Wednesday, October 20th 2004
A full page advertisement appeared in The Washington Post on 10/20/2004
paid for by an individual, George J. Esseff, Sr..
You’re a Republican???
In today’s America, ask a growing number of high school and
college students; their teachers and professors; the self-anointed
media elite and/or hard working men and women of all ethnicities, the
question, “What is a Republican?”, and you’ll be told
“… a rich, greedy, egotistical individual, motivated only
by money and the desire to accumulate more and more of it, at the
expense of the environment … the working poor ….and all
whom they exploit…”
I am a Republican … I am none of those things… and I
don’t know any Republicans who are.
WHAT I AM … first and foremost, is a loving husband of some 52
plus years, the father of four and an American who’s proud of his
country… and his country’s heritage.
WHAT I AM … is the grandson of immigrants who risked everything,
including their lives and those of their children, to escape tyranny in
search of freedom.
WHAT I AM … is a man who grew up during the Depression and
witnessed, first hand, the effects of the Stock Market crash and the
soup lines that followed. I watched as both my parents and grand
parents, who had very little themselves, share what food they had with
a half dozen other families, who had even less.
WHAT I AM … is someone who worked his way through college by
holding down three and four jobs at a time and then used that education
to build a better life.
WHAT I AM … is a husband who, at age 24, started his own
business for the “privilege” of working 60, 70 and 80 hours
a week, risking everything I had, including my health, in search of a
better life for myself and my loved ones.
WHAT I AM … is a businessman whose blood, sweat and
tears…. and plenty of them…, made it possible for me to
provide a secure living, not only for my family and myself, but also
for literally hundreds of my employees throughout the years. Employees,
who in turn, were able to buy their own homes, raise their own families
and give back to their communities and their country.
WHAT I AM … is a man who believes in God; a God who has blessed
this country… and all for which it stands.
WHAT I AM … is someone who knows, if you doubt miracles exist in
today’s world, you need only to look into the face of those who
received them … and the eyes of those who give them.
WHAT I AM … is an American who’s proud that his President
embraces a belief in God; proud of a President who understands, as
“politically incorrect” as it may be, there is evil in this
world and for the security and safety of all freedom loving people
everywhere, it must be confronted… and it must be defeated.
WHAT I AM … is an American who takes comfort in the knowledge
that our President refuses to allow decisions concerning the very
safety and security of this nation, to be governed by the political
whims of foreign governments.
WHAT I AM … is tired of hearing from leading Democrats who see
only negativity in America; racism in her people; class warfare in her
society and “political incorrectness” in her character.
WHAT I AM … is a former democrat who now understands that it is
the soldier and not the reporter that guarantees us our freedoms of
press, speech and dissent.
WHAT I AM … is a man who believes in the sanctity of life. A man
who is repulsed by the pandering of the political left for votes, at
the expense of the unborn.
WHAT I AM … is a husband and father who believes in the sanctity
of marriage and the preservation of the family unit.
WHAT I AM … is a movie go-er who is repulsed by those insecure,
socially inept, elementary thinking, ego-inflated
“entertainers” who have appointed themselves
“experts” in the fields of national security and
geo-politics and then use their forum to attack this nation, its
leaders and its actions…. much to the delight and encouragement
of our enemies.
WHAT I AM … is an American who understands the difference
between “censorship” and “choice”. Evidently,
these individuals do not, because when these same
“celebrities” receive public ridicule for their offensive
actions, the first thing they yell is “Censorship!”. What
they seem incapable of understanding is… the right of free
speech and dissent is shared equally by those offended… as well
as those who offend. I support and will continue to support those films
and performers whom I choose to … and refuse to support those I
don’t. It is my right as an American … a right I will
continue to enthusiastically exercise.
WHAT I AM … is a voter, tired of politicians, who, every time
their voting records are subjected to public scrutiny, try to divert
attention from their political and legislative failures by accusing
their opponents of “attack ads” and “negative
campaigning”…. and the news media who allow them to get
away with it.
