Rand Paul on Civil Rights - A Simple Mind

Rand Paul states that he's vehemently opposed to racism practiced by government institutions but argues that private institutions should be allowed to be segregated if they so choose. He states that he himself will never part take in such an institution but nevertheless its not government's place to dictate. He further claims that this discussion which was settled about 60 years ago is an intellectual discussion to bring back into the fore.

At the onset I must state that this is not an intellectual discussion but that of very simple minds. That stated, I allow myself to wallow in mud...

This simple idea of defacto equality which is to say that if white institutions serve whites and blacks do blacks, then things are still equal misses a fundamental albeit simple point: numbers. There can't be defacto equality unless there's equality in numbers. A business that caters to whites who are the majority is still a viable business. A business that caters to blacks only intrinsically suffers from fewer patrons as blacks are in the minority. A white, as business owner doesn't have to think hard to place a "No Black" sign but it isn't a simple thought process for the "equal" black business owner. This is the basic economics of supply and demand. This inequality in numbers will lead to - in an ungoverned system - blacks serving whites while tolerating not being served by whites.

The reality of the day is that segregated communities are very common in today's America and statistics do show that properties in minority neighborhoods are valued below comparable properties in white neighborhoods even if they are truly comparable in proximity to amenities, existence of schools at par, similar crime rates and economic opportunities. The reason is again simply numbers. A home in a minority neighborhood by its lack of appeal to whites is simply under minority demand and therefore less in value. A home in a white neighborhood does not suffer from a similar lack of demand as its available to the larger pool. Values go down on sale and go up on a buy. So very simply, the value did go down but not due to the proud black man who's buying in but the prejudiced white man who's selling out.

Without government interference minority economy will suffer from lack of white participation if comparable services are offered exclusively to them at comparable prices. That's the substitution principle. A closed minority economy on the other hand is simply unsustainable due to its minimality and therefore blacks will be dependent on whites.

None of the above discussion is beyond simple math and so not an intellectual discussion. Rand Paul's presentation of this as an intellectual discussion is simply a cloak to get people into a frame of mind where they feel that discussion of this topic is fair and un-hurtful in civil society much like what the President of Iran is trying to do on the topics he wants to discuss.

Finally, Rand Paul repeatedly states that he's offended by the long practice of discrimination in the south and would have loved the opportunity to walk with Martin Luther King Jr. He's so abhorred by institutional racism that was perpetrated for so long by the government. So one question is fair to raise then, will he lead the charge in passing a constitutional amendment apologizing for institutional racism? If he does that then perhaps his black patients will forgive him for being seen only on 'whites church day'.