22 Reasons Ron Paul Is Not A Racist

The media storm surrounding Ron Paul's newsletters has led to speculation as to whether or not the long-time Texas Congressman is a racist. Well some Ron Paul supporters have been sending around a list of moments that would say otherwise. Some of them are compelling, while others leave a bit to be desired.

1. Ron Paul On Racial Profiling

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“We can think back no further than July of 1996, when a plane carrying several hundred people suddenly and mysteriously crashed off the coast of Long Island. Within days, Congress had passed emergency legislation calling for costly new security measures, including a controversial “screening” method which calls for airlines to arbitrarily detain passengers just because the person meets certain criteria which border on racist and xenophobic.”

Year: 1998
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2. On Whether He's A Racist

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3. On Government Stereotyping

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“One of the worst aspects of the census is its focus on classifying people by race. When government tells us it wants information to help any given group, it assumes every individual who shares certain physical characteristics has the same interests, or wants the same things from government. This is an inherently racist and offensive assumption. The census, like so many federal policies and programs, inflames racism by encouraging Americans to see themselves as members of racial groups fighting each other for a share of the federal pie.”

Year: 2004
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4. On Racism

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“Racism is simply an ugly form of collectivism, the mindset that views humans only as members of groups and never as individuals. Racists believe that all individuals who share superficial physical characteristics are alike; as collectivists, racists think only in terms of groups. By encouraging Americans to adopt a group mentality, the advocates of so-called “diversity” actually perpetuate racism. Their intense focus on race is inherently racist, because it views individuals only as members of racial groups.

Conservatives and libertarians should fight back and challenge the myth that collectivist liberals care more about racism. Modern liberalism, however, well-intentioned, is a byproduct of the same collectivist thinking that characterizes racism. The continued insistence on group thinking only inflames racial tensions.

The true antidote to racism is liberty. Liberty means having a limited, constitutional government devoted to the protection of individual rights rather than group claims.

Liberty means free-market capitalism, which rewards individual achievement and competence, not skin color, gender, or ethnicity. In a free market, businesses that discriminate lose customers, goodwill, and valuable employees- while rational businesses flourish by choosing the most qualified employees and selling to all willing buyers. More importantly, in a free society every citizen gains a sense of himself as an individual, rather than developing a group or victim mentality.

This leads to a sense of individual responsibility and personal pride, making skin color irrelevant. Rather than looking to government to correct what is essentially a sin of the heart, we should understand that reducing racism requires a shift from group thinking to an emphasis on individualism.”

Year: 2002
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5. On The Racism Of The Death Penalty

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6. On Racist Laws that Aim to Harm What Some Called “Cheap Colored Labor”

William B. Plowman / AP

“The racist effects of Davis-Bacon are no mere coincidence. In fact, many original supporters of Davis-Bacon, such as Representative Clayton Allgood, bragged about supporting Davis-Bacon as a means of keeping cheap colored labor out of the construction industry.”

Year: 1997
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7. On The Drug War

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8. On Foreign Aid To Africa Giving Dictators "Power To Impoverish"

Nati Harnik / AP

"African poverty is rooted in government corruption, corruption that actually is fostered by western aid. We should ask ourselves a simple question: Why is private capital so scarce in Africa? The obvious answer is that many African nations are ruled by terrible men who pursue disastrous economic policies. As a result, American aid simply enriches dictators, distorts economies, and props up bad governments. We could send Africa $1 trillion, and the continent still would remain mired in poverty simply because so many of its nations reject property rights, free markets, and the rule of law. As commentator Joseph Potts explains, western money enables dictators like Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe to gain and hold power without the support of his nation’s people. African rulers learn to manipulate foreign governments and obtain an independent source of income, which makes them far richer and more powerful than any of their political rivals. Once comfortably in power, and much to the horror of the western governments that funded them, African dictators find their subjects quite helpless and dependent. Potts describes this process as giving African politicians the “power to impoverish.”

