Thank you, Roger. Tonight is my last cha...

Thank you, Roger. Tonight is my last chance to speak with you, and I think it’s time for one of us to do something politicians are not often commended for. I want to tell the truth, even if I offend some of the people who have supported my candidacy. (holds up hands) So look, no written speech. Just me, Heather. When Senator Worthington says he’s for smaller government and against so-called tax and spend policies, exactly what does he mean? What does his American way actually look like? He means the freedom to vote for the land of the haves and have-nots, instead of the land of what America ought to be. He means the freedom, in the richest nation on earth, for millions of Americans not to be able to afford health care. 72. He means the freedom to grow old without social security, so you can starve or lose your home. He means the freedom to make billions and be taxed at a lower rate than a secretary. The freedom to take a job that doesn’t even pay the minimum wage. The freedom for school children from poor families to go without lunch. The freedom not to be able to afford college or the freedom to be saddled with debilitating student debt. The freedom for women with unwanted pregnancies to seek help in back alleys and bleed to death. The freedom to pretend that global warming isn’t happening. The freedom to refuse to have your child vaccinated and watch him or her grow ill with a dreadful disease and infect other school children. The freedom to watch America’s roads and bridges continue to crumble, because your government doesn’t have the funds to repair them. Trains with tracks that aren’t in good repair, and airports that can’t handle air traffic safely without long delays. The freedom to lose your job without adequate unemployment benefits to see you and your family through till you land another job. The freedom to watch your air and water continue to be polluted. The freedom to tell some Americans you don’t approve of their lifestyle, so they can’t enjoy the same rights as any other couple. The freedom to deny immigrants a fair chance at citizenship, as if it were American when it’s anything but what made this great melting pot great. The freedom to watch your national parks fall into disrepair. These are the freedoms he offers you as the American way. Now, here are the freedoms I stand for. It’s the freedom to do your best but to know the price of freedom is to set aside enough economic value to take care of the members of American society who need help at any stage of their lives. It’s the freedom to live in a land where everybody has the same chance at life. Yes, some of us will do better than others, but the high achievers will pay taxes at a rate that enables a civilized society, not a society where they can’t even enjoy their success without fear. The freedom to welcome all immigrants who want to become productive Americans. The freedom to enjoy the full rights of American citizenship, regardless of your race, religion, or sexual orientation. The freedom to live in a country where corporations share their profits with their workers, not just stash them overseas or dole them out to shareholders. The freedom to live in a country that creates jobs because the middle class can afford to buy things and create demand. This is my American way, and I urge you to vote for it. Thank you.

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