[Vision2020] Fw: On Ron Paul and Racism

Sat Dec 31 15:37:31 PST 2011

On 12/31/2011 12:03 PM, Saundra Lund wrote:
>
> 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.
>

I didn't say they were unimportant.  I said they were issues that were 
thrown out there, by powerful people who have a vested interest in the 
status quo, in order to move scrutiny away from issues that affect the 
status quo.  In my opinion, they are less important right now than 
stopping this abuse of our civil liberties.  That path leads to 
totalitarian regimes and showing your papers at interstate border 
crossings.  I don't remember Ron Paul even mentioning anything 
race-related until this smear campaign started.  Do you really think 
he's going to try to reinstate Jim Crow laws?

The people in power that stand to lose the most just threw out a bone to 
those people that they knew would jump at the opportunity to promote the 
idea and to discredit a threat.  They didn't do this because they care 
about 17-year-old incest victims.  They did it because it distracts 
people from the issues that they fear the most.

> 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.
>

Why do you assume that I lack empathy on this topic?  Or that I lack 
sense?  Do I strike you as a mean and uncaring person?  Or a stupid one?

> 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.
>

I was thinking more along the lines of being at risk of being detained 
indefinitely in a facility like Gitmo for any trumped up reason 
whatsoever without benefit of a trial.  Or having your communications 
able to be tapped without benefit of a warrant.  Or having your bank 
refuse to allow deposits into or withdrawals from your account at the 
whim of the government.  Or any of a host of other rights that have 
quietly eroded away over the years while people fought the fights they 
tried to distract us with.

Paul

> 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 
> <mailto:godshatter at yahoo.com>>
> *To:* Sue Hovey <suehovey at moscow.com <mailto: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 <mailto:suehovey at moscow.com>>
> *To:* Paul Rumelhart <godshatter at yahoo.com <mailto: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 <mailto:godshatter at yahoo.com>
>
> *Sent:*Friday, December 30, 2011 10:18 PM
>
> *To:*vision2020 at moscow.com <mailto: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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