Featured posts & music 21 Jul 2007 10:37 am
Freedom of Speech
otherwise titled, “Thinking Outside the Box”.
otherwise titled, “Ron paul…does he really need the mainstream media?”
Last night, for the fourth night in a row, David and I were up until 1 am watching videos of Ron. While we’ve quietly slept and remained apolitical for years, grinning and bearing a government and system we had no hope of seeing change, there is now an awakening of anticipation….the Eminem song has a line that says, “You only get ONE shot, do not miss your chance…opportunity comes once in a lifetime.” And here it is! Someone has risen who has a REAL chance of taking this country in a different direction…what we’ve been doing for the past several decades is NOT working…. and if we are very brave and actually put our money where our mouth is, we have a chance at change, at regaining stolen freedom, to remove our froggy selves from the slow-boiling pot.
Jana Stanfield has a song on her website that has a line I’ve been pondering this week… “What would I do today if I were brave?” I’ve decided to deliberately ask myself that question every day.
One thing that was evident last night is the fact that there is an effort to squash Ron’s grassroots swelling support, to silence him down. His name is not included in the polls and the “none of the above” answer is instead rising. He was not invited to a major tax reform conference in Iowa, though his voice is the loudest, most radical, and most rational voice in congress on the topic. He also had raised more campaign money than four of the other speakers, so their straw-man of an explanation was shot down. Viacom pulled one of his highest ranking youtube videos, the interview with Jon Stewart on The Daily Show, something I bet they don’t do to anyone else’s videos, so happy are they typically for the exposure.
And yet….that video can still be watched on his website. And that led to another revelation: WE STILL HAVE FREEDOM OF SPEECH. As long as the internet is not regulated at the federal level, or taxed (and may any congressman who seeks to see that happen lose their seat), we don’t NEED the mainstream media to get a candidate and their message in our face. We don’t NEED them to spin things, explain things, manipulate us…if we are interested, we can go listen for ourselves. Mainstream media, and I think I’m tempted to include the idea that one must have millions and millions of dollars for a campaign to be successful as well, is THE BOX. It is old…maybe only as old as the last presidential campaign, but in internet-land that is ancient history. Information and ideas move much, much faster than that. The support Ron has behind him can not be bought, it can not be manufactured. It will not be traded and handed to a different, more polished and greasy manicured competitor. Intelligent people believe in what they are hearing and they are backing who they want. Being a part of the revolution, one can feel the nervousness of the other candidates, the mainstream media, and the old guard as they realize that what they’re saying isn’t being bought, that change is happening that they can’t squelch, that the movement America has been ready to embrace is leaving them in the dust.
So..no media presence can dictate who our president will be. They can’t make us vote just because it’s our “duty” to pick who’ve they’ve promoted; we’ll vote for who we believe in or not at all if recent history is to be beleived. If the name is missing from the ballot because some policitcal organization deemed him unlikely to win, the nation can rise up and WRITE HIS NAME IN.
If our government at it’s essense is really supposed to be about what the people want, then the media will either tune into what we’re saying or be ignored by those who no longer need to buy what they’re selling.
If we are brave today, what will we do? Will we allow ourselves to feel hopeful and finally fight against taxation and the removal of liberty that we’ve known for years is wrong? Will we support a candidate who says, “let’s not spread our goodness with force” and who espouses a much more kind, loving, and moralistic message of “do unto others”? A candidate who doesn’t want our children to go to war, who wants our soldiers brought home before more blood is spilled, and who encourages kindness, trade, and communicaiton with the world? Someone who beleives that things need to be done but that the free market, full of good and well intentioned, intelligent people, can do it better than a messy, top heavy federal governement can?
Well, those are the questions I am asking, breaking out of little boxes that no longer fit the changing world. Bigger than the coming election is the personal question that will influence my deliberate choices for the rest of my life, “What Would I Do Today if I were BRAVE?”
Want more Ron?
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on 21 Jul 2007 at 11:16 am 1.Beth said …
He’s actually speaking in my town today. Don’t know if I can make it, but your posts have piqued my interest. What do you know about the MAN (as opposed to your agreement with his IDEAS)?
on 21 Jul 2007 at 11:27 am 2.Tia said …
GO BETH!!! You have to hear him!! What do I know about him?
