Posted on 08/14/2014 4:22:11 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Sens. Rand Paul and Ted Cruz are weighing in on the violence in Ferguson, Missouri, staking out ground on a racially charged issue ahead of their possible 2016 presidential bids.
In a highly personal Time op-ed, Paul (R-Ky.) bluntly connected race to the treatment of African-Americans who have gathered in Ferguson since police killed teenager Michael Brown. Paul said that when he was young, he might have “smarted off” but he “wouldn’t have expected to be shot.”
“Given the racial disparities in our criminal justice system, it is impossible for African-Americans not to feel like their government is particularly targeting them,” Paul wrote. “This is part of the anguish we are seeing in the tragic events outside of St. Louis, Missouri. It is what the citizens of Ferguson feel when there is an unfortunate and heartbreaking shooting like the incident with Michael Brown.”
Paul, who has tried to broaden the GOP’s appeal to African-Americans, also joined Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) and other leading Democrats in calling for the demilitarization of police forces in Ferguson, who have appeared heavily armed and used tear gas to disperse heated protests.
“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. The images and scenes we continue to see in Ferguson resemble war more than traditional police action,” Paul wrote. “Washington has incentivized the militarization of local police precincts by using federal dollars to help municipal governments build what are essentially small armies.”
Cruz was more measured than Paul, calling the situation “tragic” and chastising police for arresting two reporters covering the city’s tension. The Texas Republican called for an end to the “unrest” in the city and urged demonstrators to reject violence.
“Together, we should all mourn the loss of life in Ferguson, Missouri, and work to keep our communities safe and free. Police officers risk their lives every day to keep us safe, and any time a young man loses his life in a confrontation with law enforcement, it is tragic,” Cruz said in a Facebook statement. “Civil liberties must be protected, but violence is not the answer. Once the unrest is brought to an end, we should examine carefully what happened to ensure that justice is served.”
Both Paul and Cruz lean libertarian on issues like criminal justice reform and government surveillance — and each found examples in Ferguson of government overreach in both areas.
Cruz criticized the detention of reporters Wesley Lowery of The Washington Post and Huffington Post reporter Ryan Reilly of The Huffington Post on Wednesday. The two journalists were arrested at a McDonald’s in Ferguson on Wednesday night in a high-profile fashion that has sparked heated reactions toward the police and the news media.
“Reporters should never be detained — a free press is too important — simply for doing their jobs,” Cruz said.
And through the lens of Ferguson, Paul said the civil rights and law enforcement communities’ posture towards U.S. citizens has now reached a “near-crisis point.”
“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,” Paul said.
What are you talking about? Rand Paul hates the left and is among the most conservative senators.
I don’t believe Ted Cruz is eligible to become president.
Stuff it!
Precisely.
You are wrong as to Cruz’s eligibility.
Did you even glance at the article?
"Paul, who has tried to broaden the GOP’s appeal to African-Americans, also joined Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) and other leading Democrats"
Paul is also pro-amnesty, and has called for conservatives to "soften" on social issues. So don't try to tell me he is conservative.
Wrong.
Rand Paul is not pro amnesty and that’s fine with me if he softens on social issues to a degree. Personally I’m pro life and believe marriage is between one man and one woman, but some on the right get too nuts over social issues. When I see terms such as fudgepackers or fags or queers used I have issues with that. It’s unChristian to denigrate anyone with those kinds of terms IMHO.
Of course he is. He has called for conservatives to embrace immigration reform.
" and that’s fine with me if he softens on social issues to a degree. Personally I’m pro life and believe marriage is between one man and one woman, but some on the right get too nuts over social issues. When I see terms such as fudgepackers or fags or queers used I have issues with that. It’s unChristian to denigrate anyone with those kinds of terms IMHO."
You're on the wrong site, then. What's "unChristian" is two mentally sick, feces obsessed perverts messing with each other's filthy anal areas, or two females abusing themselves with toys. I refuse to play along with the queer fascists' redefinition of the word "gay." There's nothing gay about such practices; they're repellent and disease-ridden.
