Sarah Palin officially resigned today as governor of Alaska, turning power over to Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell. In her outgoing speech, she spoke mainly about her administration’s achievements, and what she saw for the future. But she also used the opportunity to slam the media, and the zingers were harsh and well-deserved. In honor of the American soldier, she says, the media needs to quit making things up, and then warns them to leave Sean Parnell’s kids alone.

The first part of that video, when she speaks about how the journalistic profession is so important, and could be such an integral part of our democracy, is saddening. I think we often forget that journalism wasn’t always so tainted and tarnished; journalists weren’t always so biased and corrupt. It’s a shame, because as she pointed out, being a journalist could be a profession to be proud of, a profession with integrity and honor. It really is sad to see the current media establishment bring it so low.

And she’s right about the military, too. The media has smeared our troops, albeit not nearly as much as they’ve smeared Sarah Palin herself, and the right to free press is indeed one of the rights that our troops are fighting and dying to protect. It’s a shame to see them misusing and perverting that right so much.

Of course, everyone here will remember the despicable treatment that Sarah Palin received in the media, and even worse, they went after her family. From attacking her baby boy, Trig, with Down’s Syndrome, to smearing her son Track for joining the military, to going after her oldest daughter Bristol for having an out-of-wedlock pregnancy, and finally culminating in the disgusting joke about her 14-year-old daughter Willow being raped, the smear campaign against the entire Palin family was horrifying to watch. It was a sure sign that the media has finally hit rock bottom. They deified one candidate, Obama, and attacked another in the most disgusting kind of way.

I don’t know where the road will take Sarah Palin now. But whatever she does, she is a force to be reckoned with, and anyone who thinks that the fight has been taken out of her is clearly wrong.

Hat Tip: Hot Air