Rand Paul needs to start doing some homework ASAP. Only one day after his landslide victory, Rand Paul is in a Catch 22. Today on NPR, Rand Paul was again presented with the Civil Rights question. As a libertarian, Paul is extremely cautious against government’s ability to dictate to the private sector. Knowing this, Robert Sigel from NPR puts forth a hypothetical question about the Civil Rights Act:
Here is the Catch 22. If Paul says he fully supports how the feds forced the private sector to end segregation he loses libertarian street cred, but by only supporting the results of the Civil Rights Act and not the actual legislation, Paul gives the left room to paint him as a racist.
Rand Paul should have been better prepared to answer this question. This isn’t the first time he has encountered it. Here is an interview he did with the Courier Journal editorial board last month.
The left smells an opening here and will push this issue to the hilt. However, I would caution the left against thinking that the libertarian position has no merit here.
Do you remember that guy in Georgia who put up that racist anti Obama sign? I think it is safe to say there are no blacks spending their hard earned money in that establishment. As such, hasn’t this guy circumvented the Civil Rights Act and achieved segregation of his establishment by hiding behind his First Amendment rights? Should we allow government to curtail all our First Amendment rights to shut him down? If yes, what do we do when he tries something else to keep blacks out? Do we then allow government to regulate all private businesses further? When do we draw a line with trading our liberties to right an obvious wrong? Perhaps boycotts and the free market can play a role in shutting him down, something to think about.
Via: Memeorandum
Via: Politico
Via: The Courier Journal