Burgess Owens - Why I Stand: From Freedom to the Killing Fields of Socialism

A POST HILL PRESS BOOK

ISBN: 978-1-68261-739-7

ISBN (eBook): 978-1-68261-740-3

Why I Stand:

From Freedom to the Killing Fields of Socialism

2018 by Burgess Owens

All Rights Reserved

Cover design by Cody Corcoran

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author and publisher.

Post Hill Press

New York Nashville

posthillpress.com

Published in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Burgess spent his childhood growing up in the Deep South during a time when the barriers of segregation were being torn down. He was the third Black American to be offered a football scholarship at the University of Miami. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology/Chemistry and simultaneously gained national recognition as a First Team All-American.

During his college career, Burgess was named to Whos Who Among College Students in American Universities and Colleges . He was inducted to the Hall of Fame of Outstanding College Athletes of America, and later to the University of Miamis Hall of Fame and the Orange Bowl Ring of Honor. Following college, the New York Jets picked Burgess in the NFL 1st round as the drafts first defensive back, and 13th overall pick. Later that year, he was selected as the Jets Rookie of the Year and to the NFLs All-Rookie team. He played with the New York Jets for seven years and was selected as the Defensive Team Captain his last three seasons. After being traded to the Oakland Raiders, Burgess led the Raiders defensive squad in tackles during their championship season and in Super Bowl XV in 1981. In 1982, his final season, he led the Raiders in interceptions and was selected as a First Alternate to the NFL All Pro-Bowl. Since retiring from the NFL, Burgess has been involved in the corporate and entrepreneurial arenas. He travels throughout the country speaking about the blessing of freedom that underlies the foundation of our American way of life. He is the Executive Director for the Utah Chapter of The One Heart Project whose mission is: To rescue, restore, and rehabilitate youthful offenders, and provide them with a true second chance to experience the American Dream.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/officiallyburgessowens

Twitter: @BurgessOwens

Website: www.BurgessOwensTalks.com

One Heart Utah Website: www.OneHeart.com

I believe that my worth is not measured by what I do, by the honors bestowed upon me, or by the material wealth I might obtain. Instead, I am measured by the courage I show while standing for my beliefs, by the dedication I exhibit to ensure my word is good, and the resolve I undertake to establish that my actions and deeds are honorable.

I believe that the principles upon which our country was built are founded on the bedrock of eternal truths; that these truths, when applied, build men and women of character and families with purpose and vision.

I believe that men can be inspired by powers from on high as evidenced by the immortal words penned by our countrys Founding Fathers: We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights; that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.

I believe in the concept embodied by the words We the People. That our country stands as the most unique among all the worlds societies because it was not founded on We the Blacks, We the Whites, We the Christians, We the Jews, We the Muslims, We the Buddhists, We the Old, We the Young, We the Rich, or We the Poor, but WE THE PEOPLE.. Though different, we have, through the power of unity and adherence to concrete core beliefs, found the common thread that defines the American Way.

I believe that a country is no better than its people, and its people are no better than its dream; that the ability to dream, to hope, and to envision the possibilities is among the greatest and most precious gifts. Living in the freest country in the world we owe it to our creator to Dream Big. It is a gift from a big God.

I believe that success is a matter of choice, not chance. As we choose to control our attitude, we begin to control our actions. As we choose to control our actions, we are choosing to form new habits. As we choose to control our habits, we are choosing to define our character. As we choose to define our character, we begin to choose our destiny and our happiness. Success is therefore a matter of choice, not chance. Your choice.

I believe the impact of our lives will be determined by our courage to have a vision, our wisdom to understand and overcome lifes obstacles, and our faith to know that were meant to be.

I believe that we are in life exactly where we see ourselves. If we want to change our station, well have to change our vision and expectations.

I believe that to obtain true success we must not look to the past as if it represents the future. The future is a place of opportunity and where our happiness is forged. Live there and learn to enjoy it there.

I believe only through struggle and persistence can we take advantage of the special talents we have hidden within. It is not the Super Bowl Ring that I wear but the character and resolve I exhibit during the downtimes that defines me as a champion.

I believe failure can be our best friend, if we choose not to quit once weve been formally introduced.

I believe that as the individual is empowered with the freedom of choice, self-direction, and financial incentives, he will do all within his power to be the very best that he can be. With every effort toward improvement will come, as a by-product, an increased value to our communities and country.

I believe that were all created in the image of God, who loves us and has designed each of us to win. Lifes struggles, from which no one is exempt, are opportunities to find our better selves. In a land explicitly set aside for freedom, were only asked to do our best, do it honorably, do it with confidence, with power, and with high expectations. Remember, we are not alone.

Dream Big.

Black People Dont Have to Be Democrats.

Chance the Rapper

The first battlefield is the rewriting of history.

Karl Marx, Father of Communism,
whose theories are known as Marxism

You cant make Socialists out of individualists. Children who know how to think for themselves spoil the harmony of the collective society which is coming, where everyone is interdependent.

John Dewey, Socialist, Humanist, Atheist,
NAACP Board Member, and father of the
progressive public school system

By 1905 Tuskegee University [the southern Black college founded in 1885 by Booker T. Washington], produced more self-made millionaires than Harvard, Yale, and Princeton combined.

Harvard President, Charles W. Elliott

If we forget what we did, we dont know who we are.

President Ronald Reagan

The most precious possession of American civilization.

Herbert Hoover

After losing his bid for a second term to Franklin Roosevelt in 1932, President Herbert Hoover wrote of his concerns as he witnessed Americans willingness to accept and implement foreign ideologies that were abhorrent to our American culture. It was this culture that has been deemed by millions from other lands as the most exceptional of any around the world. Hoover highlighted this difference in 1934, when he penned the following: