Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Hanging Bad Presidents

                                                       

As recently as a century ago hanging was a quick and final solution for ridding society of outlaw behavior.  I don't know if any of the states still offer that method of capital punishment but perhaps we ought to revive the practice...and hang really bad Presidents.

First of all, it would really cut down on the costs of taxpayer provided Secret Service protection for life, that huge retirement salary, and would eliminate the need for those palatial Presidential libraries for Presidents who did more harm than good.

Okay, before all you goody two shoes get so hot and bothered , consider this:  most of us have no problem at all executing murderers and those who do widespread societal harm.  And, in almost every case, the killer's damage is limited to one or two victims.

By contrast, the President, as Commander in Chief has life and death power over every member of our military, he can wipe out a million people at the push of a button, or he can order a drone strike and take out a dozen or so bad guys in Afghanistan.  But even more dangerous is the Chief Executive's power to insinuate the oppressive power of big government into our personal lives.  

I am personally for hanging any President who orders me to support with my taxes government programs that are wasteful, create a huge dependent class and do nothing to solve poverty issues.  I despise the idea that I have to pay for condoms and morning after birth control pills.  I hate that my tax money is being used to support runaway abortions, killing infants just for the purpose of birth control.  I hate having my tax money go to programs fraught with fraud, waste and abuse and a negligent government that refuses to audit the programs to drive out the gamers.  I especially hate lying Presidents who put their own political interests above that of the country...the worst being the demonization of political opponents and inciting racial tensions.

Now, I recognize that a "hanging vote" opens the doors to peace-niks who oppose all wars and would justifiably vote for hanging any President that takes us to war....to that I say, okay, I'll buy into their right as well.

Of course we'll have to devise a system that provides "protections" for a President who is honestly trying to do a good job, who is openly representing "all the people, all the time".  Might be a little hard but I believe we can figure it out.  I mean this has to be orderly and semi-civilized.  We can't have every Tom, Dick and Harry out there assassinating our Presidents just because we have a beef with them.  Hell, the turnover would be unmanageable!  So let's give em one six year term, and at the end of that term, they surrender themselves to the Supreme Court, house them at Blair House, then have the Supremes initiate a nation wide referendum on the President's performance.  

We have the Supremes do a running count on every time the President circumvented the Congress and the Constitution, exerted power not granted the Executive Branch, how many lobbyists the dude entertained at the White House, whether he took campaign money from special interest groups or the number of times he pandered to special elements of the electorate.  

Perhaps the fairest thing to do is to come up with a point system.  Let's say we spot the Prez a hundred points.  Then we deduct points for Constitutional violations, conspiring with our enemies, signing any law that the majority of Americans clearly opposed and lets knock double points off for every trillion dollars added to the national debt during his term.  We can all vote on point assignments and point allocations in the next federal election.  Then when the ex-Prez falls below, oh say a reasonably acceptable 60 points...it's off to the hangman's noose.

It would seem a couple of good hangings would go far in reigning in these Presidential egoists who get a bit too big for their britches....where they self-proclaim themselves "emperor" and begin trampling on our personal liberties.

And finally, for you humanitarians out there, I've gone to great length to research this hanging thing.  First of all it is the most common form of execution used in the world today.  It can also be called the most humane form of execution, depending on how the hanging is administered.  God help us all, I've even gone to Wikipedia to learn about "the long drop", "the medium drop" and the "short drop", each offering a variable standard of pain and embarrassment.  I'm not going into them here...there's plenty of time to think about that later...after all we've got three plus years to work this thing out, folks.

We'll just "grandfather out" folks like Jimmy Carter who's about one peanut shell choke away from meeting his maker anyway.  As for Obama, I'm in favor of giving him advanced notice as soon as possible....but I'm afraid his point total is right down there in the 20 percentile range already.  But perhaps we could cut a deal if he would leave office voluntarily, and  self deport to some foreign place...like Kenya...or Chicago.



19 comments:

Rebecca said...

Well, I have to say that I am adamantly against capital punishment. Capital punishment gives the government too much power, in my opinion. The right to take a life is just too much; it is a simple as that in my mind.

Further, capital punishment compels the question of "are we a culture of life or are we a culture of life that we judge to be worthy of it?". Is the government, or even "we the people", equipped to make these judgements?

This is not to say that I'm soft on crime by any means. I'm for harsh punishment; I'm okay with forced labor and other indignities for criminals. I do think criminals have too many rights and privileges today.

In my mind, capital punishment is the ultimate manifestation of big government. I just can't bring myself to agree with it; it's over the line.

Probably most readers here will disagree with this position. Yes, there are numerous examples of heinous crimes committed that evoke the emotional response of "give him the needle". However, the fundamentals don't change with a specific case.

Craig said...

I am all for it! Lets include senators and representatives too, public stoning for them. We could sell stones and generate revenue.

A Modest Scribler said...

Well, here's one we'll have to agree to disagree. In fact, with regard to capital punishment, I would take it even further...to include drug pushers, rape and violent rape.

I think it's an absolutely crime that taxpayers pay an average of $44,000 dollars a year to house a felon. As to, whose decision it was to execute, the criminal made that decision when he decided to commit the crime...

Finally, there would not be a 15 year parade of court appeals before the guy or girl gets executed. Two years max, then phttt!

