Rand Paul: We Must Demilitarize the Police
Source: Time
Anyone who thinks race does not skew the application of criminal justice in this country is just not paying close enough attention, Sen. Rand Paul writes for TIME, amid violence in Ferguson, Mo. over the police shooting death of Michael Brown
The shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown is an awful tragedy that continues to send shockwaves through the community of Ferguson, Missouri and across the nation.
If I had been told to get out of the street as a teenager, there would have been a distinct possibility that I might have smarted off. But, I wouldn’t have expected to be shot.
The outrage in Ferguson is understandable—though there is never an excuse for rioting or looting. There is a legitimate role for the police to keep the peace, but there should be a difference between a police response and a military response.
Read more: http://time.com/3111474/rand-paul-ferguson-police/
Seeing more and more of this opinion from some on the right. MAybe it will spread.
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abbeyco
(1,555 posts)I find that it doesn't quite match with your earlier pathetic statements about wanting to do away with the Civil Rights Act. Try again, doofus.
JackInGreen
(2,975 posts)but maybe he's evolving? We can hope so.....I doubt it...but we can hope so.
bvf
(6,604 posts)He may as well have added, "Let's do away with police forces entirely and turn the whole thing over to citizen militia."
That's my impression of the clown, anyway.
Reter
(2,188 posts)Libertarian leaning Republicans hate the CRA and hate the police state.
bvf
(6,604 posts)I can't argue with that. But do you see the point of my message beyond the subject line?
JackRiddler
(24,979 posts)He didn't say what you've added, even if he believes it or has said something like it in the past.
It's not about him, it's about an idea that should be accepted no matter who says it for what reason: demilitarize the police!
If Republicans were to drop some of their awful policies tomorrow (holding up Congress for ACA repeals), of course it would be for tactical reasons. So? It wouldn't be a good thing?
bvf
(6,604 posts)but I see your point. But the whole thing makes me think those evangelical outfits that want you to adopt a starving child in Africa. Who wouldn't want to do that?
Political judo comes to mind.
ETA: I guess I should add that I have misgivings about someone who's said such indefensible things about civil rights stripping away a single vote that he otherwise wouldn't get.
That may come across as a bit hard-headed, I realize, but I admit I'm not well versed in Political Science beyond the Randy Newman song of that name.
ozone_man
(4,825 posts)is authoritarian vs. libertarian. One could make more than two axis, but I think these serve well to explain most political alignments.
You may notice that Rand Paul or his father Ron (right libertarians) will have a lot in common with Bernie Sanders (left libertarian/socialist). That ends when it comes to social issues of course. But issues regarding war, civil liberties (this case), corporate welfare (Wall Street), they have very little difference.
Likewise, Hillary Clinton and John McCain are both authoritarians, and on matters of war, U.S. global domination, they have little difference. In their case, there is significant difference on social issues, women's issues (left vs. right), but not when it comes to maintaining U.S. global supremacy. They're both hawks.
Chakab
(1,727 posts)that are based upon race from somebody who was just out stumping for a racist piece of shit like Steve King and is the member of party that is actively trying to disenfranchise black voters for political gain.
He can try and sound as "reasonable," as he wants to, but nobody is going to forget that he used his first national media appearance after being elected to the Senate to denounce the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
He's just blowing a gigantic amount of smoke to make himself look sane for his impeding Presidential run.
freshwest
(53,661 posts)All this time he's been in the Senate, he's always attached national RTW bills, personhood bills and cutting off the social safety net bills
He gleefully went along with those wanting not just the government shutdown last year and defaulting on the debt to do his masters' bidding for a full shock doctrine put in effect nationally. His argument for default:
Debt Ceiling: 'Chaotic' choices on 100 million payments
Rand Paul says default can be 'framed as a reasonable idea' and Tom Coburn wants to default to face a 'managed catastrophe.'
