Rebel of the Week: Rick Santorum’s Nephew, for Endorsing Ron Paul Over HIS OWN Uncle!

I bet their next family gathering is going to be awwwkward! We don’t make political endorsements here at The Silver Underground (though we do approve this message), but we certainly can admire the stones on Rick Santorum’s nephew for making an endorsement of Congressman Ron Paul for the Republican presidential nomination over his own uncle! Talk about rebellious and talk about principled!

John Garver, a 19-year-old student at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, penned a piece that headlined The Daily Caller on Tuesday leading into Iowa’s first-in-the-nation caucuses Tuesday night. In it, Garver leads with a scathing criticism of his uncle, Rick Santorum’s “interventionist” policy and philosophy of government:

“If you want another big-government politician who supports the status quo to run our country, you should vote for my uncle, Rick Santorum. America is based on a strong belief in individual liberty. My uncle’s interventionist policies, both domestic and foreign, stem from his irrational fear of freedom not working.”

It is not the government’s job to dictate to individuals how they must live. The Constitution was designed to protect individual liberty. My Uncle Rick cannot fathom a society in which people cooperate and work with each other freely. When Republicans were spending so much money under President Bush, my uncle was right there along with them as a senator. The reason we have so much debt is not only because of Democrats, but also because of big-spending Republicans like my Uncle Rick.

At an Iowa Caucus viewing party last night (yes, I’m that big of a political nerd and yes there are enough of us to have a party that centers around watching the news… “the big game” isn’t going to affect my finances, nor my liberties, but the outcome of major national elections very well could), a friend of mine read Garver’s Daily Caller oped aloud from his iPad to boisterous laughter from everyone in the room. The audacity of it, the stalwart commitment to principle, the matter-of-fact criticism levied at the author’s own uncle without mincing words– it was really incredibly amusing and at the same time speaks volumes about the disconnect between older members of the Republican Party and the younger generation of Republicans who seem to be all out for Ron Paul during the 2012 primary season.

Younger voters are not so easily corralled over issues like “protecting marriage” (from those pesky gays, not from adulterous or divorced Republicans) or launching another war somewhere. They seem to be more tolerant on matters of social policy, less likely to support open-ended wars, and more skeptical of corruption and secrecy rampant throughout the political process. They also seem to care very much about monetary policy, an issue that was considered settled and uncontroversial– not even political– when their parents were their age.

What we admire about John Garver, is that he had the courage to embrace his areas of principled disagreement with a family member who is a dominant public figure, he stood up for his own ideas and beliefs, he did so in a very direct, but not disrespectful manner, and he made very clear, succinct arguments to back up his claims. One blogger, who claims to know Garver’s family very well wrote that his branch of the family tree are the political and social “black sheep” of the Santorum clan. Mediaite.com added: “If they weren’t before, they certainly are now.” A black sheep John Garver may be, and he is also this week’s Rebel of  the Week.

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