Meeting Ron Paul at the YAL National Convention was one of my favorite parts of the trip. Ron Paul is not only an outstanding representative, but also a fine human being and strong soul.
I am officially back in Colorado and have had an outstanding week of meeting the next generation of leaders from around the country. At the YAL National Convention in Arlington, we had five intense days talking about the liberty movement, the upcoming election, and how each of us plays a role in forwarding the message and philosophy of limited government, personal responsibility, and liberty.
Some highlights from those five days of training and two days of travel:
1. Ron Paul 2012 – It is apparent that a strong group of independent-thinking young people understand the implications of having the Republican party nominate a candidate who is truly representative of our Constitution, as well as a candidate who is NOT a part of the two-party political machine that is not afraid to stand up to the tactics of the establishment.
2. Activism – When people use the first amendment to express themselves, it is beautiful. When people use the first amendment to express themselves and to NOT try and infringe upon others’ rights, but instead use their speak/plight to encourage others to become more self-reliant, responsible, and free – it is prophetic. Sometimes activism can get a bad wrap because it is used to intimidate others into compliance; when activism is used to help others to free their minds and become an individual it is divine.
3. Being Nice – Unbelievably (or perhaps not), whenever we travel, we are able to make judgements and assessments about our fellow men and women who have different frameworks and different foundations than our own. You don’t have to travel outside of the country – you can go even 50 miles and be encompassed by another culture. In riding in planes, trains, cars, shuttles, and old-fashioned walking by foot, I was reminded of a simple principle that could go really far for most of us. Be nice. Be nice to others because we are all in this together, and even if you are having a bad day, remember that other people may be trying to pick you up, so be nice to them. And smile, because it is not that bad.
