Dr. Enrique Ramos is the Vice-Presidential nominee under the American Free Soil Party banner in the 2020 presidential election. He is the running mate with Adam Seaman. Dr. Ramos is a scholar, theologian, and evangelist who lives in Puerto Rico.
https://www.americanfreesoilparty.org/
Q: Dr. Ramos, can you give us some brief vital statistics about your life such as your age, where you were raised, your educational experience?
I am 56 years old. I was raised in the town of Arecibo, Puerto Rico, about 1 hour from the Capital, San Juan.
I currently work as an Addictions Therapist at the V.A. Hospital in San Juan, Puerto Rico. I am a Theologian in Residence with ReformaDos Ministry of the Iglesia del Centro, Arecibo, Puerto Rico, I was a Chaplain in the Naval Reserve having served at Roosevelt Rhoads in Ceiba, Puerto Rico, and a former theology professor at the Inter-American University in San Germán, Puerto Rico.
I have an M.Div. (Master of Divinity) from Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia, PA, an M.S.W. (Master of Social Work) from the Universidad de Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras, an M.Th. (Master of Theology) from North-West University, South Africa, a Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy) from Seminario Campbell Morgan, Argentina, a Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy) from Seminario Mayor Escuela de Teologia y Ciencia de la Religion from Colombia, and a Th.D (Hon.) (Doctor of Theology- Honoris Causa) from Faculdade Teologica, Missao, Macedonia, Republica Federativa, Brasil.
I am an ordained minister in the General Lutheran Church serving as Deputy Dean, International Coordinator, Director of Chaplaincy Services, and Resident Theologian. I am also a Professor at the ReformaDos Escuela de Ministerios (School of Ministry) in Caguas, Puerto Rico, and at the Seminario Reformado Latinoamericano of Colombia teaching Systematic Theology and Apologetics as well as in charge of guiding the doctoral students in their dissertations.
Q: Have you ever run for political office before? What sort of political experience or leanings did you have before joining the American Free Soil Party?
This is the first time I have run for office in my life. I have never been in politics either. My only desire is to be of service to others, as much as God allows me.
Q: The American Free Soil Party appears to have two strong influences. First, the General Lutheran Church, Inc. and second, the Prohibition Party. Let me ask about the Church first. I see the General Lutheran Church, Inc. was organized Mar. 9, 2014 and the American Free Soil Party was created Apr. 10, 2014. Any connection there? What is the relationship between the two entities?
The only link between the two is Dr. James Clifton. He is a visionary and a godly man who loves to serve God and others. The General Lutheran Church has its foundation in the Evangelical Lutheran General Synod of the United States. As the years of existence, the Synod split and many of the churches formed what we know now as the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Dr. Clifton and ministers from eight other Lutheran bodies revived the former and named it the General Lutheran Church. The idea was to have a church with a likeminded vision as the one the Lutheran General Synod once had.
This same happened with the American Free Soil Party. Dr. Clifton had been a member of the Libertarian and Prohibition parties. He wanted to bring back the American Free Soil Party because he believed that a party which had the best of many other parties was needed. As you can see in the platform, the Party is centrist seeking pragmatic rather than ideological approaches to solving national problems. We strongly support the concept of the Separation of Church and State.
Q: It appears some of your members were formerly involved with the Prohibition Party but are no longer and perhaps with the Libertarians as well. What is the story behind that?
As previously stated, establishing a centrist Party that combines the best of other parties was our goal as we seek fresh approaches to solve national issues and unify the nation.
Q: Your Party Platform is a most interesting document. On some issues it weighs in with the progressives, on others with the conservatives, and even others in the Libertarian sphere-- but also includes several calls for tolerance and civility as well as qualifying statements attempting to find a balance. Some examples:
--"We advocate adoption consideration and seek other alternatives to abortion. However, we oppose abusive and malicious behaviors toward women who have made the difficult decision to have an abortion."
