Ben Carson grew up in inner city Detroit and Boston. His father deserted the family, so his
mother, who had just a third grade education, had to work two and three jobs to
support the family. As an African-American, Carson’s observations about
America, the value of hard work and his own place in society are insightful.
He starts off his book by writing:
Does America have flaws?
Absolutely. We’ve made our share of
mistakes and then some. But in spite of
our missteps, our nation’s history shows that out of our darkest periods, we
have responded time and time again to work toward “liberty and justice for
all.” One of America’s most respected
legacies is indeed that of rebelling for change.
Carson comments about the American system of government and
how far we have strayed from the founding fathers’ blueprints. Carson’s
thoughts about the Bible, the church, Jesus Christ and America’s
Judeo-Christian heritage, frames his observations. He gave an example of the conflict between
political correctness and religious freedoms when he was invited to give the
keynote address at the 1997 Presidential Prayer Breakfast in Washington D.C. He
was told NOT to mention the name of
Jesus Christ, which he thought a strange request for a prayer breakfast. He finished his speech by discussing his
philosophy for success in life, which includes his strong faith in God and in His
Savior Jesus Christ. Carson received a standing ovation after the address and
only one negative response for using the name of Jesus Christ.
The highlight of the book was his chapter called “Is Health
Care Right?” Having spent decades in the medical profession, he used many
examples of waste, red tape, and layers of bureaucracy that needlessly compromise
medical care. Most of these activities do nothing to improve patient care and
instead add billions to the cost of
health care in America. Carson is a pragmatic person with practical
solutions. Hold on to your hat for some
of them because his ideas would turn health care in America upside down. Or maybe right side up. Read and enjoy.
After many critiques of what needs fixing in our country, Carson closes the book with a
stirring call to action for his beloved country.
“We can no longer be passive because the
Judeo-Christian way of life in America is at stake. We need not be ashamed of our faith, and we
certainly should not allow those who believe differently to change who we are
in order to be politically correct. We should never compromise our belief
system. It is time to set aside political correctness and replace it with the
bold values and principles that founded our nation and caused it to race to the
pinnacle of the world faster than any other nation in history. It is time to
stop apologizing and to start leading, because the world is desperately in need
of fair and ethical leadership. ”
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