The second day of CPAC was pretty much your standard fare, more red meat and all.
There was a forum in the main hall entitled: “Can Libertarians and Social Conservatives Get Along”…even after sitting through the entire forum I wasn’t exactly sure if they could.
After the forum though, Rand Paul took the stage to a packed house and the applause was exuberant and deafening.
His speech started off with him painting a picture in the minds of the audience, imagine a time true liberty was enjoyed coast to coast. Imagine a time when the Constitution was the law of the land. Imagine a President who loved America and didn’t shred the Constitution in a megalomaniacal attempt to crown himself emperor.
Ok, so maybe the last part I paraphrased just a bit, but you get the sentiment.
As a gun rights advocate I took to imagining a time when the SAFE Act not only didn’t exist but anyone who would try to impose it upon the populous would be run out on a rail as a tyrant. I imagined a country where my Weapons Permit was simply a copy of the Bill of Rights with the 2nd Amendment circled. And of course I imagined a President who respected his citizens and new that he served at their pleasure, not the other way around.
But imagination only gives us the idea of the goal. Sen. Paul went on to question the CPAC crowd as to what they intend to do to realize their dreams. Will they be b0ld or simply sunshine patriots? Will they water down the Bill of Rights or stand firm against the waves? Basically, will they be the next generation of liberty lovers?
He hearkened back to the dawn of our nation and the Sons of Liberty, they would not have their rights abridged nor should we…not now, not ever.
Sen. Paul went on to speak about the 4th Amendment as well and the governments power grab in terms of spying on it’s own citizens and the nigh constant infringement of the freedom from illegal search and seizures. Infringements to the 4th Amendment should be of particular concern to gun owners because the government will not come marching down the lane demanding you turn in your guns, they will come in the middle of the night with secret warrants signed by secret courts and you will go away all secretly. The tyrannical trodding of the 4th Amendment must end.
In Sen. Paul’s words:
“The 4th Amendment is equally important as the 2nd Amendment”
“We are free and no man shall take our freedom from us”
And he’s right. Freedom in America is rarely taken from the people…it is too often given either through ignorance or apathy.
The time for apathy has passed.
The rest of the speech was highlighting Paul’s stances against progressive manipulations of the Constitution and such.
It ended with this sentiment which I believe wholeheartedly:
It is time for boldness not timidity.
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