"Frank VanderSloot grew up a poor kid in rural Idaho. His father made $300 a month. His clothes came from the Salvation Army. Yet through determination and hard work—and with the help of America's free-enterprise system—today he's the successful CEO of a global supplier of wellness products.

"VanderSloot said his life changed forever on April 20. That's when President Obama's campaign created the first presidential 'enemies list' since the Nixon era. Eight private citizens were singled out for their donations to Romney. They committed no crimes, sought no attention, and yet they became the subject of Obama's scorn."   From Heritage.org

This is a great video to watch with our kids.  Frank talks about the American dream, the secrets of his success, and why America needs more successful entrepreneurs.  

This is also an opportunity to talk about the Constitution, and how it can protect us from tyrannical leaders.

Learn More

Obama's Enemies List - the Sequel

More than any other nation in history, the United States has made itself a new home for immigrants in search of a better life. It embraces those who come to this country honestly—often with nothing more than their work ethic—in search of the promises and opportunities of the American Dream.

As a second-generation American, I think of this promise often. Each and every day, when I see my grandfather’s Ellis Island records hanging on my wall, I remember what he went through to come to this country. I remember how he left behind all he had ever known in Hungary to escape discrimination and the destruction left in the wake of World War I; how he gave up everything so that he could offer his children and grandchildren the promise of freedom and opportunity in a new land.

His story is not unique. Since our nation’s founding, millions of immigrants have come to our shores with a similar dream, each bringing with them new experiences and pieces of their cultures that together form part of what makes this nation great.

Over the past several decades, however, immigration policy has become confused, unfocused, and dysfunctional. America lacks a simple system to attract the qualified immigrants who can help our economy and contribute to our nation. Millions of unlawfully present immigrants are undermining America’s core principle of the rule of law, while the legal naturalization process isn’t working as well as it should. Large-scale immigration without effective assimilation threatens social cohesion, along with America’s civic culture and common identity. This is particularly true when immigrants are assimilated into the welfare state rather than into a society of opportunity.

It is high time for an immigration policy that serves immigrants and citizens alike. As an important part of this, we must find ways to reform our legal immigration system to create a process that is truly fair, orderly, and efficient. Indeed, currently there are close to 4.5 million individuals waiting in line to come to this country legally—and some have been waiting for as long as 24 years.

These numbers make one thing clear: America needs meaningful immigration reform. It must, however, be done in a deliberative and thoughtful manner. It must also seek to uphold the rule of law, welcome individuals through a legal framework, and discourage future flows of unlawful immigrants.

By recognizing these facts and beginning to work on solutions where we can all agree, we can rebuild an immigration process in harmony with our highest principles and best traditions.

Jessica Zuckerman is a policy analyst who works on national security issues at The Heritage Foundation. Her grandfather, Joseph (Jeno) Zuckerman, came to the United States on the S.S. Rotterdam in 1921.

Can you imagine arriving in a new country with no money in your pocket and not knowing how to speak the language, only to see your son become a U.S. Senator for one of our nation’s biggest states?

Well, this is precisely what happened to Rafael Cruz (father of Senator Ted Cruz from Texas), who immigrated to this country from Cuba to flee an oppressive communist regime. 

Rafael’s immigrant story is similar to that of countless other immigrants who have arrived to our shores seeking hope and opportunity. Immigrants like Rafael come to this country seeking to escape oppression, corruption, and censorship so that they can provide a better life for their children.

Check out this short interview of Mr. Cruz as he the recalls his humble beginnings and limited English vocabulary many decades ago. Proof positive that with faith, determination, and hard work, anything is possible in this country, including seeing your son grow up to become a Senator—and one of the brightest lights of the conservative movement.

Mr. Cruz also shares some revealing insight on how conservatives can connect with Hispanics—the fastest-growing demographic in the United States. According to Mr. Cruz, Hispanics who value the sanctity of life are fiercely patriotic and incredibly hard-working. These conservative principles are the foundation and key to our proven success as a country.


