The slogan of the crazed newscaster from the 1970s movie “Network” rings in my ears as I hear more and more news of government intervention in the personal lives of Americans. Some of the latest insults and injuries are included here along with solutions that a grass roots group of citizens are spearheading under the leadership of Representative Ron Paul, M.D. (R. Texas).

“The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), in order to comply with standards dictated by supra-national organizations such as the UN‘s World Food Code (CODEX), NAFTA, and CAFTA, has been assuming greater control over nutrients, vitamins and natural health care providers to restrict your right to choose the manner in which you manage your health and nutritional needs,” according to Congressman Ron Paul, M.D. “The FDA has consistently failed to protect the public from dangerous drugs, genetically modified foods, dangerous pesticides and other chemicals in the food supply. Meanwhile they waste public funds attacking safe, healthy foods and dietary supplements. I have introduced the Health Freedom Protection Act, HR 2117, to ensure Americans can receive truthful health information about supplements and natural remedies. I support the Access to Medical Treatment Act, H.R. 2717, which expands the ability of Americans to use alternative medicine and new treatments.” Says Dr. Paul.

Not only are Americans freedoms being limited as to the supplements and herbs that they purchase, but even over the counter common cold medication is now targeted. (No pun intended). I was in a Target pharmacy recently and was stunned to see a sternly worded advisory related to the Patriot Act. The Act is designed to “deter and punish terrorist acts in the United States and around the world, to enhance law enforcement investigatory tools, and for other purposes.” Watch out for the “other purposes.”

The Patriot Act Reauthorization Included the “Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act Of 2005”. This bill introduces safeguards that will make many ingredients used in methamphetamine manufacturing more difficult to obtain in bulk and easier for law enforcement to track. So, the next time you go to the pharmacy to by Sudafed, make sure you have government issued picture ID.

Oh, by the way, how many terrorists will be busted for meth production and sale in the U.S.? Are you getting a picture of an out of control federal government that wants more control over you?

Not only are our supplements and over the counter drugs threatened, now we are being eavesdropped on. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) filed a class-action lawsuit against AT&T on January 31, 2006, accusing the telecom giant of violating the law and the privacy of its customers by collaborating with the National Security Agency (NSA) in its massive, illegal program to wiretap and data-mine Americans’ communications. On July 20, 2006, a federal judge denied the government’s and AT&T’s motions to dismiss the case, allowing the lawsuit to go forward. The EFF lawsuit arose from news reports in December 2005, which first revealed that the NSA has been intercepting Americans’ phone calls and Internet communications without any court oversight and in violation of the privacy safeguards established by Congress and the U.S. Constitution. This surveillance program, purportedly authorized by the President at least as early as 2001, apparently intercepts and analyzes the phone and Internet communications of millions of ordinary Americans.

Is the picture coming into focus for you? It has become all too clear for the thousands of Americans who have taken to their computers and to a grass roots campaign to elect a president that does not owe his soul to the media or the big corporations. Fox News called it the “Nerd Revolution”. People all across America are doing just what Dr. Rima Laibow calls “riding the freedom mouse”. Hundreds of Meetup groups have been formed on line to support Dr. Ron Paul, Libertarian at heart, running on the Republican ticket. These Meetup groups are one of his main sources of grass roots support and are over 50,000 strong in nearly 1,000 Meetup Groups in about 800 cities. You’ve probably seen one of these groups at a busy intersection on any given Saturday waving signs and home made banners. It’s guerilla marketing taken to an art form.

As of November 11, 2007, Ron Paul, Republican dark- horse Presidential candidate, has raised over $8 million. Ron Paul made US electoral history on November 5 with an unprecedented single-day fund raising haul. In 24 hours, 36,672 unique donors contributed over $4 million online, and over 200,000 offline, for a total of more than $4.2 million.

David Vine is the organizer of the Aiken (SC) Ron Paul Meetup Group. www.ronpaul.meetup.com/653. To learn more about meetup groups in your area check out www.ronpaulmeetup.com and type in your zip code.

note: Oracle 20/20 Magazine does not endorse any political candidate.