Ron Paul for President 2008

Sep. 18, 2007 - My Journey to Dr. Paul

My Journey to Dr. Paul

Since I grew up in Dr. Paul's congressional district in south Texas, I've been aware of who he is and what he believes for most of my life. Before moving to Alabama, the last time I voted in Texas was the same year that Dr. Paul decided to run for Congress again against Republican incumbent, Greg Laughlin. The day before the primary, I received two pieces of campaign literature in my mailbox. One was from Dr. Paul's campaign, stating what he believed, his past voting record, and what he would try to accomplish if he was elected. The second was from Laughlin. As I read it, I became confused. It had very little to say about Laughlin or his voting record, but it did claim that Dr. Paul was pro-abortion; it even included a quote taken directly from one of Dr. Paul's books. When I looked again at the postcard from Dr. Paul, I noticed that the address listed was just down the street from the apartment I lived in. So, I decided to go for a walk and see if I could discover the truth.

The office was easy to find and the staffers were friendly and eager to help. I didn't say much, but just handed them the postcard from the Laughlin campaign. They read it over with looks of outrage. But instead of disparaging Laughlin, one of the staffers walked over to a bookshelf and pulled down the book by Dr. Paul that the quote was taken from. After leafing though it, he found the quote and then handed the book to me so that I could read the quote in context. It was immediately clear, that Dr. Paul was not pro-abortion- indeed, quite the opposite.

Now, the good news is that I learned the truth and voted for Dr. Paul in that primary. The bad news is, that I became cynical about politics in general, and politicians in particular. While I realized that Dr. Paul was a clear exception to the "typical" politician, I also figured that most of the other politicians were more likely to be along the ilk of Greg Laughlin.

Moving to Alabama didn't help much. The politics of this state are notoriously corrupt- the best (or worse) example being the Birmingham mayoral and city council positions. While I voted, it was with a sense of futility. I had no doubt that I was voting for the lesser of two evils.

I continued to followed Dr. Paul as he served in Congress, keeping up with his voting record and reading his Texas Straight Talk articles. His no-compromise attitude and no-nonsense articles never failed to impress me.

During this time I began to take an interest in homeschooling. My children were still very young then, but I wanted to be prepared to take on this important aspect of child-rearing. I began to study different educational philosophies, look at the different curriculum available, and to learn about the Alabama laws regarding home education. It's very fortunate that I immediately came into contact with a group of fiercely independent homeschoolers. While they followed the letter of the law, they made it very clear that they resented the government intrusion. I'm so glad that this attitude rubbed off on me- it's had a great impact on the shaping of my political beliefs.

What delighted me is how often Dr. Paul's name would come up in our conversations. Even here in Alabama, he was recognized by these homeschooling families as the one US congressman who consistently voted to protect our freedoms and uphold the Constitution.

Then I began to see his name in other forums. As I delved into the writings of Austrian economists, over and over again I'd see Dr. Paul quoted or canonized as our Constitutional hero. While I had understood how important he was to the Texas 14th Congressional District, I had not realized the impact he was having on our entire nation. While not known to the general public, he was a hero to the freedom-loving patriots who understood the importance of a free-market and constitutional government.

And so, he became my hero as well.

Well, everyone wants to shake hands with their hero and I also wanted my four children to have a chance to meet Dr. Paul. So, in the summer of 2006, while I was in Texas visiting my family, I called his Lake Jackson office and asked if my kids and I could come by to meet him. I only expected a brief few minutes- he's a busy man after all and I wasn't even a constituent. Instead, he led us to a conference room and we spent the next 45 minutes discussing homeschooling, Austrian economics, the war and the Constitution. No formality, no awkwardness- just one citizen talking to another citizen. He is a gracious man.

Later, when he announced that he was running for President, there was no doubt in my mind that I would become involved and help anyway that I could. Now, I had no idea how deeply I would become embroiled in the Alabama campaign at a state-wide level or that I would be a part of this Educational Freedom Coalition- it's almost like having a full-time job again. But, here's some more good news... I'm losing my cynicism. Being involved with this campaign has brought me into contact with thousands and thousands of people who are all willing to make the needed sacrifices to restore our country to it's constitutional principles. I had begun to think that not enough people cared, that we couldn't make a difference.

This campaign has proved otherwise. We're already making a difference.

Thank you, Dr. Paul. You are my hero.

About Me

********No, I'm not Dr. Ron Paul, but I am his biggest fan. There is no other 2008 Presidential Candidate more dedicated to protecting the rights of parents to educate their children without government influence than Texas Congressman, Dr. Ron Paul. www.RonPaul2008.com

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