Seldom do those who take STANDS as I do receive compliments. Those who agree move on. Those who do not make noise.
Recently, a woman who listens to our great station in Southern California KBRT-AM, wrote and said:
“Mr. Crawford, you are one of the most passionate Americans I know.”
No one could pay me a higher compliment. Not that we always agree. But that she and I, both of us are passionate Americans. Nothing but nothing motivates me more than to be recognized as such, a patriot of a kind in love with America and our way of life.
I have had from the time of my birth nothing but the greatest respect for America, its freedoms, and our way of life. I learned that at the knee of my father. My very own father Dr. Percy B. Crawford was an immigrant, one who became a naturalized American citizen. He was a patriot to the core, in love as he would always tell me with America and all that it stood for. Whenever he left this country and returned, he practiced a ritual which was, literally, to bend on hands and knees and:
KISS THE GROUND
Kiss the actual soil of America to show his never-ending love for the country which took him in, which offered him the highest privilege in life, American citizenship. Perhaps because of him, our family, in some sense first generation Americans, can appreciate citizenship in America more than others. My family and I have never felt entitled, only grateful. America owes us nothing. We are the debtors. We live lives ready to pay the debt of citizenship at any time. Our motto is that of President John F. Kennedy who said:
ASK NOT WHAT YOUR COUNTRY CAN DO FOR YOU. ASK WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR YOUR COUNTRY!
Amen, and so well said, Mr. President. I ask every day in my own way, what I can do for America and I pray you do as well.
I read and ponder the living truths of The Declaration of Independence, The Constitution of the United States, The Bill of Rights and the other great amendments, and all related materials in some way every day of my life. They remind me, forcefully remind me, what an incredible country America is, and they further remind me how privileged I am to be an American citizen. And so the day goes by, as all days do, never taking America for granted, but always grateful for the liberty and freedom I enjoy found no where else in this world.
I believe strongly in individual freedom in every way, and I pray you do. I believe in limited government at all levels. The less government, the better. I am against socialism and statism. I am against government control, overregulation and force of any kind.
I believe strongly in capitalism, the right of any individual as entrepreneur to make a life, build a business, turn a profit, and meet any challenge or potential individually without government interference. I pray you do as well. That, it seems to me, is the very essence of our constitutional rights and privileges, namely the right to pursue:
LIFE, LIBERTY AND HAPPINESS
I am against taxation in any extreme form. When America was founded, there was no right on the part of the federal government to tax INCOME. Then came that taxing amendment which gave the federal government the right to tax income and America changed forever. As a result, there are today thousands, even tens of thousands of taxes at work the country over federal, state and local which strangle the American economy, erode capitalism, take away economic freedoms and opportunity, and cut at the core of the most fundamental American principles. We are in decline and we the people must reverse these trends and CHANGE back before it is too late.
I believe, and I pray you do as well, with our founders that American government at all levels should operate by a:
BALANCED BUDGET
We should not be allowed to incur debt, except perhaps in wartime, but never debt of any kind in a peaceful economy. Debt is evidence of government out of control and eventually WE THE PEOPLE will pay. The government prints and pays money for debt, money not real. Then comes inflation, prices skyrocketing, or taxes, more and more taxes to pay this debt. The debt this nation now has and will have as a result of the incredible borrowing and spending of our various governments is staggering and can eventually mean the demise of this great country. I believe all governments should be required to operate by balanced budgets. Do you?
I believe with all my heart in the:
VOTE
An educated, well informed vote from an involved, patriotic citizen. The citizen who knows the issues, forms intelligent positions regarding those issues and votes for the candidate(s) who best represents those positions. The vote of a true American is for things RIGHT, right for all Americans. Not with prejudice, or bias, or self-interest. But votes which are really right for America. Really right. I hope and pray more than ever that such informed, intelligent, and impactful voting occurs in the great elections of 2010. We are well on the way down as a society without that vote.
So, dear lady from Southern California, may I personally thank you once again for paying the highest compliment possible, namely referring to me as one:
PASSIONATE AMERICAN
That I am, and will be ‘til death do us part. I pray the very same for you. I am ready to lay my all on the altar of freedom now and at any time. May it be the same for you.
And, proudly I say, may God bless you!
And, every bit as proudly I say, may:
GOD BLESS AMERICA!
From an American citizen in love with God and Country.