MeetRonPaul
Member
- Joined
- Nov 18, 2012
- Messages
- 36
Fellow Ron Paul supporters,
If you could give kids the opportunity to learn about Ron Paul and the Liberty movement, would you? If you could make sure that the historical presidential campaigns of Ron Paul were not swept under the rug by our government controlled educational system, would you? If you could do your part to spread the brush fires of Liberty to the next generation, would you? Unfortunately, there are very little resources in schools to give youth an alternative to the left/right paradigm.
I came to that realization one day while browsing through a bookstore shelf and to my dismay I found what must have been twenty Barack Obama biographies that were in the youth section. Upon further investigation I found maybe eight George W. Bush biographies, a handful of Bill Clinton biographies and a couple of George H. W. Bush biographies. Sure, one could argue that they were all presidents and so they deserve to have their story told to youth. I agree. So I searched for people like Ben Franklin, Patrick Henry, Martin Luther King Jr., and Rosa Parks…they never became president but were none the less influential in shaping our country. There were plenty of biographies of these history makers.
I aimed my search at more modern contributors to American society and I almost lost my lunch at the choices…Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, a few athletes, and Honey Boo Boo. OK, I didn't find Honey Boo Boo’s biography but I wouldn't have been surprised if I did given the stack of wasted paper I had in my hands.
When I got home I searched the internet’s darkest regions for a Ron Paul biography specifically designed for youth. I found none. After a few hours of thinking about it I concluded that with all the time I wasted looking for this book I could have written one myself. So…I got started, and boy was I wrong.
Writing a book (even one that will only read by kids) is way more difficult than one might think… especially for me. I am not the type of guy that sits in his private library smoking a pipe surrounded by mahogany whilst thinking deep thoughts. I am a firefighter. If anyone reading this is a firefighter you already understand the natural tendency that we have to loath paperwork. However, I did what any good patriot would do. I put on my tricorn hat and put fingers to keyboard. A few months later I was done…or so I thought.
If this book was going to be a success it needed a publisher. After not hearing anything back from traditional publishers, I elected to go the self-publishing route. The company I chose seemed legit and their address was on Liberty Drive. I took that as a good sign. I had to give them a big chunk of Federal Reserve notes to publish it but I wasn't really worried, they would be less valuable next year anyway…their loss. If I was to wait and go the traditional publishing route I would be sending dozens of manuscripts through publishers’ paper shredders until I found a Ron Paul supporting publisher’s assistant who would hook me up. I didn't see that happening. The good thing about self-publishing was I knew the book would become a reality.
To really make this book pop I needed to have great illustrations. If I did it myself the pictures would have been slightly better than caveman etchings. I needed an illustrator. With just one tweet and I found him. His name was Ron (which I took as another good sign.) He happened to be a huge Ron Paul supporter as well and he agreed to take on this huge project of drawing 27 illustrations. You can check out some of his work and blog here HTTP://www.DrawingForLiberty.com
The last thing I needed was cover art. Someone who could take Ron’s illustrations and create a cover that would get noticed. I found a guy named Drew (a Ron Paul supporter as well) who offered to assist. He runs a company called Liberty Broadsides HTTP://www.LibertyBroadsides that does graphic artwork. Yet, another good sign.
Fast forward a few months and now everything is complete. The book “Meet Ron Paul” is for sale. So… now what? How can we make sure a copy makes it in every school library?
It is a lofty goal, but I think we can accomplish this if every liberty minded person who supported Ron Paul over the years did one simple act. Buy a copy of this book to DONATE to the school in your community. We are everywhere. Although our numbers may not have been enough to win the national election, I bet there is at least one Ron Paul supporter in every town… county… and city in America. It is our responsibility to change the mindset that government is not the answer. We can’t wait for the schools to put the Liberty Movement’s ideals in the history books. It won’t happen. Let it not be said that we did nothing.
I mention RonPaulForums.com and the DailyPaul.com in the book as websites where people go to get updates and discussion about Ron Paul and liberty related topics. I hope they will help in spreading the word about this goal.
We need to plant these seeds now so that when the country is forced to awaken by a currency crisis… or another war… or another egregious assault on our liberty… we will be there with an alternative answer to more government. I like to call this the “Ronny Appleseed” effort.
I believe that if there is a kid out there that wants to learn about Ron Paul and the Liberty Movement then we have a responsibility to give them the opportunity. This may not be the cure-all magic pill that will turn the tide for liberty in future years. However, if numbers mean anything, the average middle school in America has approximately 600 students. Our Facebook page HTTP://www.facebook.com/MeetRonPaul has about 1,200 likes. If every one of those who liked the Facebook page would put a copy in their local middle school we could give 720,000 students the opportunity to hold this book in their hands. In 4 to 8 years we will need all the help we can get at national elections. Now that there is a tool to help us spread the message of Ron Paul, will you join us?
