He wants to be the Sheriff here
He’s running with a cause
He wants to stop the doctors who
Are following the laws
He knows abortion’s legal, but
He knows it’s wrong, of course—
He’s willing to prevent it, through
The use of deadly force
He’d prosecute the doctors, and
He’d drag them off to court
Or citizens grand jury, as
A path of last resort
He wants to be the Sheriff, cos
He’d answer, then, to none…
It’s time to pop some popcorn—
The election’s getting fun.
Story, after the jump:
In the Live Free or Die state, a candidate for Hillsborough County Sheriff wants to take the law into his own hands:
Frank Szabo said that as sheriff, he would arrest any doctor performing elective or late-term abortions in his jurisdiction.
“There is a difference between legal and lawful,” Szabo said.
Of course, answering this in the abstract is one thing. How he translates this to action is another. I mean, arresting a doctor for performing a legal procedure is a fairly radical stance…
But Szabo may have inflamed the issue further when asked if he would use deadly force to prevent an abortion.
“I would respond specifically by saying that if someone is under threat, a full-grown human being, if they’re under threat, what should the sheriff do? Everything in their power to prevent them from being harmed,” he said.
When pressed about what he would do if he learned that a doctor was about to perform an elective abortion, Szabo replied he would do what it took to prevent that from happening.
“Absolutely,” he said. “Well, I would hope that it wouldn’t come to that, as with any situation where someone is in danger, but again, specifically talking about elective abortions and late-term abortions, that is an act that needs to be stopped.”
To be fair (why, really?) to his party, at least one GOP leader has called on Szabo to quit the race, pointing out that he clearly does not understand the role of the office for which he is running.
Szabo’s rhetoric puts him squarely in the “sovereign citizen” camp, where an understanding of actual law is not nearly as important as a defense of what he understands (or misunderstands) common law to be. After he arrests the doctor for performing a legal procedure…
“The county attorney would then need to follow through on prosecuting,” Szabo said. “And if they choose not to do their duty and uphold the constitution, they can be brought up on charges before what is called a citizens grand jury, which is something that is not common in the United States, but again is something based in common law that is within the purview of the county sheriff.”
The money quote, though, closes the article:
Szabo said he doesn’t have any background in law enforcement, but he said his business background gives him the experience to run for the position of sheriff.
Oh, yeah, as usual, the comments are worth the price of admission.
Presumably he’d also be in the camp of “stand your ground”? Where if someone is trying to mug you, you can kill the hell out of them no problem?
Pregnancy can be dangerous, sometimes lethal, and you won’t always know that until you’re dying, and even just medical bills related to it can cost a damn bit more than what you’d lose if a guy with a gun snatches your purse…is it because it’s doctors doing it and not using a gun, that makes it wrong?
If we had an abortion gun, would that make it good? Or would their mind explode 2nd amendment confetti as they try to rationalize away why that particular instrument meant to kill is evil and the other ones that just kill everybody are good?
What?
Ten bucks says this guy is also a birther.
I would like to say this bozo has no chance but a constituency that would support him wouldn’t be vocal, they would just flood the ballot box and fade back into the woodwork. I hope he doesn’t win but woe betide you good folks if he does.
If I thought he knew what he was talking about, I’d think he meant something like the difference between illegal and criminal. Of course, I know better than to think he knows what he’s talking about.
2% partial credit for legal vs ethical.
I am the very model of a Law Enforcement Constable
I’ve knowledge about business, I’m economically capable
I know our legal history all up until Row v Wade
I know some asshole heathens who’s judgement needs to be relayed
I think legal abortions should illegally become reduced
Unless the woman uses first her magic poison pussy juice
I self declare that after lightly skimming my Bible
I am the very model of a Law Enforcement Constable.
When I read about this guy, my first thought was that he was with the “Posse Comitatus” movement. It’s the county aspect that made me think of it. Read more about them if you want to see a new breed of reactionary, legalistic weirdness.
And when Szabo claims that there is no “chief law enforcement officer” above sheriff, I have to ask “Wouldn’t that be the Governor?”
Fortunately, his statement shows he believes that a lynch mob is acceptable in order to prevent harm. So he’d have no objection to his own hanging, presumably.
Like this one:
I’m sorry, but any community that would elect this jack-off deserves what they get.
So, will Szabo arrest people working on the “sabbath”? Hold public stonings for adulterous couples? stonings for homosexuals? Disobediant children stoned by his desire for mob rule? Or is he one more coward who wants to control women and try to frighten them into obediance? I rather suspect the latter.
I bet he doesn’t even know what a District Attorney is…
That fetus is comin’ right at us!
Wow, the concept of an abortion gun is one that would cause heads to explode. Perhaps some sort of microwave device? A tranquilizer gun that fires needles loaded with abortifacients? Could a compressed air “hypospray” fired as ammunition fit this purpose?
I endorse none of the above thoughts (quite horrible actually), I’m just trying to get a handle on the concept of “abortion gun” that would cause Second Amendment obsessed pro-forced-birthers’ heads to explode.
@9- On the surface it’s tempting (almost) to agree, but don’t forget that in the awful chance he is elected, that doesn’t mean that everyone in the community voted for him, and those that didn’t don’t deserve to suffer his stupidity just because of where they happen to live. And the people he would be attacking would certainly be among those who didn’t elect him. That kind of thinking is what makes libertarianism dangerous, allowing small-scale crazies to terrorize people because they can get away with it on the small-scale, and blaming those victim to it because of where they happen to live.
Grimalkin:
That’s a fair point. But it also emphasises the the need to stop such kooks before they get into office. Apathy can be just as dangerous as outright bad intention. You can’t just throw up your hands and say, “Don’t blame me… I didn’t vote for him!”
I thought Frank was a little extreme for NH. Turns out he’s from Philadelphia, PA. Guess NH is going to have to tighten up on immigration rules and border security!
Another example of why I find the idea of electing members of the justice system disturbing.
Well, there certainly are a few very loud nuts posting, but it looked like the majority were being rational.
I got there early, maybe. For the “deadly force doesn’t mean killing” bit.