Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Herald Sun Story

A nice piece in the Durham Herald Sun, on my run for governor. Quite fair, and no sneering at all.

Quite different from the question I usually get on TV shows: "Aren't libertarians just the weird party?" Thanks, thanks very much for that wise question. Did you get up early this morning to think of that?

3 comments:

swampfox said...

"As for capital punishment, Munger said while he's not opposed on moral grounds, 'I'm very worried that the state of North Carolina is rushing to put far too many people to death just because they're poor and didn't have adequate representation in the courts.'"
________
I'm slightly bemused by the first part of your statement: "I'm very worried...just because they're poor..."

If there is incontrovertible evidence that an individual committed heinous crimes warranting consideration of the death penalty, why does the individual's socioeconomic status matter at all? Does being "poor" justify or somehow lessen the offence of murder?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but this reads like moral relativism with a spritz of class warfare ideology.

Mungowitz said...

Well, SF, one of us has this backwards, and it is probably me.

1. Take two people, both of whom we are pretty sure committed heinous crimes. The rich one will get life in prison, or maybe even get off on a technicality (a la OJ). The poor one gets fried.

2. Then, take two people, who may or not have committed any crime at all. Then the rich person definitely gets off, and the poor person may or not get fried. It's random.

Dangerous to use newspaper quotes to figure out someone's position, though. How about THIS more carefully argued bit...

I really just don't think the state should be killing unarmed people who are in their control. (fleeing fugitive? sure, gun 'em down).

The lack of equal treatment before the law is just a kicker. Perhaps we don't have to give poor people extra money. But why not equal protection?

Dirty Davey said...

Regarding: "In addition, Munger, a Roman Catholic, said the government shouldn't tell his church it has to perform gay marriages."

That sets up a straw man. As far as I can tell, no approach to same-sex marriage advocated by anyone would tell the Catholic Church--or any other church--that it "has to perform gay marriages". Similarly, the fact that the state issues marriage licenses to atheists does not mean the Catholic Church "has to perform atheist marriages". Any church is free to reject any or all couples who wish the church's involvement in their marriage.

A state's choice to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples does not infringe on the Catholic Church's prerogatives any more than does the state's process for allowing divorces.