Daniel Cameron

I was raised in Kentucky, just a few miles from Abraham Lincoln’s birthplace. Our first Republican president believed in compassion. Self-reliance. Freedom. Equality. And justice.

Sadly, there are some who don’t believe in this wisdom or in the better angels of our shared American history, as they tear down the statues of people like Ulysses S. Grant, Frederick Douglass, and even Mr. Lincoln himself.

Lincoln said “any nation that does not honor its heroes will not long endure.” And for Republicans, our heroes are those who propelled an imperfect nation ever forward, always striving to make life better for everyone.

Even as anarchists mindlessly tear up American cities while attacking police and innocent bystanders, we Republicans do recognize those who work in good faith towards peace, justice, and equality.

In fact, it was General Dwight Eisenhower, a future Republican president, who said: “Democracy is a system that recognizes the equality of humans before the law."

Whether you are the family of Breonna Taylor or David Dorn, these are the ideals that will heal our nation’s wounds.

Republicans will never turn a blind eye to unjust acts, but neither will we accept an all-out assault on western civilization.

My values were shaped by my faith and by my parents. I worked at their small coffee shop, meeting people from all walks of life. And I realized something: no matter who we are, everyone needs a cup of coffee.

That lesson stuck with me because, despite our differences, we all want the same things: For our children to have more opportunities than we did. To feel the dignity of work. & to believe that if you play by the rules, you can make a good life for yourself and your family.

So, the question is: will we choose the path that gives us the best chance to meet those universal desires? Or will we go backward, to a time when people were treated like political commodities who can’t be trusted to think for themselves?

I think often about my ancestors who struggled for freedom.

And as I think of those giants & their broad shoulders, I also think about Joe Biden, who says: If you aren’t voting for me, “you ain’t Black.” Who argued that Republicans would put us “back in chains.” Who says there is no “diversity” of thought in the Black community.

Mr. Vice-President, look at me: I am Black. We are not all the same, sir. I am not in chains. My mind is my own. And you can’t tell me how to vote because of the color of my skin.

Joe Biden is a backwards thinker in a world that is craving forward-looking leadership. There’s no wisdom in his record or plan, just a trail of discredited ideas and offensive statements. He would destroy jobs, raise our taxes, & throw away the lives of countless unborn children

He is captive to the radical left, a movement committed to cancel culture & the destruction of public discourse. They believe your skin color must dictate your politics & if you fail to conform while exercising your God given right to speak & think freely, they will cut you down

The politics of identity, cancellation, and mob rule are not acceptable to me. Republicans trust you to think for yourself, and to pursue your American Dream however you see fit.

Mr. Lincoln said: “The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise to the occasion.”

I believe Donald Trump can meet Lincoln’s mandate, even as Joe Biden remains trapped by his own failed record, and by the radicals who dominate his party.

Let’s be honest: no one is excited about Joe Biden. And so I ask you to judge the record:

On criminal justice reform: Joe Biden couldn’t do it, but President Trump did.

On the economy: Joe Biden couldn’t do it, but President Trump did build an economy that worked for everyone, especially minorities, and he will do it again.

And on immigration: Joe Biden promises more to illegal immigrants than he does to you, but President Trump believes his highest duty is to the American worker. The choice is clear.

Let me close with something my mom told me: this country’s many faces comprise a family, not separate parts to be divided against each other. And like any family, we care for one another. We grieve together. We share our burdens and our struggles, and we celebrate our successes.

And though we fuss and fight, we are not enemies. We are Americans, united by a collective faith in our Constitution and laws, and the fundamental fairness they represent.

We are defenders of life and of individual liberty. And we carry the mantle of Eisenhower and of Reagan to be a force for good in this world, and one that must always be reckoned with.

That’s my Republican Party, the Party of Lincoln, that believes America is an indispensable nation, an Evergreen Tree, standing tall in a turbulent world.