Republican candidate Rand Paul offered criticism of the Black Lives Matter movement during an appearance on Fox News’ The Sean Hannity Show.
“I think they should change their name. Maybe, if they were ‘All Lives Matter’ or ‘Innocent Lives Matter.’ I am about justice and frankly I think that a lot of poor people in our country and many African-Americans are trapped in this War on Drugs and I want to change it but commandeering the microphone and bullying people and pushing people out of the way I think it really isn't a way to get their message across,” he said.
He then criticised activists for disrupting campaign events, most notably during Bernie Sanders' events on 18 July and on 10 August. To the activists' demands, the Vermont Senator responded by releasing policy plans to reform the criminal justice system on 11 August.
“I’ve appeared with many members of the Congressional Black Caucus to talk about criminal justice, I’ve been to Howard University, I’ve discussed it in Chicago and other cities, and so I’m more than willing to discuss it, but having people take the microphone they need to go somewhere else and they need to rent their own microphone," Mr Paul said on Thursday night.
Host Sean Hannity then cited statistics that point to African-American families suffering the worst in the current US economy, he then asked why black voters continue to turn to Democratic party?
Organisers have simply explained time and time again that their movement believes that “all lives matter” but they choose to highlight that African-American are not fully valued equally in America, a point conveniently misunderstood by Republican candidates.
"What I'm finding, when I'm on the south side of Chicago or I'm in Detroit, people are saying, ‘You know what, I'm not sure I'm ready to be a Republican yet, but you know what, the Democrats have taken me for granted, and I'm willing to listen to people who are interested in making my life better,’" he said.
