by Marvin J. Ramirez

Marvin J. Ramirez

NOTE FROM THE EDITOR: Dear readers: I am introducing to you, a memorable speech, which I consider the speech of the century. It is by a man who I believe has the biggest conviction on liberty than any one I have ever known. This man is Congressman Ron Paul, who is leaving Congress after 36 years. Mike Adams, editor of Natural News, took the time to transcribe it. Because the text came out too long, El Reportero will publish it in parts for several weeks. I hope you will enjoy it, and see for yourself, how this man’s vision brings out the raw corruption of our political system, with the hope that we all can help stop on time, the destruction of our Republic. PART 8

Ron Paul’s farewell message to America: Embrace liberty or face self-destruction

by Mike Adams

Ron Paul’s recent farewell speech is arguable the single most important speech in American history. Dr. Paul lays out the fatal problems facing America while pulling no punches. This speech is a must-read piece by anyone who seeks to understand the real reasons why America remains in a downward spiral of social and economic failure under the endless growth of Big Government and runaway debt.

Here’s the last part of the full text:

Conclusion

What are the greatest dangers that the American people face today and impede the goal of a free society? There are five.

1. The continuous attack on our civil liberties which threatens the rule of law and our ability to resist the onrush of tyranny.

2. Violent anti-Americanism that has engulfed the world. Because the phenomenon of “blow-back” is not understood or denied, our foreign policy is destined to keep us involved in many wars that we have no business being in. National bankruptcy and a greater threat to our national security will result.

3. The ease in which we go to war, without a declaration by Congress, but accepting international authority from the UN or NATO even for preemptive wars, otherwise known as aggression.

4. A financial political crisis as a consequence of excessive debt, unfunded liabilities, spending, bailouts, and gross discrepancy in wealth distribution going from the middle class to the rich. The danger of central economic planning, by the Federal Reserve must be understood.

5. World government taking over local and US sovereignty by getting involved in the issues of war, welfare, trade, banking, a world currency, taxes, property ownership, and private ownership of guns.

Happily, there is an answer for thes every dangerous trends.

What a wonderful world it would be if everyone accepted the simple moral premise of rejecting all acts of aggression. The retort to such a suggestion is always: it’s too simplistic, too idealistic, impractical, naïve, utopian, dangerous, and unrealistic to strive for such an ideal.

The answer to that is that for thousands of years the acceptance of government force, to rule over the people, at the sacrifice of liberty, was considered moral and the only available option for achieving peace and prosperity.

What could be more utopian than that myth — considering the results especially looking at the state sponsored killing, by nearly every government during the 20th Century, estimated to be in the hundreds of millions. It’s time to reconsider this grant of authority to the state.

No good has ever come from granting monopoly power to the state to use aggression against the people to arbitrarily mold human behavior. Such power, when left unchecked, becomes the seed of an ugly tyranny.

This method of governance has been adequately tested, and the results are in: reality dictates we try liberty.

The idealism of nonaggression and rejecting all offensive use of force should be tried. The idealism of government sanctioned violence has been abused throughout history and is the primary source of poverty and war.

The theory of a society being based on individual freedom has been around for a long time. It’s time to take a bold step and actually permit it by advancing this cause, rather than taking a step backwards as some would like us to do.

Today the principle of habeas corpus, established when King John signed the Magna Carta in 1215, is under attack. There’s every reason to believe that a renewed effort with the use of the internet that we can instead advance the cause of liberty by spreading an uncensored message that will serve to rein in government authority and challenge the obsession with war and welfare.

What I’m talking about is a system of government guided by the moral principles of peace and tolerance.

The Founders were convinced that a free society could not exist without a moral people. Just writing rules won’t work if the people choose to ignore them. Today the rule of law written in the Constitution has little meaning for most Americans, especially those who work in Washington DC.

Benjamin Franklin claimed “only a virtuous people are capable of freedom.” John Adams concurred: “Our  Constitution was made for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”
A moral people must reject all violence in an effort to mold people’s beliefs or habits.

A society that boos or ridicules the Golden Rule is not a moral society. All great religions endorse the Golden Rule. The same moral standards that individuals are required to follow should apply to all government officials. They cannot be exempt.

The ultimate solution is not in the hands of the government.

The solution falls on each and every individual, with guidance from family, friends and community.

The #1 responsibility for each of us is to change ourselves with hope that others will follow. This is of greater importance than working on changing the government; that is secondary to promoting a virtuous society. If we can achieve this, then the government will change.

It doesn’t mean that political action or holding office has no value. At times it does nudge policy in the right direction. But what is true is that when seeking office is done for personal aggrandizement, money or power, it becomes useless if not harmful. When political action is taken for the right reasons it’s easy to understand why compromise should be avoided. It also becomes clear why progress is best achieved by working with coalitions, which bring people together, without anyone sacrificing his principles.

Political action, to be truly beneficial, must be directed toward changing the hearts and minds of the people, rec2ognizing that it’s the virtue and morality of the people that allow liberty to flourish.

The Constitution or more laws per se, have no value if the people’s attitudes aren’t changed.

To achieve liberty and peace, two powerful human emotions have to be overcome. Number one is “envy” which leads to hate and class warfare. Number two is “intolerance” which leads to bigoted and judgmental policies.

These emotions must be replaced with a much better understanding of love, compassion, tolerance and free market economics. Freedom, when understood, brings people together. When tried, freedom is popular.

The problem we have faced over the years has been that economic interventionists are swayed by envy, whereas social interventionists are swayed by intolerance of habits and lifestyles. The misunderstanding that tolerance is an endorsement of certain activities, motivates many to legislate moral standards which should only be set by individuals making their own choices. Both sides use force to deal with these misplaced emotions. Both are authoritarians. Neither endorses voluntarism. Both views ought to be rejected.

