Ron Paul and the Dalai Lama

by whelvestine

We’re losing our Constitution, one Congressional Gold Medal at a time

Last week Congress awarded the Congressional Gold Medal to the Dalai Lama in recognition of his lifelong commitment to peace. The medal cost $30,000 to mint, and the House of Representatives approved the funding by a vote of 434-1. The lone dissenting vote was cast by presidential candidate Ron Paul.

“Mr. Speaker,” said Congressman Paul on the House floor, “with great sadness I must rise to oppose this measure.” After noting the irony in honoring a devout Buddhist monk with a material gift of gold, Paul explained: “We cannot forget that Congress has no authority under the Constitution to spend taxpayer money on medals and awards, no matter how richly deserved.”

Paul had an alternative solution: he offered to pay $100 out of his own pocket to pay for the medal, if the other House members ponied up $70 each to cover the rest. No one did.

“You see,” Paul observed, “it’s a lot easier to spend other people’s money.”

Let’s be clear: Paul has nothing against the Dalai Lama. He was also the lone vote in opposition to similar medals for Ronald Reagan and Pope John Paul II. But his dissent speaks volumes about his principled political philosophy, which emphasizes, above all, strict adherence to the Constitution.

Sadly, Ron Paul seems to be the only politician left in Washington who actually understands the proper role of the federal government in America. Our Founding Fathers were very clear: while the Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war and levy taxes, it says nothing about spending taxpayer dollars on feel-good medals.

Of course, the Congressional Gold Medal isn’t really a big deal, but it’s indicative of a much larger problem: over the years, our politicians have consistently ignored and eroded the Constitution, each one straying further than the last, to the point where 434 out of 435 members of the House don’t hesitate to violate the document they all swore to uphold. And to fully understand the degree to which the public has accepted this nonsense, look no further than the most recent presidential debate, where Paul pointed out that the Constitution requires the president to get congressional approval before going to war, and some members of the audience actually booed!

Ron Paul’s campaign slogan is “Hope for America,” and if the Dalai Lama vote is any indication, Paul is literally the only hope for those wishing to return to the ideals set forth in the Constitution: those of limited government at home, non-intervention abroad, and individual liberty for all. So if you want more of the same – foreign wars, debt, and domestic spying – then by all means, take your pick from the other presidential candidates. But if you’re looking for someone who would refuse a Congressional Gold Medal to an international beacon of peace on Constitutional grounds, well … there’s literally only one choice.