Appeal to Iowa caucus voters to support Ron Paul

Today is the first day of the New Year. So far, so good. And even better that Ron Paul is gaining in the polls.
I happen to have some ties to his constituency, after all, it is my business address - my sister and I moved Minawear - a natural clothing company using hemp and other natural textiles - to it after many years in Santa Monica. In my youth I joined the navy in Houston, which is Ron Paul country. His district is one of the largest in the nation - about the size of the state of Massachusets. It is doing much better economically than that state, and much better than other districts on average. They call it the  Golden Triangle.
So I have I guess a very basic reason to support Paul: the economy, stupid. But there are other reasons. One is the military. For starters, Paul was in. An officer and a doctor during Vietnam. Added to this he is balanced on his military thinking, not  just running around gung-ho like some other candidates, many of whom were never in uniform. No surprise that there is presently a groundswell of support from active and former serviceman such as myself.
And then there is his initiative to create jobs in the US. That ought to be JOBS. Again, the economy stupid. But not without the ecology. What Paul wants is to make hemp - from which the first flag was made - and on which the original copy of the US Constitution was printed - legal for US farmers to grow. Some are against it, especially if they do not want the US to compete with China. Or to have its own textile industry, or manufacture paper....or use it for 25,000 other uses, as Popular Mechanics noted it had. 
I spend most of my time on the East Coast. And I see what Santorium and  Romney have done. And I compare it to what Paul has done. And I pray to God Paul wins.
And my plea to my fellow beings in Iowa is that you back the man who has the years of experience, military service, professional standing, is a veteran of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the House Banking Committee - Congressman Ron Paul. For a stronger America.

Ron Paul's reply to Mina Hegaard, his constituent in Texas

This summer Mina Hegaard contacted Ron Paul about his hemp bill - she supports it and has run a made in the USA hemp business for years - Minawear.

Here is his reply:

Dear Mina:

Thank you for contacting my office regarding allowing farmers to grow industrial hemp.

I have introduced my bill HR 1831, the Industrial Hemp Farming Act. Please see below my speech announcing the introduction of HR 1831.

http://www.paul.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1863&Itemid=60

HON. RON PAUL OF TEXAS

BEFORE THE US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Statement Introducing the Industrial Hemp Farming Act, HR 1831 

May 11, 2011

Mr. Speaker, I rise to introduce the Industrial Hemp Farming Act. The Industrial Hemp Farming Act requires the federal government to respect state laws allowing the growing of industrial hemp.

Nine States--Hawaii, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, Vermont, and West Virginia--allow industrial hemp production or research in accord with state laws. However, federal law is standing in the way of farmers in these states growing what may be a very profitable crop. Because of current federal law, all hemp included in products sold in the United States must be imported instead of being grown by American farmers.

Since 1970, the federal Controlled Substances Act's inclusion of industrial hemp in the schedule one definition of marijuana has prohibited American farmers from growing industrial hemp despite the fact that industrial hemp has such a low content of THC (the psychoactive chemical in the related marijuana plant) that nobody can be psychologically affected by consuming hemp. Federal law concedes the safety of industrial hemp by allowing it to be legally imported for use as food.

The United States is the only industrialized nation that prohibits industrial hemp cultivation. The Congressional Research Service has noted that hemp is grown as an established agricultural commodity in approximately 30 nations in Europe, Asia, North America, and South America. The Industrial Hemp Farming Act will relieve this unique restriction on American farmers and allow them to grow industrial hemp in accord with state law.

Industrial hemp is a crop that was grown legally throughout the United States for most of our nation's history. In fact, during World War II, the federal government actively encouraged American farmers to grow industrial hemp to help the war effort. The Department of Agriculture even produced a film "Hemp for Victory'' encouraging the plant's cultivation.

In recent years, the hemp plant has been put to many popular uses in foods and in industry. Grocery stores sell hemp seeds and oil as well as food products containing oil and seeds from the hemp plant. Industrial hemp is also included in consumer products such as paper, cloths, cosmetics, carpet, and door frames of cars. Hemp has even been used in alternative automobile fuel.

It is unfortunate that the federal government has stood in the way of American farmers competing in the global industrial hemp market. Indeed, the founders of our nation, some of whom grew hemp, would surely find that federal restrictions on farmers growing a safe and profitable crop on their own land are inconsistent with the constitutional guarantee of a limited, restrained federal government. Therefore, I urge my colleagues to stand up for American farmers and cosponsor the Industrial Hemp Farming Act.

Sincerely,

Ron Paul