I grew up in a blue collar family and was raised by my grandparents. My grandfather was active in the union and was a truck driver for a construction company. When my grandfather suddenly passed away from a stroke we could not afford our home and we moved into the city to be closer to my mother. My mother was a widow who worked as a secretary. My experiences taught me importance of hard work the value of a dollar.

I love this country and it grieves me to see the division and tribalism that is occurring. I know there are friends and family who do not understand why I believe what I believe. I feel more of a kinship with working class middle Americans rather than the intelligentsia of the bi-coastal elites who perceive people with my beliefs as being uneducated and backwards. Here is a blue collar perspective:

I know an individual who works hard in a steel mill, this is hard and dangerous work. He does not understand why his hard earned money needs to pay the college loan for someone who chose to go to college.

Consider the long haul trucker who is constantly working to make ends meet. He faces fluctuating fuel prices and works whether he is sick or not because if he doesn’t work, he doesn’t make money. Think of the uncertainty that a farmer faces who works hard all year only to find out that he barely breaks even. Most of our blue collar people do not have the benefit of a guaranteed income.

Think of the single mother with children on Medicaid who finds that the system is overwhelmed because ten million illegal immigrants have entered the country and medical care in some areas is stretched to the limits. There are American citizens who are service workers in our cities who are struggling to make ends meet and they wonder why the illegal immigrants are put up in hotels and receive benefits that they do not receive.

There are people in North Carolina who have lost their homes but FEMA is long gone. They wonder why FEMA funds have gone to illegal immigrants, but they are still struggling to find a place to live.

I find no joy in seeing immigrants being deported and people losing their jobs – but what is the etiology of this problem? The past four years have seen a flood of people crossing our borders. No doubt some people had legitimate needs, but many also had nefarious motives and brought in a largess of illegal drugs.

The past four years have seen an expansion of our federal government and the incorporation of DEI initiatives. Rather than enhancing our productivity, DEI proponents have acted as de facto Soviet Commissars who ensured strict adherence to DEI regulations. The emphasis on diversity has led to tribalism and division rather than unity. It can be easy to offer a large number of jobs, but as Ronald Reagan quipped, “The closest thing to eternal life on earth is a Government Program.”

The problem is we can no longer afford the size of our bloated government. In the first seven months of Fiscal Year (FY) 2024, spending on the net interest of our national debt (which is over $30 trillion) has reached $514 billion. This is greater than our spending on national defense ($498 billion) or Medicare ($465 billion). This is unsustainable as rising debt will continue to put upward pressure on interest rates and burden future generations. Margaret Thatcher was correct when she said, “The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people’s money.”

The reason that we may think differently is because these are the values in which I was raised:

I live in an amazing country, certainly not perfect, but seeking to live out its aspirational values as set forth in the Declaration of Independence. I have had the privilege of traveling extensively throughout the world and have lived overseas and it has only confirmed my love for this great country.

I am responsible for my overall well-being – not the government, not my employer, not the people around me.

I believe in the value of hard, honest work – I show up early and do my best.

I understand that life is not fair and I realize that I am the product of my choices and not my circumstances.

I believe in a sovereign God who is ultimately in control and I have a responsibility to submit my life to Him.