Ron Paul Victory in Tennessee mentioned on the official Campaign Site

"LAKE JACKSON, Texas – 2012 Republican Presidential candidate Ron Paul easily defeated his rivals for the GOP nomination in a straw poll conducted by the Tennessee Republican Assembly.

The Tennessee Republican Assembly presidential straw poll featured in-person voting in Nashville on Saturday, January 30th.

Paul took first place with 63.3 percent of the 316 votes tallied, besting his GOP competitors – including the former House Speaker from Georgia Newt Gingrich, who placed third earning just 12 percent. Rick Santorum with 19.6 percent, Romney with 4.7 percent, and Huntsman with 1 vote, came in second, fourth, and fifth place, respectively.

“This straw poll demonstrates that tea party members and conservatives nationwide are coalescing behind one candidate, Ron Paul, as the sole challenger and conservative alternative to Mitt Romney,” said Ron Paul 2012 National Campaign Chairman Jesse Benton. “Ron Paul is the one candidate in this race receiving authentic conservative support from Republicans, and he also garners the support of independents and Democrats that is so necessary to defeat Barack Obama.”"

Voting results

Ron Paul 63.3%

Rick Santorum 19.6%

Newt Gingrich 12%

Mitt Romney 4.7%

Jon Huntsman 0.3%

 http://www.ronpaul2012.com/2012/01/30/in-case-you-missed-it-ron-paul-wins-tennessee-presidential-straw-poll/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=in-case-you-missed-it-ron-paul-wins-tennessee-presidential-straw-poll

Also mentioned in the Tennessean Newspaper:
"U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas was the overwhelming winner of a presidential straw poll held Saturday by the Tennessee Republican Assembly"
 http://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2012/rick-santorum-gets-republican-groups-endorsement-after-ron-paul-wins-straw-poll/

Battle of Athens Money Bomb

DONATE:

http://tennesseeforronpaul.chipin.com/final-push-for-ron-paul-in-tn

Recently, Tennessee Ron Paul Supporters experienced first hand the effects of a Ron Paul Media Blackout. Local Corporate Media affiliates incorrectly announced Rick Santorum of the winner of a local straw poll. This created a lot of confusion and frustration among new voters and enthusiastic Ron Paul Supporters.

Instead of dwelling on the issue and pointing fingers, the Grassroots Ron Paul Supporters of Nashville, Tennessee have decided to take direct action.

The Battle of Athens Moneybomb:

Many of you are probably aware of the Battle of Athens, which occurred in McMinn County, TN on August 1st, 1946. The people, many of them WWII veterans, rose up against the corrupt local government that had abused the town for years. A new platform consisting of veterans was formed to challenge the incumbents. In response to this, police from all over the county were sent to Athens to "secure" the voting sites. Police fired the first shots at Tom Gillespie, and elderly black farmer voting for the veteran ticket. After seeing who he was voting for, the police called Tom a racial slur and told him he couldn't vote there. After Tom protested, the police threatened him and shot him in the back as he was fleeing. When the police then removed the ballot boxes from the public’s view, to be counted in secret at the county jail, the citizens decided they had had enough. Left with no other recourse, they raided the local National Guard Armory and laid siege to the county jail with dynamite. After a night of gunfire the police surrendered. Twenty people were injured but none were killed. The corrupt sheriff resigned, and the people’s choice, veteran Henry Knox, was certified as the new sheriff.

What we should take from this story is not that we should resort to violence. Rather, we need to act peacefully NOW before it is too late. We have to expand our message, and increase our numbers.

Please consider donating generously to the Battle of Athens Money Bomb. We are angry right now; let’s channel our rage into positive action. We will show the elites that as they continue to marginalize us, we will continue to grow. As they continue to ignore us, we will continue to gain momentum. We will channel the spirit of Athens, TN. We will accept nothing but victory. We will demand nothing but liberty. We will continue the fight for Ron Paul and his message.

read more about the Battle of Athens:
 http://www.tn.gov/tsla/exhibits/disasters/riots.htm

DISCLAIMER:
This is a peaceful effort to use social media, Constitutional Principles, and harness the power of the Information Revolution to share the message of Ron Paul with our fellow Tennesseans. This is not a call to violence or to take up arms.

"No ARMY can stop an IDEA whose time has come" -Victor Hugo

Plan of Action in response to TRA Misinformation and Ron Paul Media Blackout

The Tennessean:
go to "news tips" on the right side of the page, and tell the tennessean to post the straw poll results that ron paul won with 200 votes. http://www.tennessean.com/section/NEWS

FOX 17:

http://www.fox17.com/sections/station/#feedback_form


News Channel 5:

News Tips
615-248-5250

News tips, press releases and questions about the newscast can be directed to newsroom@newschannel5.com. 

