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View Full Version : The most important thing I've ever written




tomveil
02-02-2008, 02:01 AM
This is something I sent to my closest friends and family today. If you like it, I encourage you to write your own or pass this one along.
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Hello everybody,

The first people who get this will know me. But for those of you who get it later, my name is Mike. I’m 30 years old, own my own small business, and am doing my best to live the American Dream. I’ve been thinking about writing this for quite a while, but I’ve never known exactly what to say. However, tonight I feel I don’t have any more time to waste. All I can say is, what follows comes from the bottom of my heart.

If you’re getting this message from me, it’s because I care about you. I care about your future. No doubt, each of you receiving this has a different relationship to me. We’ve shared different things and made different memories together. But the main thing that you all have in common is that I care about you. And because I hope that you care about me too, I hope that you’ll listen to what I have to say.

For the last couple years I’ve had an interest in politics. But it always felt like choosing between the lesser of two evils. Until this presidential election, when I found Ron Paul. A lot of you may not recognize the name. He doesn’t get a lot of attention in the media, and doesn’t get a lot of time in the debates. But when he does, these are the kinds of things you hear:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lP07YNDpDFM

Astonishing, isn’t it? A politician talking frankly about problems we face in this country. But you’ll never see that clip on the news. They don’t talk about Ron Paul much at all. When they do, they often describe him with a number of non-flattering adjectives. Those same adjectives are sometimes used to describe those of us who believe that what Ron Paul has to say should be heard by everybody.

It’s because of that belief that I’m writing now. I know that some of you aren’t political. Some of you may already have your candidate chosen. Some of you aren’t even US citizens. But this election is a very important one for our country. And I believe that when we make the decision about the direction we want our country to go, we should be aware of all possibilities. So please, watch this 45 minute video to hear what Ron Paul has to say.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8351865602354164048

If you disagree with him, I understand and respect that decision.

However, if you DO agree with him, please send this along to the people in your life that YOU care about. Personalize it. Add your story before you forward it if you’d like to. Explain why it matters to you, and why you think it should matter to the people in your life. At the end of the day, all the joy in our lives is because of the people that we care about and those that care about us. And we’re all in this thing together.

Presidential elections should be about more than sound bites and nice hair.

Thank you very much for your time.

Mike

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” -- Margaret Mead

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Soccrmastr
02-02-2008, 02:05 AM
Theres tons of stuff like this floating around. Right now only thing that will get us votes is canvassing door to door and being precinct leaders and donating.

Enzo
02-02-2008, 02:11 AM
Great job.

Very honest and sincere.

blamx8
02-02-2008, 02:13 AM
I think this type of approach with close associates and family is fantastic. My willingness to do something similar netted about 8 family members and 5 friends as RP supporters. It opens up dialogue and people can grow from there.

Nice work Mike.

affa
02-02-2008, 04:16 AM
Theres tons of stuff like this floating around. Right now only thing that will get us votes is canvassing door to door and being precinct leaders and donating.

way to be positive...

don't listen to him - great letter, OP!!

tomveil
02-02-2008, 11:29 PM
A reply that I got back from my ex-boss that I do fantasy baseball with that I haven't talked to this election year.

Hi Mike,
Thanks for the email. I have driven by the shop a few times recently, working in the area, eating lunch at the diner there, and I saw you Ron Paul sign over the door. It raised my eyebrows, and I wondered if you were a supporter. I guess I know the answer to that now. I like it that you are so involved, I truly admire that.
I so agree with a whole bunch of what Ron Paul has to say, and I wish he could get his message out to the "mainstream". Why did he come off so "bad" at the debates last month? I think he did not do well there, and has since been "dismissed" by the media and the republican party. Maybe that is a bad "take", just how I seem to see it. We have NO choices this election, the candidates are all the same, in my opinion. Ron Paul IS different, but he has NO chance, he can not get any play, and that is by design, imo.
I would love for you to read Pat Buchannon's new book, I loaned the darn thing out, and I can't think of the name, for crying out loud! Damn that sounds stupid. Anyway, it is not "kookery", or even "right-wing", not at all. It sounds a lot like Mr. Paul, if you want to know the truth. And those two have criticized the GOP equally as ardent, he does have street cred, as I see it. Heck, I'd even go purchase you the book and hand deliver it, if you told me you would read it and pass it on. It not only talks about all of our nations problems, and it seems as if there are many, it also offers simple solutions.
I will do more research on Ron Paul, and I will think about supporting him. I'd like to hear more about it, and for you to tell me how you can possibly be a "republican". Tell me what it is or was that turned you into such a Paul supporter. I like to have these discussions, and I find myself being a whole lot more "open-minded" these days, since I fell for the George W. Bush debacle, hook-line-&Sinker! I was a freeking Neo-Con in the making, and now I see how they have almost single handed ruined this country, at home and especially abroad. We have NO business in the Middle East, in Europe, or in Asia. We need to secure our borders, but, PERMIT legal migration, heck- encourage it for all I care, but lets do it right, and make it fair for us citizens. We need to STOP all this supposed Free-trade, and redefine it as FAIR trade, everyone play by the same rules, then we can and will compete and win. End the wasteful drug war. I could go on and on, maybe we can have dialogue(sp?).
I'll wait ot hear back from you,
Take it easy, and thanks for writing.
[name removed]

BreakYourChains
02-02-2008, 11:33 PM
A reply that I got back from my ex-boss that I do fantasy baseball with that I haven't talked to this election year.

