The first few days of my summer break consisted of a lot of sleeping, watching television and more sleeping. Just how I like it. I didn’t think life could get any better until a few more days passed and I was proven wrong.
As the words “Rand Paul Wins the Republican Senatorial Primary” flew across the television screen, the widest smile on Earth appeared on my face. I looked like the Cheshire Cat. A member of the conservative Paul family in each chamber of Congress? My dream had come true. Of course, I knew it was only a matter of time until the left tried to shoot him down with the racism bullet.
During an interview with the editorial board of the Louisville, Ky., Courier-Journal, Paul was questioned about the controversy surrounding his opinion regarding the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Paul explained he supports nine of the 10 titles of the Act but finds Title II to be unconstitutional because it prohibits privately owned businesses from discriminating against customers.
“I abhor racism,” Paul said. “I think it’s a bad business decision to ever exclude anybody from your restaurant. At the same time, I do believe in private ownership. But I think there should be absolutely no discrimination in anything that gets any public funding.”
When you listen to the entire interview, Paul’s understanding of the U.S. Constitution is extremely clear. His comments are fully developed and backed up by the text. However, the mainstream media has played out his opinion to sound like the old ramblings of the Grand Imperial Wizard.
Assuming that Title II of the Act is ever repealed or revised, it is true that the free market will take care of racism by means of protests, pickets and advertisement refusals, just like it’s taken care of animal rights and worker conditions in the past. Faster than any court proceeding are the people.
Think about it. What’s more likely to make you boycott a corporation that has mistreated animals: a transcript that details a months-long Supreme Court case against the company or an undercover video of the actual inhumane treatment filmed by random people and later posted to YouTube?
After being blasted by influential politicians like Minority Leader Mitchell McConnell for speaking about the subject, Paul and his campaign were ransacked by the Libertarian Party, which has threatened to enter its own candidate in attempt to split Paul’s own voters, something I believe will be detrimental to both parties’ political positions.
The Democrats will surely squeeze this situation dry. It’s all they’ve got. In my eyes, we should be happy to finally have found an honest person who is willing to share his true beliefs on a subject that isn’t currently being debated. Paul could have lied. It wouldn’t have done his campaign any harm to have done so. But, by knowing that he openly stated his beliefs on such a controversial subject, we can have full faith that he will be an honest politician.
Reach Brian at brian.p.anderson@asu.edu
