As we enter a new year, I’d like to remember all the wonderful souls who have passed from this world in 2008.
In politics, it’s easy to look on the bleak side. Yet, I’m hopeful for our republic, believing that “yes, we can” protect freedom.
One reason? The example set by several men who died this year, men who believed in doing what they thought was right, who stood up for justice and truth. Men I respect.
Marshall Fritz, who founded Advocates for Self-Government, was a man of boundless energy and good cheer.
William F. Buckley, who I had the privilege of meeting in 1988 when Ron Paul ran for President on the Libertarian Party ticket and I got to accompany him to tape Buckley’s Firing Line program.
Allan Schmid passed away just weeks ago. Folks outside of Michigan may not know the name, but Al was one of the first proponents of term limits. He also pushed for tax limitation. He was a good and great man. Al’s son, Greg Schmid, continues his legacy of actively defending liberty.
Paul Weyrich, a conservative exemplar, died just before Christmas. Paul was very kind to me when I came to Washington in 1991. He provided sage advice to the term limits movement, and was one of the first conservatives to realize the importance of the voter initiative process. Paul never traded principle for political expedience.
Thank you, kind gentlemen, for the examples you set.
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.
2 replies on “Farewell, Freedom’s Champions”
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Paul (and all):
I enjoy reading your columns on a regular basis, and appreciate your dedication to freedom.
While I don’t want to disparage those who have passed, I want you to know that I disagree with your statement about Paul Weyrich as being a “conservative exemplar.” His columns in support of light rail transit have been copied and reprinted many, many times over the past decade — and in my opinion were harmful to our efforts to implement free market solutions to our transportation problems in America. Paul’s comments were not those of a true free-market conservative, and it seemed to me they were completely political in nature and not based on any sort of conservative philosophy or analysis. Yes, he did some good things — but his outspoken, public support of expanding a government-run transportation technology that costs hundreds of millions of dollars per track-mile to construct and requires on-going public subsidies from general taxpayers rather than the users of the system should have disqualified him from your list.
I’m glad to know he was your friend, but I don’t think he was a conservative without flaws, an “exemplar” as you wrote.