Rand Paul, and the GOP, misses the point.

Senator Rand Paul went to Howard University and gave a speech followed by question and answer session. Now, while that sentence doesn't sound scary or strange, weird or bizarre, but in fact, it kind of was all of those things. Why? Well, let me change the sentence to this: A white Senator from Kentucky, who has spoken out against parts of the Civil Rights Act, went to a predominately black college to give a speech and take part in a question and answer session. And while I give Senator Paul high marks for going and giving the speech, I give the students of the university even higher marks. And not for the reason most people would think.
During his speech, Senator Paul asked the students which party had the greatest hand in the formation of the NAACP, and they correctly said Republicans. Yes, the people who started the NAACP were mostly Republicans. And while the students knew this, Senator Paul had to admit that he didn't. But then he made it sound like the black students there had a natural place in the Republican Party, in the GOP. He didn't say that the it's the GOP that has changed so much that for the majority of the students at Howard University have nothing in common with it. It's the GOP that's changed, not the wants, needs, or desires of young black students. Sorry Senator, but you missed the point completely. But in truth, that isn't the point I'm talking about.
Senator Paul's main point in his speech, and the central point in his political beliefs, is that people have the right to do what they want, and the government has no right to limit that freedom. And in some ways, this the central point in today's GOP. This is why the GOP believes in almost everything they have in their plank, from no regulations on businesses, to their attempt to overturn Universal Health Care, to the desire to have taxes as low as possible. But they miss the point, which is that the country's main tenet is that all men are created equal, and that each citizen has the right to be the best  person that they can be. And to ensure this happens, everyone must have the same opportunity as everyone else. And to do that, some people need help to get started, while others will need help later in life. How does this happen? By leveling the playing filed with things like regulations and a progressive tax plan. And for that you need a national government that things like that happen, and that people in Alabama and Mississippi and Kansas have the same chance to succeed as those in states like California and New York.
Senator Rand Paul gave a speech at Howard University, and missed the point in several points. But that shouldn't be a surprise, as Senator Paul, as well as the entire GOP, have missed the true point in the founding of our country.