Rand Paul’s comments about proprietary rights have caused quite a ruckus over the past few days. Liberal media hosts and pundits have been shocked and appalled by Rand’s comments, yet all he did was state the logical implications of the most basic principles of the US Constitution: Personal liberty, limited-government and enumerated-powers. In a free society, what right does the government have to tell business owners who they can or cannot sell to?

We can learn much from the rabid reaction that many have had to Paul’s comments. It demonstrates just how far we have “progressed” beyond (ignored and violated) the Constitution. Rand’s position on the rights of private businesses to make their own cliental decisions is rooted in Constitutional liberty. For example, family oriented restaurant owners might decide that they want to provide a dining atmosphere in which young children are not exposed to the flamboyant displays of affection often exhibited by many gays. Such restaurant owners should have the right to operate a restaurant that caters to those who share their traditional values. Conversely, other restaurant owners may wish to cater solely to gays. Obviously, free market principles will ultimately decide the fate of the two business philosophies, whether one or the other is viable, or both. Regardless of this consideration, the principle of liberty allows both restaurants to exist. Similarly, a man might decide to open a business that sells exclusively to Catholics. Rather than be appalled by the proprietor’s discrimination, and go around fussing about it, free people ought to consider the great financial advantage of starting a competing business that sells to Catholics, Protestants and everyone else! Again, the free market will ultimately decide the winners and the losers.

I hope Rand Paul will stand by his principles and boldly push for a return to personal liberty and responsibility, limited government and respect for the principle of enumerated federal powers. I suspect that the timing is right for such a stance. The Obama administration has placed this nation on an unsustainable course. We need leaders who gauge themselves, not by the positions of other politicians, but by the Constitution. As we have seen, this may be characterized as a “radical” and “crazy” ideology, but only to those who reject or ignore our founding documents.