Minnesota Governor Pawlenty uses tragedy to call for death penalty

[dflprincess]

Governor (and Bush stooge) Tim Pawlenty took the opportunity to use the tragedy of Dru Sjodin's kidnapping to call for Minnesota to reinstate the death penalty (the last execution in Minnesota took place nearly 100 years ago. A hanging that was so badly botched it led to the death penalty being banned in the state.)

There was an excellent column in today's Star Tribune by local columnist, Doug Grow. I had an awful time picking out the paragraphs to use in the snip. It's well worth the read, especially the quotes from Don Streufert whose teenage daughter was kidnapped, raped and murdered several years ago. He and his wife, Mary, are scheduled to speak against the death penalty at an Amnesty International meeting in Duluth, MN next week. They could teach our governor, who claims to be a close personal friend of Jesus, a few things about Christianity.

http://www.startribune.com/stories/462/4245459.html

<snip>
This must be how lynch mobs worked. A strong leader, reacting to anger, would work up the crowd, then, en masse, there would be a rush to the nearest tree.

On Tuesday afternoon, Gov. Tim Pawlenty, reacting to anger from a case that hasn't come close to being resolved, was calling for the rope. He said he would push for Minnesota to become a capital punishment state.

Even though Minnesota is far different from the progressive place we used to know, this was chilling.

What isn't clear is whether Pawlenty is being a manipulative pol, playing on the emotions of state residents, or whether his belief in capital punishment comes from his heart. Either way, he was trying to create public policy with a jerk of the knee.

Should Minnesota become even more like Texas than it already has in the past few years by becoming a death penalty state? Texas is the nation's runaway execution leader. It has one of the highest murder rates in the country. Minnesota has one of the lowest.
<end snip>

BTW Pawlenty's name has come up as a possible vice-presidential candidate should Bush* decide to replace Cheney. So, I'm not exagerrating when I call him a Bush stooge.

[alexwcovington]

1. As a UND student

I can tell you the mass hysteria that has permeated campus life at this point. People are pushing the most radical shit possible--

The thing is Pawlenty can't do jack -- The crime happened in North Dakota and I'll be damned if we bring back the chair.

[dflprincess]

6. The kidnapping happened in North Dakota

we still don't know for certain what else happened or where - the creep could wind up facing charges in both states depending on what the evidence shows.

No doubt he will come to trial and (if found guilty) sentenced before a death penalty bill could be passed and I don't think punishment can bemade retroactive.

Pawlenty is just using the fear and anger this case has generated to push his own conservative agenda. As one state senator points out in Grow's column, his budget has cut most public safety programs (including the treatment and monitoring of sex offenders) and that we need to watch what he does, not listen to what he says.

[alexwcovington]

9. Then there's the fact that

They really haven't said anything that could plausibly place the suspect they have into suspicion -- I listened to the press conferences and they were tight-lipped beyond belief...

I really wanted to believe they had the right guy but now I wonder if they're just scapegoating.

If they found "the guy who did it", why haven't they found the girl?

[alexwcovington]

2. kick

[rumguy]

3. I used to live in Minneapolis

and met Doug Grow several times. He's a good guy and that is a hell of a column...I love it.

Pawlenty and the repugs are in the process of ruining that state.

[liberalhistorian]

4. As a Christian myself, I really hate it when

so-called "Christians" are so gung-ho for the death penalty, it is contrary to everything in the New Testament and to ALL of the teachings of Christ! And won't that shame him, the parents of a murdered child speaking out against the death penalty, saying it's against their Christian beliefs!

[JohnKleeb]

5. amen LH

Did you know that Justice Earl Warren's father was murdered and Warren was chief justice when the death penalty was temporary abolished. I agreee with you, in fact Ive decided to make the barbarity of the death penalty the subject of my school literary magazine article, my article on war sucked frankly but this will be good and personal.

[MnFats]

7. Timmy says he's 'fed up'/CHECK MPR 9 p.m. CST!

Always a good idea to set monumental public policy when 'fed up,' exasperated and angry.


There is a terrific debate on capital punishment to be repeated at 9 p.m. CDT on MPR, 91.1 KNOW=FM in the Twin Cities. Professor from University of St. Thomas kicks ass on the dope state rep. from Cedar who's been pushing capital punishment for years. Worth a listen, believe me.

[rumguy]

8. Timmy is such a showboating phoney

I remember seeing him going for a photo op fishing trip. There was this lame pic of him holding a pike he'd caught with the help of a guide. As a fisherman I could tell that he had never gone fishing before, or not much, just from the way he was holding it.

He's a corporate phoney. He spent his career working as a corporate attorney.

[northernsoul]

15. He also tried to go hunting

but when his lackeys couldn't produce a deer for him to kill, he got bored and starting shooting up a stump out of frustration.

