Text of Ret. Lt. Colonel Steve Brozak's speechGood evening. My name is Steve Brozak. I am a husband and father of two young daughters. My wife and I are the children of immigrant parents. I am a businessperson who co-founded a small investment-banking firm. And I am also proud to say I am a United States Marine. I rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel -- and after the attacks of September 11th, I volunteered to go back on active duty.
And today, I am running to represent my home state of New Jersey in the United States Congress. If you told me 18 months ago that I would end up addressing the Democratic convention, I would have said that you were crazy. You see, up until then, I was a Republican. But not anymore. On my last tour of duty, my job was to help reservists who came home from Iraq, Afghanistan, and places all over the world ... to help them get back on their feet ... to help them with their jobs and their families. I saw their struggle and the hardships they bore. I saw how their families coped with deployments that kept being extended, and children who were growing up without their moms and dads. When I was deployed to the Middle East, I saw what our troops are facing there. How our military is so overextended that tours of duty last far longer than soldiers had originally signed up for. How hard it is for our soldiers to complete their mission without the proper equipment to keep them safe. I saw how hard it is for them to shoulder this burden alone without our allies. And I saw how hard it is for our soldiers to know that while they wear their uniforms with pride, the world looks at America with suspicion. So a year and a half ago while back home, I went to my local town hall and I switched parties. I became a Democrat. You see, I didn't change. My belief in what makes a patriot never changed. My belief in a national security policy that makes us truly safer didn't change. And my belief that you only send Americans into a war with honest purpose and plans for peace didn't change. What changed was the direction of the Republican Party -- so I did the honorable thing. I changed parties and I became a Democrat. I have never considered myself to be a very partisan person. But the Republican Party left me behind. And so I had no choice but to leave the Republican Party behind. But I am far from alone...And I will be in the majority come November 2nd. It's not just Democrats; it's Republicans and Independents. It's Americans from all walks of life who believe that to keep America safe, to defeat al-Qaeda, we need both smart bombs and wise policy. That America must be strong at home, strong abroad, and respected in the world. Continued... |
