KANSAS CITY, Mo. – As the Statewide Lincoln Days weekend continues, Sen. Josh Hawley headlined a breakfast Saturday morning hosted by himself and the Missouri Pachyderm Club.
Hawley began by explaining his belief that Missourians and Americans alike are facing a “generational challenge” that hasn’t been seen before in his lifetime.
“I bet none of us in any of our lifetimes have seen the kind of challenge to our history, to our society, to our basic system of government that the radical left is mounting right now in this country,” Hawley said.
He was quick to pivot to the positive side of things though, claiming that it’s not just a generational challenge, but also a “generational opportunity.”
“I am also firmly convinced that we see and face a generational opportunity,” he noted. “My view is that if we’re able to stand in this moment of challenge – if we’re able to keep the faith in this moment of challenge – and if we’re able to see something better in this moment of challenge, we will face and seize new opportunities that will change the direction of this country for generations to come.”
“I’m incredibly hopeful because I think this moment of peril is also a moment of opportunity.”
Hawley further delved into the “generational challenge” by criticising President Biden on the current border crisis citing human trafficking, drug smuggling and cartel operations going unchecked at the southern border.
“It is not only unfortunate, it is not only chaotic, it is not only bad policy, but it is wrong what is happening at our southern border,” he said.
“We believe in the concept of a nation. We actually believe that the United States of America is a place where we should have a secure border. You lock your doors at night, not because you hate the people who are outside, but because you love the people who are inside.”
Hawley then described what he called a “systematic effort to undermine the foundations of the American family.” Continuing his criticism of the Biden Administration, he mentioned the “attack on the basic concept of male and female and the family,” referencing Biden’s American Families Plan.
The American Families Plan will cost almost $2 trillion and includes government-subsidized child care programs, universal preschool and “free” community college. Hawley condemned the plan, saying it would be telling families what their kids will be taught and which schools to go to instead of giving the families the choice for themselves.
The Senator finished off by denouncing the recent movement to implement critical race theory into school curriculums, a movement that has been the subject of mass criticism across the country.
“This idea that America is an inherently flawed and evil place is wrong, it is divisive and it is meant to tear us apart,” Hawley said. “ It’s time to stand together around the things we love together and to say that America is good, this country is good.”
“In America, we’re not united by race and ethnic background,” Hawley said. “We don’t have the same race and ethnic background and praise the lord we don’t. We come from all different countries and all different races. We come from different religious backgrounds. We’re not united by those things, we’re united by the things we love together.
“We’re united by our love of our families, our love of our faith, our love of our communities and our love of our country. That’s what unites us.”
