Rand Paul: Sessions' sentencing plan would ruin lives

[mystery-ak]

Rand Paul: Sessions' sentencing plan would ruin lives

By Rand Paul

Updated 12:11 PM ET, Mon May 15, 2017

CNN)The attorney general on Friday made an unfortunate announcement that will impact the lives of millions of Americans: he issued new instructions for prosecutors to charge suspects with the most serious provable offenses, "those that carry the most substantial guidelines sentence, including mandatory minimum sentences."

Mandatory minimum sentences have unfairly and disproportionately incarcerated a generation of minorities. Eric Holder, the attorney general under President Obama, issued guidelines to U.S. Attorneys that they should refrain from seeking long sentences for nonviolent drug offenders.

I agreed with him then and still do. In fact, I'm the author of a bipartisan bill with Senator Leahy to change the law on this matter. Until we pass that bill, though, the discretion on enforcement -- and the lives of many young drug offenders -- lies with the current attorney general

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http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/15/opinions/sessions-is-wrong-rand-paul-opinion/index.html

[txradioguy]

Rand showing why we call them Liberaltarians.

[DiogenesLamp]

Mandatory minimum sentences have unfairly and disproportionately incarcerated a generation of minorities.

I find statements such as these quite annoying.   If you look into this,  you find nearly 50% of all crime is caused by a small 3% of the population.   


That they happen to be minorities does not mean they are unfairly treated by the system.   They are committing a disproportionate amount of the crime,  so therefore it is reasonable that a disproportionate number of them end up in prison. 

[geronl]

Does Paul also think mass murderers should be charged with the lesser crime of littering?

[Emjay]

Rand showing why we call them Liberaltarians.

I agree with him on this.

[EasyAce]

I agree with him on this.

As do I.

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

I find statements such as these quite annoying.   If you look into this,  you find nearly 50% of all crime is caused by a small 3% of the population.   


That they happen to be minorities does not mean they are unfairly treated by the system.   They are committing a disproportionate amount of the crime,  so therefore it is reasonable that a disproportionate number of them end up in prison.

I actually do agree with both you and Rand Paul on this. Sessions will ruin lives needlessly with this, although I think Trump's incompetence will hamstring his efforst. But resorting to the "women and minorities hardest hit" crap is annoying as hell... is the fact that it will ruin white lives not important?

[DiogenesLamp]

I actually do agree with both you and Rand Paul on this. Sessions will ruin lives needlessly with this, although I think Trump's incompetence will hamstring his efforts. But resorting to the "women and minorities hardest hit" crap is annoying as hell... is the fact that it will ruin white lives not important?

I dislike appeals to political correctness just on the face of them.   


Concerning the impact on the lives of people who have committed criminal acts,   it seems to me that the best thing to do for the rest of the population is to keep them off the streets.   


Now if we are focusing on what is in the best interest of the people in the system,  that is another matter,   but from my perspective,   many of them are beyond economic recovery.   Some people just have poor impulse control,  and weren't taught any better when they were young.   


I think the modern root of much crime are government checks to unwed mothers.   I think it is a court system that has undermined the role of religion in society.   I think it is a societal decline that no longer celebrates responsibility and honor.   


“We make men without chests and expect from them virtue and enterprise. We laugh at honor and are shocked to find traitors in our midst.”

― C.S. Lewis, The Abolition of Man

[txradioguy]

I agree with him on this.

He's speaking like Lib using their code words and advocating a plan he concocted with one of the worst Dems in the Senate.

Bless your heart.

[Hoodat]

A xisproportionate number of these violent offenders come from single mothers incentivized by government to keep a father out of the household.  Perhaps someone should examine the racial implications of that government policy.

[edpc]

The crimes they committed ruin lives – but whatever.