Biography of Ron Paul in Schools?

Over on Facebook (have you liked my page?) I shared a picture promoting a project to get a new kids’ biography of Ron Paul into people’s local schools. Some people think it’s a great idea. Others are saying a biography of Ron Paul promotes a cult of personality around the man, and that we should instead donate books that promote his philosophy.

I can’t agree with these critics at all. Kids respond to personal examples, not to disembodied philosophies. As they get older, give them The Revolution: A Manifesto. But when they’re young, start them off with the example of a virtuous man. It is possible to admire a virtuous man without involving oneself in a cult of personality.

Why would it be preferable to hand over the biography section of the school library to the world’s scoundrels?

Also, kids imitate people and things. Would it be so terrible if kids followed the example of someone who stuck to his principles even with the whole world against him?

http://twitter.com/daleholmgren Dale Holmgren

I never worry about a cult of personality developing around a virtuous man who never claims to be divine. You only worry about cults of personality developing around people when their views tend to be in the majority. That is, sad to say, a loooong way off for us in the liberty movement.
http://twitter.com/CarolyneJCarr PeaceWorks

Kids should have the opportunity to learn about a virtuous man who upholds the Constitution because they will be inundated with the Cult of Barack Obama. Our world will never change as long as kids keep seeing bad examples promoted as virtue. We’ve spent too much time making heroes out of tyrants.
devo

i agree with having a biography but how can you not at all agree with the people saying it would cause a cult of personality? it seems like you are in favor of this imitation kids have, which then leads to memory being more important than critical thinking. have kids learn to think for themselves, using the right philosophies. i do not agree with imitation, only emulation to a certain degree. not that i would think its bad to have a biography, but to discount unintended consequences is far to much the basis of how we think now. you can imitate without a true understanding, and that leads to improper application of the knowledge ron paul is spreading. if your biography is centered around being self responsible and principled thats good, but if its set up in a linconian way, (as to glorify the man), it cant help but lead to misinformation and sheep like behavior. not that its bad at this stage of the game to glorify ron paul, but he is just a man, and he didnt invent the principles he promotes.
http://www.TomWoods.com Tom Woods

Do you have children? Kids do imitate things. That’s one of the reasons parents don’t let them watch certain shows. Now you can either reprogram human nature, or you can conform your plans to it.
devo

no i do not, so i am misinformed to a degree on that. but would you be giving this lesson to kids who watch saturday morning cartoons? or highschool kids who are the trying to figure out the world for themselves? i agree with having the biography, but i also can agree on not having it, and instead having books by ron paul taught instead.
liberty classroom Student

In an ideal world, I would be against the idea. I would much rather promote ideas and individual thought.

However, we don’t live in an ideal world, the public schools are run by statists (by definition) who are bent on indoctrinating kids with their heroes and their doctrines.

Combating this unfortunate situation with Ron Paul Biographies could only help.

Is there a suitable one? I havent read the Reason.com editor’s book on Ron Paul, the only biography of Ron Paul of which I am aware.

Parents teaching their children would help most.

Introducing kids as early as 8 years old to the book “How and Economy Grows and Why it Crashes” by Peter Schiff and showing them Ron Paul speeches works well.

Discussing the broken window theory by Bastiat and reading I, Pencil are also good for kids.

Brion McClanahan’s The Politically Incorrect Guide To Real American Heroes is good for kids as is the Global Warming book also of the politically correct series.

If there is one theme that kids get indoctrinated in school and text books, it’s global warming and the Politically Correct Guide to Global Warming and Environmentalism gives kids the other side of the story.

Keep in mind the words of Leonard E. Reed in the potential folly of trying to “exert influence on those of the collectivist faith…..If one wishes to win, never choose teammates who are intent on losing the contest. Indeed, such folks should be scrupulously avoided as partners” (from Anything That’s Peaceful)

On a side note why not write bios for kids of Mises, Rothbard and others and donate them to schools?
liberty classroom student

Kids need role models. Ron Paul is as good as any
devo

true, and i dont discount that. but it would probably be taught in a fashion that glorifies the man, and not his principles, and thats what im against. the human nature argument is one of nature vs nurture, so if we believe we need to mold their human nature, it can discount proper nurture. i think the principles are more important then the man, thats all. but i do see the value of it at this stage in the game, i just have my own issues with it
Cassandra

other examples could be Charles Martel, Henry Ford, Charles Lindberg, Louis IX, Prince Sviatoslav.
liberty classroom Student

What are Ron Paul’s greatest attributes-is it the spreading of ideas? If so then the argument for books BY him is more compelling. If its his deeds than a book ABOUT him would be favored. Why even have to chose, how about both?

