Rand Paul doesn’t stand with Rand Paul, so why should you? During his epic 13-hour filibuster, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., stood up and made it clear that drones are a danger to American freedom. “I will speak as long as it takes, until the alarm is sounded from coast to coast that our Constitution is important, that your rights to trial by jury are precious, that no American should be killed by a drone on American soil without first being charged with a crime, without first being found to be guilty by a court.” Very admirable words from our esteemed senator.

However, on April 23, Sen. Paul went on Fox News and was pressed on using drones to catch the Boston Bomber. When things got a little too hot from the right wing, he caved and said: “I have never argued against any technology being used when you have an imminent threat, an active crime going on. If someone comes out of a liquor store with a weapon and $50 in cash, I don’t care if a drone kills him or a policeman kills him. But it’s different if they want to come fly over your hot tub or your yard just because they want to do surveillance on everyone, and they want to watch your activities; but if there’s a killer on the loose in a neighborhood, I’m not against drones being used.”

So what Mr. Paul really meant during his filibuster was “I shouldn’t be spied on, I shouldn’t have surveillance over me, I should have the right to a trial. Other (scary) people should be spied on and should be executed before they are proven to be guilty.”

Don’t stand with Rand!

Derrick Blanton

Bowling Green