News Channel 4:

Contact WSMV

Send WSMV a news tip at news@wsmv.com or call our news desk at (615) 353-2231.

Channel 2/WKRN:
 http://www.wkrn.com/category/127819/reportersvjs

related:

 The Results:

Ron Paul 200 votes

Rick Santorum 62 votes
Newt Gingrich 38 votes
Mitt Romney 15 votes
Jon Huntsman 1 vote
 http://www.tennesseeforronpaul.com/2012/01/ron-paul-victory-at-tra-straw-poll.html

 http://www.tennesseeforronpaul.com/2012/01/ron-paul-wins-tennessee-republican.html

Ron Paul is impacting the Presidential Race in TN

Check it out! 

Someone from the Tennessee Republican Assembly is using Ron Paul's name and the fact that we will have a table at their Convention to advertise their Straw Poll:

http://nashville.craigslist.org/pol/2812188926.html


Rod Williams, self described right leaning disgruntled Republican blogger, is already projecting that Ron Paul will win the TRA Straw Poll:
http://www.adisgruntledrepublican.com/2012/01/ron-paul-to-win-tennessee-republican.html

Recently, Ron Paul won a WSMV (Channel 4 news in Nashville, TN) online Straw Poll (screencap):

Think of the impact we have made and will continue to make in Tennessee for Ron Paul! All of this has been done through volunteer work and no aid or direction from the official campaign.

 It does not take a majority to prevail... but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of men. -Samuel Adams

r3VOLUtion - The New Coalition

The Ron Paul r3VOLution is not going away; it has only just begun. Recent trends show that Democrats are defecting from their political party at much higher rates than previous election cycles. Republicans have seen waves of new voters registering to vote in the primaries, but the over-all trend is to lose registration as well. Self-identified Independents are rapidly growing. Since the 1970’s, America has slowly developed an ever more consistent and contentious 3rd Party. There have been flashes in the pan such as the Green Party rise of Ralph Nader & the independently wealthy Ross Perot with enough momentum to swing Presidential races, but the Libertarian Party has established itself as America’s 3rd largest political party.

Political shake-ups and new coalitions on a national scale are common in American history. The Democratic Party has shown blatantly that it only seeks to secure its’ own power through the growth of the welfare state. Let me be clear; President Obama is a Socialist Dictator. He must be voted out of office. Unfortunately, the Republican Party has given us less and less reason to vote for them either. A Corporatist Dictator is no better than the devil we have. In fact, the neo-conservatives on the progressive wing of the Republican Party would have us believe that we should give up our national sovereignty and Constitutional Republic for world-wide military empire under a President with unchecked War Powers (even on the homeland!). The old coalitions are splintering, and the r3VOLution is brewing. America is finding its’ voice again, and Ron Paul is tapping into it.

This is by no means a scientific analysis, but I’ve been struck by all of the different reasons people support Ron Paul coming from backgrounds where we’ve found ourselves diametrically opposed in the political spectrum in the past. It seems almost obvious to anyone I speak to that the political mood of the country is anti-establishment right now, as can be evidenced by record low Congressional approval ratings. A recent book entitled, “Throw Them All Out,” by Peter Schweizer has spent time in the top ten of the NY Times best-seller list. Another book which relates to the topic of this writing, but I have yet to read is, “The Declaration of Independents,” by Nick Gillespie & Matt Welch. My understanding is that it’s supposed to be about the rise of an independent movement with a strong libertarian flavor. I may be breaking protocol by mentioning a book I’ve yet to read, but at least the title and book description seem to be on the right track.

