Why Freedom is personal to me

by Igor Birman 11/22/13 
 

Dear Friend: 

Like many of you I am a strong supporter of Congressman Tom McClintock. Until recently, I had the honor of serving as his top advisor in Congress as he led the fight for individual freedom, personal responsibility and limited government.  With his strong encouragement I decided to run for Congress in California's 7th Congressional District, and I am very proud to have Tom as the Chairman of my campaign.  

(YouTube short video): I wanted to share with you his words as he introduced me as a candidate.

I've been asked many times how hard it was to decide to run for Congress, and I've always said that it was nowhere near as hard as the decision my parents made to leave behind our lives in the Soviet Union and set off for America with nothing but a few bags and a daring dream of living in freedom.  After all, my parents risked their lives to bring me to America. How could I not dedicate my life to preserving the same freedoms we found here for those yet to come?  And especially so at a time when these freedoms are threatened by our own leaders.

For the thirteen years I lived in the Soviet Union, I saw first-hand a totalitarian government that brutally repressed dissent, created shortages and regulated every aspect of a citizen's life, while sneering at the very notion of freedom and self-determination.

But when we came to America, everything changed.  I remember being amazed that people could say what they thought about elected officials without being punished.  I was fascinated by the fact that news wasn't censored by the government.  I will never forget seeing for the first time a grocery store blessed with abundance.  Instead of waiting in line for whatever loaf of bread was left, we couldn't decide which of the plethora of loaves to buy.

I remember sharing with my parents how I thought the United States was so different from the Soviet Union.  Their response?  "Of course it is, this is the land of the free!"

The ideals of freedom and limited government are very special to me, and taking the oath to protect and preserve these sacred Constitutional principles as I became a United States citizen was the greatest honor of my life.  I made that pledge alongside my 88-year-old grandmother, who passed the citizenship exam despite blindness and advanced age, because she wanted to call herself an American. I've fought for the values that inspired her ever since.

I'm writing today to ask you for your support.  The race for Congress in California's 7th District won't be easy, but it's a race we can win.

My opponents both have a record of supporting bigger and more intrusive government, higher taxes and more debt.   They will have the support of the same establishment elites who have squandered our majority once before.  

I'm running for Congress to fight to reduce the size and cost of government, to repeal Obamacare before it does any more damage and to defend the values of liberty that we share.
 

Please visit my website at http://www.igorbirman.com to learn more about me and our campaign.  It's the support of you and folks like you that will help lead us to victory.

Thank you for all you do.

Sincerely,

Igor Birman

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