If you would like to buy a copy of this book for your reading pleasure, or to join the cause to help educate kids in your area you can find it at http://bookstore.xlibris.com/Products/SKU-0121502049/Meet-Ron-Paul.aspx
Since the Facebook and Twitter account (@MeetRonPaul) have been active I have received many of the same questions and concerns, so I will attempt to answer a few here.
1: Question: Why are you trying to create a “cult of personality” around Ron Paul and not just educate about his ideals? Answer: Ron Paul is famous for his philosophy. They are what set him apart from other Washington types. Also, kids respond well to role models. Putting a face and a name to go along with the ideals is a far more effective way to get the point across. Tom Woods wrote a blog on his page about this. You can read it here http://www.tomwoods.com/blog/biography-of-ron-paul-in-schools/
2: Question: Do you know Ron Paul personally? Answer: No. I know him as well as most people who visit this site. But, I have no inside information and you will probably not learn anything new in this book. The point is to educate others. If you are wondering about what his pets’ names are, his favorite ice cream flavor, boxers or briefs…I can’t help ya.
3: Question: Are you just looking to capitalize off of Ron Paul’s name and success? Answer: First, I have put a lot of money into this project. If I can help spread the message of Ron Paul and just break even I will be very happy. Second, isn’t capitalism a good thing? If this allows me to free up more time to help with the movement it is a win-win for everyone. If Ron Paul wanted to use the domain name of the webpage we will have up shortly, I would give it to him no questions asked.
4: Question: Where can I buy a copy? Answer: Right now, only on the publisher’s website. In 30-60 days the book will be available on Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com and select Barnes and Noble stores. If you would like Barnes and Nobles to order the book at your local store they will be able to do that as well. There is also an eBook version.
5: Question: How much will the book cost? Answer: $12.99 for the soft cover, $15.99 for the hard cover, and $3.99 eBook. I priced the book as low as the publisher would allow. There were options to give me more of a royalty per book sold if I increased the selling price. I opted for the lowest possible price because I realize Ron Paul supporters are not usually funded by Goldman Sachs.
6: Question: Are you trying to mandate that this book be placed in schools? Answer: No, We are simply asking that you to voluntarily donate a copy to your local school. Most schools accept donations to their libraries if they are age appropriate, don’t have vulgar content, and if the library is not full. If we skip the part where we try to educate the school administrator who accepts the book about libertarianism then I don’t think most will notice our overall goal. If the school you are attempting to donate to refuses, you can donate to your local public library or some other creative place.
Thank you all for your support,
Mat Blankenship
If you could give kids the opportunity to learn about Ron Paul and the Liberty movement, would you? If you could make sure that the historical presidential campaigns of Ron Paul were not swept under the rug by our government controlled educational system, would you? If you could do your part to spread the brush fires of Liberty to the next generation, would you? Unfortunately, there are very little resources in schools to give youth an alternative to the left/right paradigm.
I came to that realization one day while browsing through a bookstore shelf and to my dismay I found what must have been twenty Barack Obama biographies that were in the youth section. Upon further investigation I found maybe eight George W. Bush biographies, a handful of Bill Clinton biographies and a couple of George H. W. Bush biographies. Sure, one could argue that they were all presidents and so they deserve to have their story told to youth. I agree. So I searched for people like Ben Franklin, Patrick Henry, Martin Luther King Jr., and Rosa Parks…they never became president but were none the less influential in shaping our country. There were plenty of biographies of these history makers.
I aimed my search at more modern contributors to American society and I almost lost my lunch at the choices…Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, a few athletes, and Honey Boo Boo. OK, I didn't find Honey Boo Boo’s biography but I wouldn't have been surprised if I did given the stack of wasted paper I had in my hands.
When I got home I searched the internet’s darkest regions for a Ron Paul biography specifically designed for youth. I found none. After a few hours of thinking about it I concluded that with all the time I wasted looking for this book I could have written one myself. So…I got started, and boy was I wrong.
Writing a book (even one that will only read by kids) is way more difficult than one might think… especially for me. I am not the type of guy that sits in his private library smoking a pipe surrounded by mahogany whilst thinking deep thoughts. I am a firefighter. If anyone reading this is a firefighter you already understand the natural tendency that we have to loath paperwork. However, I did what any good patriot would do. I put on my tricorn hat and put fingers to keyboard. A few months later I was done…or so I thought.
If this book was going to be a success it needed a publisher. After not hearing anything back from traditional publishers, I elected to go the self-publishing route. The company I chose seemed legit and their address was on Liberty Drive. I took that as a good sign. I had to give them a big chunk of Federal Reserve notes to publish it but I wasn't really worried, they would be less valuable next year anyway…their loss. If I was to wait and go the traditional publishing route I would be sending dozens of manuscripts through publishers’ paper shredders until I found a Ron Paul supporting publisher’s assistant who would hook me up. I didn't see that happening. The good thing about self-publishing was I knew the book would become a reality.
