On this Thanksgiving Eve, I am reminded of how blessed I have been to be able to rub shoulders with many of the political and religious giants of the Twentieth (and now Twenty-First) Century. During the past 30-plus years, I have been allowed to get to know a good many of the men and women that would have to be regarded as giants in the fields of religion and politics. Many of these have already passed on; a few remain. In the field of politics, the giant of them all is Texas Congressman Ron Paul.
There is no doubt in my mind that history will regard Dr. Paul as the greatest congressman in US history. Ron Paul has done more to guard and defend liberty and constitutional government than perhaps any man since Thomas Jefferson. Dr. Paul’s legacy and influence will remain after most congressmen and senators have been long forgotten. What Patrick Henry was to Colonial America, Ron Paul has been to modern America. I am so grateful for the opportunity to get to personally know this man and to be able to call him my friend.
I was honored to be his personal representative in several notable gatherings in South Carolina during the 2008 Republican primary. I was honored to campaign with him in Iowa during that same primary. I’ve spoken on the same platform with him on numerous occasions. I was honored to be the speaker directly in front of him (and was honored to introduce him) in giant rallies stretching from Washington, D.C., to Reno, Nevada. I have been in private meetings with him and gotten to know him on a personal level. In my estimation, America has never known a more honest and genuine man. His integrity is impeccable, his honor unscathed.
It was with the utmost sadness that I watched Ron Paul give his Farewell Address to Congress last week. As he concluded his remarks and walked away from the Well of the House, I wept. I thought to myself: “There goes the greatest champion of liberty in a century; we may never see his likes again.” I wasn’t weeping for Dr. Paul though; I was weeping for America.
Unfortunately for us, Ron’s one weakness was his oratorical skills–or lack thereof. Then again, it’s my observation that most geniuses are much better writers than they are speakers. And make no mistake about it: Ron Paul is a genius. As I understand it, Thomas Jefferson was no great orator either. But as the principal author of the Declaration of Independence, there was certainly nothing shabby about his writing. And in those days, the American citizenry was more acutely attuned to the principles of liberty than is this generation. I don’t think it is much of a stretch to suggest that had Jefferson lived in this generation, he would never have been elected President either. Ron’s failure to obtain the Presidency is not a testament to his failure; it is a testament to the failure of this generation to recognize and appreciate the principles of liberty for which Ron stood.
Furthermore, in my opinion, Dr. Paul’s Farewell Address last week (which was delivered from a prepared, written text) is second in greatness only to George Washington’s Farewell Address. It was magnificent! As was Washington’s, Ron Paul’s Farewell Address should be regarded as the blueprint for liberty for the next 100 years. If anyone is looking for a platform upon which to mount a future political campaign (if he or she is interested in preserving liberty, that is), study and memorize Ron Paul’s Farewell Address.
I initially intended to use this column to expound upon the points Dr. Paul addressed in his remarks. But it came to me, for me to try and give commentary on Ron’s remarks, would be to seriously reduce their quality. How could someone such as me improve upon what someone such as Ron Paul said?
Accordingly, with all of the earnestness in my being, I urge readers to watch and read Congressman Ron Paul’s Farewell Address. See it here.
In all honestly, I have never heard anyone on Capitol Hill make such an intelligent, reasoned, passionate, and trenchant argument for the cause of liberty than Dr. Paul made in his Farewell Address. The principles set forth in that address would literally restore liberty and prosperity to America. Furthermore, following those principles would certainly avert the calamity that is soon coming to this country. Unfortunately, neither major party in Washington, D.C., has any intention on subscribing to those principles, because, for the most part, our federal government is led by corrupt, self-serving men who are void of any sense of honor and integrity.
Dr. Paul began his address lamenting that by outward appearances it didn’t appear that his nearly 24 years of service in Congress had accomplished much. I know that feeling! I often feel as did our Lord’s disciples, “We have toiled all night and taken nothing.” However, had Ron Paul lived during the formative years of our nation, there is no question we would be referring to him as President Paul. But make no mistake about it: Ron’s life has influenced tens of millions of freedom-loving people, both here and around the world. As I said at the Ron Paul Festival in Tampa, Florida, recently, “Ron Paul is bigger than Ron Paul!”
See my speech at the Paul Fest here.
Ron Paul has reignited the spirit of liberty in the hearts and minds of millions of us. His zeal and passion for freedom will resonate in the hearts of Americans for generations to come.
Unfortunately, not all of those who claim association with Ron Paul truly share his vision and passion for liberty. Many of them are self-serving opportunists, who want to personally profit from Dr. Paul’s name and reputation. Be careful of them! One thing Ron Paul never did was compromise. Did you see him endorsing the neocon John McCain? No. Did you see him endorsing the neocon Mitt Romney? No. If I’m not mistaken, I might have been the only man since Ronald Reagan whom Ron Paul endorsed for President of the United States. If so, that is an honor I will cherish unto my dying breath.
Beware of those who claim association with Ron Paul, but who promote compromise and appeasement. Beware of those who would trade on Ron Paul’s name for their own personal agendas. Beware of those who claim Ron Paul’s pedigree, yet who are nothing more than establishment insiders–or who want to be. Ron Paul was never intimidated by, or enamored with, the establishment. He could not be bullied or bribed. He was an indefatigable, courageous champion of liberty. And those who claim his legacy, but who seek the approbation of the establishment elite, never understood the first thing about Ron Paul.
As I watched Dr. Paul’s Farewell Address last week, I was reminded of how fortunate I was to be his friend and how blessed this generation of Americans was to be touched by his life and work. But as is the case with so many great men, Ron Paul has never truly received the honor that is due him. I pray one day he will.
Dr. Chuck Baldwin left the Crossroad Baptist Church in Pensacola, Florida to move to Montana. He hosts a weekly radio show. His website is here.
