The Opening of Pandora's Box

[gonzai]

news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100112/ap_on_re_us/us_abortion_shooting_trial

This is the scary part:

'"The State encourages this Court to not be the first to enable a defendant to justify premeditated murder because of an emotionally charged political belief," the prosecution wrote.'

If Roeder were to be acquitted or convicted of a lesser charge because 'he had a sincere political belief', it'll be open season on, well, just about everyone. If a political belief were to be accepted as justification for murder, what's to stop an unhinged person (and let's face it, we have a lot of those in this country and many of them are armed) from trying to kill the President? Under this ruling, it would be justifiable homicide. For that matter, it would then be justifiable for any nut to try to kill any person they didn't like. Just declare them a 'threat', kill them and get off scot-free.

Yes, I'm infuriated.

Comments

[liandriel.livejournal.com]

Clearly, I watch way too much Law & Order, because this defense sounds like nothing new to me.

And, you know what? If you want to believe your god told you to murder someone, fine. But your god's endorsement and/or forgiveness do NOT exempt you from paying the temporal, earthly price for the crime you committed. Historically, what has made defiance of civil and religious law in the name of deity an act of supreme faith has been the knowledge that civil consequences will follow. That is how martyrs are made; that is why their sacrifices are revered.

This defense is a confession of, "I did it, and I'm not sorry I did it, and if you let me go, I will do it again," and it should be punished as exactly that.