Rand Paul - Government Quotes

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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. Given these developments, it is almost impossible for many Americans not to feel like their government is targeting them. 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
There is a systemic problem with today's law enforcement. Not surprisingly, big government has been at the heart of the problem. Washington has incentivized the militarization of local police precincts by using federal dollars to help municipal governments build what are essentially small armies—where police departments compete to acquire military gear that goes far beyond what most of Americans think of as law enforcement. This is usually done in the name of fighting the war on drugs or terrorism.

Rand Paul
I have a message from the Tea Party, a message that is loud and clear and does not mince words. We've come to take our government back.

Rand Paul
I tend to think young people get it. Young people, you see them, their lives revolve around their cell phone. They realize if I want to know about their life, I collect data from their phone... Do we want to live in a world where the government knows everything about us? Do we want to live in a world where the government has us under constant surveillance? They'll say we're not looking at it. We're just keeping it in case we want to look at it. The danger is too great to let government collect your information. And I think there is a valid question whether or not simply the collecting of your information is something that goes against the Constitution.

Rand Paul
I'm not for profiling people on the color of their skin, or on their religion, but I would take into account where they've been traveling and perhaps, you might have to indirectly take into account whether or not they've been going to radical political speeches by religious leaders. It wouldn't be that they are Islamic. But if someone is attending speeches from someone who is promoting the violent overthrow of our government, that's really an offense that we should be going after — they should be deported or put in prison.

Rand Paul
I do want to reduce the income tax and if possible, eliminate the income tax... The first thing you do is balance the budget, then reduce the size of government.

Rand Paul
Recently one of the members of President Obama's administration — in fact, several members of them — and they're complaining about encryption. We're going to have to have some laws to prevent these companies from encrypting things. It's like, don't you get it?... The encryption is a response to a government that's gone and run amok, basically collecting our information.

Rand Paul
The militarization of our law enforcement is due to an unprecedented expansion of government power in this realm. … Americans must never sacrifice their liberty for an illusive and dangerous, or false, security.

Rand Paul