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My Point of View by Brad Kramer

As Veterans Day approaches, on behalf of the Freeborn County Republican Party and our community, I give you a heartfelt “thank you.” It is because you answered one of the most difficult calls a person can make that our nation is free. “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” — John 15:13.

It is in their honor that I name the things I love most about this great nation. It is veterans who have paid the greatest price for our freedoms. Their sacrifices and the sacrifices of their fallen brothers and sisters are why we have a nation worth fighting for. Your sacrifices are not forgotten, and we must renew our efforts to ensure your scars are never in vain.

While America is not perfect, she has given the world a vision of liberty that is only surpassed by God’s vision for us passed down through Christianity.

Freedom of speech is a cornerstone of our Constitutional Republic. It has been understood since the founding of our great nation that it is imperative that a free citizen has the right to speak freely.

The fact that you and I can disagree openly about our government and politicians, and we can call our governor and president out for lying, is a right that very few societies in the history of the world have experienced. Try that in Marxist countries like Cuba, Russia or China, and you are likely to find yourself disappearing in the middle of the night.

The enemy of our society is not “hate-speech,” “disinformation” or “misinformation,” but rather tyrants who would attempt to ban speech.

Capitalism has lifted more people out of poverty than any other economic model in world history. As a child and young adult, I experienced poverty, coming from a broken home and dysfunctional family. Yet, I’m not unique in those experiences, as many in our community have battled even worse conditions, and many still are. I watched our VP candidate J.D. Vance’s autobiographical movie “Hillbilly Elegy” long before I had any idea who he was and recognized the instability and dysfunction from my own childhood. Seeing a man like Vance with an even more dire childhood than my own standing on the stage next to President Trump; RFK, who came from one of the most prominent political families in the world; and Elon Musk, who came from his own challenging background and is now one of the wealthiest and most successful people in the world, should give all of us hope, that no matter where we come from, we control our own destiny.

If you’re willing to put in the work and figure out a way to bring something to the marketplace that brings others value and work hard and smart, there is nothing standing in the way of success. Most millionaires and billionaires are self-made, not inherited, and nothing turbocharges someone to build a business to lift others around them than coming from poverty. The American dream is only dead if you lack the audacity to dream and the work-ethic to bring it to life. Capitalism has led to more breakthroughs than any other economic model because it ties together finding something people need with the ability for someone to prosper off what they build. Our greatest advancements do not come from government or institutions like universities, but rather from capitalists who took great risks to follow their dreams.

Freedom of religion means we can honor God how we choose. Government cannot interfere if we do not infringe on the rights of others. And thankfully, the “right” to not be offended that many think they have is not an actual right (see the part on freedom of speech). America has a rich history of faith, especially Christianity, leading us to do great things. Many of our hospitals, schools and universities, and other great institutions owe their foundations to religious communities. It was this faith that made our nation become one of the first in the world to shed the practice of slavery.

These are only a few of the many reasons I’m grateful and proud to be an American. It is my hope that we can look forward to a brighter tomorrow. A tomorrow where we can bring ideas to the forefront without being labeled “misinformation” by those who disagree for ideological reasons rather than facts. A tomorrow where no politician would dare try to mandate an untested vaccine that is later shown to do more harm than good. A tomorrow where we once again appreciate capitalists, but reject the mandates foisted upon us by mega-corporations like Google and Black Rock. A tomorrow where we can look upward to heaven with faith.

Thank you, veterans! We hold dear to the sacrifices you have made.

Brad Kramer is a member of the Freeborn County Republican Party.