Steven Vasquez-- The True Goal and Purpose of FreedomSlate08
Our friend (and BreakTheMatrix member) Steven Vasquez has written an important letter to Trevor Lyman about the true goal and purpose of FreedomSlate08. Steven, as you all know, is a Congressional candidate endorsed by Ron Paul. Steven is running in the 21st District of New York, and he's one of the candidates on the FreedomSlate. Trevor and Shelly will have Steven's full letter posted up on BreakTheMatrix today, but I thought his ideas were so valuable that I wanted to share a few words about them in a column. Steven Vasquez, as you'll see from his letter, has done some careful thinking about where our freedom movement has come from, and where we need to go from here. Steven writes:
"Trevor-- The emails sent out for the FreedomSlate08 are good, but I believe the message for the next round of emails should be more directed towards accomplishing the goal of continuing the Ron Paul movement, giving Ron Paul more voice and votes in Congress, and create enough momentum to launch even more candidates in 2010. Currently the various Ron Paul candidates around the country are isolated, essentially competing for the remnants of the movement left after the primaries. If we continue this way to fight individually, we are all going to lose. The strength of the movement was its unity and its shared and direct vision of restoring the principles of the Constitution."
Steven's view is one that we strongly share here at BreakTheMatrix. Our adversaries have community-- and so must we. Our adversaries all work together-- and that's what we must do. As we saw so clearly from the Ron Paul presidential campaign, a single voice can be isolated, and marginalized, and ignored by the mainstream media. American is a very large pl,ace, and individual voices simply won't be heard. If our freedom leaders are left to act alone, they will lose, and nothing will be accomplished. But if we in the freedom community are acting together, our leaders will rise, and everything is possible. Community is strength. Community is power.
In his letter to Trevor Lyman, Steven Vasquez offers three goals for the freedom movement as we move toward the July 4th Moneybomb day:
"I believe the goal of FreedomSlate08.com should be threefold:
(a) Bring as many RP supporters back to volunteer and donate by showing a strength of unity and the possibility of doing more than even the presidential campaign;
(b) Raise enough money for the candidates to make their races viable;
(c) Make BreakTheMatrix.com a central hub to unite the movement."
We appreciate Steven's thoughts about BreakTheMatrix, but much more important than us is his central point-- THE FREEDOM MOVEMENT MUST WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE THESE CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATES VIABLE. Isolation is a sure and certain road to failure, and individuals acting alone will not be able to bring fundamental change in the direction of our country. We in the movement have a powerful shared message based upon the values and philosophies of freedom, but we must BUILD on the progress that has already been made thus far. Steven Vasquez is right on in his comments. Today and in the future, our "strength of unity" can accomplish much more than was achieved during the Ron Paul presidential campaign. Our adversaries have nothing to offer but decline, and failure, and bankruptcy and debt-- we are the ones with optimism and a plan for the better side of America. Ron Paul has created a grand opportunity, but we're barely getting started and there's a long way to go. July 4, 2008; FreedomSlate08-- the time, ladies and gentlemen, is NOW.
- Rick Williams's blog
- Login or register to post comments
- 818 reads
Great letter; he's exactly right!
This is something that I 100% agree with. This movement will not flourish with a splintered group of active members. Thank you Vasquez for bringing your perspective to this argument. Those of us who have lead effective Coalitions and Organizations can see the value of uniting as apposed to competing especially now during this critical time. Let us never forget what the end result should be, this will effect all of us.
"vast right wing conspiracy" looked like when it got started. At first it was just a few nut jobs on Am radio but eventually it led to Newt Gingrich and the Contract for America and carried through to "W".
It is starting to fray now that many of its members realize they were deceived and manipulated.
BTM will grow and be successful because it's based on freedom, and that's an idea that remains one of the most popular throughout history.
There is community in the freedom movement and we have worked towards the goal of helping unite the candidates. On April 15th Granny Warriors with the help of many people, organized a whole day in front of the Capitol where the most visible freedom Candidates as well as the leading ACTIVE people in the freedom movement came as speakers. The cream of the crop were there, including Bob Schulz and many people who have fought and paid a dear price for seeking liberty for all of us.
It was a day to be proud to be a part of. Over two thousand people from across the country showed up in the middle of the work week to spend the day together.
The day was a success, we introduced the national Freedom Candidates to each other. I know it, because luckily that particular job fell to me. Vazquez was introduced to all the national speakers and candidates. He very gracious and really took the opportunity to talk and get to know them. We were all very impressed with him.
