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Letters
Monday, December 3, 2007 12:00 AM

Ron Paul is a baby elephant

From around the country, Ron Paul's followers are descending on New Hampshire to go door-to-door for their man. But what do they really want?

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  • Monday, December 3, 2007 09:22 AM

    Government Basically Has The Power To Make Our Lives Better. And It's Not "Evil" Despite What Ron paul Or Osama bin laden Says

    It is simple, give the people back their freedoms. Stop telling them what is best for them….

    Like when the government “forces” me to drink only clean tap water?

    Like when the government “interfers” with the free market by refusing to allow unsafe medicines on the market?

    I guess I’m not entirely clear on how government is “runing my life” by enforcing high standards?

    If I recall correctly life SUCKED when the government set no minimum standard.

    And, if I recall the last 100 years or so correctly every single time government raised minimum standards for pay, worker safety, environmental safety, product safety, ect – life for us citizens got better and better.

    Every time the government raised the standards for clean water (excuse me – you’d refer to it as “interfering”) – the quality of our water got better.

    Every time the government regulated industry (again, Paulites use the term “meddling”) the quality of our food and products got better.

    Can anyone in the class tell us what happens when government stops setting minimum standards or simply (as Bush has done) stopped enforcing the standard and regulations on the books?

    Correct! The quality of our lives goes down.

    I for one don’t want the quality of my life to go down – I want it to keep going up and up and up. I want my cars to become more fuel efficient every year, my water to always be getting cleaner, my air to always be getting cleaner, medicine to always be getting safer (and cheaper! Only government has proven capable of controlling drug prices), etc.

    How exactly is a higher standard of living set by the government "controlling" and "runing" our lives?

    You perfectly free to drink toxic waste if you want -- but don't take away my right to clean water just because you feel the extra $1.20 you pay in taxes is too burdensome!

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