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Rand Paul: Current criminal laws create situation 'somewhat like segregation'
The Hill ^ | 3-13-2015 | Jonathan Easley

Posted on 03/13/2015 12:48:14 PM PDT by Citizen Zed

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) argued for criminal justice reform at a historically black college in Maryland on Friday, in what has become a staple of his message to young voters and minorities ahead of a potential presidential run in 2016.

Paul, who has frequently nodded to Martin Luther King, Jr.’s idea that there are “two Americas,” said in his speech at Bowie State University there’s one America where citizens are free to pursue their lives freely, and one where the federal government piles on with unnecessary laws, burdensome fines and regulations, and overly strict sentencing guidelines that contribute to keeping minority groups mired in poverty.

“Those of us who have jobs and have lived fairly privileged lives don’t know what it’s like to pay fines and penalties on top of other fines and how someone’s life can spiral out of control because of this,” Paul said. 

The Kentucky Republican argued that civil forfeiture and mandatory minimum sentencing laws must be reformed, and highlighted bipartisan bills he’s worked on to expunge the records of former criminals that would make it easier for them to find work.

Paul said the laws currently on the books have created a situation that is “somewhat like segregation.”

“There’s a racial outcome to this,” Paul said. “I don’t think it’s intentional, but it’s real, and we should do something about it.”

Paul pointed to two recent racially charged incidents that have provoked protests across the country as evidence of there’s "an undercurrent of unease.”

Ferguson, Mo., has been on edge since a white police officer fatally shot an unarmed black teenager after an encounter on the street last year. The incident led to a Justice Department investigation that found widespread abuses within the criminal justice system there and ultimately led to the resignation of the police chief.

And in New York City, protests erupted after a grand jury declined to indict a police officer responsible for the choke-hold death of Eric Garner, who was suspected of selling loose cigarettes on the sidewalk.

Paul blamed politicians for creating laws that lead to police harassment, and unnecessary fines and arrests. 

“What reason do we have for politicians telling the police they have to take someone down for selling a cigarette that’s not taxed,” he said. “There are other ways … I blame the politicians, they write these rules.”

Paul has been outspoken about the racial unease that he sees permeating the country, and he’s long been an advocate for scaling back drug laws and reforming the criminal justice system. The Kentucky Republican is a sponsor on a new bill that would legalize medical marijuana on the federal level for states that have legalized it.

Paul has also talked at length about expanding the GOP’s appeal to the next generation, and many believe his libertarian-leaning views on issues like drug policy and criminal sentencing reform could appeal to a younger set of voters.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Extended News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Kentucky; US: Massachusetts
KEYWORDS: 2016election; arkansas; assetforfeiture; benghazi; bobbyjindal; chrischristie; civilforfeiture; diabn; election2016; elizabethwarren; fauxahontas; florida; forfeiture; hillaryclinton; hitlery; jebbush; kentucky; libertarians; libya; lieawatha; marcorubio; maryland; massachusetts; medicalmarijuana; mikehuckabee; mikelee; newjersey; newyork; paultardnoisemachine; randpaul; randsconcerntrolls; ricksantorum; rudygiuliani; sarahpalin; scottwalker; southcarolina; tedcruz; texas; treygowdy; utah; wisconsin; wod
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To: ansel12

No, but it’s a step.


21 posted on 03/13/2015 2:20:44 PM PDT by TBP (Obama lies, Granny dies.)
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To: TBP

No it isn’t, it is a costly diversion from the problem, just another argument by people pretending to care, but who actually are fixated on legalizing drugs.


22 posted on 03/13/2015 2:22:20 PM PDT by ansel12 (Palin--Mr President, the only thing that stops a bad guy with a nuke is a good guy with a nuke.)
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To: ansel12

If we legalized loosies, we’d have one less violation and we’d be encouraging voluntary transactions. Legalizing them would hurt nobody.

If loosies were legal, then the police wouldn’t have stopped Garner.

Why do you want to protect Big Government revenuers and Big Tobacco?


23 posted on 03/13/2015 2:25:08 PM PDT by TBP (Obama lies, Granny dies.)
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To: Citizen Zed

He is an asshole.


24 posted on 03/13/2015 2:27:12 PM PDT by jwalsh07 (E)
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To: TBP

Garner was not killed because NYC makes it illegal to sell individual cigarettes, or because he was violating probation, or for unpaid tickets, or because he was jay walking, or for urinating in public, he died because of a policing problem that needs to be fixed.


25 posted on 03/13/2015 2:31:10 PM PDT by ansel12 (Palin--Mr President, the only thing that stops a bad guy with a nuke is a good guy with a nuke.)
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To: Citizen Zed
“Those of us who have jobs and have lived fairly privileged lives don’t know what it’s like to pay fines and penalties on top of other fines....

'cept if you owe money to the IRS
26 posted on 03/13/2015 2:33:25 PM PDT by stylin19a (obama = Eddie Mush)
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To: Citizen Zed
I am a Paul supporter. I have him right behind Cruz. I think he "gets it" in terms of understanding what is wrong with the U.S.

