Rare News Desk
On Wednesday, Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky) opened up the 6th annual Young Americans for Liberty conference and delivered a strong message of optimism to a crowd comprised mostly of college students. The YAL conference brought together 300 top student activists within the Ron Paul-inspired liberty movement.
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Paul opened his speech by applauding the students for their enthusiasm.
“We have to decide what we stand for. We have to decide what is the Republican Party, what are we, what do we stand for, what is the ‘leave me along coalition all about?” Paul told the crowd, impressing upon them that they were a part of something special.
Paul peppered his speech with anecdotes about the problems he’s faced on Capitol Hill, such as a conversation he recently had with a father who moved to Colorado in order for his child to receive seizure-reducing medical marijuana treatment. “Why would the government stop this child from receiving the treatment he needed?” Paul wondered aloud.
“If we’re talking about the content of what we’re for, it’s leave me the hell alone,” Paul said.
Earlier Wednesday, Paul appeared on MSNBC with Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) to discuss their REDEEM Act, a prison reform bill that would prevent juvenile offenders from having their records follow them for life. Paul referenced this appearance, noting that he stood up to the MSNBC anchor Ari Melber over the misinformation he believes the network propagates about his record. Paul believes this only exacerbates the partisanship he is trying to combat in Washington D.C.
“We should narrow the focus of some of these things. Are there areas of immigration reform we can pass immediately? Yes. Are there areas of criminal justice reform that we could pass immediately? Yes. We need to narrow the focus to find aspects of these things that we agree on,” Paul said. He noted that that the REDEEM Act is a bipartisan issue that could pass through the Senate if that body would only show the political will.
Paul said he believes American attitudes are evolving. He said that citizens, particularly those like the young students in the audience, are tired of what the two party system has delivered.
“I think there is a moment that has come to the country where the word libertarian, or the ‘leave me alone’ coalition… is the majority, if not the plurality of the country,” Paul said.
“If we can find that sweet spot, bring those people together, and say ‘you’ve been hoodwinked, they’ve been trying to teach you that there is only a Republican or a Democratic way, maybe there is a third way.”
Paul concluded by discussing the lack of minorities within the Republican Party, noting that many subsets of society, such as Asian and African Americans are deeply affected by causes conservatives are fighting against. Sen. Paul took this chance to take a shot at President Barack Obama, who he believes didn’t bring the country together as much as he did the Democratic Party.
“He maximized the same people that always voted Democrat, he didn’t change things,” Paul said.
“They’re afraid that the third way, may be big enough to win elections again, the people who think war is the only way… I think that is the past, I think that is the old way… Those days are numbered. Among the public, something big is happening, the public is probably a decade ahead of what’s going on in Washington,” Paul said.
Paul implored the audience to work hard to promote the ideas they care about, because if they do, they might have the chance to change history.
“When we present our message with passion and with the hope and promise of optimism, of the man coming over the hill singing… then we’re going to be the dominant movement again,” Paul said, before leaving the stage to a standing ovation and raucous cheers of “2016! 2016!”
