Those Pesky Commies

I recently attended the monthly meeting of my local Rifleman’s Association. I’m not able to go to every meeting with having a little one at home, so I was quite pleased that I’d make it to this one after hearing who the speaker was going to be.

Michael Mitev was born in Bulgaria when it was part of the Soviet Union. 20 years ago he and his family legally came to the U.S. He considers our Constitution to be like a Bible. If only more people would, right?

Mr. Mitev had an abundance of information, so bear with me and I’ll try to condense it down to the most important points.

- Both of his parents were heavily tied to Communism, his mother a teacher, and his father in the military.

- He first started to question Communism in high school. Because of his questions he was kicked out of school.

- He eventually spoke out against Communism and in favor of the U.S. Constitution.

- The secret service followed his actions, and in 1983 he went to political prison for the 1st time and was put into isolation. At this time Regan was talking of bringing down the wall and provided inspiration to him.

- He tried to leave the country many times but was unable to. In 1987, he was planning an escape to Turkey when he was arrested for the 2nd time. His family wasn’t even notified.

- After a trial that was closed to the public and lasted 6 days with the prosecutor preparing 45 witnesses against him, he was put back in prison. He served 2 ½ years before the political climate changed allowing him to be released early.

- In February of 1990, Mr. Mitev started the process of coming to America. In September of that year, with nothing but $150 and his wife and baby, he arrived in New York. He ended up in Champaign, IL with a family who sponsored his flight to the U.S.

- He became a U.S. citizen in 1995 and is now finally able to visit relatives in Bulgaria. That government is still run by former KGB criminals, and the people are unable to protect themselves.

- Mr. Mitev takes issue with the term “gun violence” and notes that the number of kids 18 and under who die from gun-related violence is much lower than those who die from drowning, gang violence, and drug wars. The fact that our southern border is completely open lets drugs come in, perpetuating more violence.

- Karl Marx’s Manifesto called for the abolition of private property, and the implementation of national banks and media. Quite the opposite of what our Constitution calls for. The Founders knew that governments will turn oppressive if given the chance, so they gave us the Bill of Rights and the Constitution. Mr. Mitev sees many of these rights being taken away. We must protect our rights if we are going to keep them.

It was really impressive and inspiring to see a man who chooses to be an American, who appreciates what this nation has to offer more than so many American-born citizens. Since history has a tendency to repeat itself, we could all do well to remember what he went through, and what we was willing to do to make a better life for himself and his family.