Thread: Ron Paul on Racism

This is Ron Paul's statement on racism. I read it 3 times and hope I'm wrong in what I get from it. Anyone else have a take on it?


Racism

A nation that once prided itself on a sense of rugged individualism has become uncomfortably obsessed with racial group identities.

The collectivist mindset is at the heart of racism.

Government as an institution is particularly ill-suited to combat bigotry. Bigotry at its essence is a problem of the heart, and we cannot change people's hearts by passing more laws and regulations.

It is the federal government that most divides us by race, class, religion, and gender. Through its taxes, restrictive regulations, corporate subsidies, racial set-asides, and welfare programs, government plays far too large a role in determining who succeeds and who fails. Government "benevolence" crowds out genuine goodwill by institutionalizing group thinking, thus making each group suspicious that others are receiving more of the government loot. This leads to resentment and hostility among us.

Racism is simply an ugly form of collectivism, the mindset that views humans strictly as members of groups rather than 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.

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 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. Racism will endure until we stop thinking in terms of groups and begin thinking in terms of individual liberty.

http://www.ronpaul2008.com/issues/racism/

I have heard him talk about this issue and what he means is that what is dividing our country is the group menality, not looking at people individually. We have the Latino Caucus, Indian Caucus, Gay Activists etc. who are all looking out for thier idividual race's rights. If we were just Americans, it would be different. Everything would be done for the individual civil liberties not the Latino civil liberties, the Asian civil liberties etc. My feeling is that racist is not always a negative attitude. It just means that you tend to group people in races not individuals. The Constitution is for individual liberites not group liberties.

Races or classes.

Good question....why do we have Black Colleges....is there a "white College"??? Black magazines....is there a white magazine....? Hispanic groups all over the place for the betterment of Hispanics....Is there a group for the betterment of whites....? Legal aid for the betterment of Hispanics...is there a legal aid for the betterment of whites???? All this separation cr*p should be disbanded

Ive not seen a WET either as opposed to BET! Guess thats pure luck!

agrneygrl summed it up beautifully, I feel the same way.

what he means is that what is dividing our country is the group mentality, not looking at people individually. We have the Latino Caucus, Indian Caucus, Gay Activists etc. who are all looking out for their individual race's rights. If we were just Americans, it would be different. Everything would be done for the individual civil liberties not the Latino civil liberties, the Asian civil liberties etc. My feeling is that racist is not always a negative attitude. It just means that you tend to group people in races not individuals. The Constitution is for individual liberties not group liberties.

This is the way it should be, but in reality it is not the way it is.

citizenjustice What bothers you about it?

thus making each group suspicious that others are receiving more of the government loot. This leads to resentment and hostility among us.

If the federal government had not allowed such an overwhelming allotment of funds to racist organizations such as La Raza, then this might have not ever been an issue. If the federal government had not illegally allowed such a large influx of one enthic group, instead of several, proportionally, to migrate illegally into our country, this might have not ever been an issue. The federal government, especially the executive branch, is guilty of making these things issues by ignoring these issues, and our laws. It is not in the hearts of Americans to be racist towards any one or more ethnic groups. The ethnic group that was allowed to illegally migrate, in numbers far larger than any other ethnical group, came here and began to spew accussations of racism and hate when they didn't get what they wanted which they were not entitiled to. This is the cause for the recent incline of hostility. If the government would simply do it's job, things would be alot better. One HAS to wonder what our government's intentions are.

I can't find anything wrong with the statement. It is something that needs to be said.

The government funds, and encourages such division. That's the only way they can control this nation as they do. If we were all working together as Americans, speaking, talking, sharing, this government wouldn't have a chance to do the horrible things they have to dismantle a free society.

Think of all the special classes of people the government has created, based on race, sex, age, disabilities, economic station in life and on and on and on. They have convinced many the only reason they are not living the TV version of the American dream is because someone else has stolen it. The politician's biggest vote getting and stock in trade is to convince some group or the other that they and they alone can bring justice to them.

citizenjustice I'd still like to know what your concerns are - I'm pretty sure I have none but ----

I see nothing wrong with what Ron Paul says.
Government's role in helping to fund vaious groups based only on color, race, gender, and class doesn't UNITE the county, it DIVIDES the country.