pisshead
11-29-2007, 03:25 PM
Ron Paul Really Is "The Champion of the Constitution" Brian Farmer
JBS (http://www.jbs.org/node/6459)
Thursday November 29, 2007
The New American magazine has just published its semi-annual Freedom Index. Texas Congressman Ron Paul is the only member of either the House of Representatives or the Senate who got a perfect score.
Follow this link to the original source: "The Freedom Index: A Congressional Scoreboard Based on the U.S. Constitution (http://www.thenewamerican.com/files/Freedom_Index_110-2.pdf)"
In his opening remarks at the GOP debate at Saint Anselm College on June 5, 2007, presidential candidate Ron Paul declared, "I am the champion of the Constitution." Judging from the results of the Freedom Index, published in the latest issue of The New American magazine (a publication of The John Birch Society), Dr. Paul wasnâ??t making an idle boast.
As pointed out in the linked article, the Freedom Index "rates congressmen based on their adherence to constitutional principles of limited government, fiscal responsibility, national sovereignty, and a traditional foreign policy of avoiding foreign entanglements." Congressman Paul scored a perfect 100, based on an examination of ten key votes since the publication of the last Freedom Index in July. (He earned a perfect score in the previous Freedom Index, as well.)
(Article continues below)
Based on the results of the Freedom Index, Ron Paulâ??s voting record reflects the political philosophy of the framers of our Constitution. Many politicians (and their supporters) like to put forward the notion that the Constitution was designed for an 18th century agrarian society and is not suited to the complexities of a 21st century urbanized society. But Congressman Paul appears to understand that the principles that the Founding Fathers articulated in the Constitution transcend both time and technology.
The Constitution was not designed for an agrarian society. It was designed by those who lived in an agrarian society for the purpose of securing individual liberty and individual rights. As Dr. Paul puts it, freedom is "the absence of government coercion." By limiting the coercive powers of the federal government, the Constitution freed the creative powers of the American people and allowed them to create the most prosperous society in the history of the human race.
Unfortunately, the Constitution is not self-enforcing. The voters must be vigilant in making sure that government officials respect their oaths to uphold the Constitution. As Thomas Jefferson said, "The price of freedom is eternal vigilance." If we are not vigilant, then power-hungry politicians will be emboldened to ignore the Constitution and create a federal government that becomes increasingly tyrannical.
JBS (http://www.jbs.org/node/6459)
Thursday November 29, 2007
The New American magazine has just published its semi-annual Freedom Index. Texas Congressman Ron Paul is the only member of either the House of Representatives or the Senate who got a perfect score.
Follow this link to the original source: "The Freedom Index: A Congressional Scoreboard Based on the U.S. Constitution (http://www.thenewamerican.com/files/Freedom_Index_110-2.pdf)"
In his opening remarks at the GOP debate at Saint Anselm College on June 5, 2007, presidential candidate Ron Paul declared, "I am the champion of the Constitution." Judging from the results of the Freedom Index, published in the latest issue of The New American magazine (a publication of The John Birch Society), Dr. Paul wasnâ??t making an idle boast.
As pointed out in the linked article, the Freedom Index "rates congressmen based on their adherence to constitutional principles of limited government, fiscal responsibility, national sovereignty, and a traditional foreign policy of avoiding foreign entanglements." Congressman Paul scored a perfect 100, based on an examination of ten key votes since the publication of the last Freedom Index in July. (He earned a perfect score in the previous Freedom Index, as well.)
(Article continues below)
Based on the results of the Freedom Index, Ron Paulâ??s voting record reflects the political philosophy of the framers of our Constitution. Many politicians (and their supporters) like to put forward the notion that the Constitution was designed for an 18th century agrarian society and is not suited to the complexities of a 21st century urbanized society. But Congressman Paul appears to understand that the principles that the Founding Fathers articulated in the Constitution transcend both time and technology.
The Constitution was not designed for an agrarian society. It was designed by those who lived in an agrarian society for the purpose of securing individual liberty and individual rights. As Dr. Paul puts it, freedom is "the absence of government coercion." By limiting the coercive powers of the federal government, the Constitution freed the creative powers of the American people and allowed them to create the most prosperous society in the history of the human race.
Unfortunately, the Constitution is not self-enforcing. The voters must be vigilant in making sure that government officials respect their oaths to uphold the Constitution. As Thomas Jefferson said, "The price of freedom is eternal vigilance." If we are not vigilant, then power-hungry politicians will be emboldened to ignore the Constitution and create a federal government that becomes increasingly tyrannical.