Learning via biography is awkward as a primary learning tool. Biographies serve not just to instruct but also to aggrandize the subject-which itself is part of education as kids and people need role models and people to admire.
JP

I completely agree with you Tom. When Ron was speaking in congress he was always humble. As far as I know, he barely ever mentioned names, saying Bush this or Obama that.
Jim

Taught? I believe the goal is to donate the book to school libraries, where kids can read it independently of their teachers. Am I incorrect?
devo

yes, that was a misunderstanding , i think some of those points still apply though, but if the goal is to just put a book in a library, then why not put many more books pertaining to the actual principles? now i think if there only putting a biography of ron paul, but not why people liked what he was saying, then it can lead to a cult like viewing of him (good or bad) because of misunderstanding. havnt read the book though so i guess my comments are void
Dan

I agree completely. Seems like a no-brainer. Hopefully, because of this, some kid will dress up as Ron Paul instead of Lincoln at one of those stupid indoctrination events the government schools love to have.
anon

Ron Paul not only stuck to his principles, but he also stuck to his inner circle of non-libs like john tate, benton, and wead.
anon

Combining rp’s voting record and experiences as a doctor and lib philosophy may be good.

I am not yet convinced that teaching kids at a young age about only rp as a virtuous man and then giving them his books. You still could be right, but it reminds me of newsclips where young Muslim kids are shown, including those with head scarves, being taught that Muhammad (islamic prophet) was a virtuous man or even the founder of mormonism. Not saying he is or is not virtuous man – but then it becomes like a worship of one man and his staff.

As people bring up marriage to multiple wives, then people may bring up something like old newsletters. Then, controversy begins if you also focus a lot on virtues of one man as being associated with libertarianism. Then character assassination would be associated with libertarian philosophy.

Also, there are different types of libertarian philosophy from gary johnson, pillette, milton friedman and even glennbeck has in the past called himself a libertarian.
anon

I agree with you – it brings up possibilities of character assassinations, misunderstandings, a religion, etc… as I wrote in the earlier comment above.

I agree that it could curtail critical, self thinking and processing those principles on an individual basis. Role models rise and fall.

Why hold only one man and his life and advisors as only what libertarianism is?

It would make sense to look at the common denominator and leave out things social issues like anti-abortion, election campaign strategy/ads, etc… and solely focus on his voting record in congress. Along, with mentioning other libertarians like justin amash and his voting record and others like author that wrote about the fed in early 90′s (cj edwards??). Making one man the standard bearer of everything libertarianism is and is not may lead to fallacies from critics.
anon

‘Kids imitating things (people)’ also has problems as it leads to less self-formulation of one self and losing individualism by wanting to become a copy of an icon.

Perhaps you can clarify ‘either reprogram or conform your plans to it’. Lib principles or any other principles should reprogram human nature to an extent if communicated with articulation and effectiveness versus being high-level/vague/abstract and going from ideology to plans/execution/realism/leadership.

I am not sure lib principles have evolved to ‘plans’ in the depth as neocon/marxist/communist principles have.

For example, Glenn Beck also at times says dems/repub is a ‘false choice’ and equates that to tyranny and importantly draws the bottom line to all that being “the evil Newt Gingrich’, even though gingrich never has been part of republican leadership like karl rove and romney. And I’ve heard Beck identifying himself as a libertarian as well years ago.

Some people might relate better to other know libertarians with a continuum and range to identify with versus imposing one box called rp.
liberty classroom student

How does one dress up as Ron Paul? Wear a suit two sizes too large?
http://twitter.com/RiskManage41 Steve

Having Ron Paul books in schools is a good idea and should be doable.. I don’t see why he wouldn’t be in schools.

Don’t go overboard with how virtuous Ron Paul is though. Ron Paul has many good qualities. There are also plenty of instances where he has shown a lack of integrity. I would rather stick to admiring people like Jack Nicklaus or Arthur Ashe and get away from admiring politicians.
Timmy K.

Not sure why so many libertarians are anti-so many things and irrepressibly paranoid. Not all those involved in the public schools are “indoctrinating”, many enjoy teaching and are doing the best they can in a very difficult situation. A bio won’t make a kid blindly follow anyone.
A Ron Paul bio is a good thing. When I was a youngster I read a Roberto Clemente bio and it is one of the few books I remember reading in elementary school (wasn’t home schooled and couldn’t afford parochial so i guess I’m a freak show to many of you). I didn’t desire to blindly follow him – I simply enjoyed the book.
The “common core” is changing where more non-fiction is require. If a Ron Paul book is not in the library guess what? These students will not be informed. I was converted from a neo-con to an Austrian/ Libertarian based on reading Ron Paul’s stuff (it took a few time through to get most of the muck out). I didn’t begin worshiping him or adoring him. SURPRISE. I learned many new principles and would still be wandering in the dark without that exposure.