He’s a veteran. He’s a doctor. In med school he witnessed a late term abortion with a crying, breathing baby put into a bucket; subsequently it left an impact and he’s pro-life. He’s got 4-5 kids; 3 of whom are doctors. He ran in ‘88 for pres as a libetarian. He has an amazingly consistent voting record on his principles, even when they are not popular. Barney Frank has been quoted as saying he’s an incredibly easy to work with man because he rejects IDEAS, not people. He has friends on all sides; he believes rights are HUMAN and should not be categorized (gay rights, womens rights, etc). He’s been in congress for 10 terms, is from Texas, and is respectful of others’ intelligence. He comes across as extremely knowledgable (every speech is a history lesson!) yet quite humble. Not manipulative or greasy. And he’s funny! Great sense of humor. There’s more; do a google or two. But don’t miss your chance to go see him!!
on 21 Jul 2007 at 1:02 pm 3.andrew said …
I thought of the same line in the same song (loose yourself) with regards to Ron Paul.
I haven’t voted or registered to vote in 11 years. No candidate has ever inspired - ever - until Ron Paul. I’ve already donated hundreds to his campaign and passionately want him to win.
on 21 Jul 2007 at 3:57 pm 4.Beth said …
I didn’t go see him, but I listened to a few You Tubes… he does seem like a good man with libertarian ideas about gov’t. What are his realistic chances, given the big guns he’s up against, and the lack of mainstream name recognition? A candidates gotta have name recognition in order to have a snowball’s chance. I mean, I’m all for internet recognition, but you can’t ignore the role of mainstream media in making/breaking a candidate. Look at Obama — he’s a media darling (not to say it isn’t deserved, that he isn’t a nice guy with good ideas, just that he’s the darling and that’s one reason he’s up there with HIllary).
I’m glad to hear you say the guy is a consensus builder (rejecting ideas and not people). I’m going to ask my senator (DeMint) about him; Sen. DeMint often takes unpopular (to the Repubs) positions, so I’d like his opinion of Paul, since he worked with him when he was a house member.
on 21 Jul 2007 at 4:12 pm 5.Beth said …
PS. Here’s a link to his voting record on all topics
http://www.ontheissues.org/Ron_Paul.htm
on 21 Jul 2007 at 8:43 pm 6.Blogging About Blogging » Customer Service: The Way To My Heart said …
[...] inventive. And, it perfectly co-incided with another box-breaker I was fixated on this week, Dr. Ron paul and his grassroots momentum. I like change. And I like those who live deliberately and are willing [...]
on 22 Jul 2007 at 1:36 am 7.Tom Jefferson said …
YouTube and the internet are really having a profound and positive influence on politics; freeing us from the mainstream media.
Ron Paul places 1st or 2nd in every straw poll, debate, and active participation survey.
Ron Paul is 1st in YouTube, MySpace, Facebook, Meetup, Google, etc. The old media is just too slow to realize what is happening.
Ron Paul has the most contributions from U.S. military personnel above all other candidates. So support the troops and vote Ron Paul!
‘Scientific Polls’ at this stage only measure name recognition. Over the next six months Ron Paul will gain name recognition and people will learn about who Ron Paul is. Most people who learn about Ron Paul become major supporters.
Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton were doing about the same in the ‘Scientific Polls’ at this stage in their elections. Ron Paul has tremendous momentum and his support is growing exponentially. The other candidates are stagnant. Only Ron Paul’s support is growing and will continue to grow!
We are making history – Vote Ron Paul!
Visit YouTube and search Ron Paul to learn more…
on 22 Jul 2007 at 6:02 pm 8.Mimi said …
While I don’t lean Libertarian, and so therefore he’s not my cup of tea, I am excited to see that he is bringing this excitement into the race.
on 22 Jul 2007 at 7:44 pm 9.M. Payne said …
We must be prepared to write in votes and we must educate the public that the people are the government. Not the media…they must not limit our choices anymore.
Respectfully,
M.Payne
on 23 Jul 2007 at 8:58 pm 10.dalimama said …
I’ll definitely check him out
During the last election, I helped a friend of mine get her name on the ballot as a Libertarian candidate
Do you know how hard it is to just get your name on the ballot
We had to collect either 500 or 1000 signatures of registered, voting residents living in her district just to get her name on it
She didn’t win but the process was an eye-opener
Although I am registered independent, I may switch to Republican just so I can vote in the primary like you
on 25 Jul 2007 at 10:20 pm 11.Queenofthehill said …
I heard Ron Paul on NPR today — he made a great impression! I think he’s a dark horse who could win.