WHAT I AM … is a Catholic who loves his God and his
Faith… and who’s been taught to respect all religions
whose teachings are based in love, peace and charity. As such, I am
embarrassed and ashamed of those individuals, in both private and
public life, whose decisions and actions are devoid of any sense of
character or morals; individuals who are only driven by what’s
best for them … rather than what’s right … often
times at the expense of many …. including our national security.
WHAT I AM … is a realist who understands that the terrorist
attack that murdered hundreds of innocent Russian children could have
occurred here, in our heartland. That’s why I sincerely believe
America needs now, more than ever, a President who sees with a clear
and focused vision and who speaks with a voice when heard by both
friend and foe alike, is understood, respected and believed.
WHAT I AM … is eternally grateful to Ronald Reagan for having
the bravery to speak out against Communism and the courage of his
convictions in leading the fight to defeat it; and George W. Bush for
the vision, courage, conviction and leadership he has shown in
America’s war on terrorism amidst both the constant and vicious,
personal and political attacks both he and his family are made to
endure.
WHAT I AM … is a human being, full of numerous faults and
failures, but a man nonetheless, who, though not always successful, has
continually strived to do “what’s right” instead of
“what’s easy”. A man who is challenging the religious
leaders of all faiths, to not only preach to their congregations the
fundamentals of “what’s right” and
“what’s wrong”, but to also then hold them
accountable for their actions in both the public and private sectors.
WHAT I AM … is disgusted with the Courts who, on one hand, call
the murder of a pregnant woman a “double homicide” but then
refer to the abortion of her baby as, “pro-choice”.
WHAT I AM … is someone deeply troubled by a political party
which embraces a candidate whose primary “leadership”
qualities center around his protesting of the Vietnam war and his
labeling the honorable men and women who fought in it, (50,000 of whom
gave their lives in that action), as rapists, and war criminals. That
same political party then stepped forward this year to block the
appearance of a true Vietnam war hero, retired Admiral and former
United States Senator, Jeremiah Denton, (a man who spent seven years
and seven torturous months in a North Vietnam prison), from speaking
before an open session of the California legislature as part of that
state’s 4th of July celebration. The reason Democrats gave for
refusing to allow this American hero to speak before their state
legislature was because of the “conservative” nature of his
views. As an American, that troubles me deeply ….as well it
should you.
WHAT I AM … is a man who feels the need to spend, $104,
655.60,(tax paid) of his own money, to purchase this advertisement, in
order to set the story straight. Some may say this money would have
been better spent feeding the world’s poor. At the risk of
sounding self-serving, as an American and as a Republican, for the last
six decades of my life, I have done exactly that… and more.
Following the examples of my parents and grand parents, I have used my
earnings to feed the poor, shelter the homeless, provide housing for
the elderly and medical care for the sick….. and continue to do
so… and I’m not alone in that work.
WHAT I AM … is someone who is paying for this announcement, at
my sole expense, in hopes of opening the eyes of those led blindly by
ill-informed elements of our great nation, who, through either
ignorance, or malicious intent, repeatedly attack and belittle those of
us who belong to a political party that holds true to the belief,
“… the rights of the governed, exceed the power of the
government”. For those interested, I am speaking only as a
tax-paying individual who is in no way associated with The Republican
National Committee, nor with any of its directors, or delegates.
WHAT I AM … is a man who understands, “the American way of
life” is a message of self-empowerment for all.
WHAT I AM … is an American who is grateful that our nation gives
each of us the opportunity of self-determination and the right to
benefit from the fruits of self achievement.
WHAT I AM … is an American who wants to preserve that way of
life for all who seek it.
WHAT I AM … is blessed to be an American…. and proud to
be Republican.
George J. Esseff, Sr.
george@esseff-foundation.org
For a free reprint of this “Open Letter,” go to
www.whatiam.net
return