By Monique Worthy, Republican candidate for U.S. House District 13

What do we mean when we say "Make America Great Again"? Yes, as a nation we have had our dark times, our not so great moments. But coming through and triumphing over those times is what made us an even greater nation. And this took fighters. People who weren't scared to stand up for what they knew to be right. The fact that one nation fought the bloodiest civil war in world history losing over 500k of its best fighters to rid itself of an institution that it did not create - was astounding and very telling of the greatness that is its birthright. The fact that had it not been for America losing some of its best fighters, freeing and rescuing half of Europe and for that matter the world, when otherwise they'd have been in chains in both world wars, where would the world be? Where would countries who today despise our way of life and the freedoms we enjoy - be? They'd all be speaking German, Russian and or Japanese. Had it not been for America and the fighting men and women who stood to protect it and its interest, the world would be a much more dangerous place. So, let us acknowledge our greatness and never feel burdened by the fact that we are, always have been and always will be just that…GREAT.

That being said, when we say "make America great again", we can all agree that times when the Indians were being herded like cattle during the Trail of Tears, when slavery was a way of life, the internment of Japanese Americans was happening, the killing, lynching, and harassment of free blacks and whites who supported them was rampant by hate groups, segregation, and now the spearheading of socialism into American society are not and were not America's greatest times. They were and are our worst times inflicted upon our great nation by ONE party… the Democratic Party. This party has taken and is taking our nation down paths of destruction, In selfish acts/attempts to disrupt and terminate the founding of our nation. That one party has plunged our nation throughout its 200+ year history into a free-falling hell. And, stopping this party from its path of destruction and putting our nation BACK on the right track by standing up to socialism, communism, and the newer "democratic" socialism, is what we mean when we shout loud and proud that we are wanting to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!

President Trump is trying to do just that. Rolling back the frontiers of socialism and by default, liberalism is going to be tough work and going to take strong convictions in resisting the temptations of an ever-influencing liberal-dominated media, corporations who don't have the nation's best interests at heart, and entertainment figures. He can't do it alone. We already know we have a problem with Democrat, but who we didn't expect to have to fight in this battle was our own. Republicans have become a major stumbling block in stopping this madness that takes place in Washington D.C. We expected a fight to be put up by Democrats. But, to have to also fight your party? On issues that they ran on fighting too? A book couldn't even tell you.

Donald Trump has shown us what leadership looks like… and NOT from behind. He has shown us just what we have been missing in our Republican politicians. That being a fighter, a man not afraid of who he is. A man willing to stand up for what he believes in – no matter the costs. A man willing to lay down his life to protect his family, freedom, and Country. In short… A LEADER.

This is why I have decided to enter this race… My name is Monique Worthy and a little about my background: I was born in Wichita Falls, Texas. Raised in Fort Worth, Texas until I was 16 years old and then went to Tulsa Job Corps graduated in 2006 with a GED and certification in Business office technologies and word processing. I had, as a child, a fascination with politics. Fascinated with history, social studies, etc. My childhood was rough. I grew up in the inner cities. I Lived in homeless shelters twice as a kid. Living from pillar to post, from one family member's house to another, until finally a break came and we began being heavily involved in church. My first church home and a place I still refer to as my church home was the Historic Greater St. James Missionary Baptist Church in Fort Worth. There we learned the ways of Christ. My whole family was saved in that church. After being saved and attending church as a kid what would seem like every day of the week, our lives were that much better. We went from being homeless to my mom and stepdad buying their first home here in Wichita Falls, Texas.

I graduated Tulsa Job Corps in 2006 with my certifications intact. Coming home to Wichita Falls, I wanted a job in my field in someone's office. I couldn't find one because of my age (16) at the time. I refused to work in a fast-food restaurant, thinking that it was beneath me for my education. But, boy, was I in for a rude awakening. So, instead, I turned to a life of crime. By the age of 21, I had become a convicted felon, going into stores and stealing necessities such as deodorant, soap, bologna, cheese, etc. trying to get by. Jail and ultimately state jail were a big wake up call to me. Being incarcerated is what took me from being a Democrat to a staunch conservative Republican.

Listening to Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Mark Levin and Robert Pratt of Pratt on Texas, stiffened my spine in terms of my political beliefs. My conservative philosophy is unwavering and unaffected by my personal life and or attributes. I've been called a walking contradiction. That yes, one could be black, LGBT, poor, and a convicted felon and be a Republican is virtually unheard of in most circles. I do not subscribe to identity politics. I do not seek anyone's validation of who/what I am. I do not seek special treatment. I seek to bring conservative philosophy and principles BACK to the political forefront.

