Ron Paul Supporters, Get a Grip
I do not speak to all Ron Paul supporters, or even most of them. But apparently there’s an appreciable number of them who need to tone down their indignation and learn how to put their energy to more constructive uses.
Yesterday, I read a misinformed article on World Net Daily by one Burt Prelutsky about how you should always vote for the lesser of two evils in order to defeat “the various socialists, communists and liberal pinheads with a (D) after their name.” Prelutsky announced his support of Rudy Giuliani and was promptly “raked over the coals” by Ron Paul “disciples.” Prelutsky described it like this:
Ron Paul's fans wanted to assure me that they would never lower themselves to vote for a social liberal like Giuliani. I found it odd that many of them didn't seem to mind in the least lowering themselves to the gutter when sharing their opinion of Rudy and me. In fact, after I shared some of their more colorful comments with my wife, she said, "They make it sound like Giuliani is running an abortion clinic, and that you're his nurse."
This was not my first time hearing about angry emails by Ron Paul supporters lambasting someone for announcing support for another Republican Presidential hopeful. A good friend of mine worked as a law clerk at the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) this past summer. When I told him that I support Ron Paul, he said that he did not. And he seemed very little inclined to change his mind, even though he indicated a desire to vote by principle rather than power and showed little or no disagreement with Ron Paul as to the issues. His opinion was based on the massive number of scathing emails received by the HSLDA after it announced its support of Mike Huckabee. He came away from his summer work completely turned off of everything to do with Ron Paul. After I talked with him for a little while, he seemed a little more inclined to respect Ron Paul, after realizing that someone he knows and trusts and believes to be a rational thinker actually supports Ron Paul.
And as a Ron Paul supporter, I feel it my privilege and duty to tell my fellow supporters—get a grip. Whether you’re a liberal, conservative, or libertarian supporter of Ron Paul (he has all three, oddly enough), you probably have a lot of friends who look at you askance when you say you support Ron Paul. “What!” they say. “He doesn’t stand a chance. If you support him, you’ll throw your vote away. I don’t like any of the candidates running, but I have to vote for the lesser of two evils, because that’s the best thing we can do these days.”
Let me guess, when your friends—or family members—tell you this, you blow up in their faces and tell them they are unprincipled, evil, horrible, idiotic, and irrational. You sarcastically accuse them of groveling before the powerful, handing them the downfall of America on a silver platter. You cry, treason! treason! You explain to them the parade of horribles that results from their spineless approach to politics and tell them that it’s the fault of them and people like them that we’re in the downward spiral that we’re in.
Yeah right. I can just see it. You throw your relationships with your friends and family to the wind, and instead of saying, “Come, let us reason together,” you prepare for war.
People are people, whether they’re your friends or not. Organizations are run by people. And Ron Paul needs as many people behind him as he can get. You get more flies with honey than with vinegar. A gentle answer turns away wrath. Most Americans have been deceived into thinking that American freedom is upheld by participating in the political wrangling between Democrats and Republicans. They need to be educated otherwise. It think the principled and the enlightened are right to be angry as they increasingly realize how many around them are unprincipled and deceived.
However, this anger will do more harm than good if it is not bridled and turned to constructive uses. Let your energy roused from anger be put to better use—find out the facts and the arguments that you will need to educate and persuade those who disagree with you. Use these facts and arguments energetically, but under your full control, as you talk with and try to explain to your friends, family, and strangers (including organizations like the HSLDA), that the freedoms and strength of America relies on a radically changed approach to politics.
Yesterday, I read a misinformed article on World Net Daily by one Burt Prelutsky about how you should always vote for the lesser of two evils in order to defeat “the various socialists, communists and liberal pinheads with a (D) after their name.” Prelutsky announced his support of Rudy Giuliani and was promptly “raked over the coals” by Ron Paul “disciples.” Prelutsky described it like this:
Ron Paul's fans wanted to assure me that they would never lower themselves to vote for a social liberal like Giuliani. I found it odd that many of them didn't seem to mind in the least lowering themselves to the gutter when sharing their opinion of Rudy and me. In fact, after I shared some of their more colorful comments with my wife, she said, "They make it sound like Giuliani is running an abortion clinic, and that you're his nurse."
This was not my first time hearing about angry emails by Ron Paul supporters lambasting someone for announcing support for another Republican Presidential hopeful. A good friend of mine worked as a law clerk at the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) this past summer. When I told him that I support Ron Paul, he said that he did not. And he seemed very little inclined to change his mind, even though he indicated a desire to vote by principle rather than power and showed little or no disagreement with Ron Paul as to the issues. His opinion was based on the massive number of scathing emails received by the HSLDA after it announced its support of Mike Huckabee. He came away from his summer work completely turned off of everything to do with Ron Paul. After I talked with him for a little while, he seemed a little more inclined to respect Ron Paul, after realizing that someone he knows and trusts and believes to be a rational thinker actually supports Ron Paul.
And as a Ron Paul supporter, I feel it my privilege and duty to tell my fellow supporters—get a grip. Whether you’re a liberal, conservative, or libertarian supporter of Ron Paul (he has all three, oddly enough), you probably have a lot of friends who look at you askance when you say you support Ron Paul. “What!” they say. “He doesn’t stand a chance. If you support him, you’ll throw your vote away. I don’t like any of the candidates running, but I have to vote for the lesser of two evils, because that’s the best thing we can do these days.”
Let me guess, when your friends—or family members—tell you this, you blow up in their faces and tell them they are unprincipled, evil, horrible, idiotic, and irrational. You sarcastically accuse them of groveling before the powerful, handing them the downfall of America on a silver platter. You cry, treason! treason! You explain to them the parade of horribles that results from their spineless approach to politics and tell them that it’s the fault of them and people like them that we’re in the downward spiral that we’re in.
Yeah right. I can just see it. You throw your relationships with your friends and family to the wind, and instead of saying, “Come, let us reason together,” you prepare for war.
People are people, whether they’re your friends or not. Organizations are run by people. And Ron Paul needs as many people behind him as he can get. You get more flies with honey than with vinegar. A gentle answer turns away wrath. Most Americans have been deceived into thinking that American freedom is upheld by participating in the political wrangling between Democrats and Republicans. They need to be educated otherwise. It think the principled and the enlightened are right to be angry as they increasingly realize how many around them are unprincipled and deceived.
However, this anger will do more harm than good if it is not bridled and turned to constructive uses. Let your energy roused from anger be put to better use—find out the facts and the arguments that you will need to educate and persuade those who disagree with you. Use these facts and arguments energetically, but under your full control, as you talk with and try to explain to your friends, family, and strangers (including organizations like the HSLDA), that the freedoms and strength of America relies on a radically changed approach to politics.
posted by Jaired B. Hall at 7:49 AM
1 comments
