Paul deserves -- and accepts -- blame for allowing such trash to go out under his name. He has apologized profusely for this. Unfortunately, there is no time machine to let him go back fifteen years and undo the unwise decision to turn his newsletter over to those who wrote these words. There really isn't much more he can do, short of perhaps naming names or crafting a clearer explanation of the exact process by which this happened (and there is no guarantee this would satisfy critics). Wisely or not, he has thus far decided not to do this.
The Newsletters Are Extreme Anomalies
In evaluating this issue, it is vital to consider the following points.
No one has EVER heard Ron Paul, in ten congressional terms, two presidential races, and endless public speeches, interviews and appearances, utter one racist or bigoted comment.
In decades of public service and a very public life, there are no damning video or audio clips, no damning quotes, absolutely nothing -- except this small, very specific handful of quotes from these newsletters. Zero. Nothing else. The newsletters are extreme anomalies. Not only do they not sound like him -- they are obviously extraordinarily inconsistent with the man’s entire life and worldview.
Ron Paul is always described by those who know him, or have encountered him, as a gentleman free from racial prejudice and truly concerned about peace, liberty, and equal justice for all, a man of the highest moral character. There is no hint of bigotry in his personal or professional associations. While it is a cliché, it is nonetheless true that some of his closest associates and personal heroes are blacks and Jews. He delivered babies free of charge to impoverished minority women.
Paul has repeatedly denounced racism. In 2002 he wrote: “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 individual who share superficial physical characteristics are alike; as collectivists, racists think only in terms of groups.”
Paul’s congressional voting record has been completely consistent with the above statement. So has his campaign, which has brought support from all races and from across the political spectrum.
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