Kyla Miliano is currently a member of the Young Leaders Program at The Heritage Foundation. For more information on interning at Heritage, please click here.

"Dreams Come True is a biographical and inspirational story of Mitt Romney. 

We follow his life through a pictorial journey from his childhood, family pictures, love story with Ann, passion for America, and his journey on the road to the Presidency. 

"Mitt Romney, Paul Ryan, and Team America (consisting of some of our most well known Patriots) as shown in this video, all share the same desire to restore the American Dream that belongs to all of us. 

"These great Americans are dedicated to the ideals and visions inherited from our Founders, the principals which always have and will continue to define us as the greatest nation on earth.

"Please pass this video along!"

"Thomas Peterffy grew up in socialist Hungary. 

"Despite the fact that he could not speak English when he immigrated to the United States in 1956, Thomas fulfilled the American dream. 

"With hard work and dedication, he started a business that today employs thousands of people. 

"In the 1970s, Thomas bought a seat on the American Stock Exchange. He played a key role in developing the electronic trading of securities and is the founder of Interactive Brokers, an online discount brokerage firm with offices all over the world."

Recently, Thomas created a one minute ad to warn Americans about the path our country is on.  He wants his "adopted country" to know that we are on a "slippery slope."

Thank goodness for great people who are willing to speak out!  Not everyone has experienced socialism first hand like Thomas Peterffy, but students of history recognize that, in the long run, socialism has a very bad track record. 

"America's wealth comes from the efforts of people striving for success. Take away their incentive with badmouthing success and you take away the wealth that helps us take care of the needy. Yes, in socialism the rich will be poorer -- but the poor will also be poorer. People will lose interest in really working hard and creating jobs."   ~Thomas Peterffy

Bright, young, energetic, and eloquent, Mia Love is our hero of the week.  Daughter of Haitian immigrants who planned, worked, and struggled to bring their family to the United States, Mia is living the American dream.  She is full of faith and courage, and is undaunted by challenges.    

From Reuters:  "Love, 36, is a black Mormon in a deeply conservative state where her race makes up less than 3 percent of the population. If she bests the popular, right-of-center Democratic incumbent, Jim Matheson, in November, Love would be the first black, conservative woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, although polls show she faces an uphill battle. ... In 2010, she was the first black woman elected as mayor of a Utah city. She's also a first-generation U.S. citizen whose parents immigrated to New York from Haiti in the 1970s in search of the American dream and who wanted to make sure their daughter contributed to society. Love, a mother of three, says she's running against six-term incumbent Matheson in the newly created 4th District in central Utah to do just that. Matheson represents Utah's 2nd District and opted to run in the 4th after redistricting scattered his constituents."

Mia is a great model for all Patriotic Moms who want to give back to their country.  She is also an inspiring example for our kids!  We all need more outstanding examples of people who love America and are working to preserve our great legacy of liberty.

There is a little overlap in these videos.  That's a good thing.  If you watch with your children, they will learn and remember Mia's stories and the powerful principles that will help restore America as a great nation.  

View the videos all at once, or watch them one at a time -- whatever works best for you.  

The main thing is for us, and our children, to learn from the examples of great people who are making a difference for America.  

As we are inspired by the example of others, we realize that we, too, can use our energy, develop our talents and give back to the country that has given us way more than we can ever repay.

Have you ever woken up in the morning with that Christmas feeling in your heart?  Even when it wasn't Christmas?

We woke up like that this morning.  It feels like a new day in America.  Mitt Romney didn't promise impossible miracles, but he promised to help us and our families. 

And he has the vision and experience to keep that promise!


