Jesse Ventura: Being an Atheist Doesn't Mean You Don't Have Values

Jeremiah Nduwimana from Canada asks:What is your position on NAFTA and what do you think of it. Is it a success or a failure and if a failure what should be done about it.

Jesse Says:

Initially I supported it. I got sucked into it when I was a governor.

I don’t think it has been a success for the United States in the end. It’s cost us a lot of jobs out of the country. A lot of these trade agreements are good if they abide by them and they’re kept on a level playing field. But like all government, loopholes get left in the things they negotiate. They leave ways to get around everything.

In the end, I don’t think NAFTA is that important and I don’t think it should be viewed as that important. I don’t think it’s helped the United States of America very much.

It’s all part of the global movement because they want Canada, the US, and Mexico to all end up the same. They want our middle class destroyed. But I’ve got a feeling that by the time that happens, I’d like to believe, that Jesse Ventura is up in heaven if there is one.

-Jesse Ventura

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John Chadwell from Nebraska asks: Regarding some of the subject matter you cover, have people trying to keep you quiet ever approached you? Love you Jesse!!

Jesse Says:

Directly? No. I don’t think they would ever directly approach anybody.

I think if they’re trying to keep you quiet they don’t have the courage to approach you directly. They will do it indirectly, by other means. They will cut out distributors, advertisers to try and keep you quiet.

That’s one place where I’ve had a real problem—getting people to come forward and advertise on my show, because I’ve been labeled a radical.

-Jesse Ventura

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Helen Husted from California writes: Jesse, I was shocked to learn that you’re an atheist. Speaking as a Christian, you have much stronger values than most Christians. Where did you develop such integrity and honesty?

Jesse Says:

Being an atheist doesn’t mean you don’t have integrity and honesty. All it means is you don’t believe in this imaginary person or individual who hovers over all of us. I simply don’t believe there’s a supreme being.

People need to get it out of their heads that being an atheist somehow makes you bad. We have the same values as everyone else. Treat your neighbor as you would like to be treated. It’s simple.

-Jesse Ventura

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Peter Poli from Canada asks: Where do you get those Jimi Hendrix T-shirts?

Jesse Says:

I got them from the Jimi Hendrix foundation.

When I won Governor of Minnesota, there was a big Inaugural Ball. Traditionally it’s black tie and you get to listen to Jimmy Dorsey and Glen Millar and those types of musicians. Well, that’s not me. Jesse Ventura is a rock and roller, and I thought, “Why do I want to listen to that stuff?” So we had our celebration at the Target Center and the venue was rock and roll.

I wore a fringe jacket and I picked out my favorite Jimi Hendrix t-shirt. Two weeks later, a big box arrived at the capitol. It was from the Jimi Hendrix foundation with a tremendous cover letter thanking me for wearing Jimi’s t-shirt at my inaugural celebration because it made Rolling Stone.

In the box they sent me every Jimi Hendrix CD, twenty original t-shirts, and they finished with “Governor, if you ever need anything concerning Jimi Hendrix please don’t hesitate to contact us. We will help you in any way we can.” I’ve never sought them out or asked them for a thing, but they sent me so much Jimi Hendrix stuff I’m good for the next twenty years.

-Jesse Ventura