Ex-presidential

candidate

stops in Boone
By Cara Kelly
cara@mountaintimes.com

Former Republican presidential candidate and Texas U.S. Rep. Ron Paul spoke Friday at the Broyhill Inn and Conference Center to a crowd of dedicated fans and supporters about what he called his continued campaign for liberty.

In town for a family reunion (his brother lives in the area), Paul addressed a private audience about his political future following his withdrawal from the presidential campaign.

John Wheeler, an active member of several Christian associations and the Ashe County Conservative Party, presided as master of ceremonies.

U.S. Rep Virginia Foxx (R-5) briefly discussed her friendship with Paul and her current disapproval of the push in Washington to eliminate religious decorum from political buildings.

“Stay involved even though Ron is no longer a candidate and support those people who most closely agree with you,” she said.

Paul Monroe, a former student at Appalachian State University, introduced Paul.

He started a campus organization for Paul and referred to the ex-candidate as the founder of modern conservatism and a taxpayer’s best friend.

“Ron Paul is a grass-roots revival of the constitutionalism of founding fathers of our country,” he added.

After introducing and thanking his family members present, Paul began to discuss his plans for his future in politics and the points of his platform.

“People ask me what I'm going to do now that the presidential race has been decided,” he said. “And I say, I'm going to do what I've always done: Campaign for liberty.”

Paul said his Campaign for Liberty is founded on his beliefs of a limited government that staunchly follows the guidelines of the U.S. Constitution and that firmly protects civil liberties.

A devout constitutionalist, Paul passed out pocket versions of the document, an act that has turned into a trademark for the Texan.

“People are always asking me for a copy of the Constitution, including teachers and students, they are starved for it,” he said.

Paul explained his objection to deficit spending by the government, printing of fiat currency and taxation in general.

Paul condemned the Internal Revenue Service, equating it with stealing from people for the purpose of redistribution.

“We can’t let the government do what we aren't allowed to do,” Paul said about his view of the IRS.

A supporter of the gold standard, Paul also voiced his disapproval of the government's tendency to print paper dollars when it is in debt, which causes inflation. He advocated more transparency in the actions of the Federal Reserve, which are generally done in private.

As a member of many economic committees, Paul argued that even he does not know the inner workings of the agency.

In the question-and-answer segment, Paul was asked about his stance on the United Nations after being presented with a copy of the book, “Beast on the East River.”

“I have a very complicated position on the issue: Get out,” said Paul.

Paul gave the same response when discussing the World Trade organization and the North American Free-Trade Agreement.

Paul argued that, although the country was founded on trade, the organizations of international trade are generally corrupt and unnecessary.

In addition, Paul argued that the war in the Middle East must be abandoned in the next few years for lack of funds. Paul asserted that his understanding of the foundation of the country was not on an imperial mentality, where he feels has taken over politics in the past few years.

The Campaign for Liberty will continue with a rally in Minneapolis on Sept. 2. The tickets went on sale Friday and within eight hours, more than 6,000 had been sold.

“This will continue,” he said. “Although the campaign in the normal sense has ended, the Campaign for Liberty has just begun.”