"V" -- It's Not Just For Vendetta Anymore; Ron Paul's Fund Raising Victory

Did you happen to catch the cult-classic, 2006 movie "V For Vendetta"?

It was a dark and red noir film with Natalie Portman playing the role of a hapless victim (Evey) who is rescued from the clutches of a futuristic, fascist Great Britain's "secret police" by a masked freedom fighter named "V" (actor Hugo Weaving). Although originally resistant to the ideology the freedom fighter follows, Portman's character is won over to his side after seeing and experiencing the unjust, violent and ultra-controlling hand that the state apathetically wields over the citizenry.

The movie was released in March of 2006 and was a big hit among certain crowds. Several reviewers and commentators panned it as a reactionary statement to the increasingly heavy and intrusive hand of the Bush administration.

For those who may not know, the movie (and the various books that spawned the movie) were loosely based on a real life character by the name of Guy Fawkes.

Guy Fawkes was an Englishman living in the late 1500s and early 1600s. He was a member of a group of English Roman Catholics who set on a course to destroy most of Britain's parliament and kill the then king, James I. Their hope was to destroy England's emerging Protestant aristocracy and thus halt the brutal persecution of Puritans and Catholics. (The same persecutions that lead to many Puritans fleeing England for the new British colonies, aka: America.)

The "Gunpowder Plot" was a plan to blow up the House of Lords with eighteen hundred pounds of powder on November 5, 1605, wile the king attended the official State Opening of Parlimant.

The plot was foiled, Fawkes was captured, tortured and died a horrible death.

A popular verse arose from this story, which was also used in the movie, is:

    "Remember, remember the fifth of November,
     The gunpowder, treason and plot,
     I know of no reason
     Why gunpowder treason
     Should ever be forgot."


Now that we've caught op on the past, let us fast-forward to the fifth of November in the year of 2007; a Monday.

Ron Paul, controversial Republican candidate turned Libertarian, just had a record breaking GOP fund raising day; netting some $4.2 million within a twenty-four hour period.

Headed by the candidate's supporters, a drive was held especially in honor of Guy Fawkes Day whick led Paul to receiving some 37,000 donations.

Some may ask; What is the connection between Ron Paul and Guy Fawkes?

Well, it's about championing civil liberties.

Ron Paul is against intrusive and overactive government; and against the use of military force to exercise or enforce specific political views on others.

Paul is in favor of expansive civil liberties, the right of the citizenry to be secure in their property and persons from intrusion by government and believes that government should be as small and as narrowly conscribed as possible.

He is also against taxes; especially high ones.

Ron Paul strongly believes in adhering to the Constitution of the United States, as written, and does not favor wrangling varying interpretations from it with lawyer speak in order to pursue personal or partisan political agendas, or for personal or political gain.

Ron Paul is the only Republican candidate that speaks out against the war in Iraq.

What Ron Paul and Guy Fawkes (aka:"V") have in common is that they both staunchly believe that government should not be a burden or a controlling force on it's populace. Fawkes believed this for religious reasons; Ron Paul believes it for constitutional reasons.

Guy Fawkes Day proved to be a true "V" Day for Ron Paul. I would guess that many people felt a strong ideological connection between these two figures.

For more information on Ron Paul, please visit the official campaign web site by clicking on the link below.


Ron Paul 2008: Hope For America


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Wikipedia, The Internet Movie Database (IMDB.com), and various news articles on the web were researched in the crafting of this article.

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07 November 2007

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Bill's Spirit is honored to have been selected as a member of Gather's Election 2008 People's Press Corps.

Bill's Spirit is an Artist, Writer, Poet, Philosopher currently wordsmithing from a humble forge in small town Ohio.

The works of the man behind Bill's Spirit have been published in small alternative and amateur presses since 1986. Before that, they just filled notebooks, took up space on walls and gathered dust in piles and boxes.

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