Molly and I joined the WMU College Republicans tonight to enjoy a visit by Ted Nugent to Kalamazoo.
Ted was in rare form. We got to meet Ted back stage and talked briefly about my experience starting a business, and how love to hear Fred Bear on the way into the woods on opening morning of Deer season! He then spoke to a raucous crowd at Miller Auditorium. After sharing his wisdom, he gave us a medley of some of his most famous songs (including Fred Bear) and finished by making his guitar sing the National Anthem. 
In between Ted talked for more than two hours about his philosophy on life, his views on politics, and answered any and all questions offered. His talk of the entrepreneurial
spirit really hit home with me. He spoke of the American Dream, the lost Michigan Dream, and how we are not truly happy as human beings unless we are able to provide for ourselves. He talked about our basic rights. He focused a lot of talk on the right of the individual to keep and bear arms. He talked passionately about many other rights, all granted to us by our creator (not government.) His thoughts that happiness comes from the freedom in providing for yourself and your family rang especially true. That is a true source of satisfaction, and far more fulfilling than relying on someone else to cure your problems. His passion about independence, individual freedom and personal responsibility are as true today as they were from our Founding Fathers. They are the foundation of our country.
It struck me that often the more government tries to fix problems, the more problems bureaucrats can cause. He spoke clearly of many examples where government ‘fixes’ actually made problems worse; and how too often government and politicians think ‘we the people’ work for them - instead of them working for us.
Ted certainly says it in a way others do not. He can easily be misunderstood or taken out of context. But, his passion is real and his respect for the foundations of our society run deep. They are the essentials that we cannot forget and we have too often strayed from.
Ted was in rare form. We got to meet Ted back stage and talked briefly about my experience starting a business, and how love to hear Fred Bear on the way into the woods on opening morning of Deer season! He then spoke to a raucous crowd at Miller Auditorium. After sharing his wisdom, he gave us a medley of some of his most famous songs (including Fred Bear) and finished by making his guitar sing the National Anthem. 
In between Ted talked for more than two hours about his philosophy on life, his views on politics, and answered any and all questions offered. His talk of the entrepreneurial
spirit really hit home with me. He spoke of the American Dream, the lost Michigan Dream, and how we are not truly happy as human beings unless we are able to provide for ourselves. He talked about our basic rights. He focused a lot of talk on the right of the individual to keep and bear arms. He talked passionately about many other rights, all granted to us by our creator (not government.) His thoughts that happiness comes from the freedom in providing for yourself and your family rang especially true. That is a true source of satisfaction, and far more fulfilling than relying on someone else to cure your problems. His passion about independence, individual freedom and personal responsibility are as true today as they were from our Founding Fathers. They are the foundation of our country.It struck me that often the more government tries to fix problems, the more problems bureaucrats can cause. He spoke clearly of many examples where government ‘fixes’ actually made problems worse; and how too often government and politicians think ‘we the people’ work for them - instead of them working for us.
Ted certainly says it in a way others do not. He can easily be misunderstood or taken out of context. But, his passion is real and his respect for the foundations of our society run deep. They are the essentials that we cannot forget and we have too often strayed from.
