural school districts to obtain non-environmentally sensitive federal land for school construction, and he helped expand the boundaries of the Walnut Canyon National Monument. He is the author of Whatever It Takes, a definitive source on how to combat illegal immigration and improve border security. He is married to Mary and they will with their three children reside in Arizona.

Elan Journo is a fellow in foreign policy at the Ayn Rand Institute. His book, Winning the Unwinnable War: America's Self-Crippled Response to Islamic Totalitarianism, was published in November. Mr. Journo's articles have appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Sun-Times, and Canada's Globe and Mail. He has been interviewed on Fox News and countless radio shows nationally. He has spoken at Stanford, Berkeley, New York University, and George Mason University. Mr. Journo contributes to Voices for Reason, the blog of the Ayn Rand Center for Individual Rights.

Seminar Co-sponsors:
Ayn Rand Center for Individual Rights, Hollywood Republican Congress,Stand Up America, David Horowitz Freedom Center, Children of Jewish Holocaust Survivors,San Fernando Valley Republican Club .