Justice Fairness War and Peace - It's All Black and White to Ron Paul
By Diane V. McLoughlin
January 12, 2012
(Editor's note: there are large gaps between text and videos to prevent overlap,
below.)
Republican leadership candidate, twelve-term congressman, published author and
doctor, Ron Paul is a threat to the special interests who gorge themselves at the
trough in Washington D.C. The gloves are off in order to prevent his successful
bid for the presidency. Thus, Ron Paul has been smeared as a racist.
The evidence from his life: what Ron Paul says, and has said; what Ron Paul
does and has done - is a golden reflection of this man's character. Ron Paul is a
man who serves his country with distinction, without compromising his
principles.
I am not affiliated with Ron Paul's campaign. I do not know, and I have never met
Ron Paul. I consider my politics to be independent in nature. I do not agree with
some of the points in his election platform. (How about some leeway with the
morning-after pill, for example. That is not abortion, any more than dropping an
egg from the fridge is a chicken.) Some principles embodied in his platform -
restoring our civil liberties; the right to privacy; repeal of the
Constitution-shredding Patriot Act, for example - I agree with, heartily.
When it comes to American foreign policy there is no one on the left or the right,
who is either willing or able to challenge President Obama in this election cycle
other than Ron Paul. We are running out of time. There may not be another time.
If our continuous military push eastward does not stop - if we do not pull back -
then we are rapidly approaching world, and I fear nuclear, war. Battle ships are
already placed near Iran's coast. American troops and weapons are being
strategically placed, as well. More and more military activity is being reported
by the day.
Russia and China have both let it be known that they will not be able to sit this
one out, if a war on Iran commenced.
As a writer, I have spent the last several years focused primarily on the
Israel-Palestine issue. Justice, equality, and human rights should be the birthright
of all people everywhere. I stake my professional reputation on the conviction
that Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul, far from being a racist, is a
statesman as well as a humanitarian.
The newsletters: Twenty years ago and more, newsletters were published using
Ron Paul's name as their title. Other people ran them, and as owner Ron Paul
benefited financially from them. That's my understanding. They were edited by
various editors and written for by various writers who came and went. In some
of the newsletters, offensive and racist, or at least politically incorrect and
insensitive comments are to be found in them. Ron Paul has steadfastly
maintained that he did not write the offending passages.
I came across this interesting investigative news item regarding the newsletters
just a few days ago:
Having watched the 'Reality Check' clip, above, I would say that the mystery of
who wrote the offending lines in the newsletters is not completely solved. Out of
approximately 240 newsletters, only a small percentage contain anything
inflammatory. The time period in question succinctly coincides with work
contributed by a particular writer.
What I can say is this: When Ron Paul speaks (and there is a treasure trove of
YouTube videos to choose from, to listen to what he says and how he says it,)
like a voice print or a finger print, the offending letters do not match Ron Paul in
tone or in the choice of words.
While we do not know who wrote the passages in the newsletters, there are quite
a few things we do know about Ron Paul.
The record: Dr. Paul trained as an ob/gyn. He has delivered 4,000 babies in his
medical career.
Dr. Paul would donate his time in a Catholic hospital, working for $3 an hour.
The YouTube Superpac-produced ad, 'The Compassion of Dr. Ron Paul'
[536,000+ views]:
Military service: When Ron Paul got married and started a family, he was called
up, during the Cuban missile crisis.
The growing realization of the inequality and unfairness in American society:
Ron Paul once believed in the death penalty. Living in Texas, this is not so
surprising. But he changed his mind when he realized that justice was meted out
differently toward those from poor and ethnic communities. There were, in fact,
two justice systems. One for the rich, or white (or both) - and one for everybody
else. With the advance of forensic science and DNA testing, society began to
learn without a doubt that innocent people had been put to death for crimes they
did not commit after all - the worst form of injustice.
The War on Drugs is a war on people: It is Ron Paul's intention that, should he
be elected President, he would pardon all non-violent drug offenders. Why?
