The man who killed the Unitedhealthcare CEO is being charged with the Federal crimes of stalking and murder. I don’t think that he should be. I would go one step further to say that stalking and murder shouldn’t be Federal crimes. Stalking and murder are already crimes in each and every one of the states. In this particular case, he committed both crimes and their predicates primarily within the state of New York.
If New York wants to charge him under those statutes, then the state of New York can request that he be extradited to stand trial, then so be it, but I don’t see where we need a Federal law making either of those acts a crime. In fact, I think that most laws at the Federal level can be dispensed with as redundant. The only exceptions would be crimes specifically against the Federal government, such as assassination of a Senator, accepting bribes, or other crimes that are particular to the operation of Federal government.
Otherwise, you might as well admit that the states are merely political subdivisions of the Federal whole and stop pretending that we are a United system of independent states.
11 Comments
Anonymous · December 20, 2024 at 9:17 am
“stop pretending that we are a United system of independent states”
Lincoln got rid of that concept a long time ago
Divemedic · December 20, 2024 at 10:22 am
I concur. That is in line with my belief that the ‘Civil War’ was an economic war intended to subjugate the south. You can read my post on that here.
Steve S6 · December 20, 2024 at 9:45 am
Thought that got decided in 1865.
Jim · December 20, 2024 at 10:43 am
Reconstruction never ended, it just morphed to include all 50 states….
Gerry · December 20, 2024 at 10:08 am
Agree.
I guess the Feds think they have a slam dunk on conviction and they want the publicity.
pchappel · December 20, 2024 at 10:08 am
Yeah, unless the person he killed was a Federal agent, US Post Office for example IIRC being one of the ways to get a Federal murder charge… Seems like a big stretch to say that the CEO of a public company is a Fed… Unless perhaps they are going with the “he was on his way to testify in a Fed matter”? Eh, just too much about this one makes no sense, but I’m just an engineer, what would I know…
Divemedic · December 20, 2024 at 10:25 am
I think the angle is that they are claiming it was terrorism, and he crossed state lines to do it.
SiG · December 20, 2024 at 10:09 am
It seems to be a leftist mindset that everything is more illegal-er if the Fed.gov is involved. Like the solution to school shootings is to add more crimes to the list that the (almost always) dead shooter can be charged with. They’re already breaking a ton of laws, but one more will stop them?
What you suggest is like Florida did with the second (golf course) assassin. From the start, Gov. DeSantis said the state would run its own investigation and the last time I heard the Feds had given us none of the info from their various departments.
juvat · December 20, 2024 at 10:16 am
Except A Federal conviction allows for the death penalty. State doesn’t.
Divemedic · December 20, 2024 at 10:48 am
I remain opposed to the death penalty. Not in theory, but in practice.
I don’t have a problem with killing a murderer. I have a problem with granting that power to people (prosecutors, cops, and judges) who are willing to twist the facts, hide exculpatory evidence, and outright lie in order to fit their political ambitions and the lynch mob mentality created by the MSM.
I would rather 100 guilty men be freed than see one innocent man be put to death. Such a situation makes murderers out of all of us.
Toxicavenger · December 20, 2024 at 10:17 am
I’m old enough to remember the phrase, “Let’s not make a federal case out of it.”