Rand Paul: “Juvenile crime is a problem that should concern all Americans. As a doctor of obstetrics I have enjoyed the privilege of…”

“Juvenile crime is a problem that should concern all Americans. As a doctor of obstetrics I have enjoyed the privilege of bringing more than 3,000 new lives into the world, I know there are few things more tragic than when a young person disregards the rights of their fellow citizens and jeopardizes their own future by engaging in criminal activity. Furthermore, as the number and severity of crimes committed by juvenile offenders increase, juvenile crime becomes a greater threat to the social order. Therefore, no one can argue the need for action taken to discourage juveniles from embarking on criminal careers. However, the voluntary actions of private individuals, supported by local communities and State governments, are much more capable of preventing juvenile crime than the Federal Government. Individuals acting at the local level know the needs of the youths in their community much better than Washington bureaucrats, so they can best develop programs that effectively prevent children from engaging in criminal activity. Unfortunately, the Juvenile Crime Control and Delinquency Prevention Act--H.R. 1818--furthers Congress' unconstitutional interference in crime control and prevention by dictating the nature and shape of juvenile crime programs for each of the 50 States.”