At the Faith and Freedom Coalition Conference 2011 (where SBA List President Marjorie Dannenfelser participated in two panels, available to watch here and here), law maker and 2012 presidential candidate Ron Paul (R-TX) delves into the heart of abortion, claiming that the breakdown of family values is the root to the abortion issue.
“Morality has a lot to do with legislation,” explained Paul. “We don’t have abortions today because the law permits it – that’s made it worse – but the law accommodated the social changes that had occurred. It was the breakdown in our social system at the time.”
Paul recounts the 1960s; the crucial period that spurred a dramatic societal shift in America. This time triggered an increased culture of drugs, lack of personal responsibility and the breakdown of traditional marriage. These factors, chiefly the rejection of family founded on marriage, are agents that contribute to the foundational breakdown of traditional family values which in turn led to a legalized abortion culture. Thus with this history lesson, Paul clarifies that the people changed before the policies changed. “We would like to think that all we have to do is elect the right politicians and everything is going to be okay. But the government is a reflection of the people and their values,” declares Paul. “That is why the burden is on people like you to make sure we have those values.”
The collapse of family values evolved from a trend into a national “cultural epidemic” and this is, as Paul affirms, “where the real problems come from.” Paul reminds the people that family is the fiber of society and ingrained in our Nation’s Christian heritage. He urges Americans to study the US Constitution and reflect on the Father Founder’s warning, that the US Constitution and the country will only endure as long as its people remain moral.
“Faith and freedom is a crucial item. We must have faith that generates an understanding of what true liberty is. Paul continues that, “We need to believe once again in the principles of liberty, we need to understand why the family is the bedrock, and the educational system should be through the family and the church.”
Paul closes with an optimistic outlook that the youth will regain a confidence and understanding of where true liberty stems from by rediscovering constitutional government.
