Rand Paul: “I thank Senator Coons for inviting me, both figuratively and literally, across the aisle to join him on this side--I am…”

“I thank Senator Coons for inviting me, both figuratively and literally, across the aisle to join him on this side--I am glad to be here today--and for introducing me to this prize that Sandy Greenberg has brought forward to end blindness. I am an eye surgeon. I have also done research on glaucoma and have been a longtime member of Lions Club International, whose primary research and goal is the prevention of blindness. One of the heroes to the Lions' eye movement and to our work worldwide on blindness has been Helen Keller who, at the age of 19 months, lost not only her vision but her hearing. In 1925, she came to the Lions Club International with this mandate--and this is part of her speech from that day: You have heard how through a little word dropped from the fingers of another, a ray of light from another soul touched the darkness of my mind and I found myself, found the world, found God. It is because my teacher learned about me and broke through the dark, silent imprisonment which held me that I am able to work for myself and for others. It is the caring we want more than the money. The gift without the sympathy and interest of the giver is empty. If you care, if we can make the people of this great country care, the blind will indeed triumph over blindness. The opportunity I bring to you, Lions, is this: To foster and sponsor the work of the American Foundation for the Blind.…”