Dan Gilyeat at the KU Young Republicans Candidate Forum

Dan Gilyeat's Opening Statement at KU Candidate Forum

We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare. We have killed our unborn and called it choice. We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable. We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem. We have abused power and called it politics. This is a quote from a prayer by Billy Graham and it is even truer than when he first wrote it.

I believe these things are true and because they are true, I believe we need return to the values and principals of our Founders. You know the Patriots our children aren't allowed to learn about in school.

I have been asked why I'm in this campaign. I suppose I could say I was born for this. I have served my Country as a Marine. I have given body parts as the price for keeping my family safe. For keeping you safe. The need to serve runs deep in me.

I grew up in a time when the Government was big but it didn't try to control your life or take every penny you had. In our house American GIs were heroes and freedom was honored. Most of my family served their Country and most saw combat. Our War dead were respected. We lived the American Way. It didn't take a lot of money to be happy because we were free.

As a young man I felt a need to serve something greater than myself. That's why I became a Marine. I'm still a Marine in my heart and I still feel the need to serve. I swore to defend my Country. I took an oath. That oath was tested on the battlefield, twice. Even when my leg was blown off I stuck to my oath and did my job. I was willing to give my life for my Country and I still am.

Our Country is in great danger and not just from terrorist from foreign lands. There are forces in this Country that are strangling our livelihoods. The Congress and this Administration seem to be hell bent on controlling every facet of our lives.

The Government seems to think that we aren't smart enough to make our own decisions. A price is being put on the value of individual lives. If you're too old or too young then this Government is going to devalue your worth to society and deny you medical treatments. After all if you die sooner you save the Government money.

This is a criminal idea, much like Hitler's Germany.

Where are the American values of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness? Every life has value and should be protected.

This campaign is not about how much money is being raised by a candidate or how much money is being spent to win. It's about not giving in to the Government's unreasonable taxation, outlandish spending and out of control regulation being used to change law. Out of control spending is killing our free market system.

We need lower taxes for business and individuals to spur economic growth. We need to explore other tax systems such as the FairTax which would do away with the IRS and stop taxing income for business and individuals. Taxing consumption is inherently fairer to society and captures the fair share from the underground economy because even thieves and illegal aliens consume.

You can't expect the Economy to heal when Government has seized large portions of the Financial Markets, Banks and the Auto Industry. Now they want to take over Health Care. They are telling us this isn't going to cost us anything. It's sort of like you Mother telling you it won't hurt when she strips off the Band-Aid. How stupid do they think we are? Government Programs are never deficit neutral.

I want to be the voice of the people of the 3rd District of Kansas. I will not be persuaded, bullied or bought by special interest. I will put the people of the third district ahead of party bosses and lobbyist.

As Americans, We the people believe in a strong defense, we believe in right to bear arms, we believe in free speech and the right to assemble peacefully. We will never surrender to the small thinking of a Big Government. We will be free.