Nov 16th, 2007
Ron Paul Revolution is a Social Movement
Why do you support Ron Paul? I hear that question a lot these days. Or ‘Who is this Ron Paul?’ or ‘Why are you involved in politics?’ or ‘He doesn’t stand a chance, does he?’ or even the astounding ‘He’s crazy and so are his ideas!’ Which isn’t really a question, but rather a statement I suppose, and a frustrating and ignorant fallacy. My answer…Freedom, Peace and Prosperity is the Ron Paul message. It isn’t about political alignment and he isn’t crazy and neither are the ideas he espouses, and yes he does have a chance. My question back to some is “What’s so crazy about the Constitution?! What’s so crazy about our founding fathers?!” Ron Paul Revolution is a fast-growing, idea-driven social movement with an honest man of principled integrity who wants to protect and defend the Constitution and our sovereignty.
“I want to be president, not because I want to run your lives…or run the economy…or run the world. I want to be President to restore liberty” Ron says. We are at a crucial moment in our history and this movement is just in time.
I was born in 1972, after a tumultuous time in American history when prominent social movements and unrest were surrounding the African-American Civil Rights Movement (1955-1968) and the anti-Vietnam War peace and love era. Social movements are not eternal. They are created, they grow, they achieve successes or failures and eventually, they dissolve and cease to exist. But the ideas never cease as long as they remain in the minds of the people. The ideas that grew into movements during my lifetime such as the feminist, pro-choice, environmental, gay rights and anti-nuclear movements, while dominant in the media and all worthy causes, never compelled me beyond casual activism.
I never actively support a political candidate or party and couldn’t imagine enjoying governmental politics in any form or aspect. I felt it was an ugly machine and a bureaucratic stage for partisan bickering where America is undermined and politicians and special interests grab for power and money. Sure, I’d vote and keep informed as for what the general consensus was and the main stream media hyperbole, or try to ignore it all together while occasionally taking a stand on an issue, but I was sorely apathetic, uninformed and blissfully ignorant. Now, I’m working on these weaknesses and jumping head-long into a social movement.
Charles Tilly defines social movements as a series of contentious performances, displays and campaigns by which ordinary people made collective claims on others. According to Tilly, social movements are a major vehicle for ordinary people’s participation in public politics. He argues that there are three major elements to a social movement:
- Campaigns: a sustained, organized public effort making collective claims on target authorities;
- Repertoire: employment of combinations from among the following forms of political action: creation of special-purpose associations and coalitions, public meetings, solemn processions, vigils, rallies, demonstrations, petition drives, statements to and in public media, and pamphleteering; and
- WUNC displays: participants’ concerted public representation of worthiness, unity, numbers, and commitments on the part of themselves and/or their constituencies.
Sidney Tarrow defines a social movement as collective challenges [to elites, authorities, other groups or cultural codes] by people with common purposes and solidarity in sustained interactions with elites, opponents and authorities. He specifically distinguishes social movements from political parties and interest groups.
We hear Ron Paul roar in a series of contentious performances at the debates and in the firing line of the media. We see unprecedented displays and campaigns by ordinary people to spread the message far and wide. We witness the 64,000 people and growing in Meet up coalitions, 5,000 strong at public rallies (and this guy isn’t a rock star or media darling). We see demonstrations on-line against the slanted media and on the ground in the war for our minds. And the participants’ of this movement have certainly shown a concerted public representation of worthiness, unity, numbers, and commitments on the part of themselves and Ron Paul. This is THE collective challenge of the people united against the elitists, the establishment and the corrupt government. We strongly share a common purpose and stand in solidarity.
Now my principled-values and convictions have hurled me down this new course in life and I feel compelled to act on these ideas and be the change I want to see in the world. The Ron Paul Revolution is a movement of historic proportions; call it the liberty or freedom movement, a pro-peace movement or civil liberties movement, people are flocking to it to take our country back. The campaign is open, decentralized, and largely driven by spirited activists operating without any direction from headquarters. Everyone has their own reasons for joining and they don’t all align with one another’s, but with the strong common ground and diversity, we are banding together and making progress and winning over the hearts and minds.
This is the Ron Paul Revolution…the Freedom, Peace and Prosperity message is strong and resonating with an increasingly fast-growing, inspired and steadfast group of Americans and people from around the world. Liberty can transcend borders, race, religion and the division. The freedom message really can bring us together and doesn’t divide us.
Thomas Jefferson once said, “When the government fears the people there is liberty; when the people fear the government there is tyranny.” And James Madison warned, “If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy.”
The vision of our founding fathers - life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness - isn’t a new idea as people throughout history have endured to strive for freedom and overcome oppression and enslavement, regimes and dictators, kings and empires. It’s natural and instinctive to overcome the human condition and fight for freedom, but you can count on one hand the successful free societies throughout history. Tyranny is the rule and liberty the exception. We’re fortunate having lived in an unprecedented time of relative peace and progress. Many good Americans have fought for this freedom and sacrificed their lives. Many throughout the world have admired the Constitution of the United States of America and it is also an integral part of our success.
Dr. Paul warns us, “When we sacrifice our liberties for security, we lose both.” Ron Paul wants to restore the Constitution and use it as his guide. Dr. Paul is pro-constitution, pro-liberty, pro-sound money, pro-state’s rights, pro-free markets, pro-peace, pro-family, pro-life, pro-health freedom, pro-education, pro-second amendment, pro-environment (not quasi environmentalism) and pro-property rights. He is a true statesmen and citizen politician in the traditions envisioned by the framers of our Republic. The time has come to overcome the left/right paradigm and unite. This is a call out for all liberals, conservatives, libertarians, anarchists, independents and the disenfranchised to band together and rise up. You, like myself, may not agree with all the ideas, but this is a chance to keep the flame of liberty alive.
On December 16th, 1773, American colonists dumped tea into the Boston Harbor to protest an oppressive tax. From that moment on this nation would prosper as the land of the free. However, more than 200 years later, this once glorious nation is now in decline; the dollar is losing it’s value, our civil liberties are being lost due to neo-patriotic values, wars are waged and threatened against sovereign nations.
This December 16th, American citizens will dump millions of dollars into the Ron Paul presidential campaign to protest the oppressive and unconstitutional inflation tax - which has enabled a flawed foreign policy, a costly war and the sacrificing of our liberties here at home. Please join us this December 16th for the largest one-day donation event in history and be part of this movement!
15 Responses to “Ron Paul Revolution is a Social Movement”
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Ron Paul is the man.
Yes, I agree…Ron Paul is THE ONLY man for the job!
greatings…
super!…
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