IF YOU PAY THE PRICE YOU WILL GET THE PRIZE! Orrin, If you don’t mind I would like to use my own, personal life story to respond to some of the issues that where brought up in your last two articles. It is dear to my heart to point out that it is not my intention to brag about the way my wife and I handled the challenges that confronted us. In 1991 my wife and I as well as our 8 month old daughter left Germany to start a new episode in our life here in the US. My wife’s Dad was American citizen and at the time was willing to support us. We left the land of familiar and all the dream steelers behind us. We didn’t decide to come here because the potatoes might have been more expensive than in Germany. No, we came as so many others did, to take advantage of the opportunities that this great country had to offer. THE LAND OF OPPORTUNITY was calling. At the time I was familiar with the English language as much as a British School English had taught. I was at least able to get along. My wife on the other hand didn’t speak any English at all. Within the first six month after our arrival we both joined Community College Classes in the evenings that were offered “for free”! We increased our English language knowledge. My wife got pregnant with our second child but continued to join those classes all during her time of pregnancy. Due to the fact that our immigration process was not finalized, we were not allowed to work for any employer. This did not stop us. My wife and I started our own business in the construction industry. We paid our taxes every year (without having a working permit). We did pay the price and knew that it was only fair. Years went by and we finally got the permanent residency for the US. The family grew and our third daughter was born in 1994. We were raising American Citizens! What I personally experienced throughout these years was patriotism in this country that I was not used to when I grew up in Germany. I learned more about the history of this great nation. Its founding fathers and the biblical principles embedded in the constitution.There was obviously a foundation established on which a great future could be build. Years later we got introduced to the TEAM. Through the personal development and value system provided by TEAM, I experienced a tremendous calling. Never before in my life did I feel a stronger desire to be part of something. It was almost like my life was carefully planed that way from the beginning. My wife and I decided to become US citizens. And we are proud to be! We have talked about this many times. We had only one answer: It was meant to be. Looking back we know that there was a reason why today we feel so tremendously blessed. Because we were willing to pay the price by exposing us to the history of this nation and the language and the culture of its people we were blessed by the experience of it. We were the once that got enriched because we gave in first. For all out there that came to this country I have just one question: What price are you willing to pay to receive your prize? What is your contribution to this nation. And for those that voted against English being the official language in the United States: My wife and I once decided to move into a free country were we thought its citizens respected their history. No it’s our history too. And we will not move one inch away from it. With respect, Herbert S. Wagner