Year: 2005
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9. Congratulating Barack Obama For Becoming The First Black President

Nati Harnik / AP

“With the election behind us, our country turns hopeful eyes to the future. I have a few hopes of my own. I congratulate our first African-American president-elect. Martin Luther King, Jr. certainly would be proud to see this day. We are stronger for embracing diversity, and I am hopeful that we can continue working through the tensions and wrongs of the past and become a more just and colorblind society. I hope this new administration will help bring us together, and not further divide us. I have always found that freedom is the best way to break down barriers. A free society emphasizes the importance of individuals, and not because they are part of a certain group. That’s the only way equal justice can be achieved.”

Year: 2008
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10. On Libertarianism's Relationship To Race

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11. On Racial and Ethnic Stereotyping by Self Serving Politicians

Charlie Neibergall / AP

“After 200 years, the constitutional protection of the right of the individual to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness is virtually gone. Today’s current terminology describing rights reflects this sad change. It is commonplace for politicians and those desiring special privileges to refer to: black rights, Hispanic rights, handicap rights, employee rights, student rights, minority rights, women’s rights, gay rights, children’s rights, student rights, Asian-American rights, Jewish rights, AIDS victims’ rights, poverty rights, homeless rights, etc. Unless all the terms are dropped & we recognize that only an individual has rights, the solution to the mess in which we find ourselves will not be found. The longer we lack of definition of rights, the worse the economic and social problems will be.”

Year:1987
From his book "Freedom Under Siege"

Highlights Of Ron Paul's Voting Record:

Jim Cole / AP

12. Voted To Honor The Tuskegee Airmen

JASON REED / Reuters

"H.Con.Res.26 - Honoring the Tuskegee Airmen for their bravery in fighting for our freedom in World War II, and for their contribution in creating an integrated United States Air Force."

Year: 2005
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13. Voted To Commemorate The 45th Anniversary of Selma's "Bloody Sunday"

"H.Con.Res. 249: Commemorating the 45th anniversary of Bloody Sunday and the role that it played in ensuring the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965."

Year: 2010
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14. Voted To Honor African-Americans Who Made Major Contributions To Science

"H.Res.1133: Recognizing the extraordinary number of African-Americans who have overcome significant obstacles to enhance innovation and competitiveness in the field of science in the United States."

Year: 2010
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15. Voted To Honor The NAACP On Their 101st Anniversary

Mary Altaffer / AP

"H.Con.Res. 242: Honoring and praising the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People on the occasion of its 101st anniversary."

Year: 2010
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16. Voted To Place A Marker To Acknowledge The Use Of Slave Labor In The Construction Of The Capitol

"H.Con.Res. 135: Directing the Architect of the Capitol to place a marker in Emancipation Hall in the Capitol Visitor Center which acknowledges the role that slave labor played in the construction of the United States Capitol, and for other purposes."

Year: 2009
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17. Voted To Honor Jackie Robinson

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"H.Con.Res. 61: Honoring the lifetime achievements of Jackie Robinson."

Year: 1997
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18. Voted To Honor The Importance Of African-American Music

"H.Res. 509: Recognizing the importance of African-American music to global culture and calling on the people of the United States to study, reflect on, and celebrate African-American music."

Year: 2000
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19. Voted To Make Discrimination Claims Against The Department Of Agriculture Easier To File For African-American Farmers

"H.Con.Res. 296: Expressing the sense of the Congress regarding the necessity to expedite the settlement process for discrimination claims against the Department of Agriculture brought by African-American farmers."

20. Voted To Honor African-American Pioneers In Colorado

"H.Res.54: Commemorating African-American pioneers in Colorado."

Year: 2001
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21. Voted To Recognize African-American Spirituals As An American Treasure

"H. Res. 120: A resolution recognizing the African-American spiritual as a national treasure."

Year: 2007
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22. Voted To Honor African-American Inventors

"H. Res. 966 [110th]: Honoring African-American inventors, past and present, for their leadership, courage, and significant contributions to our national competitiveness."

Year: 2008
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