CANDIDATE PROFILE

“Government is not reason; it is not eloquent; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master.” – George Washington (Header, Gonzalez for Congress website)

Facing what may seem as impossible odds, Edward Gonzalez has decided to take on longtime incumbent and ultra-liberal Democrat Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren in California's CD 16. The District includes San Jose.

Gonzalez is an active Tea Party Patriot who has participated in numerous protests. He is running explicitly as a "Libertarian Republican," moderate on social matters, yet "fiscally conservative, and support for constitutionally limited government." According to his site, "He believes that the only legitimate use of government power is in the protection of people's individual rights."

According to the Economic Policy Journal, he is a devotee of the economics of Ausrtian economist Ludvig von Mises. He also has a great deal of support from Ron Paul activists.

One Libertarian Party website even lists Gonzalez as simply a "Libertarian" candidate. Though, he will be on the GOP ticket.

Background:

Edward Gonzalez received his commission as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps in 2004 when he graduated from Officer Candidate School in the top 10% of his class. As an infantry officer he served with the 1st Battalion 4th Marines out of Camp Pendleton, California. His first deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom was as a platoon commander as part of the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable). His company conducted amphibious security operations on the Iraqi Oil Platforms.

His second deployment was as an advisor and trainer to the Iraqi Army in the al Anbar Province of Iraq along the Euphrates River. While there he worked jointly with the Iraqi Army, police, and community organizations to improve local security and rebuild local economies. His team successfully transferred over 1,000 km of American battle space to Iraqi control. He left active duty in 2008 at the rank of Captain.

Gonzalez's fundamental philosophy:

All individuals have the right to life, liberty, and property; therefore no one has the right to murder, enslave, or steal from another individual. The power that we have bestowed upon our government is the right and the duty to use force to protect those unalienable rights. There are people that propose it is also government’s right and duty to provide additional services to society. They believe that government should fund these social programs with taxes. The idea that government should sponsor social programs falls in the category of socialism. Most countries are not completely socialist, but merely have elements of socialism within their government. I do not wish to examine the multitude of emotional propaganda created over the years concerning socialism; I merely wish to examine one fundamental fact:

Using tax money to pay for social programs opens the society up to numerous moral and economic contradictions which disregard an individual’s right to liberty and property.

To help EdwardMGonzalez.com