By Seth Grossman

Last June, I surprised a lot of people. I won the Primary Election and became the Republican nominee for the Congress in South Jersey's 2nd District. I was known for helping to kill the toll hike scheme of Democratic Governor Jon Corzine in 2008.

I was also known for running against Governor Chris Christie in the 2013 Republican primary at the height of his popularity. I opposed his reckless borrowing with NJ's pension plans, Atlantic City government, and dozens of unelected "authorities."

Now, the national media -- including this paper -- describe me as a "bigot." Why?

I am the grandson of Jews who fled violence and persecution in Eastern Europe 110 years ago. I grew up in Atlantic City in the 50s and 60s, when its 60,000 people of all races and backgrounds lived in vibrant neighborhoods.

I went to Atlantic City's mostly black Central Junior High and largely black high school. Many of the teachers who taught and inspired me the most were black. So were many of the best students in my classes.

Like most kids back then, I worked summer jobs since age 14 when I could get working papers at age 14. I made change at arcades, washed dishes, waited tables, and drove cabs with kids from all over the city.

I served in Atlantic City's Army National Guard unit from 1971 to 1977. Since it had been a "colored" unit before President Truman integrated the army in 1948, most of my officers, sergeants, and fellow reservists in that Atlantic City unit were black.

When I finished law school, I opened my practice in Atlantic City. I began with small, difficult cases few other lawyers wanted. Roughly half of my clients were black or Hispanic. In 1986, I was elected to City Council in an at-large, city-wide election. When I moved my office to Somers Point, most of my inner-city clients stayed with me.

Why am I called a "bigot?" I think it comes down to these four factors:

1. I am "another white man." That is how I was described in this paper last June. Is it acceptable to describe a person of any other race or gender that way? In today's politically correct America, every "white man" is presumed to be a bigot. We can prove innocence only by embracing "progressive" causes -- something I refuse to do. Meanwhile, people of other races and genders, like Sarah Jeong, are ignored or excused when they routinely spout racist hatred like "#CancelWhitePeople".

2. I believe blacks are equal to whites in every way. I know they can succeed in every area of life without quotas, preferences, or other special treatment. That is because I personally know so many who did, and how they did it. I also know many immigrants of all races who overcame even bigger obstacles.

3. I recognize the danger of radical Islam. I closely followed the teachings of the "Blind Sheik" ever since one of his followers murdered Rabbi Meir Kahane in a New York hotel in 1990. I had long conversations with an Atlantic City friend who was the FBI agent who arrested another follower who tried to topple the World Trade Center with a truck bomb in 1993.

4. I believe in the American tradition of having open and honest conversations about the important issues that affect us most. I agree with Benjamin Franklin who said "By the collision of different sentiments, sparks of truth are struck out, and political light is obtained." Over the years, I admit saying things that turned out to be wrong. However, if I did not speak out, I never would have learned the truth by being corrected.

My opponent is a Democratic State Senator who has been in Trenton for the past 16 years. He did not offend anyone, because he rarely if ever spoke openly about controversial issues. During these years, he supported his party's leaders to borrow and spend more and more on pay raises, pensions, and everybody's favorite projects. Voters have a clear choice on November 6.

Seth Grossman is a Somers Point attorney and was executive director of LibertyAndProsperity.com until he became a candidate for Congress this year. He can be reached at info@grossmanforcongress.com.