Gerard Flanagan, staff writer and photographer, Office of University Communications
U.S. Senator Rand Paul visited Campbellsville University on Nov. 3 for a dialogue with students, faculty and the community. Pictured, from left, are CU President Dr. Joe Hopkins, Sen. Paul, State Senator Max Wise and State Representative Sarge Pollock.
One of Kentucky’s U.S. Senators, Rand Paul, visited Campbellsville University on Nov. 3 for a dialogue with students, faculty and the Campbellsville community. The event started at 10 a.m., and was held in Gheens Recital Hall. It ended with a Q&A session shortly before 11 a.m.
After an introduction by CU President Dr. Joseph Hopkins, Paul posed a series of rhetorical questions to the audience at the beginning of his speech.
“Are liberty and virtue necessary, mutually exclusive? Can you have one without the other? Can you have a free society without virtue?”
He discussed various events in U.S. history when liberty and virtue were not balanced, such as the Jim Crow era. Paul said liberty requires protection by a virtuous people and the rule of law, emphasizing that the United States isn’t a democracy, and the importance of the Constitution.
After he highlighted his philosophical views about freedom and virtue, he spoke on various political issues, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and the federal government’s budget, among other things.
He added that anyone who finishes their time at CU with a degree and a willingness to work will be successful.
“Never let anyone tell you you’re a victim,” he said.
State Representative Sarge Pollock and State Senator Max Wise also attended the event.