Connecticut Republicans think exonerating "witches" 370 years later may be hasty

[muriel_volestrangler]

Connecticut confronted as originator of New England witch trials

On Wednesday, their descendants and others asked the legislature’s Judiciary Committee to exonerate them as victims of misogyny, religious intolerance, petty disputes writ large and polarizing political disputes of the time. Nine of the 11 executed were women.
...
Rep. Doug Dubitsky, R-Chaplin, wanted evidence of her innocence, even if the accused had been hanged for familiarity with Satan. (He did not muse about what evidence was sufficient to convict on that charge.)

“Typically, when somebody wants to have a convict exonerated, while they’re alive or after they’re dead, they produce evidence that they were innocent,” asked Dubitsky, a lawyer. “Do you have any evidence that this person was innocent?”
...
Sen. John Kissel, R-Enfield, told a later witness he grew up in Windsor where “we certainly had our share of witch situations.”

But he was wary of the state offering exonerations for convictions returned in colonial times.

“I’m concerned about the path that we’re taking, if we have to go and redress every single perceived or real wrong that happened in our history,” Kissel said. “And this may start in colonial times, and we can then march forward and essentially retry and reassess every step along the hundreds and hundreds of years while we have really pressing issues right now.”

https://ctmirror.org/2023/03/02/ct-new-england-witch-trials-salem-witchcraft-convictions-connecticut-legislature/

Via Charles Pierce

[rurallib]

1. You would think that there is no such being as Satan would be enough for

exoneration - or if Dubinsky disagrees the the onus should be on the state to produce Mr. Satan to prove he exists.

[Chainfire]

2. Yea, right, who says that they weren't witches!

Some folks have a hard time accepting that everything that happened in the "New World" wasn't all sanctimonious. The "look the other way party" is basically, and I mean this in the kindest possible way, full of shit.

The bottom line is good Christians burned witches and I find it hard to spin a positive out of that. The other issue is that a lot of people who consider themselves good Christians today are perfectly willing to do the same to others that don't fit their molds. They are stepping out of the pews and rooting for persecution! Their list of potential victims grows daily.

[Timeflyer]

3. The witch hunts and European religious wars are why American founders did NOT want this to be

a Christian, or any other religion, nation. Humans are cruel enough to each other without religion being used as an excuse.

[Mopar151]

4. Jesus Wept!

These Friggin` Morons would love to see a good witch burnin`. Be there early, set up they popcorn stand