Within the Ron Paul r3VOLution, I’ve met and talked to people from a plethora of political backgrounds. I’ve talked to Republicans who just see Ron Paul as the obvious Republican in the race, and it’s as simple as that. I’ve met disenfranchised Republicans who think Ron Paul is just about the last Republican left in the Republican Party. There’s been former Republicans who have only come back to the party just because Ron Paul is running for President as a Republican. Civil liberties and anti-war advocates have even joined us from the left. Some Democrats who want to get our economic house in order so as to save Social Security & Medicare are supporting Ron Paul because they know that our current federal spending projections are financially insolvent, and Ron Paul is the only current Presidential candidate who is proposing any real cuts in spending that might save entitlements. Constitutionalists of all stripes constantly express to me their respect for Ron Paul and his long history of fidelity to the Constitution. I met a guy with Ron Paul car magnets on his truck at Home Depot who told me that he supports Ron Paul because Paul wants to quit treating Israel like a welfare state that we must police, and allow them to have their sovereignty along with our friendship and trade. Even the mainstream media hasn’t been able to blackout the fact that Ron Paul pulls more votes among independents than any of the other Presidential candidates. This skinny little old bean-counting Constitution nerd we know as Ron Paul is not striking a chord with American voters and threatening the establishment elites because he is handsome and charismatic; he’s shaking up the game because the message of a free, peaceful, & prosperous nation is familiar to the American r3VOLutionary spirit of liberty still alive in the people’s psyche.

Some have suggested that r3VOLutionaries are building on Ron Paul’s coalition so as to set up another run for the White House with another candidate much the same way as Barry Goldwater may be considered a fore-runner to Ronald Reagan. One does have to admit the prophecies of Ron Paul may make him seem like a proverbial John the Baptist crying in the wilderness to make a way for the savior, but that is a fundamental misunderstanding of what this r3VOLution is about. Ron Paul supporters may or may not get behind another Presidential candidate in the Republican Party in the future, but one fundamental reason many support Ron Paul is precisely because he is the only candidate in this race actually promoting the idea that Presidential and executive powers have grown beyond their Constitutional limitations and must be curbed. We already unseated a King in the American Revolution; we don’t need one now.

The Ron Paul r3VOLution is largely a group of Republicans, Democrats, Libertarians, Independents, Constitutionalists, & others who can all agree on one fundamental Right among each of us; the Right to disagree with our out-of-control government. Ron Paul is giving voice to those who have been pushed out of BOTH of the 2 major political parties. This election is the opportunity of the Republican Party to re-identify itself for Americans who ultimately just want an honest and transparent government which protects our Rights and otherwise basically leaves us alone to live out our lives as free people. If Ron Paul is not the Republican Presidential nominee to face B.H. Obama in the general election, it doesn’t mean we won’t have sway or that we are going to go away. We’ve planted our Gadsden flags and Ron Paul yard signs, and we’re not abandoning our posts….. period. Whether comparing the r3VOLution to the Goldwater surge, writing it off as an anomaly, or predicting where the momentum might go next, the only absolute certainty is that nobody knows for sure. Many Independents & Libertarians are well-known as people who like to write our own future. Where the r3VOLution goes next is up to us.

"Let it not be said that we did nothing." - Ron Paul

Preserve the sovereign Constitutional Republic. Balance the Budgets. End the Fed. End the Wars. Secure the Blessings of Liberty. Vote RON PAUL for President 2012!

- Adam G. House

Ron Paul Table at the Hendersonville Gun Show

Our most successful table yet! We gave away approximately 1000 Ron Paul Slim jims and assorted Ron Paul merch. Hendersonville residents value their Constitutional Rights and appreciate a Presidential Candidate with a A+ Rating from Gun Owners of America!
 http://gunowners.org/ronpaul-gunrecord.htm

A big THANK YOU! to everyone that donated, volunteered, and stopped by our table!

Ron Paul Door Hangers

The TN Republican Primary will be here soon, March 6th, and we are running out of time to spread the message. In order to reach as many Tennesseans as possible let's employ our secret weapon: Ron Paul Door Hangers!


I'd like to see every Ron Paul Supporter in Tennessee do this in their own neighborhood. For those who were unwilling or unable to accompany us on our Door to Door Efforts, you can do this!

Take a hole punch, rubber bands, and some Ron Paul Slim Jims. Write or affix a preprinted label somewhere on the slim jim, so that voters can contact us with questions/etc.

Some suggestions:

tennesseeforronpaul.com
vote March 6th
leave my name and/or email address or yours so that we can identify Ron Paul voters and help them with anything they may need (ronpaulnashville at y a h o o dot c o m)

Place on the front door knob or on the flag of the mailbox. 

suggested slim jims to use:
http://www.ronpaul2012.com/store/slim-jim-4x9-issue-card-packs/new-plan-to-restore-america-issue-cards-pack-of-100/

MTV: Ron Paul’s ‘Sincerity’ Appeals To Young People

Tabling for Ron Paul at the Gun Show

   I'd like to share some insight from our efforts to campaign for Ron Paul at a gun show in Franklin, TN

Tabling for Ron Paul at your local Gun Show is an easy, affordable, and high traffic alternative to sign waves and door to door campaigning.