Break the Matrix should be proud to have Steve Vasquez here. I'm really looking forward to reading his letter.
So, yes, there is a need of unity, and many people have been working towards it. So it is not all gloom and doom. Talking of which....
(About the comment left below this one):
Will someone tell Sell out Dean Santoro to quit while he is ahead? Please?
That day we were introducing candidates to each other, Santoro was smoking a big fat cigar on the Capitol lawn like he had already been crowned 'neocon sell out'. Did not spend the whole day there like most of the candidates did, but came late, took a long lunch break and left not long after his speech, in which he didn't mention that he was not running a national race anymore. Of course.
And Dean... we are not three people. We are many ACTIVE freedom activists in South Florida who are pissed with you for selling out and endorsing a neocon. We have been most disciplined in not overwhelming break the matrix with comments about you. You are the most despicable type of politician and you have shown it by endorsing a neocon and by trying to smear us with your very untrue accusations. So Dean, we wish you the best of luck running as a Republican and we hope you vote better than most. But really, quit while you are ahead. Consult with Emiliano, before you comment again. You desperately need adult supervision and help in dealing with this issue.
Boris in Miami
Thanks Steven for that valueable analysis and with some luck and God on our side, your suggestions will become reality.
Our adversaries are VERY WELL ORGANIZED. I see it FIRST-HAND everyday. The devisive split inside the Republican and Democratic parties is not only noticable, it is so thick you can cut it with a knife.
I continue to be attacked on some forums because I've made what purists are calling 'unholy alliances' with some of the party insiders. Conversely, I am attacked inside the party by loyalists as a 'Ron Paul plant' because I supported the Ron Paul Presidential run.
Did I quit, say screw it and walk away? Hell no - I press on because I believe the cause is worth the struggle.
What these short-sighted idealists on the freedom side do not understand is EXACTLY what Steven & Rick are saying here (and exactly what the establishment DOES understand):
The Freedom Movement cannot win with pocketed, single voices. It must band together.
I'm sure the establishment loves to see people coming out against freedom candidates. Think back on the posts that called Trevor a traitor for trying to promote freedom while making a modest living... what was the real agenda there? To take down a man who became a cultural icon in the press for his altruistic support of freedom? Recently a disgruntled trio in Miami has tried to paint a picture of me as a neocon sellout BEFORE I'VE EVEN HAD A CHANCE TO MAKE A SINGLE VOTE!!!! And why? All because I ejected them from my Ron Paul Meetup for very good reasons.
Folks it's time to see the forest through the trees. There will be leaders, there will be followers and there will be many battles won and lost before the war to reclaim freedom is over. We can squabble over tactics and strategy for the next 10 years... or we can band together and make a difference now.
My chosen strategy is to work with the existing leadership to accomplish our goals. They have many tools to use against us. They have the media contacts, they have the grass roots infrastructure... and they have the ability to squash our efforts if we are left dangling by ourselves with no help or support. I'm not asking the majority to approve of disapprove of my chosen strategy. I am asking for folks to support me in reaching the goal: to get elected and begin the process of restoring Constitutional government. My path will be different than Steven's path and BJ Lawson's path and Delia's path etc. etc.etc. They all need your support too - regardless of what path they've chosen to reach the goal.
This is the EndGame. There is no tomorrow for freedom if fascism and socialism becomes the accepted norm. Will you be part of the problem or part of the solution?
That is the question.
. . . are very much on target. In the FreedomSlate08 format, each donor will make a personal choice about how his/her donation resources are allocated. Maybe they'll donate to Dean; maybe they'll donate to Steven, or Delia-- or others on the slate. But the central point of this effort is larger than the individuals involved, as both Steven and now Dean tell us. The core goal of FreedomSlate08 is MARSHALLING COMMUNITY RESOURCES AND ATTENTION for the benefit of the freedom movement as a whole. I say again-- community is power. R
Freedom Slate 08 is a fantastic idea, worthy of the money bomb concept that was so powerful with the Ron Paul campaign. In order for it to reach this potential, however, the concept must provide a simple method for contributors to donate to any or all candidates via THE FILLING OUT OF ONE'S CONTACT INFORMATION ONLY ONCE. Do I understand correctly that the way it is now set up, a contributor will have to enter each candidate's site separately and enter his contact information? If so, this would be burdensome and impractical if one wished to contribute to more than one candidate. Is it possible to simplify the process?