In a local radio interview, the Governor of Maine laid out a plan on how to combat what he considers to be the state’s soft approach to drug crimes. Unfortunately, it’s as bad as one would expect.
Maine Gov. Paul LePage, a Republican, told WVOM radio hosts that it’s in his view that the guillotine should be used for serious offenders. “What I think we ought to do is bring the guillotine back,” he said. “We could have public executions and have, you know, we could even have which hole it falls in.”
Gov. LePage also voiced that he was “all in” when it comes to combating Maine’s drug epidemic. He also told the radio hosts that a recent proposal to establish a minimum sentence of four years for drug traffickers was not good enough.
“I think the death penalty should be appropriate for people that kill Mainers,” he stated.
Gov. Paul LePage is no stranger to saying asinine stuff. Earlier this month, he ignited a firestorm when talking about drug dealers that operate in Maine. From CNN:
“‘These aren’t the people who take drugs,’ LePage said, in comments first picked up by the Portland Press Herald. ‘These are guys with the name D-Money, Smoothie, Shifty. These type of guys. They come from Connecticut and New York, they come up here, they sell their heroin, then they go back home. Incidentally, half the time they impregnate a young, white girl before they leave, which is a real sad thing because then we have another issue we’ve got to deal with down the road.'”
Even though those comments were blatantly racist, LePage and his people backpedaled and tried to convince everyone that there was no racist intent in the governor’s commentary. LePage later apologized for the statement, claiming that he meant to use the phrase “a young Maine girl” instead of “a young, white girl.”
Maine Gov. Paul LePage believes that the best way to handle Maine’s heroin problem is to decapitate drug dealers named “D-Money.” Racism aside, he’s promoting a reinstatement of an execution method that many consider one of the most horrific humanity has ever created. I mean, what’s LePage’s vision here? Does he think the people of whichever Maine city are going to gather downtown, cloaked in burlap, and throw cabbages at the condemned as they’re dragged to the block? We don’t live in 18th Century France. We don’t cut off goddamn heads anymore.
I suppose, given LePage’s reckless disregard for tact, it shouldn’t be shocking that some Maine Democrats have been pushing for LePage’s impeachment, claiming that he has abused his power as governor.
Featured image is in the public domain.
