John Arthur Eaves’ Speech at the Neshoba County Fair
[verbatim] I'm John Eaves, and I am running for Governor because I believe it is time for a new day in Mississippi. I am tired of hearing our leaders tell the people of Mississippi to lower their expectations. I have seen far too many broken schools and witnessed our neighbors stuck in FEMA trailers along the coast for too long. And I'm sick and tired of Mississippi always being last in jobs, healthcare, poverty, and education and then hearing our leaders say, "What do you expect?" Well, I expect a whole lot more, and I believe Mississippians deserve much, much better. And so I am running for Governor to declare that this era of low expectations is over and a new day is dawning in Mississippi.
We live in a State with so much potential. There is nothing wrong with Mississippi that we don't have the ability to make right. We have overcome many obstacles and made incredible contributions to the strength of our nation and, more importantly, the human experience. It was here that the first heart transplant was done. It was here that the greatest literature of the 20th Century was written. It was here that the musical spark that inspired Blues, Rock and Roll, country music, and Gospel was struck.
I have traveled all over the world and am here to testify to you that the best people in the world are right here in Mississippi. If anyone doubts that fact, I will remind them that despite being the poorest state in the country, Mississippians give more of what they have to charity than any state in our Nation. As everybody under this pavilion knows, there is a hope and a heart in this State more powerful than the mighty river for which we are named. It is time for leaders who recognize the great soul of Mississippi, and who can harness our strengths to move this state forward.
Like many of you, my values, and the core of who I am, come from my parents and my faith. The seeds of my faith were planted by my mom, who read Bible stories to me every night and rocked me to sleep singing, "In the Garden." And while my faith in Jesus took root in the love and teaching of my mother, it was my father who taught me to dream.
When he was a young boy of 8, he became a primary breadwinner for his family because his father, a disabled veteran, could no longer work. He worked non-stop in various jobs as a child and young man, but he always dreamed of doing something bigger and something better. He worked his way through law school and eventually built our family's law practice. He is and has always been a dreamer, and I am my father's son.
And so today, as I stand before you, I ask you to join with me in making this dream a reality.
I dream of a Mississippi where our parents are not kicked off Medicaid; where our children do not go uninsured; and where Big Tobacco, Big Insurance, and the other powerful interests no longer decide our healthcare policy.
I dream of a Mississippi that rewards hard-working, God-fearing, honest people with jobs that provide work with dignity and a living wage that enables them to spend time with their families.
I dream of a Mississippi where our children go to the best schools in the South; schools that are excellent, not merely adequate; schools that provide our children with the skills they need to succeed in the job market of tomorrow. But we cannot stop there. In the same way that we should not measure the greatness of our state only by our economic success, neither should our schools only aim for higher test scores.
And so I dream of a Mississippi with schools that allow voluntary, student-led prayer so our children can begin to explore for themselves the fundamental questions of our existence. And by the discussion of these beliefs, begin to create a foundation upon which to build character, discipline, and respect for each other and our Creator.
I dream of a Mississippi where we recognize that poverty will never be solved by simply giving things away, and that it is neither compassionate nor economical to worry only about the consequences of poverty while ignoring its roots.
And finally, I dream of a Mississippi where we understand that there is neither black nor white, rich nor poor, male nor female, but that we are all one people and all children of God.
This is the Mississippi my wife Angel and I dream of raising our four boys in – one that gives them hope, purpose, and a moral foundation. And I believe we have waited too long, and listened too often to lukewarm politicians telling us to settle for less. Now is our time to begin making this dream a reality.
You would be right to ask how I plan to realize this dream. I have a lot of new ideas, and I have explored their costs and feasibility. But, here is an answer you won't often hear from a politician. The truth is that what I envision for Mississippi is more than a Governor can achieve alone. But, this dream is not more than we can achieve working together, walking in faith — as Democrats and Republicans, businesses and workers, black and white — to change the way our government, churches, and community interact to promote the common good.
I am not running for Governor to become the top politician in Mississippi or so I can decide which of my friends or former clients get government contracts. I am running for Governor because I believe Mississippi can be better and it will be better when we take the reins of government from the special interests who hold the keys to the Governor's mansion.
Haley Barbour has opened the doors of power to the money changers: Big Tobacco, Big Oil, Big Insurance. These groups—who Haley has lobbied for—may talk about helping Mississippi, but they are merely wolves in sheep's clothing who have been making false promises and pulling the financial strings of our leaders to force us to accept false choices.
They promise that Haley will use his Washington lobbyist connections to get money for Mississippi, but only if we agree to never ask whose pocket the money actually goes into. They ask us to ignore our broken schools and our children getting hooked on cigarettes so that Big Tobacco can make bigger profits. They tell us to ignore the fact that our state government has failed the people on the coast, and instead to give thanks that at least we don't look as bad as Louisiana.
These moneychangers have led us astray, and the current governor has continued to side with them over the people of Mississippi because, as we all know, where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. It is time for leaders in this state who treasure the people they claim to serve and who see those people as our neighbors instead of numbers.
Often, when you hear a candidate talk about how he is Pro-Life, all you really hear is a political slogan. But for me, Pro-Life not only means dedicating myself to protecting the unborn. It is a belief that each life is sacred and valuable, and knowing that value does not end at birth.
And so when I hear the numbers – that Mississippi has the country's highest infant mortality; that only 18 percent of our children can read at grade level; that our government kicked 65,000 children and elderly off Medicaid – I do not think of them as numbers. I think of the faces and personal stories attached to those numbers. And when I make a decision as Governor, I will never forget that behind those numbers are real people with names and faces, hopes and dreams, fears and weaknesses. They are our neighbors. They are God's children, and they deserve better.
And so today I am asking that you join me in this dream, in this fight for the very soul of Mississippi. I don't promise that I will always succeed. As Governor, as a man, I will fall short. But I believe in this dream and I am putting my entire life savings into this crusade. Instead of accepting money from special interests, I have freed myself to do my best to answer this call to service, with a clean conscience and with no allegiance to any but God and the great people of Mississippi.
Throughout this state there are children who are just beginning to dream dreams. Throughout this state there are people living quiet lives of struggle and sacrifice, people who put the needs of their families and their communities above their own. They are the true treasure of Mississippi, and they deserve a Governor who will fight for them and put their interests first. With your help, I'll be that Governor. And I will work with you – and for you – to transform Mississippi into our very own promised land of realized dreams. Thank you. God bless you and God bless Mississippi.
© Jackson Free Press, Inc.
