PO Box 531  •  Durham,NC 27702  •  Telephone: (919) 419-8311  •  Fax: (919) 419-8315

Tuesday, July 19, 2005

Please Enlighten Us

Maybe somebody else can explain what this gesture is supposed to mean. From the Birmingham News:
Alabama’s attorney general said he will wear an electronic monitoring ankle bracelet until state lawmakers pass legislation requiring the devices’ use by those convicted of sex crimes against children.

Troy King was fitted with the bracelet Monday afternoon in Columbiana after proposing a tougher law to monitor sex offenders.
So, is it sort of like a hunger strike, to pressure legislators into passing the bill more quickly in order to alleviate his suffering? Is it so voters can monitor his whereabouts to reassure themselves he’s doing his job? Is it some kind of metaphorical statement that he would feel as guilty as a pedophile if he doesn’t get this bill through the legislature?

I just think it’s a little odd that for a publicity stunt he’d put himself in the position of being punished in the way he wants to punish others -- as if a proponent of capital punishment strapped himself into an electric chair until a death penalty bill was passed.
posted by gary ashwill at 10:34 AM | Email this post | Post a Comment
0 Comments:

Post a Comment

Return to Facing South's main page

Southern News Update

Who Are These Folks?

CHRIS KROMM blogs three days a week for Facing South. Chris is Executive Director of the Institute for Southern Studies and publisher of the Institute’s award-winning magazine, Southern Exposure.

SUE STURGIS blogs four days a week for Facing South. Sue is the Institute’s Editorial Director and a former reporter for The Independent Weekly and The Raleigh News & Observer.

DESIREE EVANS blogs four days a week for Facing South. Desiree is a Research Associate at the Institute and former policy analyst for TransAfrica.

The views expressed on Facing South are those of the authors and not necessarily represent the views of the Institute for Southern Studies. The editors reserve the right to reject comments that are abusive, offensive, misleading, or that promote commercial goods and services.

Previous Posts