Real sportsmen don't discharge their weapons in anger, Timmy.

[northernsoul]

16. here's the scoop on our fearless stump-slayer

"Bored after nearly five hours of scanning for game with Charlie Weaver on Weaver's family property about 20 miles northwest of Brainerd in north-central Minnesota, Pawlenty and Weaver took turns blasting away at a stump.

"I'm a novice at this," said Pawlenty, who has never fired a shot at a deer. "But I think you've got to admit, Charlie, that when it comes to hitting stumps, I beat you."


To Governor Pawlenty: While you may be an excellent stump-shooter, a quality every governor should have, you are no deer hunter. Thus, you are officially no longer a Minnesotan. No excuses. You lose my vote."
</snip>

http://www.idiotvillager.com/archives/031109.php

[northernsoul]

13. Who was the UST prof?

I'm here at the law school right now, and one of our Crim professors (Michael O'Connor) is one of the most successful federal public defenders in getting innocent people off of death row ever. I'm really looking forward to taking Crim Law with him next semester.

[Love Bug]

17. Yep, it's Michael O'Connor

According to MPR's website. Anyone can listen to the program through the internet:

http://news.mpr.org/programs/midday/

It's the Wednesday, Dec 3 "A death penalty for Minnesota?" link.

[northernsoul]

20. cool, thanks Love Bug

I'm going to be learning from one of the best this spring!

[indigo32]

10. I am finding this extremely disturbing

for MN. I do NOT believe in the death penalty

[northernsoul]

14. We're in very disturbing times up here, indigo

I can't think of anything more shameful than to exploit this horrible tragedy to try to push through his extremist agenda.

Timmy, if you really cared, you'd drive up to Fargo and help with the search.

[markus]

11. Looking to shore up "Greater Minnesota"

As you probably know, the governor is none too popular because of his cuts to local government aid. I think he's just trying to shore himself up in the NW.

Which is pretty cold and calculating.

[evil_orange_cat]

12. I agree with DP... but...

the justice system needs to be cleaned up and reformed before it is reinstated. Illinois, my state, has put a moratorium on the DP because a large number of people were being exonerrated from death row. There are problems with the system, and it should be fixed. But in principle, I believe in the DP. I believe the Nazi War Criminals should have been put to death. I believe Timothy McVeigh should have been put to death.

Our "corrections" system as a whole needs to be examined and reformed. We should lock up minor drug offenders, or mostly non-violent criminals... prisons are crime schools... they don't reform, they only destroy lives and possibility of reform.

Violent crime is different, however. Once a person shows the capability of murder, they can never be reformed. But, there are many instances of manslaughter and involuntary crimes where the killing was not necessarily the motive or intent. Often times, good people find themselves in bad situations and make bad choices. I think that because this isn't an exact science, there should be more research into psychology and a large public discussion on how we should treat "criminals".

But the truly evil people should be put to death. What's the point of keeping someone in prison for life... waiting for them to die "naturally"? They are going to die, and if they aren't doing anything productive and just wasting tax payer dollars by being institutionalized, we should just send them to the next world and save money.

[Love Bug]

18. I don't agree with the death penalty

but I do understand the frustration of people when it seems like every other day you read about some creep who got out early for "good behavior," then goes on a killing spree. Reinstating the death penalty isn't going to fix what's wrong with the justice system in Minnesota. A serious overhall of the justice system (including repealing stupid laws, such as the "war on drugs") is what is really needed.

Check out the book, "Ain't Nobody's Business if You Do" by Peter McWilliams. We put people in jail for stupid reasons in this country.

[evil_orange_cat]

21. yup, we put people in jail who shouldn't be there and don't lock up...

... those who deserve to go there.

[dflprincess]

22. I understand the frustration too

and I can understand the desire for vengence the loved ones of a victim can feel. But, what is never mentioned in discussions of the death penalty is the harm it can bring to the survivors of the victim.

I remember in a psychology class in college reading about the aftermath of Adolf Eichman's execution. After Eichman was killed, there was a marked increase in the number Holocaust survivors committing or attempting suicide as well as those seeking treatment for depression. As I recall this was most evident in Israel. The opinions of the doctors who treated these people was that they had invested too much emotion thinking that executing Eichman would somehow even the score. But, after he was dead, they realized nothing had changed. Their dead were still dead, they still had their horrible memories. Having to deal with the reality that nothing would ease the pain of the past was too much for many of the survivors to take. Leaving Eichman to rot in prison may have been more beneficial to his victims than killing him.

[Love Bug]

19. You know my first thought when I heard this?

How in the world is the guy they arrested going to get a fair trial now? According to today's paper, he's asked to stay in jail for his own safety. Pawlenty called for his death, fer cryin' out loud.

My second thought on hearing this was how fast this state has fallen from the progressive place it was only a few years ago.