Ron Paul, Why Do I Feel So Uneasy About Him?

I write this more as an exercise in trying to put a finger on what it is that makes me feel so uneasy about Ron Paul, or Ron Paul supporters. Ron Paul has been a figure in American Politics for quite some time. He has become the voice of libertarians. I like a lot of what I hear and in fact the more I listen the more I like, but for some reason I feel something very unsettling when people start talking about him, not those who are detractors, but those who support him.

A few years ago I was elected to be our precinct chair at our neighborhood republican caucus, not a hard fete as I was only one of three that showed up that year. I was willing to hold the caucus at my house no one else wanted the job, and it had to be filled so I took it. In fulfilling my duties I attended the organizing committee meetings. At these meetings there was a group that I observed on the fringes of our party. I liked what they had to say, but it didn't take long before I was unimpressed with their delivery. They objected to sometimes the most meaningless things and almost took meetings hostage by manipulating the rules.

Some how these folks got elected to the county leadership it didn't take long before morale was tanked and arguing and bickering started among our leadership. It was a shame. They darn near destroyed the party.

I was reelected to precinct chair by default because no one showed up the next go around. However, I resigned my position rather than deal with this group. It felt like we were going to a circus every time we had a meeting. I was not there when some of them were kicked out of the party. From that time I realized that just because a group espouses the principles of liberty did not mean they knew how to administer them, and in some cases they may become the very people they preached against. You can no more force liberty on a people than you force them to be righteous.

Since then I have become very familiar with the phrase "by their fruits ye shall know them." The fruits that these folks had before they took power was anger, frustration, bitterness, and aggression. They took office their fruits never changed. It wasn't that the principles that they espoused were bad principles it was that they did not understand how to administer those changes without dictating them. They had no understanding of how to administer agency nor freedom. They became worse than those who they thought were wrong.

I have learned that if I agree with someone 100% that does not mean that they are going to be my savior by getting into office. Sometimes it is better to be a voice in the wilderness crying repentance. Sometimes it is not our calling to lead from the front. Sometimes the best thing we can do is support a good man and gain his ear.

What makes makes me nervous about Ron Paul is not so much a Messiah complex from himself such that we seem to see in the White House today, but a Messiah complex among his followers. When listening to the talk shows if a host ever spoke even the least bit negative toward Ron Paul or even one of his teachings they have been pounced upon by Ron Paul supporters, some talk show hosts have even been receiving death threats. These things have all made me feel very leery of Ron Paul.

To me it would be very easy to believe all that Ron Paul has to say, I have in fact changed several of my views after thinking about what he preaches, but it has not changed the fact that I feel very uncomfortable among his followers as a whole. Individually I like many of his followers, but as a whole I just do not feel comfortable at all. They may be my friends, and I will talk to them and agree with almost everything they say, but I can not vote with them, not until I feel they understand what agency really means, and they know the difference between Anarchy and Liberty. When they can convince me, as a group, that they can accept that others believe differently and it is okay that they do, then I might find myself a little more comfortable voting for Ron Paul. As it is I am comfortable with Ron Paul being Paul Revere riding through the country and warning the people, and preparing us to get ready to be worthy of liberty.