--"We support the right of parents to homeschool their children. However, we support requiring all who homeschool to have at least a bachelor’s degree."
--"We urge all Americans to separate their personal religious or moral views from the Constitutional rights of other Americans. We believe one can oppose gay marriage while supporting the rights of gays to marry."
--"We support the Second Amendment but are not delusional. We find it reprehensible that gun violence is on the increase and that firearms are so easily obtainable. We, therefore, support reasonable gun control in conjunction with requiring mental health evaluations for all who desire to purchase firearms as well as requiring all potential firearms owners to take gun safety courses on a yearly basis."
Would it be a fair statement to classify the American Free Soil Party as politically centrist?
Yes, we are politically centrist.
Q: A couple issues I did not see in the platform and wondered about. Do you believe human-caused global warming is real and requires immediate action? And, what are the Party's views on the separation of Church and State? Also, should Donald Trump be impeached?
The Party doesn’t take positions on all issues. We allow various views on some issues and Global Warming/Climate Change is one of those issues. Most Party members are still reviewing the research on this issue. We support the Separation of Church and State. Regarding President
Donald Trump, the Party does not engage in personal attacks on any elected official. We take issue with many of his policies as we would with any President. We will run against his policies, not him as an individual. The Party leadership will support the impeachment of any President if serious criminal offences are categorically proven beyond circumstantial evidence.
Q: I am interested in your perspective of the 2020 election as a resident of Puerto Rico. It seems you will not be able to vote for yourself even if the American Free Soil Party made it to the ballot in all 50 states. Also, there seems to be some question if a resident or native born Puerto Rican can legally serve in office if elected to the Presidency. Will you use your position in the campaign to highlight these issues as well as others facing Puerto Rico (Hurricane Maria relief, 51st statehood or other government options, etc.)?
I am interested in following the platform of the Free Soil Party and to be of service to others. That has been the reason for me to join the American Free Soil Party. I am more interested in the issues that our party considers as important and those are the ones I consider important as well.
The issues pertaining Puerto Rico, as important as they are to me, are being dealt with between the government of the Continental US and Puerto Rico.
Regarding my qualifications, bear in mind that we are realists. We know we are not going to win. Our goal is to make our presence known, broaden the debate, offer pragmatic solutions to our problems, and broaden our membership. A number of former third party candidates for President and Vice-President were not eligible for those offices but were on state ballots. One example is Peta Lindsay, the 2012 presidential candidate of the Party for Socialism and Liberation. She was only 28 and was on the ballot in a handful of states.
Q: What kind of campaign activities and presence can we expect to see from the American Free Soil Party 2019-2020?
We will continue our Internet presence including Facebook. We will work to have our ticket gain write-in status in Alabama, Iowa, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington D.C., and Wyoming, We will also try to get on the ballot in Colorado and Louisiana which require fees of $1,000 and $500, respectively.
Q: Does your Party have other candidates for elected offices? Has your Party endorsed candidates from other parties?
Yes, our Founder, Dr. Clifton, became the first American Free Soil Party member to qualify for a ballot position. He will be on the Millersburg, IN ballot for Town Council in November. We have no elected officials at this time.
Q: I see you have Party chairs in Indiana, Massachusetts, and Puerto Rico. Are there recruitment efforts to expand to other states?
My role is the Puerto Rico Representative for the Party. We are always in recruiting mode and hope to have affiliates in all 50 states.
Q: Third parties are given time consuming, complicated and unreasonable requirements to gain ballot access in many states in my view. The American Free Soil Party is smart in nominating a ticket so early in the game giving you more time to organize. What states do you realistically think you can be offered as a choice for the voters when they see their ballots in Nov. 2020?
See previous response
Q: Dr. Ramos, I want to thank you very much for taking the time to participate in this interview. If I have missed any important issues or didn't ask a question you were hoping for, please take this opportunity to give a statement here to help us understand more about yourself and the American Free Soil Party.
Thank you, Steve, for the opportunity to share my thoughts.