Hi Mike,
Thanks for the email. I have driven by the shop a few times recently, working in the area, eating lunch at the diner there, and I saw you Ron Paul sign over the door. It raised my eyebrows, and I wondered if you were a supporter. I guess I know the answer to that now. I like it that you are so involved, I truly admire that.
I so agree with a whole bunch of what Ron Paul has to say, and I wish he could get his message out to the "mainstream". Why did he come off so "bad" at the debates last month? I think he did not do well there, and has since been "dismissed" by the media and the republican party. Maybe that is a bad "take", just how I seem to see it. We have NO choices this election, the candidates are all the same, in my opinion. Ron Paul IS different, but he has NO chance, he can not get any play, and that is by design, imo.
I would love for you to read Pat Buchannon's new book, I loaned the darn thing out, and I can't think of the name, for crying out loud! Damn that sounds stupid. Anyway, it is not "kookery", or even "right-wing", not at all. It sounds a lot like Mr. Paul, if you want to know the truth. And those two have criticized the GOP equally as ardent, he does have street cred, as I see it. Heck, I'd even go purchase you the book and hand deliver it, if you told me you would read it and pass it on. It not only talks about all of our nations problems, and it seems as if there are many, it also offers simple solutions.
I will do more research on Ron Paul, and I will think about supporting him. I'd like to hear more about it, and for you to tell me how you can possibly be a "republican". Tell me what it is or was that turned you into such a Paul supporter. I like to have these discussions, and I find myself being a whole lot more "open-minded" these days, since I fell for the George W. Bush debacle, hook-line-&Sinker! I was a freeking Neo-Con in the making, and now I see how they have almost single handed ruined this country, at home and especially abroad. We have NO business in the Middle East, in Europe, or in Asia. We need to secure our borders, but, PERMIT legal migration, heck- encourage it for all I care, but lets do it right, and make it fair for us citizens. We need to STOP all this supposed Free-trade, and redefine it as FAIR trade, everyone play by the same rules, then we can and will compete and win. End the wasteful drug war. I could go on and on, maybe we can have dialogue(sp?).
I'll wait ot hear back from you,
Take it easy, and thanks for writing.
[name removed]

From reading his reply, he is ALREADY a Ron Paul supporter. You just have to nail it down, as he doesn't even know it! Great job, and great post!

Neomatrix
02-02-2008, 11:33 PM
Sweet! Start dialogging:D!

tomveil
02-02-2008, 11:56 PM
From reading his reply, he is ALREADY a Ron Paul supporter. You just have to nail it down, as he doesn't even know it! Great job, and great post!

That's exactly what I told him when I wrote back.

affa
02-03-2008, 12:04 AM
his response made my day

IowaGarrett
02-03-2008, 01:05 AM
nice

isleofus
02-03-2008, 04:06 PM
to those who read. If we could get more people to read what we and others have written about Ron Paul, he would be elected President. You've got to get that horse to drink after he's been brought to the water!

Problem is, not everybody reads. Thank God for the ones who have the brains to actually take the time to absorb the message.

tomveil
02-03-2008, 04:49 PM
to those who read. If we could get more people to read what we and others have written about Ron Paul, he would be elected President. You've got to get that horse to drink after he's been brought to the water!

Problem is, not everybody reads. Thank God for the ones who have the brains to actually take the time to absorb the message.

The way that I look at it is this:

If even 1 person that I sent this too sends it on to their family/loved ones, that's a victory. Because if even 1 person THEY send it to sends it to THEIR family/loved ones.......soon everybody in the country is going to be getting these emails.

I have no doubt in my mind that if we had another year, Ron Paul would be president AND IT WOULDN'T EVEN BE CLOSE. As it stands now, we have to really try to connect with the people we care about, because time is getting short.

Besides, even if somebody ignores my mail, maybe they'll read it when it's sent by somebody ELSE they know. Or the 3rd time they get it. Or the 4th. Pretty soon, they'll have to think "You know, all these people who know me all agree. Maybe I should really look into this....."

It's 4th and 1500 yards to go. We need a hail mary, but stranger things have happened ;)