Looking back in retrospect the Ron Paul movement did a lot of things right and a lot of things wrong.  Face it, we shot ourselves in the foot when it came  to gaining long term respect within the political establishment.  We knew from the very beginning that promoting the principles of peace, liberty and prosperity was a long term commitment.  It is imperative that we identify those wrongs and understand how can we right them, or at least move forward in a positive light in the future.

Being transparent

Throughout the campaign with Ron Paul many spontaneous ideas spun out of forums and email forwards. Some of the ideas were very worthwhile and noble causes aimed at bring more attention to the man who inspired a movement. Other ideas, like  infiltration and disregard for established leaders, policies and practices were actually detrimental to the cause and made well-intentioned people look bad when open political strategy turned to clandestine operations. We saw great success when communication was open and when radio stations started to see their inboxs and switchboards flooded with queries which made people stop, notice and better understand our issues and concerns. We need to be very cautious to not let malice  and efforts at “revenge” to drive our desires for political change.  While these negative actions may have brought temporary victory to some causes in the short term, in the long term they tended to discredit all of the good intentions and make a whole lot of people look bad, making their future endeavors that much harder to realize.

What is done in the dark shouldn’t be done

If we resort to the use of underhanded, secret,  or dirty tactics even if well-intentioned to promote the principles of peace, liberty and prosperity we tarnish ourselves  and the very principles we seek to spread.   Just as counting ballots in the backroom is unconstitutional and morally bankrupt so should the use of secret emails and anonymous phone calls. If what we are doing cannot be shared in public with a positive impression, The Valley Grassroots suffers. We are sure the rest of the people involved with The Valley Grassroots and other organizations would agree that transparency and  integrity lead to positive results that can be beneficial for the image of their organizations and the goal the they seek to accomplish.

Keep in mind, there is nothing wrong with coordinating efforts to raise awareness to a cause or issue. But, when that effort goes underground it is tough not to question the motives and integrity of the people involved.

Have fun and spur action

If we aren’t having fun, we aren’t doing it right. Everyone that is a part of TVG and other organizations like it probably found each other because our communications were open for all to see and make judgment upon.  We shouldn’t forget to have fun. When we are having fun others want to join and be a part of it. Its an easy formula. People + Fun = Involvement. That will continue to repeat itself until either people change their mind about the cause or the fun disappears, that’s when involvement stops.

As soon as the weather turns we are going to talk about some awesome outdoor events. Maybe sooner than that we can meet up for a night at the Bowler or something, what say you?

1. Bridget Says:
   January 26th, 2009 at 11:15 am

   We have a an even bigger responsibility than most realize. Not only do we have the most important task of defending and preserving liberty, we have to do so with the tools that our opponents refuse to use…true honesty and integrity. I will put myself out there and be the first to admit that when I began my involvement within the Republican party I felt I had to “play the game” to get along and make a difference. I was getting a crash course in politics as most of us were! But as I came to learn (and am still being reminded!) my best offense was and is to be honest. It is not easy because of the nature of the beast. It is not easy because of human weakness. But this is our challenge. There are no degrees of honesty.

   “Whatever games are played with us, we must play no games with ourselves, but deal in our privacy with the last honesty and truth”
   Ralph Waldo Emerson