Because the justice system is biased, again, against people who are poor, black
or hispanic. 14% of drug offenses are committed by blacks or hispanics. Yet,
over 60% of those imprisoned for drug offenses are from poor or ethnic
communities. He deplores the fact that the so-called War on Drugs is a war on
young people, a war which is unnecessarily devastating lives, families and
communities. Drug addiction is no different than alcohol addiction, according to
Dr. Paul. They are diseases to be treated medically, not punished with
incarceration.
'Dr. No': The establishment smears Ron Paul as an insider - that's who they are
talking about when you hear pundits argue the country does not need another
'Washington insider' leading the country - it's code. I could not disagree more.
I wished President Obama well when he was elected and I was happy at the
prospect that his winning meant every American child could grow up with no
limits to their dreams of what they could accomplish.
But President Obama is relatively inexperienced even now on the devilishly
intricate ways of politics; at least, that is my sense of things. He did not have a lot
of political experience under his belt before he became President. I suspect that it
is this lack of experience that, at least in part, has permitted those with ulterior
motives other than what's best for the country to hold sway in the back rooms and
corridors of power in Washington D.C.
Photo: Congressman Ron Paul
Ron Paul, by contrast, is a twelve-term congressman. His nickname in
Washington is 'Dr. No' - particularly when it comes to raising taxes. He believes
that your money is your money - not the government's. Charitable donations
should be up to individuals - not forced without consent. He has proven himself
to be a man of principle who can not be bought off.
The Martin Luther King, Jr. national holiday vote: I respect the fact that
people wonder why Ron Paul voted against the establishment of the MLK
national holiday. These concerns must be, and deserve to be, addressed. I
would not presume to speak for Dr. Paul, but I can provide background on some
of the issues of that time. It took fifteen years from its first being proposed, for
the law establishing the MLK national holiday to successfully pass both the
House and the Senate. Interestingly, it was only when the House and Senate were
both controlled by Republicans did it finally pass.
Some lawmakers did vote against the proposal, including Congressman Paul.
Back then, the country only had two national holidays named after historical
figures: George Washington and Christopher Columbus. Consideration of the
creation of a national holiday for any personage of note would be a challenge;
there are so many worthy and admirable candidates one might propose.
Another interesting element to consider is that it takes time to appreciate the full
impact a person has made on national life. Memory did not fade in Martin Luther
King, Jr.'s case. The light of realization grew, instead.
The final consideration regarding Ron Paul's vote is the fact that many times over
the years, a counter-proposal was made to honor Martin Luther King Jr. with a
commemorative day, rather than a national holiday. Ron Paul is a fiscal
conservative. So it follows that he was elected by his district to watch out for the
taxpayer's interest. In 1986, which to-date was twenty-six years ago, it was
estimated that a paid holiday for federal employees would cost the country
approximately 200 million dollars per year, for which private sector workers
must pay, while deriving no benefit themselves.
I would not have agreed with his decision to vote against it. But it seems to me it
took courage to do what he thought was right, regardless of the personal cost to
himself. Ron Paul does not hesitate to say that Martin Luther King, Jr. was a hero
- which, of course, he truly was.
The Civil Rights Act: Ron Paul's problem with the Civil Rights Act was that it
gave the government power he feared could be abused in unanticipated ways
down the road. The men and women who are elected to represent us are
lawmakers. It's their duty to consider whether a law is worded and designed in
such a way that it won't do harm to our freedoms; or even whether a law should
exist at all. As a libertarian, Ron Paul would view this task as his sacred duty:
maximizing your power over yourself, and minimizing the power of the
government over your life.
The quest for empire always destroys the nation that seeks it:
Ron Paul is adamant that these destructive, costly and unnecessary wars must end.
They are ruining the lives, or taking the lives, of our young people. As we have
been reminded in recent days, war can, and frequently does, morally degrade
those enlisted to fight them.
Percentage-wise, poor, black, and ethnic communities sacrifice more than their
fair share. Yet, they have been lied to about the real purposes of these wars.
Furthermore, these wars are ruining the economy, diminishing our security, and
destroying our civil liberties here at home.