• Go to this site http://www.gunshows-usa.com/ and find your State

• Pick a city/date convenient for you and your meetup group. The tables are usually $60

• Use FACEBOOK/TWITTER/MEETUP/CRAIGSLIST to advertise your event

• Plan on having two volunteers run the table. Optimally, a male and female, extra points if your Ron Paul Volunteer is a Military Veteran.
• The rest of your meetup can drop by the table and relieve volunteers for lunch breaks and drop off literature.
• Ron Paul Volunteers at the table should wear a Ron Paul Shirt or Business Casual with a Ron Paul Button.
• Those additional supporters should wear Ron Paul Shirts as well. After relieving fellow supporters, send your group out to chat, shop, and interact with the rest of the Gun Show. Gun show attendees and vendors will notice the friendly Ron Paul Supporters who make purchases and ask questions about guns.
• While you walk around the gun show, pay attention to how people look at you. We had two to three people at our Ron Paul Table and we had 5-10 Ron Paul Supporters wearing Ron Paul Shirts shopping and frequenting fellow Gun Show Vendor Booths. This is when the 100th Monkey Effect can occur. I walked by a large group of rifle carrying gentlemen and heard one of them say "That's about the 20th time I've seen someone wearing a Ron Paul Shirt here, guess we better find out who this Ron Paul fella is"
• When talking with vendors and making purchases ask them if they support Ron Paul and if you can leave some literature with them. Most gun shows have a policy that prohibits walking around and giving out pamphlets/fliers, but during a private conversation look for an opportunity to inject Ron Paul and his 2nd Amendment stance. 
• Be a good neighbor. Most gun shows are on Saturday and Sunday, 9am-5pm. You will be set up next to vendors selling guns, camo, knives, etc. Your behavior, speech, and enthusiasm will be noticed. When we were packing up and heading home, the staff from two different tables approached us and asked for Ron Paul literature. Previously, they had asked us to watch their tables for them when they ran to the restroom. One vendor thanked us profusely for our enthusiasm for the Constitution and for our efforts to educate the public about the 2nd Amendment. I am pretty sure they will vote for Ron Paul after listening to us for two days share the message of freedom!
• Avoid arguments, getting angry, fringe/conspiracy theories or insulting other Presidential Candidates.  It's OKAY to bring up Romney/Santorum's poor voting record, but you don't want to BASH them. Follow the example of our humble Dr. Ron Paul. 
•  Your job is to share the message of Ron Paul. Here are some suggested conversation supporters "Are you a Ron Paul Supporter?" "Would you help me protect our 2nd Amendment rights by voting for Ron Paul in the upcoming Republican Primary?" "Do you have any questions about Ron Paul?" 
• Smile, be friendly, and have your literature arranged in a presentable manner. The Gun Show provide the tables, so bring a tablecloth or use a Don't Tread on Me and/or Liberty or Death Flag as a tablecloth. Attach a Ron Paul Banner or Sign to the front of your table. You can stand behind your table or in front of it with Ron Paul 2nd Amendment info in hand. Some people will take your literature and move on, some will stop and ask questions. 
• The most common complaints I encounter concerning Ron Paul: he's too old, I don't like his foreign policy, Ron Paul doesn't support Israel. (see links below for how to answer)
• Keep your answer concise, short, and simple. Lectures about Austrian Economics or blowback could cause you to lose their interest. Your job is to be friendly, have a polite/engaging conversation, get their name/email, and insert campaign literature into their hands. Remember you are trying to secure votes for Ron Paul, not necessarily looking to recruit new Ron Paul Enthusiasts/Ron Paul meetup members.
• That being said, you want to make sure the people you encounter can vote for Ron Paul. Some Americans are not registered voters and don't know when/where the Republican Primary is. Have appropriate handouts/voter registration forms available.
• The Ron Paul Table should have two people running, three people at the max. I know that I am always excited to talk to people about Ron Paul, but it can be intimidating to a casual observer to ask questions/listen to three energetic Ron Paul supporters talk at the same time.
• Bring snacks/bottled water and offer to share them with your neighbors.
• Have a clipboard/notepad with extra pens to record names/emails.

