Today's political news brings us the woman whose husband didn't inhale reefer smoke apologizing to her opponent for making references to his admitted use of marijuana and cocaine as a teenager. On the other side of the aisle, the various "religious" candidates are poking each other in the eye with pointed crucifixes over whose God is bigger than whose.It's painfully clear that none of the "major" candidates running for the U.S. presidency are qualified to be school crossing-guards, much less president of the United States of America.
Despite the supposed differences between candidates, should America elect Clinton, Obama, Edwards, Giuliani, Romney, Huckabee or that actor guy — the country will continue to slip-slide away from our once-proud ideals. Debt will continue to mount, personally and nationally. We'll entangle ourselves in further senseless wars, at home and abroad. Gas prices and taxes will continue to rise, and home values may continue to plummet as foreclosures increase. Much of the rest of the world will keep on hating us. Our Constitutional freedoms will continue to evaporate.
While the press bombards us with the daily antics of these seven clowns and buffoons, pretending there are no other candidates in the race, U.S. Representative Ron Paul of Texas is getting his message heard via the Internet.
I first heard of (and voted for) Ron Paul when he ran for president in 1988 on the Libertarian Party ticket. Then, as now, he was all but ignored by the mainstream media.
Why has the mainstream media ignored him? Because what he says makes sense, and if his policies were enacted, we'd soon live in a significantly different, and in my opinion, better world, a world in which much of the status quo would be overturned. Dr. Paul's message doesn't play well with entrenched pundits and mega-corp advertisers who thrive on keeping America titillated by sensationalist gossip, mudslinging and flag-waving while ignoring more serious, fundamental issues.
Who is Ron Paul?
Congressman Ron Paul is the leading advocate for freedom in our nation’s capital. As a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Dr. Paul tirelessly works for limited constitutional government, low taxes, free markets, and a return to sound monetary policies. He is known among his congressional colleagues and his constituents for his consistent voting record. Dr. Paul never votes for legislation unless the proposed measure is expressly authorized by the Constitution.In the words of former Treasury Secretary William Simon, Dr. Paul is the "one exception to the Gang of 535" on Capitol Hill.Some background on Ron Paul as a U.S. representative:
- He has never voted to raise taxes.
- He has never voted for an unbalanced budget.
- He has never voted for a federal restriction on gun ownership.
- He has never voted to raise congressional pay.
- He has never taken a government-paid junket.
- He has never voted to increase the power of the executive branch.
- He voted against the Patriot Act.
- He voted against regulating the Internet.
- He voted against the Iraq war.
- He does not participate in the lucrative congressional pension program.
- He returns a portion of his annual congressional office budget to the U.S. treasury every year.
- Congressman Paul introduces numerous pieces of substantive legislation each year, probably more than any single member of Congress.
The Burning Taper joins with countless other voices across the nation and across the Internet to support Dr. Ron Paul's campaign for president.
Last week a group of academics from across the U.S. endorsed Ron Paul, in part with these words:
A Paul administration would dramatically reduce the size and scope of the federal government over our lives and liberties. President Paul will work to abolish the Internal Revenue Service, emphasize free trade and diplomacy over confrontation, cease the war on drugs, which has destroyed the lives and liberties of the poor in inner cities, and end our error-ridden system of federal capital punishment. To accomplish these goals, and ensure that those in greatest need do not suffer during the transition, Paul will bring home the troops and abandon our ruinously expensive and futile effort to police the world.I couldn't have written it better myself. A Paul presidency would restore and renew our country, returning us to the ideals of which we still boast but seldom (or never) practice.
Paul is the only presidential candidate with a proven record of defending academic freedom across-the-board. He has stood against efforts by both the political right and left to restrict the free discourse of ideas in higher education. He strongly opposes the use of speech codes to restrict academic freedom. For the same reason, he has spoken out against the so-called Academic Bill of Rights and other proposals that would empower politicians to impose "ideological balance" in the classroom. As Paul points out, these "speech codes of the right" would, if implemented, create a chilling effect on free and creative academic inquiry and teaching.
The Widow's Son and The Burning Taper endorse Dr. Ron Paul for President to restore the American principles of peace, individual liberty, personal responsibility, and limited government. You are urged to vote for Dr. Paul in your state's Republican primary.
Related link: Ron Paul's official campaign site
Image: U.S. Representative (R-Texas) Dr. Ron Paul
Presidential Endorsement | Ron Paul | 2008 Presidential Election | Burning Taper | BurningTaper.com
