Rand Paul: “Four years ago we passed legislation under the Defense authorization that allows the American Government to detain an…”

“Four years ago we passed legislation under the Defense authorization that allows the American Government to detain an American citizen without a trial. Think about that. One of our basic rights, one of our most important rights is the right to a trial, to be represented, to have a jury of our peers. You say: Well, it will never be used. Well, President Obama recognized this. He said: This is a terrible power, and I promise never to use it. Any power that is so terrible that a President says he is not going to use it should not be on the books. As the Senator from Utah said, it is not about having laws that require angels to be in charge of your government. Someday there will be someone in charge of the government who makes a grievous mistake, like rounding up the Japanese. So we have to be very careful about giving power to our government. That is what the challenge is here. Many will say: Well, we are at war, and when at war you have to have the law of war. What is the law of war also known as? Martial law. But this is a war that does not seem to have an end. They are not asking for a 1- or 2- year period in which there won't be trials; they are asking you to relinquish your right to trial for a war that may have no end. I want you to imagine this. Who could these enemy combatants be who may not get trials? Imagine you are an Arab-American in Dearborn, MI, and you send an email to someone overseas.…”