RESOURCES:

-2nd Amendment handouts
http://www.ronpaul2012.com/store/slim-jim-4x9-issue-card-packs/protect-gun-rights-issue-cards-pack-of-100/

http://files.meetup.com/497787/RonPaul%20GOAflyer.pdf

Gun Owners of America Republican Presidential 2nd Amendment Report Card:
http://gunowners.org/2012presidential.htm

Rick Santorum
http://www.nationalgunrights.org/rick-santorums-anti-gun-history/
http://www.nolanchart.com/article9242-the-real-dirt-on-slick-rick-santorum.html

Mitt Romney

http://www.issues2000.org/2008/Mitt_Romney_Gun_Control.htm
http://www.thepoliticalguide.com/Profiles/Governor/Massachusetts/Mitt_Romney/views/The_Second_Amendment/
http://www.multiplechoicemitt.com/

Newt Gingrich:

http://gunowners.org/newtgingrich-2012.htm

Affordable Ron Paul resources:

 http://ronpaulproducts.com/

 http://www.ronpaulproducts.com/brochure2.html

 http://ronpaulcards.com/

buy this 30 minute DVD about Ron Paul and make copies for distribution:
http://onedollardvdproject.com/Videos/RonPaul2012/

Ron Paul supports Israel:
print out and make copies: http://www.americansforisrael.com/americans-for-israel-flyer-ready-for-2012/

The Military Supports Ron Paul:
http://www.ronpaul2012.com/2011/10/18/ron-paul-campaign-tops-others-in-q3-active-military-donations/

I like Ron Paul, Except on Foreign Policy:
bring your laptop and have these youtube videos ready
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqdH6y4-8xU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLYsITa3vYs


How to Table for Ron Paul


http://iroots.org/2012/01/09/how-to-win-in-new-hampshire-and-beyond/

Ron Paul Booth at the Franklin, TN Gun Show

Our Ron Paul table at the Franklin Gun Show was a hit! We gave out a plethora of Ron Paul merchandise including bumper stickers, Ron Paul Super Brochures, and Ron Paul 2nd Amendment issue cards. Thank you to all of our Ron Paul volunteers who manned the table and shared the message of Constitutional Conservatism with Williamson County.

Soldiers WANT to Win Wars

Liberty & The Cost of War

“The soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war.” - General Douglas MacArthur

With substance abuse, divorce, PTSD, and suicide rates among soldiers and veterans at some of the highest in history, is there a moral and/or cultural price to be paid for ongoing warfare? This is the question I posed on ABC’s website to which I would like to hear all of the Republican Presidential candidates answer in the New Hampshire debate. I already know the answer; YES! I don’t know exactly what Ron Paul might say, but I’ve already learned enough about him to think that he sees the moral hazard of perpetual military imperialism and foreign occupations. The current President of the United States, and all of the other candidates in the Republican field for nominee just simply do not speak or in any way show that they’re even willing to acknowledge that warfare is something to be avoided and used as a last resort in the interest of self-defense. This is one reason America has a Department of DEFENSE, and not a ‘War Ministry.’ International Bankers, Wall Street tycoons, and those with the money to buy their loopholes in the laws which hamper the upstart competition, have helped create this International Fascist Empire which thrives on warfare. Many great nations, especially the Republic of Rome, have given us the historical roadmap to tyranny and decay from within. In the Republic of Rome’s march towards tyrannical Empire, they had many great moments in which they were able to draw back some of the over-reach of the government and restore some of their greatness and a peaceful and prosperous civil society which was rich in education and culture.

Ultimately, Rome fell from within. Many historians have attributed this fall to an array of symptoms, but it is consistent that more people lost more freedom during the times Rome added to the size, scope, and power of centralized government. The weight of the burden that was the government of Rome’s welfare/warfare Empire eventually became too much for the people to prop up. Rome even debased their currency and made other desperate efforts to keep the bubble inflated, but gravity won in the end. Natural Law has a way of doing that. All the printing of the Weimar Republic & the ensuing military expansion of the Nazi Empire couldn't stop the pre-existing Natural Law from eventually bringing Germany down from its' pedastal built on ideological relativism. The Father of Fascism, Benito Mussolini, said, “Fascism should more appropriately be called Corporatism because it is a merger of state and corporate power.” It was this belief that he could rule the people by central executive mandate over all things government and economic which eventually left Mussolini hanging upside from a meathook in Milan while his own people stoned his dead body.


One of Mussolini’s contemporaries was Supreme Commander of Allied Forces 5-Star General & ultimately President of the United States , Dwight D. Eisenhower. Eisenhower led the greatest generation as they took on the tasks which were no less than saving the world. To the credit of and to demonstrate the difference in the American way, it was our leader who said, “This conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new in the American experience. The total influence -- economic, political, even spiritual -- is felt in every city, every State house, every office of the Federal government. We recognize the imperative need for this development. Yet we must not fail to comprehend its grave implications. Our toil, resources and livelihood are all involved; so is the very structure of our society. In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together.” By the way, Eisenhower was a Republican. This was the warning he gave us as part of his farewell speech. In the same address, Eisenhower also said, “We now stand ten years past the midpoint of a century that has witnessed four major wars among great nations. Three of these involved our own country.

