Why is this book still relevant? Wake up Jayhawks!
“What’s the matter with Kansas?” That question was posed in an eponymous 2004 book by Thomas Frank and, alas, remains germane five years later.
The latest head scratcher from the Jayhawk State is the news that antiabortion terrorist Scott Roeder, cooling his heels in a county jail for murdering Dr. George Tiller, has been using jail computers to sing the praises of fellow terrorist Paul Hill—executed in 2003 for murdering Dr. Bayard Britton in Florida—and to communicate with other radical anti-choice activists. There is even anecdotal evidence that Roeder may be in touch with others plotting similar actions as his own against abortion providers.
Two questions strike me immediately. First, why is this man in a county jail? He is clearly a threat to society and belongs in a more secure facility. A federal judge recently upped Roeder’s bail to $20 million because of Roeder’s threats. Why have Kansas officials been so slow to realize this?
The second question is even more pertinent: Why does this man have Internet and email access? He is not a free citizen whose first amendment rights must be respected; he’s an accused felon facing a possible death penalty for first-degree murder (even though Sedgwick County’s DA is not seeking it). Unless a (mentally deranged) jury decides otherwise, Scott Roeder is a prisoner. As such he has only such privileges as jail officials grant him.
The solution to the current Roeder outrage is a no-brainer: pull the plug on his computer use. He is legally entitled to legal counsel and visits from court-approved visitors. That’s it. Even his written correspondence may be opened, read, and censored. Shut Roeder down and let him rot in the ignoble obscurity he deserves. Do it now before the term “jayhawk” becomes synonymous with “brainless.” --LV
“What’s the matter with Kansas?” That question was posed in an eponymous 2004 book by Thomas Frank and, alas, remains germane five years later.
The latest head scratcher from the Jayhawk State is the news that antiabortion terrorist Scott Roeder, cooling his heels in a county jail for murdering Dr. George Tiller, has been using jail computers to sing the praises of fellow terrorist Paul Hill—executed in 2003 for murdering Dr. Bayard Britton in Florida—and to communicate with other radical anti-choice activists. There is even anecdotal evidence that Roeder may be in touch with others plotting similar actions as his own against abortion providers.
Two questions strike me immediately. First, why is this man in a county jail? He is clearly a threat to society and belongs in a more secure facility. A federal judge recently upped Roeder’s bail to $20 million because of Roeder’s threats. Why have Kansas officials been so slow to realize this?
The second question is even more pertinent: Why does this man have Internet and email access? He is not a free citizen whose first amendment rights must be respected; he’s an accused felon facing a possible death penalty for first-degree murder (even though Sedgwick County’s DA is not seeking it). Unless a (mentally deranged) jury decides otherwise, Scott Roeder is a prisoner. As such he has only such privileges as jail officials grant him.
The solution to the current Roeder outrage is a no-brainer: pull the plug on his computer use. He is legally entitled to legal counsel and visits from court-approved visitors. That’s it. Even his written correspondence may be opened, read, and censored. Shut Roeder down and let him rot in the ignoble obscurity he deserves. Do it now before the term “jayhawk” becomes synonymous with “brainless.” --LV
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