When I was 8 years old, I was told I had a mental handicap and would need special schooling from then on. I remember telling myself that I would work hard and do whatever it took to survive. I moved forward with a great attitude, and it was not long before I was diagnosed with dyslexia. I could barely read when I entered the 8th grade, but by the end of high school, with a little hard work and determination, I was doing well with no issues at all.

I came from a poor family, so we had few possessions, but usually had enough food and most basics. What I did have was a remarkable desire to survive and thrive and I did. I was a mediocre student of history but knew what a great country America was. My father and uncles had won World War II and all survived to come home and helped send America into what became a remarkable, thriving economy with freedom of opportunity to work hard and succeed.

Why is America such a wonderful, strong, and stable country? I will tell you, this should not be a surprise, but there are some folks out there who will disagree, and I want them to give it some thought.

We have the Constitution of the United States of America. This is unique in today's world, and it gives us individual rights that legally can’t be taken away. These Constitutional rights, when not eroded, are the single most significant reason for the success America has. No, it is not the great work ethic, not the natural resources, not luck, not our climate, not anything other than our guaranteed Constitutional rights.

Our Constitution is a remarkable creation of some tenacious, enlightened leaders in history. I feel I owe my success in life to these diligent founders of this great country, a poor handicapped boy, who succeeded because of American freedom and opportunity.

I am sad that many people vote based only on what is good for them.

I vote based on what is good for America. We owe it to the Founders who were willing to offer their lives and personal wealth to succeed at giving America this great outline for Freedom, Justice, and Sustainability. There is a price to keeping America sustainable. It is discipline and sacrifice by all of us. We have many people who don’t contribute to our national budget. They take from the budget and do it out of inability or selfishness, and ignorance. The American Golden Goose is no longer laying golden eggs, and that is why I vote for people who love and will work to preserve our Constitution.

We hear of liberal members of our Supreme Court who legislate from the bench. That alone is an injustice to our Constitution. Our Constitution is clear and simple. If liberals don’t like it they can try to amend it, but making decisions that violate it is a direct violation of their Oath of the High Court. This is a very, very serious violation that many in America have come to accept, but this influence is seriously eroding the American dream of Freedom and Justice for All.

America took the ruthless attack on our country in World War II and came back to crush the attackers. We also worked with much of the rest of the world against other evil forces to help save much of the free world. Here is a warning for all Americans:

if we don’t preserve our Constitutional rights and freedom, we will not have the ability to maintain world stability and economic security.

We will crumple and be absorbed or killed.

Blunt? Yes, but it is time Americans wake up, reverse our current selfish habits, stop passing our increasing national debt to our children, and encourage everyone to return to the John F. Kennedy philosophy of asking "not what your country can do for you, but rather ask what you can do for your country."