Despite these holocausts America is today the strongest, the most influential and most productive nation in the world. Understandably proud of this pre-eminence, we yet realize that America's leadership and prestige depend, not merely upon our unmatched material progress, riches and military strength, but on how we use our power in the interests of world peace and human betterment. Throughout America's adventure in free government, our basic purposes have been to keep the peace; to foster progress in human achievement, and to enhance liberty, dignity and integrity among people and among nations. To strive for less would be unworthy of a free and religious people. Any failure traceable to arrogance, or our lack of comprehension or readiness to sacrifice would inflict upon us grievous hurt both at home and abroad.” We should take a lesson from our former President. The merger of state and corporate power of America’s federal government on an international scale betrays the American Revolution, the Republic, the Constitution, & We The People. If Presidential candidates such as Rick Santorum want to claim the moral high ground, they must at least acknowledge that there are many prices (both apparent & unintended) to war. If we must go to war, then let’s win it speedily and decisively, then come home and let the defeated rebuild for themselves. Perpetually occupying foreign nations keeps Americans and our interests vulnerable to political, economic, and military backlash. Keeping soldiers in harms’ way long past any justifiable mission has ugly consequences which trigger-happy blowhards like Rick Santorum don’t want to think about. The fact that the war in Afghanistan has been largely ignored by the American people, and that the personnel deployed are so much fewer than Vietnam (partially due to high rates of multiples of tours for the majority of individual soldiers), has allowed the unjust nature of continual world policing to give the moral watchmen among the American citizenry the old ‘slip.’ I grew up in church listening to the moral cases against homosexuality, abortion, and the decay of the family. I do not participate in organized religion anymore, partially because credibility is earned through consistency of message. If the moral and religious leaders in our country today want credibility with people who think for themselves, then it seems to me that consistency demands those leaders take to the pulpits of America’s churches and speak truth to power about the moral cost of war. I see much more consistency regarding the ideas of religious freedom, our Natural Rights of conscience, and God-given Free Will from Republican Presidential candidate Ron Paul than any other candidate. The brand of faith espoused by Rick Santorum in his recent comments which were openly aggressive against libertarians and the philosophy of individual liberty reminds me of the religious fundamental radicalism which I saw so many people oppressed by and slave to while I was serving in the Middle East.

“One of the criticisms I make is to what I refer to as a more libertarianish right. They have this idea that people should be left alone, be able to do whatever they want to do, government should keep our taxes down and keep regulations low, that we shouldn’t get involved in the bedroom, we shouldn’t get involved in cultural issues. That is not how traditional conservatives view the world.” - Rick Santorum

This brand of religious intolerance was what I understood some of our American ancestors to be escaping when they left England and Europe for the New World. It is also the Right of each individual to choose for him/herself what religious or non-religious faith his/her conscience draws that individual to believe which gave me such love for the Constitution and ultimately brought me to libertarianism to begin with. Rick Santorum doesn’t get it. If you believe in the Judeo-Christian God of the Bible, then you must acknowledge the God-given Right of Free Will as preeminent to government. In fact, the Constitution is nothing if it is not a document which recognizes the Unalienable Rights of the individual, and was written to restrain government from infringing on those Rights of We The People. Rick Santorum’s ideology reminds me more of the ideology of the real-life terrorists I went to fight in Afghanistan than the ideology of America’s Founding Fathers. America’s founders sought to protect the Rights of the people to be secure in their lives, liberty, and property. They also espoused a foreign policy of free commerce with all and entanglements with none, as a guiding principle. Securing the Blessings of Liberty was to be the paramount function of government.
“When the American Spirit was in its’ youth, the language of America was different; Liberty, sir, was the primary object.” - Patrick Henry
I doubt there are many who would argue that the American revolutionaries had it easy, or that they knew nothing of true sacrifice for their country. Indeed, these brave souls paid the price for us to have this Republic which the Founders admonished us to be vigilant to keep. It is time for the vigilant to speak. Freedom will not die on our watch. We know very little of what it was to struggle for American independence and liberty in a bitter and bloody revolution, but it is up to us to protect those liberties so costly won from being erased by our present government leadership. The modern American soldiers and their families are paying hefty prices for their honorable service to the country we love. American taxpayers are paying dearly for a warfare/welfare and debt-drowning state run amuck.
American citizens are paying a hefty price for the growing powers of the police state robbing us of our civil liberties. It is time for us to have one of those moments in the sun such as Rome did on occasion, in which we roll back some of the size, scope, and powers of our government. It can and must be done, and in a spirit of peace and non-violence. It is the reason we not only want to vote for Ron Paul, it is the reason we must vote for Ron Paul for President in 2012.

