I’m Harry Taylor, and I’m running for Congress in NC- 09
Let me confess that never in a million years would I have thought I would go into politics, or run for the Congress of the United States. I have been agonizing over this decision for the past year...wondering whether it can make a difference.
Until recently, I saw myself as a businessman. After serving in the military, I began my business career in Colorado, building buildings and selling real estate. I moved to North Carolina over twenty years ago to continue that career.
North Carolina has been good to me.
I’ve made a fair living in business and I believe deeply in our free enterprise system. It is the engine that drives our world. It gives people the opportunity to pursue their dreams, to chart their own course, and to live out the most important value we Americans hold dear...and that is personal freedom.
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But with that personal freedom comes responsibility. We are all so busy, so over-committed, so wired, so anxious...that we forget, too often, that it is our responsibility to be involved with the governance of our cities, and states and our country. We don't seem to know or care who rules us or what they do, as long as it doesn't disrupt our own lives, as long as it doesn’t make us too uncomfortable, as long as it's business as usual.
In past years...specifically the past 7 years... something has gone terribly wrong. We are led by a group of people within the Republican party, which...by the way...remains the party of my 87-year old father, who have...quite simply...lost their way. And they are leading us to places and situations that I chose not to follow. Selfish beyond all measure, drunk on power, violent, unhearing, reckless, and uncaring for those who come behind. They would divide us and polarize us and cause us to hate our fellow Americans.
Eighteen months ago I attended a Town Hall meeting in Charlotte with the President and had a chance to speak. I told him that I had never been more ashamed of our leadership in Washington. Understand that I don’t hate Bush. But I am embarrassed and angered and frightened by his leadership. This president does not speak for me. He doesn’t speak for most of us here in the 9th District, regardless of whether we are Democrats, Republicans, or Independents.
But...and let's be clear on this....the president hasn't done all this on his own. Those members of Congress who have made George Bush’s presidency possible, in all its enormous failings, are as much to blame. Those members who rubber-stamped the war and the deficits and the shameful inaction on healthcare, energy independence and climate change. Those who've consistently turned a blind eye to corruption all around them. These people have exemplified the very worst of Congress. The ideological extremism. The total failure of leadership.
They are individuals who would have us believe we should live every day in fear, and that only they can protect us...with force and violence and war and walls. This has become a way of life, and those people have convinced this country that wiretapping, illegal detention, government kidnapping, and torture are new American values. In the process of our buying into their deranged theory we have given up some of those precious freedoms we so cherish.
I can recall as a young boy of perhaps 9 or 10, learning in grade school the shape of our federal government system, about the three branches of that government...the executive, the judicial, and the legislative. We were introduced to the theory called "separation of powers" or checks and balances. I recall being surprised to learn that the president was paid a salary! I think it was $50,000 at the time!
But it was the "separation of powers" thing that got me. That no one branch of our government could become so powerful that it would rule out the influence of the other two. Seemed like a pretty good design to me at the age of 10. And a lifetime later it still seems like a good idea. I think most would agree that America's founding fathers crafted a system that was a work of genius.
So...to those members of Congress who have made George Bush's presidency possible, by failing to honor the separation of powers system, who have allowed his administration to have... and to do whatever they pleased, who have let us down for 7 very long years, it is time to leave.
As a citizen of this America that I love soI am no longer willing to accept their status quo. I am running for Congress because I want a different America. I am running for Congress because there is a better way.
I don’t pretend to come before you with all the answers to every challenge facing America. But what I can tell you is what I believe.
I believe that, that regardless of what party we belong to, where we live or go to church, regardless of our age or gender, color or economic circumstance, we are far more alike than different. I don't believe we need to live in a country that is divisive and polarized. I am positive that we can find ways to agree, to get along, to move forward. When you consider issues that our country is addressing today...war, access to medical care, climate change, consumer and drug safety...these are literally life and death issues. They warrant and demand fair, unbiased solutions that work for the largest possible number of people. We do have the ability to get along, to create win/win solutions...and the Congress needs to lead that effort.
I believe in mutual responsibility as well as the personal responsibility I spoke of earlier. It's true that we all have to be accountable for our actions individually, but that we as a society need to be accountable to each other, and to look out for each other.