President Obama has just signed into law the National Defense Authorization Act
(NDAA) which includes the right to detain American citizens without charge or
trial, indefinitely. He has already previously claimed that he has the right to
assassinate American citizens far from any battle field, and he has done just that.
(The Awlaki case.)
The peril to freedom did not begin with President Obama. The problems are
many and deeply entrenched. But he has chosen, for whatever the reason, to
continue taking the nation, and the Constitution, down this dark and perilous road.
As a constitutional lawyer himself, however, it is difficult to accept that President
Obama doesn't comprehend the dire risks. Between laws passed during George
W. Bush's administration and President Obama's, there are few rights, liberties or
laws left to protect Americans from their government.
The attacks on Ron Paul are a house of cards: smears, guilt by alleged
association, or somebody said something or claim they know what. The real
evidence points to Ron Paul's love for liberty and a higher truth, along with hope
for peace, freedom and prosperity for all.
Considering his conviction that justice should indeed be blind and fair;
considering the fact that Ron Paul asks how we would feel if nations treated us
the way we have been treating them - no. This does not look like hatred or
bigotry to me. All the evidence points to Ron Paul's decency and uncommon good
sense.
He has the moral courage to propose forming friendly alliances with other
nations, rather than waging endless war. Not everybody in Washington D. C. (or
the media) shares this view, as can be seen in this YouTube from the 2007
Republican leadership campaign
[2,120,612+ views]:
While there are many interesting YouTube videos about Ron Paul (for example,
another I highly recommend is entitled, 'What some Black people think of Ron
Paul'), the following Youtube is my personal favorite. It features John F.
Kennedy as well as Martin Luther King Jr. Their words, and the heart and spirit
of truth behind them are beyond exceptional. (Best relished with a good set of
headphones.) Otherwise, I'll leave this video as the last word on why I am
endorsing Ron Paul to be the next President of the United States of America:
_____________
Books
by Ron Paul
External link: Ron Paul 2012 Official Campaign Website
Fiercely independent!
Please donate.
Copyright Diane V. McLoughlin, 2012 All Rights Reserved
By Diane V. McLoughlin
January 12, 2012
(Editor's note: there are large gaps between text and videos to prevent overlap,
below.)
Republican leadership candidate, twelve-term congressman, published author and
doctor, Ron Paul is a threat to the special interests who gorge themselves at the
trough in Washington D.C. The gloves are off in order to prevent his successful
bid for the presidency. Thus, Ron Paul has been smeared as a racist.
The evidence from his life: what Ron Paul says, and has said; what Ron Paul
does and has done - is a golden reflection of this man's character. Ron Paul is a
man who serves his country with distinction, without compromising his
principles.
I am not affiliated with Ron Paul's campaign. I do not know, and I have never met
Ron Paul. I consider my politics to be independent in nature. I do not agree with
some of the points in his election platform. (How about some leeway with the
morning-after pill, for example. That is not abortion, any more than dropping an
egg from the fridge is a chicken.) Some principles embodied in his platform -
restoring our civil liberties; the right to privacy; repeal of the
Constitution-shredding Patriot Act, for example - I agree with, heartily.
When it comes to American foreign policy there is no one on the left or the right,
who is either willing or able to challenge President Obama in this election cycle
other than Ron Paul. We are running out of time. There may not be another time.
If our continuous military push eastward does not stop - if we do not pull back -
then we are rapidly approaching world, and I fear nuclear, war. Battle ships are
already placed near Iran's coast. American troops and weapons are being
strategically placed, as well. More and more military activity is being reported
by the day.
Russia and China have both let it be known that they will not be able to sit this
one out, if a war on Iran commenced.
As a writer, I have spent the last several years focused primarily on the
Israel-Palestine issue. Justice, equality, and human rights should be the birthright
of all people everywhere. I stake my professional reputation on the conviction
that Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul, far from being a racist, is a
statesman as well as a humanitarian.
