For 12 hours, 52 minutes and 11 seconds, Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.) did what most U.S. senators don’t: he worked.
Paul used his right to filibuster in order to delay the nomination of John Brennan as CIA director, according to the Washington Post.
Though I disagree with many of the policies that Paul stands for, I applaud his use of the often-antiquated process of filibustering to protest U.S. drone strikes.
Before delving more into this matter of filibustering, let’s define the word.
According to Merriam-Webster, a filibuster is defined as “an effort to prevent action in a legislature by making a long speech or series of speeches.”
In effect, filibusters in government allow senators to postpone voting by continually debating and droning on for long periods of time.
Though Paul’s filibuster proved unsuccessful and unpersuasive with respect to his colleagues, he should be praised for shedding light on an issue that few in government wish to talk about.
Drone strikes, in which American soldiers kill enemies thousands of miles away from an office, have been heavily publicized as of late.
After a memo from President Barack Obama which justified the killing of Americans affiliated with al-Qaeda was leaked a few weeks ago, drones have been seen by many as emotionless killing machines.
Paul’s decision to delay Brennan’s confirmation vote was an effort to protest these strikes, which some say is often based on faulty intelligence.
Paul, whose father is the famous congressman Ron Paul (R-Tx.), should become more of a household name after this act of bravery.
Outrage over drone strikes is not new, though the debate of their ethical implications has been prominent lately.
Before the U.S. is to advance into the 21st century style of warfare, debates over the ethical, moral and legal implications of drone warfare must be discussed.
Killing other Americans residing in other countries based on shaky intelligence is abhorrent.
Obama, seen by many as a liberal, peace-loving democrat, has enhanced the country’s role in fighting world terrorism efforts, often appearing no different than his predecessor.
Though Paul’s near 13-hour filibuster did feature some funny bits, such as, “I’ve discovered that there are some limits to filibustering, and I’m going to have to go take care of one of those in a few minutes here,” his aim was true.
U.S. senators, representatives and the president himself should question again the grey, murky area surrounding lethal drone strikes.
For without such questioning, we will be the ones responsible for the atrocious war crimes that occur.
Shane Newell is a sophomore journalism major and an assistant city editor for the Daily 49er.
