Sen. Rand Paul recently visited Western Kentucky University where he talked about politics and national issues.

Tyler Prochazka of the College Heights Herald reports.

Sen. Rand Paul speaks to WKU students about national issues

Imagine WKU president Gary Randsell training Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) to play baseball with a round of batting practice. Not only did this actually happen, but Paul credits it with his two hits in the Republican and Democrat Congressional baseball game.

Paul told that story and others as he gave WKU students their own up-close view of national politics in a packed Grise Hall auditorium, earlier today. He also held a question and answer session with WKU students and faculty.

Paul, the son of libertarian-leaning Sen. Ron Paul (R-Tx.), used the speech to underscore reasons why he thinks his approach to government is the most effective.

He asked three questions in his speech: What is the difference between a republic and a democracy, what is the difference between positive and negative rights, and why government is a necessary evil.

“If you answer all of these correctly, maybe you’ll be a libertarian,” Paul said.

While addressing the first question, Paul said the difference between a republic and democracy is that a republic has a restrained government that cannot infringe on certain rights, while a democracy is merely majority rule.

“The constitution allows the people to restrain government, and not the government to restrain the people,” Paul said.

Paul said a Constitutional republic creates the proper role of government because it recognizes that rights pre-exist government and that he views the Constitution in a “strict form.”

Over the summer, Paul received some flak for his views on the Supreme Court and the Constitution. He said President Obama’s health care law is still unconstitutional, immediately after the Supreme Court upheld the law on a 5-4 decision. Paul addressed this criticism during his speech.

“It’s not that I’m questioning the validity of the Supreme Court, it’s just that I disagree with the ruling,” Paul said.

According to Paul, criticism he and Sen. Paul Ryan (R-Wi.) have received for their view on cutting some social services “defies the Bible,” but Paul said the Bible regards helping others as a role for charity, not government.