Carol said...

This brings to mind, a quote by comedian Ron White on the state of Texas: "Other states are trying to abolish the death penalty... mine's putting in an express lane." That's all I've got on this one! :)

Rebeccca said...

Yes, I can appreciate the pro-death penalty point of view.
But can't you see where Im coming from? Sigh. Isn't the right to kill citizens symptomatic of an all powerful state?

A Modest Scribler said...

Carol, this morning's Arizona Republic is reporting Arizona is wringing its hands because there's a shortage of that fatal injection stuff. Don't know if that says we are any faster than Texas...i suspect Texas, being one of the last functional state governments left, is kicking our ass on executions.

Sadly, the "death fluid" has to be made to perfect specs, as directed by our liberal judges. The old stuff took too long or gave them a headache or something. I still don't know what's wrong with gas.

Rebecca, I don't see capital punishment as a tool of the all powerful state; I see it as citizen justice...I don't like paying $44,000 a year so a criminal can live his life out with 3 squares a day, free housing and free medical...and often time a modern gym and big screen television...I guess you wouldn't want to see me dictator for a year because I could free up a hell of a lot of prison cells. Compassion? Yes, for the victims and their families...for criminals...none.

Ken said...

If you could pass a bill like you describe you could just as easily get rid of $44,000 a year to support prisoners. Go back to a time when prisoners supported themselves for the most part. Given the make up of the new Supreme Court, do you really think they would make good monitors? They seem to be as corrupt as the politicians. Geez, we need to get rid of them all. ANARCHY!!!

I am not necessarily a supporter of the death penalty only because I know from personal experience that there are far more worse punishments than death. Rapists? A life sentence housed with a well endowed insane homosexual with an overactive libido! I hate rapists and child molesters more than obama even.

I would love to see a law where a president was forced to live out his post prez days, under all the laws he/she supported or passed, whether these laws were repealed or not and those millions they seem to earn miraculously while in office confiscated . Aw the heck with it, your right, HANG THE BASTARDS!!!

Rebecca said...

Capital punishment does not deter crime.

The cost of housing the the prisoner is irrelevant: you could made them produce their own food, make them work, make accommodations much lesh cushy.

I thought we were against dictatorships here?!

A Modest Scribler said...

Actually a discussion of capital punishment was not the intent of this blog...I had really wrote this blog as a tongue in cheek way of describing the utter disgust for this extremely sorry example of a leader and President.

However, feel free to take the conversation where you want to go. Most of us who believe in capital punishment are pretty dead set in our ways, and vice versa. Personally, I don't give a shit if capital punishment is a deterrent or not...I believe it is justice.

Rebecca said...

Yes, I understand that. I agree with you...I just felt like saying something besides "I agree with you." ;-)

Rebecca said...

How about "I love the picture."

I like this one too:

http://www.rottenecards.com/card/295959/would-someone-please-give-obam

Anonymous said...

Hanging is too good for him. They need to do to that entire family what the Bolsheviks did to the Romanovs.

BTW, Arizona still has hanging as a penalty for horse theft

Unknown said...

This would finally put some stress on our "representatives" to do their job correctly, but the liberals would never go for it. In fact, they'd deem you evil or treasonous for trying to promote justice against the abuse of power by our politicians.

What's truly bass ackwards is that they'd call for your head for doing the right thing. These are the same people who denounce the death penalty, but if you speak against their beliefs, they'd condemn you to death.

Makes sense right? Maybe in Bizzaro World.

Unknown said...

While I'm in no way a supporter of Barack and don't care for Michelle either, you suggesting shooting then bayoneting those little girls is bullshit motherfucker, you should hope our paths don't cross.

Unknown said...

I enjoy your blog and have since moving back to the valley, I apologize for my language in reply to anon above. I hope I'm not alone in feeling his statement is wrong.

A Modest Scribler said...

Brian, I understand your position on not wanting to harm the innocents...nor do I..nor have I ever advocated doing so.

Now let me draw you a similar parallel. When Trayvon Martin was killed by Zimmerman, Obama and literally millions of liberals took to the streets wanting blood.

And in that same week, out in Oklahoma City, three Black thugs broke into a house and killed an 90 year old WWII vet and raped his 88 year old wife....AND NOT ONE GOD DAMNED LIBERAL FROM TOP TO BOTTOM SPOKE OUT AGAINST THE VIOLENCE AGAINST THE TOTALLY INNOCENT!

And liberals provide an excuse for every act of Black thug savagery a thousand times a day and I don't see anyone getting hot about "real savagery" as opposed to one only theorized.

So, yes, I cannot condone, but I can certainly understand the intense anger that exists today.

Ken said...

I have to salute you once again. The answer to Brian is one of those I am always reaching for but never find when I need it. I guess that's why your the author who's column I love to read and I'm the guy writing here. That answer is worthy of an "Oscar" or something!

A Modest Scribler said...

Actually, Ken, Brian and I are 'good'...we were talking about the innocents that are harmed...and will be harmed during the next Civil War.

Casualties of war in one instance and casualties of Black thugs in the other instance.

Anonymous said...

Rebecca, why don't you shove your goody-goody crap up your ass? Sometimes capital punishment is necessary for criminals. Without it, we'd be overrun by them.