Thanksgiving 2017 was a holiday of great joy for me. I met with two different groups of friends to celebrate this season of Thanksgiving. All of us are Trump supporters, and we rejoice in all the reforms enacted and promises kept.
Maxin Sergienko
We also celebrate the fact that our country is returning to its Judeo-Christian roots, and that more of us have the courage to speak our minds and hearts to the true needs and dangers facing this country.
At one of the events, I met Maxim Sergienko, a Russian immigrant who now holds permanent residency with a green card. The subject of immigration has become an increasingly heated topic, but also the encroaching fascination with socialism among college students.
Here, I had the golden opportunity to learn from a former Russia resident what it was like living under communism, but more importantly the process he endured to become a legal resident (not even a citizen) of the United States.
I first asked him to explain the entire process to become a legal resident, including the time, energy, and costs to achieve legal status:
For starters, it has taken Maxim 21 years--years!--to achieve legal status the legal way.
You also need to hear about the costs and the stress he has endured just to achieve the current legal status as a permanent resident.
During our talk at the dinner table, he talked about his awe and wonder at visiting the United States for the first time.
What will it take for college students to learn the follies of socialism? His answer will shock you, along with his reaction to the country as a kid--and what he saw on college campuses that alarmed him.
The highlight of the Riverside Republican Assembly Meeting took place towards the end.
The candidates all lined up on stage for final comments.
All of them gave very generic statements on the #1 issue why they were running for office.
Not one of them mentioned the most important issue, an issue which President Trump hammered repeatedly on the campaign trail for President last year.
And I brought it up:
The #1 issue is illegal immigration!
If Republican candidates running for office cannot comment on illegal immigration before a conservative club, then they have no business running for office.
A lot of people in the audience applauded my statement on that issue.
In fact, every one of the candidates spoke out on this contentious issue. That really lit a fire under the butts.
Andrew Kotyuk was the first to take up the challenge. As councilman on San Jacinto City Council, he wanted to issue two resolutions against DACA and sanctuary city policies. I was really impressed to hear about that.
Then others spoke out about immigration.
I was really impressed with some of the responses, especially from Aja Smith, who talked about the misuse of the 14th Amendment to benefit illegal aliens, when it was designed to ensure citizenship for black slaves an no one else.
Smith also mentioned the slow creep of Sharia Law and her vocal opposition to it. Not to be ignored, Doug Shepherd stepped up and announced his stance on this issue. "I support the President's agenda. I support the wall." I was really impressed that he stood his ground on fighting terrorism ... when he spoke to adherents at a mosque in Riverside. "Are you willing to denounce terrorism" he asked to the members of the mosque. Incredible!
The candidates got really fired up!
Smith had her views on the subject, and she wanted more than just a wall along the southern border.
Doug Shepherd told me that it was a good question or a good point, too.
Matthew Vitale is the famous college student from UC Riverside whose MAGA hat was stolen by a La Raza hater.
The lady who stole his hat walked all the way to the student affairs office on campus. She could not stop ranting and raving about how the hat was a symbol of genocide, white supremacy, etc.
Lo and Behold, he was a featured guest at the Riverside Republican Assembly meeting which I attended on Thursday.
He gave me some time so that I could interview him!
