North Carolina GOP: Public Hanging For Abortionists

There’s something about a public hanging that strikes me as very oh, I don’t know, “cruel and unusual” and offensive to every last bit of human decency. Not so for North Carolina Republican Larry Pittman. In fact, Pittman thinks bringing back public hangings would be a great deterrent for “abortionists, rapists, and kidnappers.”

Pittman expressed this view in an email to every member of the North Carolina General Assembly. From Pittman’s email: “We need to make the death penalty a real deterrent again by actually carrying it out. Every appeal that can be made should have to be made at one time, not in a serial manner,” Pittman wrote in the email. “If murderers (and I would include abortionists, rapists, and kidnappers, as well) are actually executed, it will at least have the deterrent effect upon them. For my money, we should go back to public hangings, which would be more of a deterrent to others, as well.”

Criminalizing abortion is of course the very goal of the right, so it is no surprise to hear that a conservative lawmaker would view abortion providers as criminals. What is more telling is that Pittman’s position is quickly becoming the “center” for the right on the abortion issue. Last year alone Republicans in Nebraska, Iowa and South Carolina all pushed legislation that would essentially criminalize abortion and 2012 promises even more such measures.

And the harder to the right Republicans go on the abortion issue, the more violent their rhetoric. The more violent their rhetoric the more violent their actions. To call Pittman lumping abortion providers in with murderers and rapists as those who are first in line for a public hanging irresponsible would be generous.

Health care providers are not criminals, and it’s time conservatives get a grip and stop trying to treat them as such.

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Photo from sjorford via flickr.

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
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Jamie C.

12:56PM PST on Feb 22, 2012

Not too far from the burning times.

send a green star

Jackie A.

3:02AM PST on Feb 13, 2012

Ridiculous, but this is what happens when you have religious fanatics in political positions :-(

Janice M.

7:07AM PST on Feb 7, 2012

To Vanessa,
We fought this battle before but now it seems we're about to fight it again as people increasingly regard women as property either of a religion or their husband's or the state's and not as people with rights to our own bodies and our own lives. Guess we're not so far from those Sharia-law Islamics after all. It's a slippery slope we're on. This country is going to hell in a handbasket as increasingly every aspect of it slips from our control.

Vanessa L.

6:40AM PST on Feb 7, 2012

BTW: Completely agree with Elizabeth, Mario, Suzy, Janice, and Raven to name a few! I feel like this has to be an alternate reality to have such dehunamizing, anti-American, anti-Constitution, etc., representatives and constituents. They are down-right evil! And to think they were trying to make Obama out to be the Anti-Christ! It is a very sad world!

6:34AM PST on Feb 7, 2012

Let doctors do their jobs! They are there to do No harm. People make a stink about corrupt doctors but they are the select few and abortion should be something that is an individuals choice and should NOT be a political issue. I am ashamed that there are so many anti-Americans out there that do not believe in the Constitution! And even more ashamed that they get elected!

On another note: I do believe that the death penalty should be on the table for rapists and they should add child molesters to that list! I was actually suprised to see that it was an agenda put on the table there since Republicans seem to be in favor of women getting raped and by their abusive husbands no less!

Mark S.

2:44AM PST on Feb 7, 2012

NC. Another CAVEMAN state.

9:28PM PST on Feb 5, 2012

To Raven,
You know what? I feel that way about this entire country these days. I'm 68 and I grew up in what was really a different world but I also grew up reading sci-fi and fantasy since I was 9 so I'm very familiar with the concept of alternate universes and nowadays I truly feel like I'm living in one.

Raven R.

2:46PM PST on Feb 5, 2012

Seriously? I feel like I'm living in an alternate universe right now with the way things are going. This idea is so ridiculous.

Dee C.

2:22PM PST on Feb 2, 2012

Pittman's proposal is so backward and stupid I can't find the words to describe my incredulity.

Mario A.

6:21AM PST on Feb 2, 2012

Has evolution started going back wards more and more each day.
.