Bob McEwen speaks at Lincoln Day Dinner

Hannah Gross 
NLJ Correspondent 
 
Over plates of prime rib, corn and potatoes, Republicans of Crook County and the surrounding area met at the Moorcroft Town Center on Sept. 5 for the annual Lincoln Day Dinner hosted by the Crook County Republican Party. The speaker at the event was Bob McEwen, a former congressman from Ohio and an “advocate for pro-family interests and free-market economics,” according to his website. This year’s theme was “We the People,” and at every table, the preamble of the U.S. Constitution was printed out for everyone to read. 
The event was $50 per person, but children under 18 attended for free. The members hosting the event said they believe that young people need to get involved with politics, so the Crook County Republican Party set up a $1,000 essay scholarship. To be eligible for the scholarship, students had to write an essay about patriotism. This year’s scholarship winner is Christian Velder, a freshman at Sheridan college. Velder attended the dinner and delivered his essay to the guests. His essay was about the importance of the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and the separation of powers to defend the rights of the people from an oppressive government.
In addition to dinner, there were door prizes, silent and live auctions, various recognitions and a drawing for a custom 6.5 Creedmoor rifle that came with a case and two scopes, donated by Wyoming House District No. 1 Rep.-elect, Chip Neiman. The 10 tickets available for the rifle drawing were $100 apiece; the winner of the drawing donated the gun back to the live auction. The rifle, estimated value of $7,000, and equipment sold at the auction for $3,000. All proceeds went to the Crook County Republican Party. The auction raised $12,100 for the party, according to Roger Connett, party chairman. 
Prior to McEwen’s speech, Neiman, who introduced him, thanked the participants for voting him in as the next representative. 
“It’s just humbling, at the very least,” Neiman said. “I will work diligently and conservatively.” 
Neiman met McEwen at a “Fathers in the Field” event in Colorado, which is a faith-based organization that helps single moms and fatherless boys by pairing them up with father figures, who mentor them through outdoor activities and in the love of Christ. Neiman said McEwen is a great speaker and presents the foundations of the United States in a clear, impactful manner that makes a person want to hear more. 
“He will make you thankful that you live in this country and proud that you live in America,” Neiman said. 
McEwen opened his speech by discussing the prosperity and uniqueness of the United States. He said America has done something that no one else in history has done: shed blood for the freedom of another country and asked for nothing in return, referring to the Cold War. 
“The purpose of the United States government is to preserve life,” McEwen said. This led him into his next point that slavery was not invented in America, as some have claimed. 
McEwen quoted the preamble of the Declaration of Independence and said that all men have God-given rights. 
“Because God made you, you have rights,” McEwen said. 
He went on to say that on Jan. 1, 1808, Congress outlawed the importation of slaves and began to “proceed and prosper.” However, when Andrew Jackson was elected president, the fight against slavery lost ground. Jackson appointed Roger Taney as chief justice of the Supreme Court, who resided during the Dred Scott v. Sanford case, which denied citizenship to African Americans. Later in his speech, McEwen said, he believes court decisions across history are what almost ruined the United States. 
During that pre-Civil War era, the two main political parties were the Democrats and the Whigs, according to McEwen, but the Whig Party, which fought against slavery, collapsed before the Civil War. That’s when the Republican Party was born and nominated Abraham Lincoln as its presidential candidate. 
“The purpose of the Republican Party was to end slavery,” McEwen said. 
The passage of the 13th through 15th amendments to the U.S. Constitution granted African Americans citizenship and the right to vote. McEwen said that the Republican Party and America stand for equality, and he’s tired of “Democrats taking their laundry and blaming it on America.” 
In his third point of the speech, McEwen discussed the economy of America. He claimed that under President Donald Trump, the economy was thriving after a time of stunted growth. Simultaneously, he said, China’s economy and stock market were going downhill. According to McEwen, the United States is the leading country in oil and natural gas and second in the coal industry. 
“That’s what this election is all about,” McEwen said. “America could be energy independent if we had a president who wanted it.”
McEwen said he believes Trump saved the nation right before “it went into the abyss” and believes that “we are on the cusp” of the greatest time of history in America. 
“Those who hate America hate Trump,” McEwen said. “This man is changing America for good.” 
He concluded his speech with a discussion of fear. McEwen claimed that fear is how the German government controlled the Jews during World War II and that it led to their deaths. He quoted Thomas Paine, who said, “It’s surprising to see how rapid a panic can rise in a country.” McEwen then recited 2 Timothy 1:7, which says, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love and of a sound mind.”
However, panics can “produce as much good as harm,” McEwen said, by bringing “things and people into light.” He said that if you would have told him six months ago that churches across the nation would shut down and remain empty for as long as they did, he never would have believed you. Then COVID-19 happened. He said that many Christians are quick to point out that Romans 13 requires submission to the governing authorities, but in America “the people are the authority,” he said, and the First Amendment guarantees the freedom of assembly and the right to worship. 
His speech brought a standing ovation from the audience, which rolled right into the live auction and then the conclusion of the 2020 Lincoln Day Dinner.