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=3820816
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023822515
More of how much he cares about the poor and disenfranchised:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024174104
The job is getting done without him, he's just riding the coattails of others as an opportunist. Please note the video at the end to see just how 'evolved' Rand Paul is going to get:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025388387#post17
pnwmom
(108,955 posts)We care more about civil liberties than they do, but sometimes it doesn't appear so.
billhicks76
(5,082 posts)Corporate Dems need to capitulate and realize that we can't let any wing of the Republican party steal OUR issues. We have been fighting for these for a while not them. But the issues still come first for me so I'll let them steal it as long as it pushes the center(in this issue) back and further left again. We can just outdo them and go even further left on supporting civil and constitutional rights. End the Drug War. That's why these guys harass Black men. There is a financial incentive when they perceive they will find drugs. Take that away and this gets tamped down 95% and although racism won't go away the vehicle to use it oppressively will be dismantled. And don't let Rand or another Republican steal that issue too. Hillary? I hope your paying attention.
pnwmom
(108,955 posts)private prisons and jails.
All that has to end.
JackRiddler
(24,979 posts)Why is it a headline that Paul said it?
Why isn't a headline that Clinton or Biden said it?
pnwmom
(108,955 posts)JackRiddler
(24,979 posts)that's no reason not to say it.
They're not saying it, so what's the reason for that?
pnwmom
(108,955 posts)billhicks76
(5,082 posts)People argued with me but I was right about Rand Paul. He's championing all my favorite issues. No wars, legalization of cannabis, NSA reform and now demilitarization of the police. He can definitely steal votes from right leaning Hillary. The argument was he can't win enough primaries. That's myopic. Things are dynamic now...not static. Things change more quickly every years as the rate of information translation increases. I'd rather have a progressive Democrat win than a Libertarian who is constitutionally sound. It's up to us...Warren 2016.
RufusTFirefly
(8,812 posts)Even if it's right.
(This message is brought to you by the corporate Democrats.)
zeemike
(18,998 posts)At least that is what some say, because otherwise we are paulbots...
We need to learn to accept help in things even if it is from a libertarian...because it helps us and splits them...unlike most of the time.
rhett o rick
(55,981 posts)Those people are slackers, looking for the easy road. They are not liberals.
MannyGoldstein
(34,589 posts)Nor intelligent.
rhett o rick
(55,981 posts)
aggiesal
(8,907 posts)"Randal" Paul doesn't believe I any government.
Shouldn't collect taxes, therefore no money for the military,
police, fire, libraries, decent roads ...
He may come off sounding normal, but it falls in his grand scheme
of not supporting any kind of government.
ZombieHorde
(29,047 posts)He just doesn't want government to help the poor. He very much loves private property, which is an aspect of government.
aggiesal
(8,907 posts)keep government from doing anything.
He might become more of a moderate to try and get the GOP
nomination, but he will always vote for less taxes, less services
for everyone, including the military.
He believes that government should not have its hands in anything.
billhicks76
(5,082 posts)They hate him and his dad way more than we do and not just because of taxes appropriated. The military industrial complex hates that they are non-interventionist. Politics really does make strange bedfellows.
busterbrown
(8,515 posts)It sure fucks em up doesn’t it?
freshwest
(53,661 posts)E. O. M.
MannyGoldstein
(34,589 posts)His followers were legion on DU today, demanding that we neuter our brave police.
Regards,
TWM
RufusTFirefly
(8,812 posts)Are you writing under a nom de plume? Or whut?
rhett o rick
(55,981 posts)MannyGoldstein
(34,589 posts)Error corrected, thanks.
Only through ample application of lethal supervision can we make America the (other) land of the free!
%^* Rand Paul!
Warpy
(111,140 posts)because his owners love the militarized police. They're keeping the whole 99% of the population from getting too uppity.
frazzled
(18,402 posts)have proven that the real issue is attitudes and smart, humane policing, not equipment. Those Ferguson cops would have been shits without their tanks, and tear gas has been available to police since forever. It's about the decisions that are made, not what's stored in the garage--and it was a very bad decision to go in with guns, tanks, and tear gas.
