[Vision2020] Fw: On Ron Paul and Racism

Sunil Ramalingam sunilramalingam at hotmail.com
Sat Dec 31 18:12:36 PST 2011


Let's for one moment assume that Paul is a racist. I'm not saying he is, just assume he is so that issue doesn't need to be discussed for a minute.

Is he wrong on ending our wars? Is he wrong on cutting the defense budget? Is he wrong about the Patriot Act? Is he wrong about the Executive Branch seizing powers it should not have?

What say you, Keely, Wayne, Saundra, Tom?

Sunil

Date: Sat, 31 Dec 2011 17:20:01 -0800
From: godshatter at yahoo.com
To: deco at moscow.com
CC: Vision2020 at moscow.com
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Fw:  On Ron Paul and Racism



  


    
    
  
  
    

    He has admitted to putting out an investment newsletter that (as far
    as I can tell) was not one of the newsletters that printed the
    racist comments.  It had all sorts of conspiracy theories about what
    will happen to people trying to deal in large amounts of cash, most
    of which have come true - just not in the way he thought.  Try
    taking a large pile of cash through airport security and see how
    well that goes.

    

    Another distraction attempt, supposedly a smoking gun, apparently
    succeeds in its goals.  Or maybe this is just jumping on the
    bandwagon, since it is the Daily Mail, after all.

    

    Paul

    

    On 12/31/2011 04:44 PM, Art Deco wrote:
    
      
      
      See:
       
      http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2078217/Ron-Paul-racist-homophobic-newsletters-Video-taking-credit.html
       
      Scroll down to see the videos
          of Paul Himself acknowledging the letters, etc.
       
      All javascript scripts must be
          allowed in order to see the whole article including the
          videos.
       
      w.
      
        

        
        
          From: Paul Rumelhart 
          Sent: Saturday, December 31, 2011 3:52 PM
          To: keely
              emerinemix 
          Cc: vision2020 at moscow.com
          
          Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Fw: On Ron Paul and
            Racism
        
      
      

      
      

      Does it matter whether or not the allegations are true?  Or do we
      just call them out anyway?

      

      Here is an article from CBS News about the newsletters: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-57345702-503544/ron-paul-disavows-racist-newsletters-under-his-name/

      

      The article contains a quote by Ron Paul on the issue:  

      

      "When I was out of Congress and practicing medicine full-time, a
      newsletter was published under my name that I did not edit.
      Several writers contributed to the product," he said. "For over a
      decade, I have publicly taken moral responsibility for not paying
      closer attention to what went out under my name."

      

      I'd hate to see the man dragged over the coals for something he
      might not have deserved solely because (for example) Jon Huntsman
      is losing to Ron Paul in New Hampshire and has staked his campaign
      on a strong showing there.

      

      I got that last bit from this article: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-57349712-503544/huntsman-calls-ron-paul-unelectable-because-of-racist-newsletters/

      

      And once again, this is only out there in order to distract us. 
      These people could care less if it's even true.  It's just
      convenient.

      

      Paul

      

      On 12/31/2011 02:44 PM, keely emerinemix wrote:
      
        
        I don't think you're defending racism, racist
          behavior, or even the wrongness of screaming "He's a racist!"
          at the slightest apparent provocation.  That said, I think
          it's imperative that legitimate indications that an
          individual's views on race/gender/class/civil rights/culture
          are bigoted be called out, examined, and condemned -- and I
          believe that the text of Ron Paul's newsletters are an
          example.  

          

          Keely

                www.keely-prevailingwinds.com

              

          

          
             Subject: RE: [Vision2020] Fw: On Ron
            Paul and Racism

            Date: Sat, 31 Dec 2011 14:41:13 -0800

            From: jborden at datawedge.com

            To: kjajmix1 at msn.com; v2020 at ssl1.fastmail.fm;
            vision2020 at moscow.com

            

            
            
            
            
              I’m not *defending* racism,
                  I’m commenting on the mere finger-pointing and
                  accusations being so charged that it’s a nuclear
                  weapon in a political arsenal.  
               
              It’s used as a tool for distraction,
                  and hence, theatrics.  (And, unless I missed the mark,
                  perhaps Mr. Rumelhart’s point).
               
              Insert story of “crying wolf”.
               
              
                Jay
              
               
              
                
                  From: keely emerinemix [mailto:kjajmix1 at msn.com]
                      

                      Sent: Saturday, December 31, 2011 2:27 PM

                      To: Jay Borden; v2020 at ssl1.fastmail.fm;
                      vision2020 at moscow.com

                      Subject: RE: [Vision2020] Fw: On Ron Paul
                      and Racism
                
              
               
              
                Jay, I would rue the day that
                    racist behavior and bigoted views become irrelevant
                    in how we choose our leaders.  There are issues that
                    truly good people can disagree on; racism, however,
                    is never the view of a "truly good person," and in
                    fact ought to, by virtue of popular outcry,
                    immediately make a pariah out of the one who
                    embraces it.

                    

                  Keely

                    www.keely-prevailingwinds.com

                    

                  
                
                  
                       
                  Date: Sat, 31 Dec 2011 14:17:33
                      -0800

                      From: jborden at datawedge.com

                      To: v2020 at ssl1.fastmail.fm;
                      vision2020 at moscow.com

                      Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Fw: On Ron Paul and
                      Racism
                  
                    I would agree with Paul’s
                        statement… but I would word it a bit differently
                        to deflect some of the immediate hatred I’m sure
                        will be heading my way.
                     
                    I would say that racism, like
                        abortion and gay marriage are *USED* as
                        theatrical issues.  
                     
                    It’s interesting as soon as
                        any candidate becomes popular in the polls, some
                        wild-card story gets tossed about dealing with
                        one of these issues.  Then it’s pressed as long
                        as necessary until the candidate just “goes
                        away”.
                     
                    Rick Perry (again, not a fan)
                        was gaining traction… and then suddenly a story
                        about “Niggerhead” surfaced.  (He has since
                        nearly imploded on his own, but that’s a
                        separate issue).
                     
                    Ron Paul gains even more
                        traction this time around in the polls… and
                        suddenly some story connecting HIM to racisim
                        surfaces.  (I don’t recall anything coming up
                        about this story 4 years ago when he was running
                        for President).
                     
                    The topics themselves are
                        extremely important… but the *USE* of
                        these subjects has become nothing more than
                        positioning and theatrical tools.   
                     
                    Is your opponent getting too
                        much positive attention?  No problem… just toss
                        out one of these venomous statements (who cares
                        whether it’s true or not… just phrase it in the
                        form of an “objective question” like Fox News
                        does to avoid slander/libel)… and then sit back
                        and watch the show.
                     
                    Once some story making any of
                        these accusations hits the public… it’s like
                        kryptonite… and it’s used as such. 
                     
                    
                      Jay
                    
                     
                    
                      
                        From: vision2020-bounces at moscow.com
                            [mailto:vision2020-bounces at moscow.com]
                            On Behalf Of Saundra Lund

                            Sent: Saturday, December 31, 2011
                            12:03 PM

                            To: vision2020 at moscow.com

                            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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