To really make this book pop I needed to have great illustrations. If I did it myself the pictures would have been slightly better than caveman etchings. I needed an illustrator. With just one tweet and I found him. His name was Ron (which I took as another good sign.) He happened to be a huge Ron Paul supporter as well and he agreed to take on this huge project of drawing 27 illustrations. You can check out some of his work and blog here HTTP://www.DrawingForLiberty.com
The last thing I needed was cover art. Someone who could take Ron’s illustrations and create a cover that would get noticed. I found a guy named Drew (a Ron Paul supporter as well) who offered to assist. He runs a company called Liberty Broadsides HTTP://www.LibertyBroadsides that does graphic artwork. Yet, another good sign.
Fast forward a few months and now everything is complete. The book “Meet Ron Paul” is for sale. So… now what? How can we make sure a copy makes it in every school library?
It is a lofty goal, but I think we can accomplish this if every liberty minded person who supported Ron Paul over the years did one simple act. Buy a copy of this book to DONATE to the school in your community. We are everywhere. Although our numbers may not have been enough to win the national election, I bet there is at least one Ron Paul supporter in every town… county… and city in America. It is our responsibility to change the mindset that government is not the answer. We can’t wait for the schools to put the Liberty Movement’s ideals in the history books. It won’t happen. Let it not be said that we did nothing.
I mention RonPaulForums.com and the DailyPaul.com in the book as websites where people go to get updates and discussion about Ron Paul and liberty related topics. I hope they will help in spreading the word about this goal.
We need to plant these seeds now so that when the country is forced to awaken by a currency crisis… or another war… or another egregious assault on our liberty… we will be there with an alternative answer to more government. I like to call this the “Ronny Appleseed” effort.
I believe that if there is a kid out there that wants to learn about Ron Paul and the Liberty Movement then we have a responsibility to give them the opportunity. This may not be the cure-all magic pill that will turn the tide for liberty in future years. However, if numbers mean anything, the average middle school in America has approximately 600 students. Our Facebook page HTTP://www.facebook.com/MeetRonPaul has about 1,200 likes. If every one of those who liked the Facebook page would put a copy in their local middle school we could give 720,000 students the opportunity to hold this book in their hands. In 4 to 8 years we will need all the help we can get at national elections. Now that there is a tool to help us spread the message of Ron Paul, will you join us?
If you would like to buy a copy of this book for your reading pleasure, or to join the cause to help educate kids in your area you can find it at http://bookstore.xlibris.com/Products/SKU-0121502049/Meet-Ron-Paul.aspx
Since the Facebook and Twitter account (@MeetRonPaul) have been active I have received many of the same questions and concerns, so I will attempt to answer a few here.
1: Question: Why are you trying to create a “cult of personality” around Ron Paul and not just educate about his ideals? Answer: Ron Paul is famous for his philosophy. They are what set him apart from other Washington types. Also, kids respond well to role models. Putting a face and a name to go along with the ideals is a far more effective way to get the point across. Tom Woods wrote a blog on his page about this. You can read it here http://www.tomwoods.com/blog/biography-of-ron-paul-in-schools/
2: Question: Do you know Ron Paul personally? Answer: No. I know him as well as most people who visit this site. But, I have no inside information and you will probably not learn anything new in this book. The point is to educate others. If you are wondering about what his pets’ names are, his favorite ice cream flavor, boxers or briefs…I can’t help ya.
3: Question: Are you just looking to capitalize off of Ron Paul’s name and success? Answer: First, I have put a lot of money into this project. If I can help spread the message of Ron Paul and just break even I will be very happy. Second, isn’t capitalism a good thing? If this allows me to free up more time to help with the movement it is a win-win for everyone. If Ron Paul wanted to use the domain name of the webpage we will have up shortly, I would give it to him no questions asked.
4: Question: Where can I buy a copy? Answer: Right now, only on the publisher’s website. In 30-60 days the book will be available on Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com and select Barnes and Noble stores. If you would like Barnes and Nobles to order the book at your local store they will be able to do that as well. There is also an eBook version.
5: Question: How much will the book cost? Answer: $12.99 for the soft cover, $15.99 for the hard cover, and $3.99 eBook. I priced the book as low as the publisher would allow. There were options to give me more of a royalty per book sold if I increased the selling price. I opted for the lowest possible price because I realize Ron Paul supporters are not usually funded by Goldman Sachs.
6: Question: Are you trying to mandate that this book be placed in schools? Answer: No, We are simply asking that you to voluntarily donate a copy to your local school. Most schools accept donations to their libraries if they are age appropriate, don’t have vulgar content, and if the library is not full. If we skip the part where we try to educate the school administrator who accepts the book about libertarianism then I don’t think most will notice our overall goal. If the school you are attempting to donate to refuses, you can donate to your local public library or some other creative place.
Thank you all for your support,
Mat Blankenship
