Matt Strickland’s story is one on which the America Dream is built on. His 15 years in the military and 7 years as a small business owner exemplifies the qualities of patriotism, hard work, family responsibilities, Christian values, service and community involvement. He has seen the horrors of the battlefield and shed blood, sweat and tears building up his family’s new business. He then fought and won against the regulatory system that tried to close down his business under tyrannical and nonsensical covid rules. Now Matt is running for the Virginia State Senate to be a voice of reason and common sense for his community and beyond. Join us this episode to see what the American Dream should look like in the 21st century and you will be inspired to make a difference wherever you are around the world.At the age of 17, Matt Strickland joined the United States Army to escape the gang violence of the neighbourhoods where he was raised. Inspired by his grandfather, who served as an Infantryman under General Patton in World War II, Matt enlisted in the Army in 2001.After completing basic and advanced training, Matt received orders to his first duty station, 25th Infantry, at Ft. Lewis, WA. He reported to 25th Infantry on September 10th, 2001, not knowing the next day, life as we once knew it would change forever.Matt knew he had a full life ahead of him, but he was ready to give it up in defence of his country. Matt spent most of the next ten years in Iraq & Afghanistan defending his country. Matt’s service to his country includes multiple deployments as a private military contractor as well, serving on Blackwater’s Counter Assault Team until 2010 when he decided to accept a position as an Intelligence Analyst back in Virginia. In 2014, when ISIS began sweeping through Iraq, Matt could not sit back and watch, so he deployed once again to join the fight against The Islamic State. In 2016, after fighting ISIS for two years, Matt hung up his combat boots.The previous two years allowed Matt to reflect on the legacy outside of combat that he wanted to leave for his children. Cooking has always been one of Matt’s hobbies and biggest passions, and owning a restaurant was always his ultimate goal.Matt opened his first food truck in 2016 which quickly became a success, and he and his wife, grew from one truck to three trucks in just over a year. Two years later he sold the food trucks and opened the doors to the restaurant version, and it continued to grow in success.Everything was great until 2020 when the government began using the Coronavirus as an excuse to control society.Matt continued to open without restrictions, regardless of the consequences, he and his wife opposed the unconstitutional mandates and the restaurant was filled with Patriots from open to close. Despite numerous threats and attempts to shut them down by the state and federal government, he remained open and stood with the people. The Attorney General of Virginia sued Matt in an attempt to shut their doors, but he won, restoring his hope for the country’s future.Through his fight against the tyrannical government, Matt realised there was a void in Virginia politics and that catalyst sparked his interest in running for State Senate and with him being a fifth-generation Virginian, his state and his country mean everything to him. Follow and support Matt……WEBSITE: https://www.mattforva.com/TWITTER: https://www.twitter.com/mattforvaFACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/mattforva YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFArRLx6n7UTbOBN0EYjn7wInterview recorded 17.1.23 Audio Podcast version available on Podbean and all major podcast directories. ⁣https://heartsofoak.podbean.com/To sign up for our weekly email, find our social media, podcasts, video, livestreaming platforms and more https://heartsofoak.org/connect/Please follow, like and share!

15 minute cities or 20 minute neighbourhoods are a dangerous experiment that is pushed by many progressive politicians in many areas of the UK and beyond. The idea sounds idyllic, to make sure that everything you need is available within 15 mins walk or cycle ride from your front door. But it is being driven by the green lobby who are pushing for net zero and It is an attack on the motorist. Oxford, The City of Dreaming Spires, is famous the world over for its University and place in history, for over 800 years, it has been a home to royalty and scholars and now it is one of the first cities in the UK to trial this measure where it is proposed that the metropolis will be divided up into zones and each household will receive 100 passes to allow them to travel outside of their area. Anyone driving outside of their zone without the required paperwork will be fined £70 using a network of cameras. David Carpin joins us as the Reform Party candidate for Henley and the local council, he tells us what lies behind this scheme and why the elected assembly have ignored local opposition and why the Reform Party are the main political opposition to this.Reform Party Links…..Website: https://www.reformparty.uk/GETTR: https://gettr.com/user/reformparty_ukTwitter: https://twitter.com/reformparty_uk?s=20&t=pKd38xQWhPpeZxoNA8j3cwInterview recorded 13.1.23 Audio Podcast version available on Podbean and all major podcast directories. ⁣https://heartsofoak.podbean.com/To sign up for our weekly email, find our social media, podcasts, video, livestreaming platforms and more https://heartsofoak.org/connect/