 

"And that's how it is in America. We look to our communities, our faiths, our families for our joy, our support, in good times and bad. It is both how we live our lives and why we live our lives. The strength and power and goodness of America has always been based on the strength and power and goodness of our communities, our families, our faiths."  ~Mitt Romney


"When every new wave of immigrants looked up and saw the Statue of Liberty, or knelt down and kissed the shores of freedom just ninety miles from Castro's tyranny, these new Americans surely had many questions. But none doubted that here in America they could build a better life, that in America their children would be more blessed than they."  ~Mitt Romney

"There are Americans who voted for the president, but who are searching right now, because they know that their votes didn't build the country they wanted.

"To those Democrats and independents whose minds are open to argument: listen closely to the Democratic Party that will gather in Charlotte and ask yourself if you ever hear your voice in the clamor.

"Ask yourself if these Democrats still speak for you.

"When they say we have a duty to grow government even when we can't afford it, does it sound like compassion to you -- or recklessness?"  ~Artur Davis

If you can't see the transcript, please click the tiny "Read More" link below...

Mia Love, popular 36-year-old mayor of Saratoga Springs, Utah, spoke at the Republican National Convention today.  Find out why people love her!

“Let me tell you about the America I know.  My parents immigrated to the U.S.  with $10 in their pocket, believing that the America they had heard about really did exist.  When times got tough they did not look to Washington, they looked within.  So, the America I came to know was centered in personal responsibility and filled with the American dream.

“The America I know is grounded in the determination found in patriots and pioneers, in small business owners with big ideas, in the farmers who work in the beauty of our landscapes, in our heroic military, and our inspiring Olympians.  It is in every child who looks at the seemingly impossible and says, “I can do that.”  That is the America I know!

“President Obama’s version of America is a divided one, often pitting us against each other based on our income level, gender, and social status.  His policies have failed.  We are not better off than we were four years ago and no rhetoric, bumper sticker, or Hollywood ad campaign can change that.

“Mr. President I am here to tell you – we are not buying what you are selling in 2012.  

“Why?  Because we know that the American dream is not just my story, and it is not just your story, it is our story.  It is a story of human struggle – of standing up and striving for more.  It’s been told for over 200 years with small steps and giant leaps:  from a woman on a bus to a man with a dream; from the bravery of the greatest generation to the entrepreneurs of today.  This is our story – this is the America we know because we built it.

“With Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan we can revive the American story we know and love. The world will know it, our children will tell it, and our grandchildren will possess it for years to come!”

Mitt Romney gave a great speech this morning.  

It may be a speech we look back on as an important turning point for America.  

It's one we should watch with our children and share with our friends.  

We should learn what it says and talk about it with the people we meet. 

We have an important choice ahead of us.  

It's not just for us.  It's for our children, our posterity, and for the entire world. 

Do we believe in empowering people or in giving our power to the government? 

Barack Obama has taken power from the people and given it to the government, the unions, his friends and his political cronies, and to himself.

Mitt Romney will give power back to the people.  He will bring back the American Dream.

Mitt's plan to restore America has 5 parts: 

1. Energy - Develop and utilize our energy resources.
   
2. Trade - Open up new trade opportunities with other nations.
   
3. Balanced Budget - Establish financial priorities and eliminate excessive debt.
   
4. Education and Skills - Empower our people with the best education and training possible.
   
5. Economic Freedom - Reduce taxes and regulations.
   

We are now determining the future of America and the world, not just for the next few years, but for the next century or more.  

We must each be actively involved in spreading the message of liberty, of limited government, and of a free people.

American strength is important for us, and for the rest of the world!

We live at a pivotal time in history.  

Never has it been more important for people like you and me to make a difference for America.  

Never have there been more important ways for us to make a difference.

We must focus.  We must prepare ourselves.  And we must give our best efforts.  

And if we do our best, and rely on God when we fall short, He will make up the difference.

This is our moment in history!  May we be true!

You and I have a rendezvous with destiny. We will preserve for our children this, the last best hope of man on earth, or we will sentence them to take the first step into a thousand years of darkness. If we fail, at least let our children and our children's children say of us we justified our brief moment here. We did all that could be done.  ~Ronald Reagan