This Paul statement (based more on his general anti-government positions than any social or humanitarian ones) has been repeated here a million times today, so I don't know what it's doing in Latest Breaking News.
SunSeeker
(51,511 posts)Apparently DU is being spammed with this story because us folks who don't worship Rand Paul are dishonest, unitelligent slackers who need to be told this story over and over and over again.
Number23
(24,544 posts)Apparently DU is being spammed with this story because us folks who don't worship Rand Paul are dishonest, unitelligent slackers who need to be told this story over and over and over again.
Just... consider the source.
7962
(11,841 posts)I felt it was important that MAYBE more people are seeing how our police force has gone off the rails and things need to change. I wouldnt have cared if Limbaugh was the one saying it, it needs to be said. And if more people of that ilk are saying it, it might actually make some of their followers think twice about it as well. It has nothing to do with Rand Paul or his dad, but the SUBJECT. If they begin to think what we've already BEEN thinking, who will be left to continue supporting cops outfitted better than our actual military?
freshwest
(53,661 posts)JackRiddler
(24,979 posts)What's wrong with that?
We can still hope he loses the next election, as well.
SunSeeker
(51,511 posts)Last edited Fri Aug 15, 2014, 01:43 AM - Edit history (1)
You see, that would affect private property, and you can't be telling private businesses what to do with their property...even if they discriminate.
But hey, at least he thinks the cops should look like normal cops when they drag African Americans from segregated lunch counters. He's on our side on this one. Yay.
Now let's see him show his desire to demilitarize the police is not all talk. Let's see him sponsor some legislation to abolish section 1033 and stop the giving of military surplus to police departments. Let's get him on it before he flip flops again.
freshwest
(53,661 posts)SunSeeker
(51,511 posts)freshwest
(53,661 posts)TygrBright
(20,755 posts)busterbrown
(8,515 posts)You’re confusing us!!! We love them military Cops.. Cops hate Liberals, and Minorities,,, Please Stop...
Hoppy
(3,595 posts)freshwest
(53,661 posts)
aaaaaa5a
(4,667 posts)WhoWoodaKnew
(847 posts)We don't judge people on just one issue.
harun
(11,348 posts)RufusTFirefly
(8,812 posts)How pathetic is it that we're letting Rand Paul take the lead on issues that should be Democratic issues?
Javaman
(62,500 posts)now he's all for this. after he was against the articles of the civil rights bill that would have allowed for business owners to segregate.
fuck him.
anyone with half a fucking brain has been saying this for years.
rock
(13,218 posts)1) take away their uniform (they must go around in underwear but keep hat and badge);
2) take away their guns and ammo belt;
3) take away one shoe;
4) require that they carry a pitcher of water which is full and must be accounted for at the end of the shift (we call this "open carry";
5) wear a red, round rubber nose;
6) must have their billy club inserted into their ass when on duty (with no more than the handle showing);
Note that they can still hand out tickets and give lawful orders.
(Yes, this is a lampoon)
A Simple Game
(9,214 posts)And there is no bigger tool in the Senate than Rand Paul, I say let's use him and get some meaningful legislation out of this tragedy.
Think what you want of him, and I think very lowly of him, he does have a following and can help gain support and momentum for any legislation to curb the militarization of our police.
JackRiddler
(24,979 posts)Thumbs up.
CanonRay
(14,084 posts)Now that's a first.
RufusTFirefly
(8,812 posts)If the President does something horrid like approving the killing of civilians with drones or spying on people without probable cause and Rand Paul condemns it, then what the President has approved is suddenly OK. It's like magic!
Calista241
(5,586 posts)He's been fairly vocal about the need for prison and criminal justice reform. Specifically about racist drug policy and enforcement.
Liberal_from_va34
(50 posts)Rand Paul is still an idiot at the end of the day, regardless of he believes.