By Sergei Matveyuk | Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice
The days my children were born are among the best of my life. Like most parents, I want my children to live productive lives, be self-sufficient and pursue what makes them happy. Forty years ago, these simple hopes seemed impossible.
I grew up in a Marxist country where hope was nearly nonexistent. My grandfather’s farm, flour mill and last cow were taken by the government. My grandmother and her four small children were left to die. Thankfully they survived but all they could do was survive. Their hope was to leave the Marxist country where people were persecuted for having faith in anything but the government. My father was sent to the gulag and my uncle was killed because of their faith and refusal to believe that the government would take care of them.
My family’s dream was to escape and come to America, the greatest country on Earth. A county founded on Judeo-Christian beliefs. A county founded on the belief that our rights come from God and are inalienable. A country where the pursuit of happiness is a right. A country that protects individual freedoms. A country where hard work and sacrifice are rewarded. These are not just words to me; these are real things that I understand because I know what it is like to live in a country where citizens aren’t free, but are dependent on the government. A country where you can’t decide what school to attend, you can’t own a business, you can’t have guns, and there is no private property; a country where there is little hope.
Thirty-five years ago, I was blessed to legally come to America. My mother, father and seven siblings settled in Jefferson County. I became an American citizen. I went to the college of my choice and received the degree of my choice. I worked hard. I started my own business. I married my amazing wife. We have three children who were raised in Jefferson County. We bought a house and continued to work hard so our children can have a better life.
But today, I see things in America that remind me of the Marxist country I left. The price of groceries, gas and housing have become so expensive, I wonder daily how my children will be able to afford to live here. The government spends more and more money continuing to drive up costs, borrows from foreign governments placing repayment burdens on our children and fails to close our borders making our neighborhoods unsafe. The polices of the progressives are failing; they are pushing America closer and closer to becoming a Marxist country.
I don’t want my children or your children to have to leave America to be free. Things can be changed. You and I can vote for new leaders who will change the direction we are heading. I ask for your support, because I will fight so our children can be free and pursue their American Dreams.
Sergei Matveyuk is a business owner and candidate in Colorado’s 7th District for U.S. Congress.
Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in commentary pieces are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the management of the Rocky Mountain Voice, but even so we support the constitutional right of the author to express those opinions.