Cheney Shoots A Texas Liberal by Molly Ivins

[kpete]

Published on Tuesday, February 14, 2006 by TruthDig
Cheney Shoots A Texas Liberal
by Molly Ivins

Of course the jokes are flying all over Texas—what’s the fine for shooting a lawyer?—and so forth. Dick-Cheney-shooting-Harry-Whittington is fraught, as they say, with irony. It’s not as though the ground in Texas is littered with liberal Republicans. I think the vice president winged the only one we’ve got.

.......................



I am not trying to make a big deal out of a simple hunting accident for partisan purposes—just thought it was a good chance to pay tribute to old Harry, a thoroughly decent man. However, I was offended by the never-our-fault White House spin team. Cheney adviser Mary Matalin said of her boss, “He was not careless or incautious violate of any of the . He didn’t do anything he wasn’t supposed to do.” Of course he did, Ms. Matalin, he shot Harry Whittington.

Which brings us to one of the many paradoxes of the Bush administration, which claims to be creating “the responsibility society.” It’s hard to think of a crowd less likely to take responsibility for anything they have done or not done than this bunch. They’re certainly good at preaching responsibility to others—and blaming other people for everything that goes wrong on their watch.

Of course the Cheney shooting was an accident.


http://www.commondreams.org/views06/0214-29.htm

[Dulcinea]

1. All kidding aside, what happens if Whittington dies?

Can they charge Cheney with anything?

[Solly Mack]

2. They can - but the question is...Will they

and I doubt they will

but if he dies, it IS negligent homocide.

[dave29]

3. yes, he can be chargred with negligent homicide

family doesn't even have to be involved.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

6. That's correct

I believe it's a State Jail Felony.

[warsager]

11. IS/HAS his family said ANYTHING?

I don't know about you, but I woud be ENRAGED if this happened to my dad.

[Auntie Bush]

13. No he wouldn't! He'll say he died of a heart Attack... just like that

detainee that was suffocated when they beat him to a pulp...stuffed him in a sleeping bag head first and sat on his chest till he stopped breathing. The bagger was not charged because they said he died of a heart attack. That's the way this administration thinks!

[flamin lib]

4. Other threads here say he could be charged with some form

of homicide ranging from manslaugher to negligent homicide.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

7. From what I was told he could be charged with

Criminally negligent homicide. A state jail felony in Texas.

[progressivebydesign]

8. probably the same thing that happened when Laura killed her ex boyfriend.

I think Texas has its own brand of justice...

[ClayZ]

9. BINGO!

[Humor_In_Cuneiform]

5. What's the difference negligent homicide and manslaughter? n/t

[Maru Kitteh]

10. What state you are in, mostly some have both, others not

Types of Negligent Homicide

The first of these, negligent homicide, is the killing of another person through gross negligence or without malice. It can also be considered a death that is the result of the negligent operation of a motor vehicle, which includes the operation of a boat or snowmobile. In some states, the term negligent homicide replaces the terminology of manslaughter (involuntary) with similar defining. Unintentional killing(s) in which the actor(s) should have known they were creating substantial and unjustified risks of death by conduct that grossly deviated from ordinary care summarizes the relationship between the definitions of these terms (Samaha, 2002, p. 536).


Elements and Types of Involuntary Manslaughter

Three versions of manslaughter (involuntary) exist. Involuntary manslaughter is separated into criminal reckless manslaughter, (gross) criminal negligence manslaughter, and unlawful or misdemeanor manslaughter. They vary by their degree of Mens Rea, or the mental mindset of the person committing the crime. A person who is held aware is also viewed more responsible for his or her actions. The Mens Rea element is the creation of risk involved with killing or seriously injuring another person either recklessly or negligently. All the other aspects are the same. The Actus Reus, the actual act constituting a criminal offense, is the killing of another person. The circumstance is the death during the commission of the unlawful act and the causation is any act that triggers a chain of events, which lead to the death of another person. The result obviously is the death of this other person (Samaha, 2002, p. 372).


http://www.iejs.com/Law/Criminal_Law/Negligent_Homicide-Manslaughter.htm

[Blue_Tires]

12. percieved intent?

not sure about the legal definitions

[TomInTib]

15. You are correct nt

[TomInTib]

14. I had completely forgotten about Cheney and the Iran-Contra

committee.

The last exchange and reply by Cheney (to Lehrer) is subhuman.

[warsager]

16. Laura who killed who? n/t