As a U.S. Air Force veteran, I understand and appreciate the sacrifices true patriotism demands. Whether you are serving in peacetime or wartime, as a private or commander-in-chief, defending our country is a great responsibility and requires a steadfast commitment. Many of my fellow servicemen are fed up with the status quo and have expressed a desire for a true leader to step forward in 2016, a leader who is passionate about the values they have sworn to defend: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
Armed with this knowledge I began an intensive search for a leader who truly embodies the American spirit. I sought an individual with a true, palpable love for the country I served and its founding principles. This person had to have moral conviction and be willing to set aside self-promotion in order to return us to the ideals our founders had in mind when they wrote the Constitution. As we approach the 2016 presidential election, only one viable candidate has emerged with the courage, audacity and principles to both lead and heal America. That man is Dr. Benjamin Carson.
Dr. Carson exemplifies the American Dream. As a boy from the streets of Detroit, raised by a single mother, Dr. Carson is a testament to what hard work can achieve in America. He embraced the power of a good education and worked hard, eventually becoming a world-renowned neurosurgeon and the director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital.
Dr. Carson has never forgotten the opportunities he was provided in his youth. He is acutely aware that without the sacrifices of the millions of men and women who gave their lives to preserve freedom and opportunity in our nation, his story would not be possible. As such, he is thankful to our military for allowing him to live his life to the fullest and have the liberty to follow his dreams and pursue happiness.
Dr. Carson stunned Americans at the National Prayer Breakfast last year, immediately proving he was the courageous leader I sought. He boldly set forth the type of nation the United States should aspire to be. He tore apart the argument for Obamacare and the progressive income tax by offering solutions to problems, refusing to be just another complaining voice. I have witnessed firsthand Dr. Carson’s ability to unify and energize Americans through his promotion of commonsense policies.
Dr. Carson is a great unifier in a far too polarized political climate. He has demonstrated an ability to understand the complexities of political policy and articulate those policies to the American people. He is a man that lives according to his convictions and believes in standing up for our country by facing tyranny and injustice at home and abroad. Dr. Carson is a true leader and a man of high character. Dr. Carson possesses the same values of loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity and personal courage shared by the men and women who serve in uniform.
Dr. Carson knows the problems faced by wounded servicemen, whether returned a week or decades ago. He knows how treatment delays can worsen their condition and sometimes result in premature death. His sense of personal honor would not allow him to sweep the ongoing problems with the Department of Veterans Affairs under a rug and not find out why the system maims and kills wounded servicemen through inability and laziness.
Dr. Carson’s goal is to help America to once again become the undisputed world leader. To accomplish this goal we must defend ourselves from foreign and domestic threats in a responsible manner. America’s military strength should be used reasonably, wisely, and sparingly. The U.S. military is not the answer to every issue that arises around the globe. Rather it must be respected and used only when the vital interests of the United States are at stake.
America is an exceptional country, yet we find ourselves at a crossroads. We can rise once again and become a beacon of hope, the shining city upon a hill, but only with the right leadership. Dr. Carson is the person to lead America into future prosperity. Dr. Carson believes in us; he believes in America. Please join me in encouraging Dr. Carson to run for president. We need a man of moral conviction now more than ever.