The newsletters: Twenty years ago and more, newsletters were published using
Ron Paul's name as their title. Other people ran them, and as owner Ron Paul
benefited financially from them. That's my understanding. They were edited by
various editors and written for by various writers who came and went. In some
of the newsletters, offensive and racist, or at least politically incorrect and
insensitive comments are to be found in them. Ron Paul has steadfastly
maintained that he did not write the offending passages.
I came across this interesting investigative news item regarding the newsletters
just a few days ago:
Having watched the 'Reality Check' clip, above, I would say that the mystery of
who wrote the offending lines in the newsletters is not completely solved. Out of
approximately 240 newsletters, only a small percentage contain anything
inflammatory. The time period in question succinctly coincides with work
contributed by a particular writer.
What I can say is this: When Ron Paul speaks (and there is a treasure trove of
YouTube videos to choose from, to listen to what he says and how he says it,)
like a voice print or a finger print, the offending letters do not match Ron Paul in
tone or in the choice of words.
While we do not know who wrote the passages in the newsletters, there are quite
a few things we do know about Ron Paul.
The record: Dr. Paul trained as an ob/gyn. He has delivered 4,000 babies in his
medical career.
Dr. Paul would donate his time in a Catholic hospital, working for $3 an hour.
The YouTube Superpac-produced ad, 'The Compassion of Dr. Ron Paul'
[536,000+ views]:
Military service: When Ron Paul got married and started a family, he was called
up, during the Cuban missile crisis.
The growing realization of the inequality and unfairness in American society:
Ron Paul once believed in the death penalty. Living in Texas, this is not so
surprising. But he changed his mind when he realized that justice was meted out
differently toward those from poor and ethnic communities. There were, in fact,
two justice systems. One for the rich, or white (or both) - and one for everybody
else. With the advance of forensic science and DNA testing, society began to
learn without a doubt that innocent people had been put to death for crimes they
did not commit after all - the worst form of injustice.
The War on Drugs is a war on people: It is Ron Paul's intention that, should he
be elected President, he would pardon all non-violent drug offenders. Why?
Because the justice system is biased, again, against people who are poor, black
or hispanic. 14% of drug offenses are committed by blacks or hispanics. Yet,
over 60% of those imprisoned for drug offenses are from poor or ethnic
communities. He deplores the fact that the so-called War on Drugs is a war on
young people, a war which is unnecessarily devastating lives, families and
communities. Drug addiction is no different than alcohol addiction, according to
Dr. Paul. They are diseases to be treated medically, not punished with
incarceration.
'Dr. No': The establishment smears Ron Paul as an insider - that's who they are
talking about when you hear pundits argue the country does not need another
'Washington insider' leading the country - it's code. I could not disagree more.
I wished President Obama well when he was elected and I was happy at the
prospect that his winning meant every American child could grow up with no
limits to their dreams of what they could accomplish.
But President Obama is relatively inexperienced even now on the devilishly
intricate ways of politics; at least, that is my sense of things. He did not have a lot
of political experience under his belt before he became President. I suspect that it
is this lack of experience that, at least in part, has permitted those with ulterior
motives other than what's best for the country to hold sway in the back rooms and
corridors of power in Washington D.C.
Photo: Congressman Ron Paul
Ron Paul, by contrast, is a twelve-term congressman. His nickname in
Washington is 'Dr. No' - particularly when it comes to raising taxes. He believes
that your money is your money - not the government's. Charitable donations
should be up to individuals - not forced without consent. He has proven himself
to be a man of principle who can not be bought off.
The Martin Luther King, Jr. national holiday vote: I respect the fact that
people wonder why Ron Paul voted against the establishment of the MLK
national holiday. These concerns must be, and deserve to be, addressed. I
would not presume to speak for Dr. Paul, but I can provide background on some
of the issues of that time. It took fifteen years from its first being proposed, for
the law establishing the MLK national holiday to successfully pass both the
House and the Senate. Interestingly, it was only when the House and Senate were
both controlled by Republicans did it finally pass.
Some lawmakers did vote against the proposal, including Congressman Paul.
Back then, the country only had two national holidays named after historical
figures: George Washington and Christopher Columbus. Consideration of the
creation of a national holiday for any personage of note would be a challenge;
there are so many worthy and admirable candidates one might propose.
