Monday, February 14, 2011

Ron Paul Youth Organization Responds to YAF

The Young Americans for Liberty have issued a press release responding to the YAF attack on Ron Paul. Below is that press release in its entirety:

ARLINGTON, VA – After Young Americans for Freedom (YAF) expelled Congressman Ron Paul from their advisory board this past weekend at CPAC, Young Americans for Liberty (YAL), a youth organization founded in 2008 as the continuation of Students for Ron Paul, expressed their deep disappointment in YAF.

“It's disappointing to see YAF align itself more closely to President Obama than Ron Paul,” said Jeff Frazee, Ron Paul's 2008 National Youth Coordinator and Executive Director of YAL.

“YAF's members and supporters should be concerned about the priorities and direction of their once-active organization. This is either a shallow publicity stunt or YAF's leadership has abandoned their philosophical underpinnings,” Frazee went on to say.

Minutes after Ron Paul was announced the winner of the 2011 CPAC presidential straw poll, YAF's Senior National Director Jordan Marks distributed a press release stating YAF is “more aligned with Obama” than Ron Paul. Read the entire press release here: http://tinyurl.com/4dlzgyf

“It's obvious YAF lacks mature leadership right now,” Frazee responded. “These remarks are distasteful and have no place in civil discourse. If they want to have a debate on foreign policy, then we would be happy to set up a forum. But to use these words in an official press release is childish. Again, if I was a member of their organization, I would be concerned.”

YAF's press release was an attempt to attack Congressman Paul's foreign policy positions – the same positions he held when he was awarded the Guardian of Freedom award, YAF's top honor.

Additionally, YAF's actions were not without consequence. YAF's Intern Coordinator, Adam Wood, submitted his resignation letter in protest shortly after the statement was issued. In his statement Woods said, “I can no longer hold the position of Intern Coordinator at Young Americans for Freedom due to the Board of Directors' ignorant and divisive acts against Congressman Ron Paul... they have caused a divide in the organization that will result in a decrease in members and donors.”


Young Americans for Liberty is the continuation of Students for Ron Paul with an active network of more than 180 chapters and 26,000 activists committed to the principles of individual liberty and the U.S. Constitution. For more information visit: http://www.yaliberty.org/.

5 comments:

  1. YAF = compromised, co-opted and finally... corrupted

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  2. Robert,

    Thanks for noting that Young Americans for LIBERTY is a different organization. I am the faculty advisor for the Illinois State University chapter and they have proven themselves a worthy group of young men and women. They are big fans of Ron Paul and are working to have him on campus.

    Terry

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  3. interesting how they say his lack of support for national security is treason.

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  4. @ Anonymous

    Yes, it is interesting.

    Flag waving, nationalist, warmongering cheerleaders for the American state are now apparently also fit to call themselves "libertarian".

    The more the word become accepted in the mainstream, the more it will be co-opted and the 'movement' converted by mission creep, just as happened with liberalism by social democrats, and conservatism by ex-Trotskyists.

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