"Saint Paul DFLer Sentenced for

"Saint Paul DFLer Sentenced for Bank Robbery Murder" - Wouldn't that have been a wierd headline?

Of course. To have put out such a headline about the sentencing of Kathleen Soliah would have implied that Soliah's politics were an element of the crimes for which she was sentenced.

You ask "So what?"

Tim Graham in The Corner notes:

Am I the only one to find it disturbing that NBC/MSNBC is routinely referring to abortionist-killer Paul Hill today as an "anti-abortion activist," as if he's comparable to Chris Smith or Phyllis Schlafly?

Indeed.

How many criminals have their vocations or avocations tied to their sentencing?

The headlines did not scream:

PAINTER EXECUTED FOR LINDBERG KIDNAPPING

or

PLUMBER SENTENCED FOR ROBBERY

because the occupations of the perps aren't generally elements of the crime.

Referring to Paul Hill as a "Murderer" or "Zealot" or "terrorist" would be both true and germane to the crime for which he was executed. Calling him - not just occasionally, but as a general thing - an "anti-abortion activist" links Hill's crime with the efforts of everyone who actively opposes infanticide.

)Via Jeff Fecke)

Posted by Mitch at September 4, 2003 07:38 AM