Opinion Article from The Chattanoogan [Archive] - Ron Paul Forums / Liberty Forest

IcyPeaceMaker

01-23-2008, 09:44 AM

That endorsement will be circulated in my local newspaper covering 3 parishes in south Louisiana.

Consider Ron Paul
posted January 22, 2008

I do not write this by candlelight to pretend the year is 1776, but rather as an attempt to draw on the mood of our founding fathers as I consider the current state of affairs. This letter goes out to each person who is greatly concerned with the direction our great country is going.

In this momentous election year, with only 6.5% of the delegates decided, and with many primaries just around the corner, we do well for ourselves and our future generations to step back from the busyness of the moment, to thoughtfully consider, and then to make our voice heard.

I have discovered a candidate who truly loves this country, who consistently votes for the benefit of those he represents, and whose integrity is unmatched. While several other candidates are currently listed on the "Ten Most Wanted Corrupt Politicians" for 2007 list by Judicial Watch, you see a striking difference when you look at Dr. Ron Paul, who refuses to accept the congressional retirement program offered him because he has gone to Washington and remembered it is the people he represents who have to pay the bill for such things. Dr. Paul is the one candidate who consistently votes to reduce the tax-burden on hard-working Americans. While the other candidates promise more programs, Dr. Paul speaks out and votes against ever-increasing amounts of our paycheck going to the federal government, which tends to offer cookie-cutter solutions and includes more waste as it increases the layers of bureaucracy.

As for illegal immigration, again we see that Dr. Paul is guided by the principles that made this country great - freedom and opportunity, balanced with the rule of law. Dr. Paul makes sense when he says that you get more of something when you reward it. Therefore, in order to address this issue, we must secure the border, but we must also not have amnesty or birthright citizenship which motivate people to come illegally. For centuries, America has stood as a beacon of hope and a land of opportunity to the world; hope and opportunity that with hard work and ingenuity, one could enjoy the fruits of one's labor. But to systematically reward me with the fruits of your labor is ultimately de-motivating for both sides work ethic. Even where I thought it would be generous of me to help with my resources, it would be immoral for me to steal from you to "be generous" to others. Dr. Paul believes in motivating those that work hard by fair (lower) taxation, not in rewarding illegal behaviors by increased taking from the hard-working.

On matters of national defense, pretty much everyone agrees now that we went into Iraq on false pretense of threat to our safety as a nation. If we intended to invade to overthrow a cruel dictator, then we should have made it clear that was the mission, and we should have done it with well-laid plans for short-term military success and long-term stability and peace. I have the utmost respect and appreciation for each American who has enlisted to defend our country. But did not our founding fathers recognize the danger of absolute power corrupting absolutely when they carved checks and balances into our county's foundation? America needs a future president that is strong enough to resist the urge to take the power intended for congress to declare war. Following 9-11, when much of our countries leadership was pushing war, Dr. Paul voted in favor of going after the people involved in the attack, but was speaking out strongly in Congress against invading Iraq, who wasn't involved in 9-11. Isn't that what we need as a leader - someone with the foresight, clear thinking and wisdom to guide our nation in times of difficulty?

Similarly, a clear contrast can be seen between Dr. Paul and the other candidates in the recent discussion about Iran. While it appears that most of the candidates approach the discussion with the mentality of the local playground bully (with an arsenal of threats and intimidation), Dr. Paul speaks with wisdom, rather than more aggressive rhetoric that escalates the conflict. It greatly concerns me that some of these guys seem like they can't wait to get their hands on the "trigger button." When this country experiences a real external threat, we will have no shortage of volunteer troops to defend us. But with our troops spread so thin in police actions around the world, a draft is inevitable, and probably will be here soon with the current direction. The choice is ours: strength, wisdom and tact, or almost constant fighting.

It is worth noting that Dr. Paul comes to politics with a background as a physician, not as another lawyer. Our country needs a leader who can approach difficult issues to bring needed change toward good health for America, not special interests. Lobbyists pushing special interests go right past his door because he can't be bought. Another strong interest of his is the economy and monetary policy. He has studied these issues extensively, and I don't see any other candidate knowledgeable enough to debate with the fed chairman the short vs. long-term impact of the feds intervention and impact on the economy. Our economy cannot afford to have the leadership of this country anything less than well-studied on these and related issues.

Lastly, on the issue of electability, a Republican will win the Republican nomination, and that is for certain. But I would argue that the Republican Party would do itself no favor to bring to the November election another voice that echoes the same old thing you hear from the current administration. In fact, if our nominee sounds like they will offer four more years of the same, I will wonder if the Republican Party strategists were hijacked by the Democrats. Trouble on the economic home-front and trouble abroad plus four more years isn't exactly a recipe for success, no matter how unappealing the other options are. Meanwhile, Dr. Paul garners support from every spectrum of the political rainbow, not because he promises the government can give the pot of gold, but rather because he stands for hard-work, personal responsibility, freedom, and opportunity, within the rule of law. Isn't that what made us the envy of the world?

Yes, there is a lot at stake. The future is shaped by our actions now. If you want to vote for the status quo, there are plenty of others to choose from. But serious concerns on our shores and abroad require serious solutions to move us back in the right direction. With only less than 10% of the votes cast to determine the Republican nominee, let’s just go ahead and give the remaining 90% to the good doctor - representing Hope for America - Dr. Ron Paul.

David A. Shinn
Chattanooga