[Vision2020] Fw: On Ron Paul and Racism

Sat Dec 31 13:42:58 PST 2011

Due process may be important, but rarely it occurs.

Donovan Arnold

________________________________
 From: Sunil Ramalingam <sunilramalingam at hotmail.com>
To: vision 2020 <vision2020 at moscow.com> 
Sent: Saturday, December 31, 2011 1:09 PM
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Fw:  On Ron Paul and Racism

I think the right to due process is perhaps the most important civil liberty; without it one can be either imprisoned or killed at the whim of the executive.

It turns out that is now the status quo here.

Sunil

________________________________
From: v2020 at ssl1.fastmail.fm
To: vision2020 at moscow.com
Date: Sat, 31 Dec 2011 12:03:06 -0800
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Fw:  On Ron Paul and Racism

In part, Paul wrote:
“Racism, like abortion and gay marriage, are all "theatrical issues".  They are issues that are tossed out to the American public like scraps to hungry dogs for them to fight over.  While they are important in and of themselves, they are really meant to distract us from realizing that we have more power than we think we do.”

Yes, I do suppose it’s a lot easier to look at issues like racism, abortion, and gay marriage as “theatrical issues” when you’re not the minority family unable to rent a home due to racism, and you’re not the 17-year-old incest victim forced to carry your granddaddy’s baby or risk death from a backdoor abortion, and you’re not the lesbian at risk of losing custody of your children born via IVF to your now-deceased 15 year partner because her family never “approved” of the non-marriage.

Yuppers – I guess for some, it is a lot easier to take the position that those issues, while “important,” really are just “theatrical issues” when one isn’t the target, when one lacks of empathy . . . or when one lacks the sense God gave a billy goat.

Not in my America.  I agree with Sue’s comment, “All rights and even some privileges should belong to all citizens” and shouldn’t depend on where in the US one lives.

Paul also wrote:
“In my opinion we should concentrate on our civil liberties . . .”

I guess I’m unclear as to how you define “civil liberties,” but reproductive freedom & gay marriage both fit into my definition of the right of privacy, which is an important US civil liberty.

Saundra Lund
Moscow, ID

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing.
~ Edmund Burke

From:vision2020-bounces at moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-bounces at moscow.com] On Behalf Of Paul Rumelhart
Sent: Saturday, December 31, 2011 9:37 AM
To: vision2020 at moscow.com
Subject: [Vision2020] Fw: On Ron Paul and Racism

I sent this only to Sue, when I meant to send it to the list.

Paul

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Paul Rumelhart <godshatter at yahoo.com>
To: Sue Hovey <suehovey at moscow.com> 
Sent: Saturday, December 31, 2011 9:32 AM
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] On Ron Paul and Racism

It doesn't negate the evidence.  For what it's worth, he claims that he didn't write those newsletters that were put out in his name.  Like you've shown, a person can be compassionate and still be racist.  Being racist is not a black and white thing, no pun intended.  It's something that can change over a period of years.  I grew up in a casually racist household, and had to unlearn much of that over the years, as did my parents.  It's easy to fall into that trap when you grow up with it and everyone around you thinks the same thing.  As society changed, so did those around me, and so did I.

I've said this many times on the Viz:  I'm not looking for Jesus Christ or Gandhi when I'm looking for a Presidential candidate to vote for.  I want someone who will perform well in the job.

So the question is, assuming he is some kind of die-hard racist from the sixties like he's being portrayed, is he going to deny blacks the right to vote or serve on juries?

Racism, like abortion and gay marriage, are all "theatrical issues".  They are issues that are tossed out to the American public like scraps to hungry dogs for them to fight over.  While they are important in and of themselves, they are really meant to distract us from realizing that we have more power than we think we do.  In my opinion we should concentrate on our civil liberties, and in stopping the steady power buildup for the Executive branch that's been going on for years.  That's far more dangerous to us in the short term than any of these hot button issues are.  Like Sunil said in another post, it's all about priorities.

Paul

________________________________

From:Sue Hovey <suehovey at moscow.com>
To: Paul Rumelhart <godshatter at yahoo.com> 
Sent: Friday, December 30, 2011 10:34 PM
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] On Ron Paul and Racism
It’s a lovely story, Paul. And a powerful instance of Ron Paul’s compassion, but how does it negate the evidence of his racism in those published reports?  My Texas grandfather was a racist through and through, yet he performed kind and generous acts to the people he belittled, and to whom he would have denied the vote, the right to serve on juries (along with women) and most especially the right to sit up front in public transportation.  

Sue H.       

From:Paul Rumelhart 
Sent:Friday, December 30, 2011 10:18 PM
To:vision2020 at moscow.com 
Subject:[Vision2020] On Ron Paul and Racism

Here is a video in response to allegations of racism being leveled at Ron Paul.  It was made by "Revolution PAC", a "superPAC" whose sole purpose is to get Ron Paul elected. It's entitled "The Compassion of Dr. Ron Paul":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Rv0Z5SNrF4

If we're going to attack Ron Paul with allegations of racism on the list, I thought it might be nice to see what his side has to say.

Paul

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 List services made available by First Step Internet,
 serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
               http://www.fsr.net
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