Another interesting element to consider is that it takes time to appreciate the full
impact a person has made on national life. Memory did not fade in Martin Luther
King, Jr.'s case. The light of realization grew, instead.
The final consideration regarding Ron Paul's vote is the fact that many times over
the years, a counter-proposal was made to honor Martin Luther King Jr. with a
commemorative day, rather than a national holiday. Ron Paul is a fiscal
conservative. So it follows that he was elected by his district to watch out for the
taxpayer's interest. In 1986, which to-date was twenty-six years ago, it was
estimated that a paid holiday for federal employees would cost the country
approximately 200 million dollars per year, for which private sector workers
must pay, while deriving no benefit themselves.
I would not have agreed with his decision to vote against it. But it seems to me it
took courage to do what he thought was right, regardless of the personal cost to
himself. Ron Paul does not hesitate to say that Martin Luther King, Jr. was a hero
- which, of course, he truly was.
The Civil Rights Act: Ron Paul's problem with the Civil Rights Act was that it
gave the government power he feared could be abused in unanticipated ways
down the road. The men and women who are elected to represent us are
lawmakers. It's their duty to consider whether a law is worded and designed in
such a way that it won't do harm to our freedoms; or even whether a law should
exist at all. As a libertarian, Ron Paul would view this task as his sacred duty:
maximizing your power over yourself, and minimizing the power of the
government over your life.
The quest for empire always destroys the nation that seeks it:
Ron Paul is adamant that these destructive, costly and unnecessary wars must end.
They are ruining the lives, or taking the lives, of our young people. As we have
been reminded in recent days, war can, and frequently does, morally degrade
those enlisted to fight them.
Percentage-wise, poor, black, and ethnic communities sacrifice more than their
fair share. Yet, they have been lied to about the real purposes of these wars.
Furthermore, these wars are ruining the economy, diminishing our security, and
destroying our civil liberties here at home.
President Obama has just signed into law the National Defense Authorization Act
(NDAA) which includes the right to detain American citizens without charge or
trial, indefinitely. He has already previously claimed that he has the right to
assassinate American citizens far from any battle field, and he has done just that.
(The Awlaki case.)
The peril to freedom did not begin with President Obama. The problems are
many and deeply entrenched. But he has chosen, for whatever the reason, to
continue taking the nation, and the Constitution, down this dark and perilous road.
As a constitutional lawyer himself, however, it is difficult to accept that President
Obama doesn't comprehend the dire risks. Between laws passed during George
W. Bush's administration and President Obama's, there are few rights, liberties or
laws left to protect Americans from their government.
The attacks on Ron Paul are a house of cards: smears, guilt by alleged
association, or somebody said something or claim they know what. The real
evidence points to Ron Paul's love for liberty and a higher truth, along with hope
for peace, freedom and prosperity for all.
Considering his conviction that justice should indeed be blind and fair;
considering the fact that Ron Paul asks how we would feel if nations treated us
the way we have been treating them - no. This does not look like hatred or
bigotry to me. All the evidence points to Ron Paul's decency and uncommon good
sense.
He has the moral courage to propose forming friendly alliances with other
nations, rather than waging endless war. Not everybody in Washington D. C. (or
the media) shares this view, as can be seen in this YouTube from the 2007
Republican leadership campaign
[2,120,612+ views]:
While there are many interesting YouTube videos about Ron Paul (for example,
another I highly recommend is entitled, 'What some Black people think of Ron
Paul'), the following Youtube is my personal favorite. It features John F.
Kennedy as well as Martin Luther King Jr. Their words, and the heart and spirit
of truth behind them are beyond exceptional. (Best relished with a good set of
headphones.) Otherwise, I'll leave this video as the last word on why I am
endorsing Ron Paul to be the next President of the United States of America:
_____________
Books
by Ron Paul
External link: Ron Paul 2012 Official Campaign Website
Fiercely independent!
Please donate.
Copyright Diane V. McLoughlin, 2012 All Rights Reserved