I have come to one firm conviction after these many years of trying to figure out “the plain truth of things.” The best chance for achieving peace and prosperity, for the maximum number of people world-wide, is to pursue the cause of LIBERTY.

If you find this to be a worthwhile message, spread it throughout the land.
http://www.naturalnews.com/038006_Ron_Paul_farewell_speech_liberty.html#ixzz2CYxtXcni.

by Marvin Ramírez

Carlos Pérez Macía

The Nicaraguan community abroad is mourning the departure of one of its distinguished members.

Carlos Pérez Macías, born in Managua in 1950, was a well-known painter and respected intellectual during the days of La Tortuga Morada nightclub in Managua, Nicaragua in the early 70s, before the devastating earthquake of Dec. 23, 1972, destroyed the capital.

He was known for his exquisite taste for the arts, especially poetry, painting and photography, which took him to freelance for the New York Times and Elle Magazine up to 1981.

Some of his many accomplishments include doing his early studies in Catholic school and studied law at the Jesuit Catholic University of Nicaragua.

In a biography, he is described as an independent, which leading him far away from main street and taking the lonely road of the innovators, far from pleasing the art market plagued with repetition and common places.

Between 1974-1978 he studied at the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts, in Paris, France. He moved to New York in 1979, to Nicaragua during the Revolution in 1981, and to Los Angeles in 1983, where he entered the City College of Los Angeles to study Cinema and graduated in 1989.

Bianca Jagger

El Reportero was not able to locate his older sister, Bianca Jagger at press time to gather more information about his death; however, the célèbre UN human and animal rights leader, and first wife of Rolling Stone singer Mick Jagger, expressed her mourn and the place of burial in her tweeter site.

“I am grieving the loss of my beloved brother Carlos Pérez-Macías. I will miss his indomitable spirit, courage, joie de vivre and sense of humor,” wrote Mrs. Jagger.

For Adrián Bermudez, a long-time Nicaraguan living in SF, Perez-Macías, was someone exceptional.

Nicaraguan Adrián Bermúdez, an old-time SF resident, who first reported the news to El Reportero about his death, recounted the days of his high school years when both graduated from the most prestigious school in Nicaragua. They graduated together from Instituto Pedagógico de Managua – La Salle, in January of 1968, the same year, but 10 months later, that Anastacio Somoza Portocarrero also graduated – in the same school.

Five years ago, Bermúdez saw him by chance at the SF’s popular La Boheme Café on 24th Street, where they exchanged impressions and talked about the old days, (Pérez-Macías) was an intelligent man, progressist in his way of thinking, and a great artist who painted in the style of Pablo Picasso, Bermúdez said.

“He used to publish his painting in facebook… he had a strong conviction about himself that when he had a conversation, and you didn’t agree with his ideas, he would cut you off,” Bermúdez said.

Pérez-Macías funeral services were held in his town of domicile in Los Ángeles, California, on Jan. 27 at Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Santa Monica Blvd.

Following is a list of the many personal exhibitions of his art during his lifetime:

La Galerie de Lille, Paris, France (1977); Les Sorcieres Mecaniques, La Galerie de Lille, Paris, France (1978); La Galerie de Lille, Paris, France (1979); Erickson Gallery, New York, NY (1981); Spanish Culture Institute, Managua, Nicaragua (1981); Mechanical Sorceries and Clowns, New Directions Gallery, Los Angeles, CA (1984); Woods of Holly Gallery, Hermosa Beach, CA (1993); Uforum, Mayhood Center, Santa Monica, CA (1993); Galerie Seraqui, Paris, France (1993); and Images from Zakhar, Cobalt, Los Angeles, CA (1994). He has also taken part in many group exhibitions, such as at The June Group, Leslie Lohman Gallery, NY (1981); Galerie Seraqui, Paris, France (1982); Municipal Art Gallery, Los Angeles, CA (1989); Glendale Public Library, Glendale, CA (1991); Armand Hammer Museum of Art, Los Angeles, CA (1991); Onyx Gallery, Los Angeles, CA (1991, 1992); Galeria Otra Vez, Self Help Graphics, Los Angeles CA (1993); Galeria Victor Navarro, Mexico City, Mexico (1993); Galeria Lourdez Chumacero, Mexico City, Mexico (1993); Onyx Gallery, Los Angeles, CA (1993); UFO Expo West National Convention, Los Angeles, CA (1993); Tann Gallery, Taos, New Mexico (1993); Downtown Lives 94, DADA, Los Angeles, CA (1994); LA Rhythms, Spring Street Gallery, Los Angeles, CA (1994); Galeria Las Americas, Los Angeles, CA (1994); Montebello City Hall, CA (1994); UFO Expo West National Convention, Los Angeles, CA (1994); Celebrate Dance, Arts Center, Juried Exhibit, Santa Barbara, CA (1994); Creativity and Peace in Nicaragua, Casa Cultural Nicaraguense, Los Angeles, CA (1994); Carlin G. Smith Center, Los Angeles, CA (1994); Discovery Tour, Random Gallery, Los Angeles,CA (1994); Andres Art Gallery, Breda, The Netherlands (1994); Downtown Lives 94, DADA, Los Angeles, CA (1994); LA Rhythms, Spring Street Gallery, Los Angeles, CA (1994); Jacobo Karpio Atma Gallery, Costa Rica, Panama, Venezuela (1994-5); Galeria Praxis International, Mexico City, Mexico (1995); and Pallete des Artists, Pasadena, CA (1995).