Houston Business Connections (ONE AMERICA) "Leaders Celebrating Freedom Together Series" PART 1 of 3

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AUBREY R. TAYLOR: Why are you proud to be an American? CARL PITTMAN: I am proud to be an American because it is truly the greatest country on the face of this planet. It allowed a small boy from the most humbling of starts to do some incredible things, with more to come. I am proud to be an American because no other country in the world can come back from the brink of destruction at the hands of a corrupt government like America will surely have to do! I have always been proud of America, not because America is perfect, but because America is mine. I knew as a 18 year old United States Marine that I was part of something far greater than myself and I was willing if necessary to die to protect it. I am proud of America because I love America.

Sam Houston Discusses Freedom and Why He's a Proud American with Aubrey R. Taylor AUBREY R. TAYLOR: What does freedom mean to you? SAM HOUSTON: Freedom is at the core of what it means to be an American -- it is a great gift and even greater responsibility. We protect our freedom at home and honor the men and women who protect our freedom abroad by acting with integrity and honesty. Our freedom, unique in all the world, is the result of men and women who ask themselves everyday "Is this the right thing to do?" Freedom is our greatest public trust -- and we must safeguard it by acting with honor and personal integrity. AUBREY R. TAYLOR: Why are you proud to be an American?

SAM HOUSTON: My pride in being an American comes from the place where I grew up -- the small West Texas town of Colorado City, about halfway between Midland and Abilene. In this little town, I learned the value of hard work in my family’s small hardware and auto parts store. Whether I was sweeping the floor or helping a customer assemble a bicycle, I learned to take pride in a job well done. I learned the value of small businesses to a community and I learned that successful businesses are built on trust. I had great role models -- men like my grandfather R.P. “Pete” Ainsworth, a rancher who once managed the Renderbrook Spade Ranch, and from my uncle Fred McClellan, a cotton farmer. These men taught me about respect, honor and integrity. I know now that what they were teaching me was how to be an American.”

Rusty Kuciemba Discusses Freedom and Why He's a Proud American with Aubrey R. Taylor AUBREY R. TAYLOR: What does freedom mean to you? RUSTY KUCIEMBA: Freedom is that which is out of the realm of control of governmental and religious institutions. Freedom cannot be given, but it can be taken away though by force. Freedom appears to be in a constant state of flux, it seems to be on the decline in America today with NSA spying on us and sifting through our emails and phone calls, FBI questioning people who attend protests, databases that are storing information about every American, the popular "free speech zones,"drones flying over us, and numerous other transgressions on a free people. There is hope with new technology outpacing government regulators and enforcers every day. This appears in the form of crypto currencies(bit-coin), ride sharing programs(uber/lyft), and many other innovations. Some people are choosing to ignore bad laws and regulations- feeding the hungry with the proper permit, demonstrating outside of the designated area, participating in ride sharing programs prohibited by city ordinance, and in numerous other

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