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Ron Paul on Crime and Punishment
This candidate has withdrawn from the election
"For federal purposes I no longer believe in the death penalty. I believe it has been issued unjustly. If you are rich you get away with it, if you are poor and you are from the inner city you are more likely to be prosecuted and convicted. And today with the DNA evidence there have been too many mistakes, so I am now opposed to the federal death penalty."
Paul praised the late Pope John Paul II on his stance on the issue of the death penalty, saying he was "eloquent and consistent advocate for an ethic of life, exemplified by his struggles against abortion, war, euthanasia and the death penalty."
HR 1592, like all hate crime laws, imposes a longer sentence on a criminal motivated by hate than on someone who commits the same crime with a different motivation. Increasing sentences because of motivation goes beyond criminalizing acts; it makes it a crime to think certain thoughts. Criminalizing even the vilest hateful thoughts - as opposed to willful criminal acts - is inconsistent with a free society.
Instead of increasing the effectiveness of law enforcement, hate crime laws undermine equal justice under the law by requiring law enforcement and judicial system officers to give priority to investigating and prosecuting hate crimes. Of course, all decent people should condemn criminal acts motivated by prejudice. But why should an assault victim be treated by the legal system as a second-class citizen because his assailant was motivated by greed instead of hate?
"...but at the same time you should eradicate these hate laws. These hate laws indicate that there's something objective in hate laws and that some people would receive a different penalty than others. This violates the principle of the importance of the individual and confuses us about the importance of individual rights."
Voted NO on subjecting federal employees to random drug tests
Amendment by Taylor, D-MS; bill by Portman, R-OH.; Bill HR 4550 ; vote number 1998-443 on 11/16/1998
"...when people commit violence whether they're under the influence of drugs, prescription drugs, illegal drugs or alcohol they should be punished severely. We shouldn't be putting people in prison for life with no chance of getting out... that never have committed a violent crime. At the same time we hear of cases were murderers or rapists get out after five or ten years or never even go to prison, it doesn't make any sense."
"We treat alcoholism now as a medical problem and I, as a physician, think we should treat drug addiction as a medical problem and not as a crime."
Paul adopted the Republican Liberty Caucus Position Statement: As adopted by the General Membership of the Republican Liberty Caucus at its Biannual Meeting held December 8, 2000. WHEREAS libertarian Republicans believe in limited government, individual freedom and personal responsibility; -WHEREAS we believe that government has no money nor power not derived from the consent of the people; -WHEREAS we believe that people have the right to keep the fruits of their labor; and -WHEREAS we believe in upholding the US Constitution as the supreme law of the land; 1. BE IT RESOLVED that the Republican Liberty Caucus endorses the following [among its] principles:While recognizing the harm that drug abuse causes society, we also recognize that government drug policy has been ineffective and has led to frightening abuses of the Bill of Rights which could affect the personal freedom of any American. We, therefore, support alternatives to the War on Drugs. 2. Per the tenth amendment to the US Constitution, matters such as drugs should be handled at the state or personal level. 3. All laws which give license to violate the Bill of Rights should be repealed.
Republican Liberty Caucus Position Statement 00-RLC13 on Dec 8, 2000
Voted YES on funding for alternative sentencing instead of more prisons. Vote on an amendment that would reduce the funding for violent offender imprisonment by and truth-in-sentencing programs by $61 million. The measure would increase funding for Boys and Girls Clubs and drug courts by the same amount.
Amendment sponsored by Scott, D-VA; Bill HR 4690 ; vote number 2000-317 on Jun 22, 2000
"We treat alcoholism now as a medical problem and I, as a physician, think we should treat drug addiction as a medical problem and not as a crime."