Paul on Urban Protests: 'We Need to Understand Where It's Coming From'

[jct74]

Paul on Urban Protests: 'We Need to Understand Where It's Coming From'
The senator takes another stab at explaining the civil unrest.

by David Weigel
May 4, 2015 12:07 PM EDT

He'd taken heat for a dark joke about the civil unrest in Baltimore. He'd generally stayed quiet on the topic, to the surprise of civil libertarians. On Monday, finally, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul used a campaign rally in Michigan to expand his remarks.

"You wonder why people are unhappy in our cities?" he asked an audience in Grand Rapids. "Some aren't doing it right. Some are protesting violently, and there's no excuse for violence, but the thing is, there is an unhappiness. Those of us who don't live in poverty, we need to understand where it's coming from."

Paul's plea for understanding was reminiscent of what he'd said for years, before a radio interview with Laura Ingraham led to accusations of glibness. “I came through the train on Baltimore last night,” Paul had said. “I’m glad the train didn’t stop." By week's end, campaign advisers were assuring reporters and allies that the senator did not mean to minimize what had happened to Freddie Gray, or why citizens had broken curfews to protest.

The old Paul made a triumphant, libertarian return to Grand Rapids. Most of his remarks focused on civil and police issues, from urban unrest to the National Security Agency to civil forfeiture. "I want us to be the party of the entire Bill of Rights," Paul said. "That means the Fifth Amendment and Sixth Amendment as well." He invoked the 1996 story of Richard Jewell, a security guard whose reputation was shredded–on false pretenses–after he located bombs aimed at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.

"Think if Richard Jewell had been a black man in the South in the 1920s," said Paul. "White kids do drugs as much as black kids do them, but everybody in prison is black or brown."

...

read more:
http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/ar...s-coming-from-

[Brian4Liberty]

"Think if Richard Jewell had been a black man in the South in the 1920s," said Paul. "White kids do drugs as much as black kids do them, but everybody in prison is black or brown."

Is this out of context or what? It doesn't make any sense.

[adelina]

Is this out of context or what? It doesn't make any sense.

I think they might have left out some parts.
The whole speech can be watched here:
http://woodtv.com/2015/04/29/sen-ran...-gr-on-monday/

[CaptUSA]

Hmmm... Where is it coming from?

Let's see... We have a series of laws that are aimed specifically at undesirables. Then we have another series of laws that apply to everyone, but are mostly enforced against the undesirables. If someone violates one of these "laws", they are fined or thrown in jail. If their economic situation is such that they can't pay the fine, a warrant will be issued. If they get out of jail, there are strict terms of release. When you add that all together, you have an entire community that is running afoul of the "law".

Which means, they can be stopped at any time. If they resist, it's a new charge. If they stand up for their rights, the punishment will be swift and harsh. If they submit a complaint they will lose. They will also be a target in the future.

In other words, bullies always pick on the easiest target. And generally, people are responding by giving the bully more power. All that does is makes their pool of targets larger. It probably doesn't matter to most people because the bullies aren't targeting them. Yet. But when it happens, maybe all parties will begin to see that this really has very little to do with race.

[jct74]

Rand Paul takes libertarian message to Grand Rapids

By Paul Egan
12:28 p.m. EDT May 4, 2015

Paul told about 300 people who packed Kent County GOP headquarters that U.S. drug policy is a major reason three out of four people in prison are black or brown.

GRAND RAPIDS — U.S. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky drew loud applause in the heart of western Michigan Monday when he delivered a key plank of his Republican presidential campaign — that the nation's drug policy is disproportionately putting blacks behind bars.

Paul delivered a similar message when he opened a GOP office in Detroit in December of 2013. He couldn't be accused of tailoring his message based on his audience when he spoke for about 20 minutes at the Kent County Republican Party headquarters in Detroit.

Paul, an ophthalmologist who officially announced his candidacy for president in April, told about 300 people who packed the small offices that U.S. drug policy is a major reason three out of four people in prison are black or brown.

He said he's not in favor of illegal drugs, but white kids and black kids are using illegal drugs at about the same rate, and "justice should be equal regardless of the color of your skin."

The line drew loud applause from the crowd that was more than 90% white.

...

read more:
http://www.freep.com/story/news/poli...pids/26869655/

[jct74]

Rand Paul: 'Govt. has no business in your business'

Gary Heinlein
12:56 p.m. EDT May 4, 2015

Grand Rapids — GOP presidential hopeful Rand Paul delivered a speech Monday heavy on support for individual rights and social justice designed to separate him from other Republican contenders in an appearance with U.S. Rep. Justin Amash that drew about 300 western Michigan GOP members.

"Justice should be equal regardless of the color of your skin," said Paul, whose speech at the Kent County GOP headquarters was arranged by U.S. Rep. Justin Amash, a maverick libertarian Republican from Cascade Township. He described Amash, who officially endorsed his presidential bid, as a "leader of the next generation of liberty lovers in Washington ... and a fellow wacko-bird."

The wacko-bird label referenced the way U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, once tabbed Paul, Amash and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas over a filibuster of then-new Central Intelligence Agency Director John O. Brennan over the nation's drone policy in 2013. Paul said the label evidently is being applied to conservatives like himself and Amash, who are "for the whole Bill of Rights" and not just the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms.

Without making a direct mention of any of the three other Republican presidential hopefuls descending on Michigan early this week, Paul said it's been a "tough" state for his party to carry in presidential elections since 1988.

"To win again, we have to be bigger and better and bolder," he said, touching on rights to privacy, speedy trials and from unreasonable search and seizure by the government.

...

read more:
http://www.detroitnews.com/story/new...ness/26871889/

[hells_unicorn]

Is this out of context or what? It doesn't make any sense.

It's out of context. All I had to do was see David Weigel's name on it to know that something would be terribly misrepresented. Expect no less from somebody who supported Barack Obama and used to work for MSNBC.