Fast forward to present life. I am currently unemployed as of June this year (which is how I found time to mount this campaign) from being employed at Tyson Foods in Vernon, Texas, what would have been 5 years on August 4th. I have a love of politics unmatched in my community. Following politics has made me realize that to be in politics and do things that have real and lasting impacts on the American people, one needs to be hardened. Tough. Willing to take the heat from doing what one knows to be right. And as Margaret Thatcher would say, "6 inches of fraternal steel beneath the shoulder blade".

We are sick and tired of Republican elected officials running scared of the media and what they may write and publish about them. Scared to stand by their principles. Scared to stand on their convictions. Scared to address real issues and real problems that Americans face, for fear of being labeled. This is how we got stuck with 8 years of President Obama, A national debt the size of the Atlantic Ocean, a society all too ready and willing to devalue life to the tune of murdering a baby just outside the womb, and a court/judicial system that makes China look like a judicial haven.

Republicans were nowhere to be found when Obama was running rampant with budgets, scandals, disastrous trade deals, and under the table deals flying everywhere like flocks of seagulls with no destination. Investigations here, investigations there, having us oohing and aahing at every chance they had, but came up with nothing in the end.

What did we get the whole time we had a Republican congress? Nothing. Nothing in regards to fast and furious, Benghazi, IRS targeting, pallets of cash going to terrorist-sponsoring nations, illegal email usage, etc. And why is this? Because we were too busy looking for the "perfect" Republican candidates in these primaries. Looking for the polished, clean background, perfect family, church-going, business owning, clean-cut, not even the appearance of a scandal candidate. And when we get them what happens? All that good stuff they were promising in those primaries went out the window. –Why? Because they refused to FIGHT, they refused to stand up for what they knew or what we knew to be right.

Now, make no mistake about it, all that I listed were good traits to have if you were looking to elect your next pope, pastor and or rabbi, but we are not running a church, synagogue, the Vatican or even your next Sunday school class. We are running a Nation. And sometimes it takes someone willing to get down and dirty with the media, democrats, and their allies whoever or wherever they may be. Someone not afraid to put the democrats and their allies in the media in their place. Someone not afraid of the backlash to come from it. Someone not afraid to get out there and fight to protect and defend conservative ideals and principles.

I am NOT seeking to go to Washington to just go along to get along. I despise the word bipartisanship, I despise consensus, I despise excuses. I feel all of it is a cop-out of doing what is right. I feel there is no bipartisanship, there are only Republicans giving up everything they believe in and democrats giving up NOTHING.

Addressing and fighting to fix the tough issues like debt, budgets, welfare, illegal immigration, abortion, healthcare, etc. is what will be the tide that lifts all boats. Governments have to address these tough issues and make these tough decisions to get to the roots of the problems so that a fix to the problem, NOT a band-aid to the issue can be administered. And kicking these issues further down the road does no one any good. It deepens the problem and worsens the solution. And by tackling these issues at their core, I believe we can build on the success of the Trump administration in getting unemployment -most notably- unemployment among minorities to the lowest levels ever recorded, In having record take-home pays for minorities. In having a better choice in schools, jobs, homes, and LIFE in general for EVERYONE, down to even better levels.

Tax cuts were a success, but not enough. Reforming and restructuring all the programs previously mentioned will make it prudently possible to cut taxes even more. As we get more people back to work and off government benefits there will be much more cash to take care of our military vets, our elderly and disabled. Strengthening our military, even more, revitalizing our communities, and being once again that shining city on the hill, Ronald Reagan told us about.

Let us get back to honoring family, faith, life, freedom, and most of all our Constitution which holds this nation together through the ups AND the downs, by electing fighters who will tackle each of these issues head-on, to represent us in the next Congress and not just place holders in strong "R" districts and by doing so, we will make congress and to a greater extent America great again. I aim to be the 13th Congressional District of Texas's next true conservative fighter in the next congress. Pass me up if you want to and I guarantee you will regret it! My mama always told me "everything glitters ain't gold, gold doesn't come out the ground sparkly and shiny. It comes out a 'lil dirty and dusty and has to be cleaned to reach its full potential." Allow me to display my full potential in being your next Representative to the United States Congress.