In this context, Senator Paul stood out for the passion of his attack on what he sees as a national trend toward overly militarized police forces and, as a Republican, for explicitly raising the issue of systematized racial bias against blacks.
“The images and scenes we continue to see in Ferguson resemble war more than traditional police action,” Paul wrote in an op-ed for Time magazine’s online edition.
“Anyone who thinks that race does not still, even if inadvertently, skew the application of criminal justice in this country is just not paying close enough attention,” Paul added.
I'm thinking the rioters of Ferguson are a mite less civilized than those sent after Cliven Bundy, and more likely to pick a fight they may not walk away from.
The daylight is uncomfortably bright for eyes so long in the dark.
"When you couple this militarization of law enforcement with an erosion of civil liberties and due process that allows the police to become judge and jury — national security letters, no-knock searches, broad general warrants, pre-conviction forfeiture — we begin to have a very serious problem on our hands," he writes.
The bolded bits are Drug War issues. And we do have more than ample evidence that Drug War enforcement is skewed by race. Obama gave anti-prohibitionists a wink and a nod. Rand Paul is coming right out and saying it. And being in the libertarian camp I'm sure he knows the issue better than any other major pol.
Support for pot legalization nationally is now at 54%. And still growing. If I was to guess 2016 is going to be a Drug War election and of the Republicans, Paul is the only one to have a chance in such an election.
Republicans had better get on the stick. Because Paul has opened a gaping wound.
Rand's vulnerability is his anti-war stance. I believe circumstances will force his hand on that. Just as they have Obama's.
Engineering is the art of making what you want from what you can get at a profit.