Posted on 10/10/2014 9:03:38 AM PDT by GIdget2004
With racial tensions flaring anew on the heels of another police shooting of a young African-American man, Republican Sen. Rand Paul came here Friday for a “listening session” with local black leaders.
The Kentucky senator, who has made GOP outreach to minorities a cornerstone of his message for a likely 2016 presidential campaign, met with 20 local black leaders. It was the first time a White House hopeful of either party has visited this town of 21,000, which dominated headlines over the summer after a white Ferguson police officer shot and killed Michael Brown, an 18-year-old unarmed African-American.
Paul met for 45 minutes with a group that included pastors, local businessmen and representatives of the NAACP, the Urban League and the Anti-Defamation League.
The session, which took place in a store front on the main drag of town amid pouring rain, came after a second night of street protests in next-door St. Louis after a white off-duty cop, in uniform and moonlighting as a security guard, killed another 18-year-old African-American. Authorities say that the teen, Vonderrit Deondre Myers, fired three pistol shots at the officer, who fired back 17 times.
Law enforcement agencies are preparing for riots if a grand jury opts in the next few weeks not to indict Officer Darren Wilson for shooting Brown.
The senator has made several forays into the black community, including trips to Chicago, Detroit and Memphis. He spoke in July to the National Urban League’s annual conference in Memphis.
(Excerpt) Read more at politico.com ...
Why??????????????????????????????????????????????????
You beat me to it.
If this was a public meeting I would love to have heard the converstation.
He must be outta his freaking mind. There is no possible good some white cracker with “good intentions” could do in Ferguson.
This guy is plooging to hard.
And Rand Paul continues to beat Rand Paul. Imo, so far Cruz is the obvious choice.
Paul just wants to demonstrate he can suck up with the best of them.
More eruptions like Ferguson = more black & Hispanic voters energized to go out and vote in November. Only hope GOP has is if a lot of Obummer voters lack energy this time.
It is not really complicated.
Paul is a carpet bagging grifter, just the same as Jessie Jackson.
Step back for a moment & think about what that phrase can mean – however way you take it, it's insulting or presumptive, and for a Conservative to pander this way is disappointing, to say the least…
I’m Ted Cruz, and I approved this message.....
I understand wanting to reach out to blacks and all, but he’s reaching out to the wrong blacks. They would never support someone who threatens their power.
If a conservative is to reach out to blacks, he needs to reach the middle class blacks who share conservative values, but are still shut out of the GOP.
what conservative are you talking about?
Why?
To apologize of course.
Why is Ferguson still in the news?
Paul is a idiot throwing gasoline and calling it cool water.
Yeah....you have to wonder what he is thinking.
Libertarianism will always be a tough sell among inner city minorities IMHO. They want more gimmees, not less, and they want higher taxes on the rest of us to pay for it. And they also want the same rules of engagement for our police department as we now have with our military.
When did we pass a rule that you could only fire back as many times as fired upon? Wouldn't the first shot count for a little more? Or, are inferior races allowed fewer shots than superior races? What's the proper ratio?
If somebody bushwhacks you from behind, how are you supposed to know their race so you can calculate the number of defensive shots you are allowed to fire?
Can’t effectively pander from DC.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.