To put it simply, "It's the government, stupid." As Reagan said, the government can't solve our problem. The government IS the problem.

While, I am with him on lots and lots of issues, (and frankly I don't see anything he is saying here as completely false) I find that reverse racism, the soft bigotry of low expectations and lawlessness in minority communities to be a huge problem. I guess he is planning on ignoring this problem for now.

He is obviously and openly pandering to the black vote here. Whether that is a good idea or a bad idea, I don't know. Democrats were able to capture vast swaths of the south on the advocacy of segregation. While it wasn't totally against their ideology, it didn't really completely jive with the rest of their platform. Never the less, by throwing that bone out there to the one issue racists in the south, they took over state after state. If he can take the basic premise of "The problem IS the government" and apply it to the one issue black community, I applaud him. It might just work.

I just hope he doesn't have to abandon any principals in order to do it.

27 posted on 03/13/2015 2:33:57 PM PDT by nitzy (I don't vote for Republican'ts)
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To: TBP
Which is precisely the problem with the “let’s legalize pot so we can tax it” argument. Tax it enough to discourage use

I've never said “let’s legalize pot so we can tax it” - but I don't know how many of those who do say that intend the tax to discourage use.

28 posted on 03/13/2015 2:44:15 PM PDT by ConservingFreedom (A goverrnment strong enough to impose your standards is strong enough to ban them.)
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To: ConservingFreedom

If you say we should tax pot like cigarettes, you’re saying we should tax it to discourage use.


29 posted on 03/13/2015 3:45:44 PM PDT by TBP (Obama lies, Granny dies.)
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To: SunkenCiv

Thankyou for your list!


30 posted on 03/13/2015 5:42:49 PM PDT by stilloftyhenight (‘the Medieval Christian threat is under control’)
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To: stilloftyhenight

My pleasure!


31 posted on 03/13/2015 6:06:04 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (What do we want? REGIME CHANGE! When do we want it? NOW!)
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To: TBP
I've never said “let’s legalize pot so we can tax it” - but I don't know how many of those who do say that intend the tax to discourage use.

If you say we should tax pot like cigarettes

I've never said that either.

32 posted on 03/13/2015 6:46:49 PM PDT by ConservingFreedom (A goverrnment strong enough to impose your standards is strong enough to ban them.)
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To: ConservingFreedom

A lot of others have.


33 posted on 03/13/2015 7:13:22 PM PDT by TBP (Obama lies, Granny dies.)
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To: TBP
Colorado's marijuana sales-tax revenue soared in January

Mar 12, 2015

Colorado's retail marijuana sales-tax receipts increased 153 percent in January, totaling more than $3.5 million, compared with $1.4 million in January 2014, the first month that recreational marijuana was legal.

The statistics are included in the most recent report from the Colorado Marijuana Enforcement Division. The $3.5 million came from a 10 percent sales tax applied to recreational marijuana.

http://www.bizjournals.com/albuquerque/blog/morning-edition/2015/03/colorados-marijuana-sales-tax-revenue-soared-in.html

34 posted on 03/13/2015 8:44:47 PM PDT by Ken H (DILLIGAF)
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To: Citizen Zed
he's right that there are too many onerous laws out there....we're all of us, all the time, breaking some law...we could conceivably all be pursed by the cops...

but we must never let the animals run the cities by their violence....

Gentle giant was robbing a store, assaulting the owner, and then questioned, attacked a cop....that can not be ignored...

35 posted on 03/13/2015 9:13:03 PM PDT by cherry
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To: Ken H

So far. Very early yet.


36 posted on 03/13/2015 9:39:05 PM PDT by TBP (Obama lies, Granny dies.)
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To: TBP

California collects $100M a year in taxes from its medical marijuana program. It was voted into law in 1996.


37 posted on 03/13/2015 9:57:17 PM PDT by Ken H (DILLIGAF)
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To: Citizen Zed; Abundy; Albion Wilde; AlwaysFree; AnnaSASsyFR; bayliving; BFM; Bigg Red; ...

Maryland “Freak State” PING!


38 posted on 03/14/2015 1:13:27 PM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks ( _\\//)
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To: Citizen Zed

Liberarians love their drugs it seems.


39 posted on 03/14/2015 1:14:45 PM PDT by A CA Guy ( God Bless America, God Bless and keep safe our fighting men and women.)
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To: Citizen Zed

IS this guy starting to be MORE like his nut dad every day?

I like many of his ideas, but does he really think blacks are “more restricted” by laws and regs than we whites?

And “overly strict sentencing”? Are you kidding? Sentences are not strict ENOUGH, that is why we have soooo much trouble! Give me a break!


40 posted on 03/15/2015 8:29:08 AM PDT by the OlLine Rebel (Common sense is an uncommon virtue./Federal-run medical care is as good as state-run DMVs.)
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