Ever since Congressman Ron Paul has risen in the polls among the Republican presidential candidates, culminating in a third-place finish in the Iowa Caucus, there has been a lot written about him and his political stances.

Even among those whom I speak to about it, I've noticed a consistent pattern of bemusement over the reason for Ron Paul's popularity, specifically with young conservatives.

I don't expect to convert many people's political beliefs, but I would like to attempt to explain why young conservatives like me support Ron Paul's presidential campaign in the hopes that there might be better understanding of our perspective.

I am twenty-four years old.  For the record, I don't believe in conspiracies involving the Illuminati or the Freemasons, nor do I believe that Zionists caused the September 11 attacks.  I don't have a Confederate flag hanging on my wall, nor do I listen to Alex Jones' radio show.  As a staunch pro-life advocate and Christian, I also do not believe in Ayn Rand's atheistic, pro-choice philosophy of Objectivism.

I say without any exaggeration that our current government has strayed so far from the constitutional republic as originally conceived by the Founding Fathers that drastic changes must be made if we are to restore it.  I am tired of milquetoast, counterfeit conservatives running for public office under the pretense of fighting for limited government, lower taxes, and individual liberty, only to go to Washington and support deficit spending, increase the size of government bureaucracies such as the Department of Education, and pass legislation which erodes our civil liberties under the guise of "national security."

More than ever, we need politicians who practice what they preach, whose lives reflect the integrity they claim to promote.

After election after election of hearing candidates talk about solving these problems yet providing no results, we need leaders whose actions speak far more eloquently than any words they may try to use to placate us.

As a young person who has worked hard to be fiscally responsible and debt-free, I am disgusted with how Republicans and Democrats have both contributed to a $15-trillion national debt in addition to trillions in unfunded entitlements, for which people like myself will have to suffer the consequences for when those congressmen are dead and buried.

It infuriates me how those who have made poor choices in life think they can pass the bill for those decisions onto taxpayers.

I am enraged every time I hear someone tell me how my liberties found within the Bill of Rights exist only if a lawyer or a group of nine people in black robes say they do.

I don't believe that our country is being torn apart because of hate and intolerance.  I believe our country is being torn apart because we have accepted a mentality where every single issue pertaining to our lives, from the food we put on our table to how we seek medical treatment, must be decided by a small group of elitists to whom the rules do not apply.  It is only natural, then, that it becomes of a struggle over who is going to oppress whom.

If there is a division in our nation, it is between two peoples: those who rely on the government and those whom the government relies on, the consumers and the producers.

While I believe that the Iranian government is tyrannical and depraved, my greatest fear does not involve them possessing a nuclear weapon.  My passion for history has taught me that before a country can be destroyed externally, it first must destroy itself internally.  My greatest fear is one day having children whom I will have no freedom to raise according to my beliefs, traditions, or religion.

I am convinced that with the current trend, the government will have total oversight and control over everything we do before my generation has passed.

I believe now, more than ever, that we need elected officials who will stand for the rule of law, who acknowledge that they do not have the authority to do whatever they want, and who will not compromise their values or beliefs in the Washington cesspool of corruption.  We need forthright people who will speak honestly, even if it means that they endure severe criticism and derision for it.

We need people who will stand by their convictions rather than, as the Psalmist put it, "sit in the seat of mockers."

Lastly, we need candidates who, if elected, will fight unceasingly for the ideals which got them elected in the first place.

I sincerely believe that Ron Paul is such a person, which is why I am supporting him for president.

His record matches his words; his thirty-year career in politics is one of consistency and fidelity to the Constitution.  When he is asked about his views, he is plain-spoken and direct.  He does not try to beguile both sides of the fence in order to win votes.  And when he says he will do something, like cut $1 trillion in federal spending, I take him at his word.

I do not, however, worship Ron Paul, as I saw many literally do of Barack Obama in 2008.  I am guided by my principles, not people.  Should Ron Paul one day forsake them, I will no longer support him.  I don't agree with him on everything, including some of his foreign policy.  But I know that under his presidency, my freedoms would be protected, and I would rather be free than safe from harm.

Ultimately, this is why young conservatives like me support him.

TJ Martinell is a reporter from Bellevue, Washington.  He runs a personal website for his fictional writing at timothyjamesmartinell.com.