Thursday, May 20, 2010

Pulling the curtain back....

Sometimes you get to see what a candidate really thinks about a subject. This is Rand Paul newly minted Republican candidate for Senate in Kentucky on his opposition to the Civil Rights Act of 1964:

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Mr. Paul tries to cloak this as an issue of "property rights", by saying that allowing legal recourse against private business owners is some sort of infringement on the 1st Amendment and how most of the complaints against his stance are hypothetical. I highly recommend watching the sheer dissembling that goes on during the interview. The idea that discrimination isn't a infringement on personal liberty is obviously the position of someone who has never been followed around a grocery store, clothing store, or 'encouraged' to leave an eating establishment simply because they look different. I understand there may be a principled argument here, however, the actual historical atrocities that can be brought to bare on this subject out weigh most of them. The lack of acknowledgment there is striking.

Mr. Paul honestly has not seriously scrutinized the consequences of what he espouses. Or at least that is my hope. If that is not the case that is the most callous statement I have heard in some time. Some other thoughts on the subject here, here, here, and here.

Basically I am profoundly saddened that this sort of candidate can still win in the 21st century.....


--update
Seems Mr. Paul has had some second and third thoughts on this matter, TPM has more coverage on the issue.

-Cheers

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