Albuquerque Journal: Hang'em High Guv

marjorie says...

I am really, really shocked by the Journal editorial today (I know, one day I am going to stop being shocked).

In arguing for clemency for Elton John Richard, the Journal asks:

"...He is not the kind of person most imagine when it comes to having someone do hard time for making a bad call that had tragic consequences. What will be gained by having Richard do two years in the pen? Will he reform his criminal ways while his son turns 5, then 6? Will he kick a drug habit or learn a trade? Or will he sacrifice two years with his family, his military security clearance and job and his reputation while other cocaine-using Bronco-stealing inhabitants of the Albuquerque area realize if they run, they can automatically switch places and become the victim of their crime?"

And what kind of person does the Journal think we imagine?

Most of you who know me know that its a rare day that I advocate sending anyone to prison. But this is too much.

Come on folks. If your house was being broken into, what would you do? After you had gotten your gun or other weapon of choice and called 9-11, what would you do? Would you yell to the person that you had a gun and hope he went away. Um, yeah. Would you then chase him a quarter of a mile and shoot him dead? Um...no? No. Most of us would not because we are not a particular variety of human: the macho over-zealous gun-wielding man.

Was Daniel Romero not a beloved child to grieving parents? He did not deserve to be chased down a quarter of a mile and shot in cold blood for attempting to steal a freaking Bronco. Even if he did have a health problem called drug abuse. But seemingly the Journal editorial crew thinks he did.

The Journal editorial is basically an endorsement of hang'em high vigilante-ism, and if the Governor follows suit we might as well all get ready for a return to the wild west.