What does that mean in practice? On the economy, it means everyone should work and make a contribution. But that if you work, you deserve certain basic things; like affordable health care and a fair wage. It means that no one should live in poverty in the richest country in the world, especially if they work at a full-time job. On education, responsibility means that we expect all of our young people to work hard and try to improve themselves – and in turn, we should be ready to provide the help they need, such as an affordable college education.
I believe in freedom. It is...in the most basic sense...what this country is all about. As I said earlier, I think our system of free enterprise is a major way that Americans pursue freedom...and we need to strengthen that system: by helping small business; by lowering healthcare costs to make American business more competitive globally.
But freedom is not just about getting rich. It's also about living as we please and being who we are. It’s about understanding that America is a diverse place and people have different ways of living and different ways of worshipping. We need to respect these differences. And I’m against those who would try to turn their private religious beliefs into the law of our land.
I believe that human beings must learn to live in greater harmony with the earth and its environment. We’re not doing a good job of that right now. Far from it. I know we can do better. And I'm certain it doesn’t have to hurt our economy. On the contrary, Wall Street and corporate America are way out ahead of Congress on this. They see the opportunity, and security, in paving a way to energy self-reliance and a cleaner world.
Finally, I believe in cooperation within the world. We face serious threats to our security. From terrorists in the Middle East. From rogue regimes with nuclear weapons. And from who knows what else. America cannot face these threats by itself. We cannot go it alone in the world. We need friends. We need alliances. We need international institutions. And most of all, we need the good will of the people of other nations.
This is my country as it is your country. It doesn't belong to that small group of individuals presently standing at the top of the hill in Washington. It doesn't belong to the powerful faceless corporations, it doesn't belong to the bigots, and the selfish.
It's our country, and we...its citizens...are far better than that. We can find better ways...after all, we are America. We're a country which, until recently, in nearly every way, has been the envy of the entire world. We can recapture that pride. We're smart and industrious and creative, willing to work hard, capable of compassion and caring, and committed to being the best we can be. We do believe in justice and right, we do believe in equality and equity. We can... indeed...do better.
So...I'm running for Congress with every intention of winning the District 9 seat...because I want MY COUNTRY back. I know that if I don't try...if we don't try...nothing will change. So I'm going on this journey. I'll walk first...on the point...in the most exposed and dangerous position. I need you join me...to invest in our tomorrow and our hopes and our dreams. I'll walk to that place regardless of how large the mass is behind me. I'll walk regardless of who tries to stop me...and stop us.
I believe most us of want once again to be proud of our fine county. If you'll come with me I know we can become a powerful force for justice and fairness, for right and equity...for all people. There is a better way.
We can make the change. We are American patriots, continuing the fight for our freedoms the way our forebears did so many years ago to gain its independence...from different threats, from different tyrannies, from different dangers, but threats, tyrannies and dangers nonetheless.
So now you know my story. You know what I believe. You know why I'm here today...and you know where I'm going. I want to close with a poem that speaks to me...and guides me every day. It's called the Bridgebuilder. I found it many years ago when I lived in Colorado. It is attributed to "author unknown"....that's us...just the people.
THE BRIDGE BUILDER
An old man traveling a lone highway,
came at the evening cold and grey,
To a chasm,
deep and wide.
The old man crossed in the twilight dim...
The sullen stream had no fear of him.
He turned when he reached the other side,
And builded a bridge to span the tide.
"Old man," cried a fellow pilgrim, near,
"You are wasting your strength with your building here,
Your journey will end with the ending day,
You never again will pass this way.
You have crossed the chasms deep and wide,
Why build a bridge at even-tide?"
And the builder raised his old grey head.
"Good friend, on the path I have come," he said,
There followeth after me today,
A youth whose feet will pass this way.
The stream, which has been naught to me,
To this fair-haired boy, may a pitfall be;
He, too, must pass in the twilight dim,
Good friend, I am building this bridge for him."
You can learn more about my campaign at Harry Taylor for Congress
And contribute at Act Blue
Pictures by Carol Marley & Kris Solow