Tonight, going through all
of your questions, I wanted to touch on a few issues that seem to be asked by
many people.
I would like to deal with
one question tonight in some detail.
The
issue is experience.
Several
people ask what they should tell their friends when people say “I like Carson
but he has no political experience”.
You are absolutely right —
I have no political experience.
The current Members of Congress
have a combined 8,700 years of political experience. Are we sure political
experience is what we need.
Every signer of the
Declaration of Independence had no federal elected office experience.
What they had was a deep
belief that freedom is a gift from God.
They had a determination
to rise up against a tyrannical King.
They were willing to risk
all they had, even their lives, to be free. Today we find ourselves with an
entire class of politicians.
No one in Philadelphia,
during that summer our nation was born, dreamed that service was a career with
a pension.
America was the land of
the Citizen Statesmen.
They were merchants,
lawyers, farmers — and yes, even doctors.
They were willing to stand
for freedom.
Today, the political class
stands in the way, not for the people. They demand pensions and perks. This is
not what our Founders envisioned for America.
I spent my life treating
very ill children. Over 15,000 times I gave my all to prolong their lives. I
was blessed to do it. But when it came time for me to retire, I simply could
not sit back any longer. These children became my family.
What our government is
doing to them is outrageous. I am prepared to risk all that I have to try and
make a difference in their future. I built one of the nation’s best medical
centers. I served for two decades on the boards of Costco and Kellogg. I built
a national scholarship program.
My experience is very
different than what we have come to expect.
I grew up poor. I know
what it is like to be homeless and hungry. I know the pain of poverty. I also
know that education and a mother’s love can be the path out of dire poverty.
I know what it is like to
see water fountains you are not allowed to drink out of because of your skin
color.
I also know that once you
peel back the skin, the brain is the same no matter what your skin color or
continent you live on.
I know that victimhood is
a trap.
I know that it is our
Christian responsibility to offer those less fortunate a hand up. I know my
faith is strong and my ego is small.
I know that my path to the
White House is different than most. But I also know I bring all of the pain and
joy, the success and failure, the lessons learned through love and sorrow in my
life’s journey. Bill Clinton was famous for saying “I feel your pain” — well, I
have walked in your shoes.
I do not have political
experience, I have a life journey.
A journey that not only
made it possible for me to relate to so many different people, but also one
where time and time again I was told I would fail, only to succeed. My
candidacy is different, that I grant you. I have neither Donald Trump’s money
or Jeb Bush’s political network. However, I wouldn't trade a single child I
treated for all of Trump’s money. While I admire the Bush family’s dedication
to service, I too served — nights, weekends, holidays, birthdays and
anniversaries with severely injured patients were my public service.
I didn’t go to embassy
cocktail parties or beg lobbyists for money. I spent night after night in a
quiet, sterile room trying to save the life of a small child.
That was my life’s
service.
This is my life’s
experience.
What I have is a lifetime
of caring, integrity and honesty.
I have experienced the
American Dream. No where in the world, other than America, could a man whose
ancestors were slaves, rise to become a leading brain surgeon and one day seek
the Office of President.
The very fact that I am
running is testament to the greatness of America.
If all you want is
political experience then I cannot be your candidate.
Thank you for staying up
with me.
Goodnight,
Ben
0 comments:
Post a Comment