Ron Paul was excluded from the debates by Rick Beltram in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Someone on this forum had an idea: Let's have a food drive and generate some press for Ron Paul in protest, and help people at the same time.
At that time, Ron Paul was getting alot of negative press for his supporters 'spamming' polls (he was winning every straw poll, because he had the only existent grassroots in the race).
So someone else had an idea: Spam Spartanburg. (food drive including cans of spam) within A COUPLE OF HOURS a chipin was made, and several hundred dollars were raised - the food drive was a success.
Another time someone had the idea to use pictures of Ron Paul supporters to create a 'mosaic' picture of Ron Paul. This person released the first mosaic picture, and someone else suggested it become a full-page newspaper ad, and soon after enough money was raised to put it in the Ames Tribune THE DAY OF THE IOWA STRAW POLL.
This place used to be the pinnacle of grassroots activity - an amazing coordinating platform for talented, motivated, liberty minded people to produce effective, targeted campaigns for freedom.
Wish ya'll could have seen it. Wish it could be that way again.
Every time you post: Are you bringing a project closer to fruition? If not, perhaps you should start another forum: RonPaulCouchPotatos.com. Please, please, try not to get in the way of real work around here.
/rant.
EDIT:
here are some favorite quotes of mine from this thread. biased as the selection process may be, I will be coming to this thread for a quick read whenever I feel a bit down.
ellipses are mine, hope I didn't bastardize meaning!
I remember. That's when we were all focused on a common goal. The ideas being generated and the implementation of those ideas around here.... It was all amazing. We were a powerful force then.
I only started coming in Sept. 07 but things were still pretty fresh and exciting! People weren't afraid to float "out there" ideas, the innovation around this joint could be inspiring and could possibly life altering! Yes, sure things are quite bogged down a bit now, but I have faith if any group can get past a sticky obstacle, it's this raggle taggle band of budding Patriots!
I still hold that in my heart when I think of our country's future. It is our responsibility to give this country to the next generation intact. We didn't inherit it in working order, but before we die we have to find a way to get it back. What hope is there for liberty in the world if we can't?
I'm not going to give up. I know others will not. We might pursue different mediums- but we all want similar things. Peace and Freedom. God bless Dr. Paul for his work, and all of you for supporting each other.
May we see brighter days in this forum, and in our futures.
I found the forum about the same time, and feel the same way. As an old guy, I'd like to point out that last year wasn't so long ago, nor is the next election cycle so far away. It's a matter of perspective.
there are still a lot of important projects that come up on these boards that get little traction like they used to..........but we are still growing, still going strong, and this country is changing because of us, and our partnership with other groups like us so ya, u guys are still AWESOME!!!
my impulsive desire to pimp the Free State Project requires me to suggest that you check out moving to where the non-couch potato libertarians are all moving to. We're sucking all the best activists away from other states so you best join us
It seemed like everywhere I looked there were lies and injustice, and the sollutions being offered by the media and politicians allwayes defied common sense. You all know what I mean.....
.....I remember how privileged I felt to be able to come here every day and learn more about the man and the philosophy. It was a very special time because every time someone dugg out some new peice of information, it was allways good news. There were no dumb questions back then because we were all learning together, and there was a sense of adventure every day as we worked together to learn more. We were the pioneers, and that was both very exciting and very humbling....
Thinking back it was truly one of the greatest times in my young life, I was at that one special place at that one special time, and that makes me feel so lucky. However, as it is allways the case things change. We can't turn back time and relive that time again even if we wanted to, but those of us who were here can remember it, and maybe - just maybe we can try to find that old spirit of cooperation again. If we start getting back to basics - recognizing that no question is too stupid, and every effort - no matter how small or seemingly insignificant - is worthwhile and can be realised if a few people work together to get it done. And perhaps we should revive that old motto again.
I remember that night well. Probably one of my most favorite Grassroots moments!! There were quite a few people on that night, we were hashing that poster out and making it just right. We all worked together. there was no; I, Me, or Mine. We all worked together seamlessly. Then within a day we had the money to get it in the paper. The best part of all..... it cost the Campaign ZERO!! That really strikes me as a metaphor of free market enterprise.
free people, in pursuit of enlightened self interest, follow similar paths - toward SUCCESS and HAPPINESS!
I'm sensing a resurrection of the force.
something is happening.
So I shouted out to my RP brothers and sisters on this forum and I start getting my paypal account filled with some people donating and a bunch of locals threw down some cash to actually do this thing. Unbelievable.....
.....it was so exciting to see people moving towards a common cause and the spontaneous creativity of ideas. Ideas that had never been done before and yet being able to overcome the obstacles of resources and time, and having it come to fruition. It was an exciting time.
The difference between then and now is then we lived and breathed hope every minute of every day. Dr. Paul was the cure for apathy......
......The forums back then was where we expressed our interactions with the real world to each other. We all found hope in Ron Paul. We believed in him. We supported him. When someone said Ron Paul did not have a chance it fueled us. Defeat was not an option.
There were many ideas, inspiration, and motivation to be found on the forum. We literally created magic. The liberty fire was rekindled.
us guys in nashville are too busy grabbing leadership positions and influence in the davidson county republican party to be dreaming up food drives
in all seriousness, though, as that was a joke, this is not an election year so it will be a little bit less in the way of activism, however, that means the opposition is in even WORSE shape, they already have political positions and no desire to campaign. this is the year to show up and take advantage of the smaller numbers at caucuses for political groups and to WIN THEIR LEADERSHIP POSITIONS.
hey, it's not over and apathy can not be described as not handing out slim-jims or doing sign bombs in 2009.......
I miss the old days, too. You know, back when we were prepared to tar and feather (or just email and call) anyone who marginalized us, were prepared to take real grassroots action over real issues, and spread the word to everyone we met.
What we're missing right now is spirit. We complain about all the tyranny we see, but how many are writing to legislators and telling them that we won't stand for their crap, educating others, and encouraging them to do the same? We need to get the spirit back.
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