"Queer" and "sodomite" work just fine for me. If you find yourself unable to call deviancy what it is, that's your problem.
How does Paul explain the injuries to the policeman? Did he smash himself in the face? He fired his gun INSIDE the police car. Only a fool, a masochist, or someone under assault fires a gun inside a car. The blast can deafen a person.
Given the racial disparities in our criminal justice system, it is impossible for African-Americans not to feel like their government is particularly targeting them. - Rand Paul
Given the racial disparities in crimes committed by blacks vs. whites*, the racial disparities in the criminal justice system are JUSTIFIED. When blacks become far more law abiding, those disparities will disappear.
If you buy into this racial disparity crap then you are left with 2 possible resolutions: Either stop arresting blacks for crimes committed, or make legal for blacks only the crimes of murder, rape, assault, burglary, & robbery.
*See this article for a bunch of stats to back this up: http://news.yahoo.com/black-americas-real-problem-isnt-white-racism-070000529.html
Catherine. We’ll have to agree to disagree on this one. Cruz wasn’t born in the United States. He is Canadian and renouncing Canadian citizenship doesn’t make him eligible.
Have a nice day.
Sorry Catherine but YOU are in the wrong and how old are you?
My older brother is 63 years old and is homosexual. He has had the same partner for 35 years. While I don’t understand how he can be attracted to the same sex I love him very much and his partner is considered family. Surprise, he and his partner vote republican and are very anti Obama. Mentally sick or pervert or queer or whatever other schoolyard name you’ll call him is totally inaccurate.
You, my friend, frankly could use some more maturity.
Have a very nice day.
I don’t see why Cruz or Paul, of for that matter Obama, have any reason to weigh in on the Ferguson matter.
Have a nice day."
You didn't even check the CATO link to see the verdict on Cruz's eligibility, did you? Too intent on pimping Rand Paul...can't have any facts intrude on that.
If you had looked, you would have seen that it was posted by the owner of the site. He's the one you disagree with.
51, which is irrelevant to the perversity of fagdom.
"My older brother is 63 years old and is homosexual. He has had the same partner for 35 years. While I don’t understand how he can be attracted to the same sex I love him very much and his partner is considered family. Surprise, he and his partner vote republican and are very anti Obama. Mentally sick or pervert or queer or whatever other schoolyard name you’ll call him is totally inaccurate."
I knew it. So many who call themselves Christians weaken when a relative turns up homo. All of a sudden what the Bible calls sin is all warm and fuzzy and sweet. Makes me sick.
Deny all you want, but your brother and his partner in perversion engage in mentally sick, filthy, degrading, unnatural acts which involve feces. Those acts are rightfully repellent to God and man. They can't be whitewashed, and there is nothing normal about anyone who engages in them or promotes them.
" "You, my friend, frankly could use some more maturity.
It's immature to call out disease-ridden perversion for what it is? How so?
Have a very nice day."
Run on away from that painful truth. You won't be here long, I imagine.
Thanks, BlackElk.
The officer’s name was just released by the police chief of Ferguson. In addition, he released the police report that showed that both Brown and Johnson (his friend) were suspects in a “strong-arm robbery” of a convenience store (admitted by Johnson in Sharpton interview that they were at a convenience store). Brown assaulted the clerk by towering over him, intimidating him, lifting him off his feet by the shirt. Cigarillos were stolen. (Johnson also admitted in the interview that Brown’s hands were full of cigarillos.) The QuikTrip employees pointed down the street the way the two went walking. It’s unclear whether or not that was the store robbed or a different store. The incident happened when the police encountered Brown and Johnson walking down the middle of the street. There’s video but I’ve not seen it yet. It was released to the media, too, apparently. There are still photos from the video at Gateway Pundit blog. Protestors are outraged and do not believe the story.
Taking a break from work to check out the new news. Guess the pendulum is swinging.
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