Greetings! The most important and unregrettable time of my life was the 12 years I spent in the Army. I became a bomb technician because I wanted to save lives and serve a cause greater than myself. I nearly gave my own life for that, losing both my legs and a finger when a roadside bomb detonated beneath me. What I remember most from the day of my injury isn’t the bomb detonating. Instead, it’s hearing my fellow soldiers yelling “EOD is hit, EOD is hit.” I remember them rushing to my side, I remember seeing the world go by horizontally as they carried my stretcher across the terrain to load me onto a helicopter, and I remember them rendering me one final salute as the helicopter took off. Their selfless acts of courage are the only reason that I am still here today. Then, I remember nothing until I woke up days later after numerous surgeries, which included amputating both of my legs and stitching my hand to my chest to prevent further damage. Despite all this, when I arrived at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, I was surrounded by men and women who were significantly more grievously wounded than myself. Along with our doctors and nurses, my fellow veterans pushed me every day to be the best version of myself and demonstrated a remarkable resolve that inspires me to this day. These men and women showed me through their actions that no matter the obstacle, every day we wake up under the 50 stars and 13 red and white stripes, we have the opportunity to serve something bigger than ourselves. We wake up with the opportunity to make tomorrow better than yesterday and this week better than the last. My story is not unique. Over the past several months, across the country, we have seen heroes created out of adversity as Americans have come together to support one another. Doctors and nurses have risked their own personal safety to care for their fellow Americans suffering from coronavirus. Police officers have put their own lives at risk to defend their communities, even as mobs of violent rioters turned against them. Men and women all across the nation – delivery drivers, store clerks, postal service workers, firefighters, pilots, flight attendants and more – have been hard at work to keep our country running and help bring back the greatest economy the world has ever known. Yet listening to some of my colleagues in the House of Representatives and politicians across the country, you hear a very different vision for our country: Congressman Bobby Rush earlier this summer compared police officers in Chicago to the KKK—bigots who burned crosses in front of the houses of black Americans. Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, a well-known anti-Semite, called for dismantling America’s “system of oppression.” Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez—and many more far-left politicians—have called for defunding the police even as those officers work tirelessly to protect her and others they have never met. Pam Keith, my opponent this November that is supported by the same left-wing zealots as Omar and Ocasio-Cortez, went even farther, comparing America’s law enforcement officers to the “Gestapo” and characterizing them as “thugs.” Joe Biden, the Democrat party’s nominee for President, has said he wants to “transform” America. With this kind of rhetoric from our nation’s so-called leaders, it’s no surprise that what makes America great—our willingness to help our neighbors, support those who are hurting, and unite behind the common ideals of liberty and justice for all—has given way in the media and on the streets of major cities to chaos and anarchy, encouraged by declarations like Pam Keith’s call for a violent “open season” on conservatives. It doesn’t have to be this way. This November, voters can choose an alternative to this platform of hatred and division. Our country can and should instead unite behind a vision that restores safety, rebuilds our economy and unites our nation with renewed faith in our founding ideals. If you agree, please consider donating to our campaign to ensure Pam Keith’s hatred and vitriol does not come to represent our community: DONATE NOW Thank you, SSG Brian Mast, U.S. Army (ret.) United States Congressman, FL-18 PAID FOR BY MAST FOR CONGRESS Mast For Congress | MastForCongress.com | PO Box 3016, Stuart, FL 34995 You are receiving this email because you opted in on our website. You can unsubscribe here. Privacy Policy