THIS IS A PORTION OF AN EXCHANGE I TRANSCRIBED FROM CAVUTO TODAY WITH MIKE HUCKABEE IN REGARDS TO HIS FORMERLY RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT AND THOUGHTS ON THE SANTORUM CAMPAIGN:

Neil Cavuto: "There must be a great temptation."

Mike Huckabee: "There really never was for me. And, I think every candidate has to grapple with this.......... That's exactly why I lost. But you know what? I'd rather lose and keep my own soul than to lose my soul and gain the world. And being President is sort of like gaining the world."

Cavuto: "See, I would have rather gained the world."

Huckabee: "But, what's the point of it? If you can't look in the mirror and believe....."

... Cavuto: "To get to the White House. You get to the White House."

Huckabee: "But on what terms? And if you get there in some way that you have to be dishonest to your own heart, then just remember that whatever you used to get there is what you'll have to continue to use to stay there. And, it's just not worth it. When it gets down to it, it's easier to walk away from a job you want than it is to walk away from your own integrity and character."

I think Mike Huckabee just unwittingly made the case for why Ron Paul supporters will not compromise for the generic candidates in the rest of the Republican field. It's about conscience, and we reserve that Right.

BY: Adam G. House, U.S. Army (retired)

Soldiers Want To WIN Wars

October 7 of this year marked the 10 year anniversary of America’s War in Afghanistan. It is now the longest War in American history, surpassing even Vietnam. As of today, the 15th of December, the DOD (Dept. of Defense) reports the total American soldiers killed in action is 1,459. Total American deaths including DOD civilians is 1,845 lives. The DOD reports 15,090 soldiers have been wounded in action in Afghanistan since the War began.
“According to the Department of Veterans Affairs in June 2010, there were 171,423 deployed Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans diagnosed with PTSD. Thus far 84,005 Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) veteran patients have been granted VA disability compensation; of that about half for PTSD. Often disregarded is the fact that many of our wounded veterans are surviving injuries that would have resulted in their fatality in wars past.” – The Frontline, Jan. 2011
“According to Department of Defense statistics, there were 309 suicides among active-duty and reserve troops in the military in 2009, compared with 160 in 2001. There was a record high number of suicides in July this year – with the deaths of 33 service members categorized as suicides, the report said.” -The Daily Mail
“For the second year (2010) in a row, more US soldiers killed themselves (468) than died in combat (462). ‘If you… know the one thing that causes people to commit suicide, please let us know,’ General Peter Chiarelli told the Army Times, ‘because we don’t know.’ Suicide is a tragic but predictable human reaction to being asked to kill – and watch your friends be killed…” – Project Censored, Dec. 12, 2011
With suicide rates among veterans of our current wars on the rise and reaching record levels, one must ask what is going on with the morale of these soldiers. While there may be many explanations and theories, I believe it hints at something much larger than just a forseeable reaction to a long war. Without question, the one thing that boosts the morale of any team is success; the one thing that endangers a team’s morale is failure. Certainly, one of the worst mistakes made by the Bush Administration when going to War in Afghanistan & Iraq was not to define clear goals and a clear definition of success for the soldier in the fight. The justifications and purposes for military incursion into Afghanistan & Iraq were muddled from the beginning. Some of us who wanted to protect our Country went to War anyway, knowing for ourselves our own reasons for going regardless of the lack of clarity from our leaders. Now, many of us are speaking up as to why the War is no longer necessary – or even morally justifiable. This seems blatantly obvious when you consider that Ron Paul continues to get more individual small donor support from active duty military than all the other Republican Presidential candidates combined.
Everyone wants to know, “why are these current veterans supporting the anti-war candidate in the Republican field, Ron Paul?” Admittedly, this could just be conjecture; but I may have an answer: SOLDIERS WANT TO WIN WARS, not occupy foreign lands. The soldiers who joined the military and served in wartime out of a sense of patriotic duty to American Freedoms are many of the same soldiers who don’t want to infringe on those same freedoms of self-determination in other countries. SOLDIERS WANT TO WIN WARS & come home.
A correct understanding of what a military is can shed a lot of light on why we should not occupy foreign peoples. A military has 2 purposes: to kill people, and to break things. A military is supposed to be used in defense, not in offense. Offensive wars will result in blowback against the American people and the homeland. Policing the world, nation-building, and protecting corporate interests is NOT the proper role of the U.S. military, and will only result in building more resentment against the United States all around the world. The oath of every service-member is to protect and defend the Constitution, not some political agenda outside the parameters of national defense.
