Text of Robert M. Clinger III's Speech at Thinking Outside the Boxe's 10th Anniversary Celebration on Independence Day 2013

Myrtle Beach, SC, Orlando, FL, Washington, DC July 17, 2013 - Thinking Outside the Boxe, an independent and nonpartisan think tank, is pleased to release the transcript of founder Robert M. Clinger III's speech at its 10th Anniversary celebration in Orlando, Florida on July 4, 2013 at the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa.

Surrounded by supporters of Thinking Outside the Boxe and friends, Mr. Clinger delievered an at times emotional speech reflecting on the history of the organization, commenting on the state of America, and offering insights on the future endeavors of the think tank. The speech capped off an invitation-only celebration that included a number of other guest speakers and a memorial to Sebastian G. Perey, an instrumental figure in the development of the organization. Highlights of Mr. Clinger's speech include the following:

"Today we celebrate a milestone in the history of Thinking Outside the Boxe. A decade ago our dearly departed friend and inspiration, Sebastian, and I set out to create a forum where we and others could share their thoughts and craft creative solutions to the world's and society's problems. We were tired of the same old rhetoric and stale thinking from the politically motivated and biased think tanks. We were tired of the antiquated and elitist thinking that only the major think tanks, Washington politicians and bureaucrats, or the mainstream media were intellectually capable of studying problems and devising potential solutions that were implementable. We knew and still know that everyday Americans have thoughts and solutions to our most pressing problems here in America and throughout the world, and we committed ourselves to providing common sense solutions and analysis in a manner that everyone can relate to. We wanted to provide logical, fact-based reasoning and apply practical knowledge to crafting recommendations. And if all this meant that we were controversial or uncommon or provocative, then so be it. We weren't going to shy away from analyzing a topic or proposing a solution simply because it was politically unpopular or not politically correct or so far outside the mainstream propaganda that we risked being label crazy or detached from reality by the closed-minded thinkers of the day…

"…The free exchange of ideas and thoughts, regardless of how our opinions may differ, has always been what makes America great and sets us apart from most other nations of the world…The common thread that has unified all of us at Thinking Outside the Boxe, starting with Sebastian and me, has been a commitment to the ideals espoused by our Founding Fathers-limited federal government, democracy, personal responsibility, and liberty for the American people. Our commitment has been to fostering ideas and solutions that respect those long-standing ideals of our constitutional republic while keeping the best interests of the American citizens and taxpayers in mind…

"…We have expanded our limited discussion and research to include an annual symposium and a series of champagne summits, the only purpose of which is to further our discussions in a round table, open, and non-partisan manner. We believe that the best solutions result from the combined efforts of various thinkers, stakeholders, business people and people of different political persuasions…The ideals to which we had been committed for so long are larger than any one person. The work of defending our liberty and our freedom is never done, and that work must be carried on by others when we are gone….

"…As we look forward to the future of Thinking Outside the Boxe, I am confident that we are well positioned to continue our fight to find creative solutions to the problems facing our country. We are in dire straits as a nation, now more so than ever before. The challenges facing our country are perhaps the greatest we have faced in generations…

"…We remain committed to the ideals of our Founding Fathers and the ideals of inclusive, fair, honest, intellectual, impartial, and common sense thinking, analysis, and solutions for the problems of today and tomorrow. We look forward to another ten years of working together to make America a better place for all of us."

The full text of Mr. Clinger's speech can be found on the Thinking Outside the Boxe website or by clicking HERE.

About Thinking Outside the Boxe-Thinking Outside the Boxe is a private, nonpartisan think tank that is dedicated to providing a wide variety of perspectives on issues that are of interest to the general public. The views that are expressed in Thinking Outside the Boxe's commentaries and research are often times uncommon, provocative, and controversial. Thinking Outside the Boxe's mission is to formulate and promote positions and to provide research, independently, that would otherwise be deprived of an outlet in the mainstream media. Thinking Outside the Boxe's commentators and researchers seek to broaden the parameters of public knowledge by addressing issues in such a fashion as to provoke thought and debate on some of the most pressing issues of our day. Thinking Outside the Boxe also hosts a series of Champagne Summits that provide an opportunity for political strategists and commentators, business leaders, economists, and individuals interested in nonpartisan examination of current events to gather for an afternoon of debate and roundtable discussions on economic conditions and the outlook, geopolitical events, domestic politics, foreign policy, business conditions and outlook, societal issues, among other topics.