After months of rallying support on campus, Youth for Ron Paul finally had their wish granted. Ron Paul came to the University of Maryland on Wednesday, March 28, and spoke to a crowd of hundreds of students and community members.
Youth for Ron Paul is a group on Maryland’s campus that attempts to persuade students to become Paul supporters. Their campaign efforts have been noticeable around campus for the last few months, including chalkings and tables outside of the dining halls.
Paul’s talk came in the crucial last days before the Maryland Republican primary. Despite his efforts, Paul finished last in the primary that was held on Tuesday, April 3. One thing evident at Paul’s talk, however, was that Paul doesn’t lack dedicated supporters.
The event, held at Ritchie Coliseum on Maryland’s campus, was nothing short of a political rally for Paul’s supporters. Passionate attendees chanted and held up signs reading slogans such as “End the fed,” “Paul for president,” etc. Lines to get into the event ran past Fraternity Row and down Rt. 1. As Paul put it himself “the revolutionary spirit is alive and well in Maryland.”
Paul touched on key elements of his campaign platform in the talk. The most prominent themes that he touched upon were his foreign policy, the role of government, the idea of liberty and the economy.
Paul stressed his desire to remove troops from abroad as soon as possible. People worry that bringing troops home will result in a lack of sufficient jobs, but by doing so the government will cut spending and therefore end up saving money, which will in turn help the economy, Paul said.
Paul believes that a non-interventionalist policy is the best way to handle foreign affairs, and that the U.S. needs to “mind our own business.” “We don’t need to be the policemen of the world,” Paul said. “A lot more can be achieved in peace than in war.”
Paul is known for his ideas on the role that government should play, or should not play, in the public’s lives. Paul is a strong believer in sticking to the principles outlined in the Constitution, including a small government with limited power. Those who want to defend liberty should want a limited government; government needs to get off our backs, Paul said. “Our goal should be to enhance liberty.”
As part of Paul’s plan to limit government’s power he proposed repealing the Patriot Act and getting rid of the Federal Reserve. Another problem that Paul mentioned is that politicians believe they know what’s right for the public, but this is not always the case. In a free society, when you make a mistake only you suffer, yet when a politician makes a mistake we all suffer, said Paul.
In order to truly live in a free society, politicians must have less power and people “should own what you earn,” said Paul. He also stressed the idea that people have the right to make decisions for themselves, including what they decide to consume. “[You have] the right to put into your body whatever you want,” Paul said in regards to the ongoing debate about the legalization of marijuana.
“The debt is overwhelming,” Paul said. “We need to shrink the size of government and stop spending.” Paul noted that around $30 million immigrants have come into the country in the last few years, and essentially no new jobs have been added to accommodate them, which is affecting the nation’s debt situation. Paul also attacked President Obama’s methods of handling the debt crisis; “How can you solve debt with more debt?” Paul said.
Many students who attended Paul’s talk found him inspiring, and favored the policies he laid out in his platform. “What resonated most with me was how well he was able to explain everything he said by tying it in with the idea of promoting liberty,” Freshman biology major Maggie Sundel said. “I’ve always respected him as a candidate for his consistency with that message because it’s so simple, but he’s managed to turn it into a feasible plan for change, especially for dealing with issues that will hugely affect our generation like the economy.”
Sophomore journalism major Brian Harris said Paul’s advocacy for small government is a trait that he likes in the candidate. “I don’t like when government intrudes [in my life],” Harris said. Among all the candidates, Harris said Paul is the most genuine as well. “Politicians get a negative reputation for being fake,” yet Paul is able to overcome that hurdle, Harris said. Harris had never been to a political rally before and found it to be a good stepping-stone towards getting more involved with campus politics.