SOLDIERS WANT TO WIN WARS, not necessarily hearts and minds. The average soldier is not exactly the best diplomat for peace, and it is not necessarily even in the best interest of the soldier to focus on winning hearts and minds instead of being focused on keeping himself and his buddies alive when in a combat zone. Some of us have learned this lesson the hard way, and we’re trying to get Americans to wake up and pay attention to what horrors are being perpetrated in our name. SOLDIERS WANT TO WIN WARS, not keep the populations of other nations under our military control in perpetuity.
Here’s the case:
America spends almost as much in military spending as all the other nations of Earth combined.
America has the most highly trained, technologically advanced, and best-equipped military in the entire world.
America has the firepower and logistical power to deliver it in such a way that no nation on Earth could go toe-to-toe with us.
Osama Bin Laden is dead.
“I think at most, we’re looking at maybe 50 to 100 [al Qaeda operatives in Afghanistan], maybe less” – CIA Director Leon Panetta, ABC News, 27 June 2010
Numbers for Taliban currently in Afghanistan range anywhere from several hundred to several thousand, but are outnumbered by U.S. forces by many multiples in any case.
Afghanistan has had secure and free elections.
The real question seems to me to be, why the hell are we still in Afghanistan? This is the question on the minds of many of our service-members and of many Americans; dare I say on the minds of many people all around the world? For those who might say that we still need a military presence in Afghanistan, I would ask; what is it that you still want to accomplish in Afghanistan before you take our service-members out of harm’s way? What goal still justifies your son or daughter dying in Afghanistan? What do you see as such a threat from Afghanistan that you’re willing to keep piling up the dead bodies of the civilian women and children as collateral damage of our War? Do you not see that Osama Bin Laden’s admitted strategy to bog our nation down in an ever-escalating War in the Middle East is working? SOLDIERS WANT TO WIN WARS. Do you honestly believe that America’s aggressive posture of continuously pissing in the backyards of all our international neighbors will not eventually cost us a hefty price here at home? The Big Government Warfare/Welfare State is bankrupting our country and assaulting our civil liberties.
Many people have noticed that Ron Paul is getting a lot of support from young people, and a growing number of self-described libertarian youth. Why wouldn’t he? Anybody 20 years old in college today who is smart enough and actually cares to crunch the numbers can easily see that America’s present spending course is absolutely unsustainable. That 20 yr.-old probably can’t remember much back before his/her nation being at perpetual war. That young person knows that they could be on the hook for paying into a federal entitlement system that will be bankrupt before they ever see benefits. What a bleak future of perpetual war & perpetual debt we’ve placed on our children. Why wouldn’t they want to shake off the chains of big government and return to the Constitutional principles of our Founding Fathers? There is hope in limited government for true peace & prosperity. There is hope for our children's future if we have a revival of the Spirit of Liberty in America.
Considering American military capabilities, there is absolutely no excuse why it should take us over 10 years to win the War in Afghanistan with no end in sight even now. I can guarantee it’s not the failure or the fault of the soldier actually in the fight on the ground; it is the fault and failure of America’s leaders. SOLDIERS WANT TO WIN WARS. Our government has failed its’ service-members. It is time the American people hold them accountable. It is time to restore sanity to our foreign policy. It is time to elect Ron Paul for President. ♠

AUTHOR Adam G. House is a retired U.S. Army veteran. He served with the famed 2/503rd Infantry Battalion, 173rd Airborne Brigade, including a deployment to the infamous Konar Province of Afghanistan from May 07-Aug 08.

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"A huge, Cold War-era global presence — with hundreds of overseas military bases — isn’t necessary, now that the Soviet threat is over and the collapse of communism, Sapolsky said.
“It’s not in America’s interest,” said Sapolsky, who added that despite the drumbeat in the media over the fear of terrorism, America is the safest it has ever been in its history.
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http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2011/11/foreign-policy-experts-agree-with-ron-pauls-controversial-foreign-policy/

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