Shame on Kaine

“An unjust law is no law at all.”  ~Augustine

Last night, the State of Virginia killed a man. The State has put someone to death—again!—in the (false) name of justice. The Catholic governor of that State, Tim Kaine, who many see as the hope for a more robust, Catholic, position on issues of life in Democratic Party, has now overseen 11 executions during his gubernatorial term. And he could have prevented it, but instead he commented, “I find no compelling reason to set aside the sentence…”

Given that he sees nothing compelling about this case I think we should find nothing compelling about his politics or the politics of the party that declares that state-sponsored killing is objectionable on websites and during campaigns, but then forgets about it in the act of governing.

Yes, many will wring their hands over this as a way to engage in “gotcha!” politics. Also, many of the Democrat faithful are hoping that this nasty little event slides through the news-cracks and, if pushed, they will try to weasel out by pointing fingers in the other (Republican) direction to claim that others are far worse than they are.

But let me be clear about my own stance: Kaine not only violated the very clear teaching of the Church, he also broke from his own personal stance on Capital Punishment—for an eleventh time! This is tantamount to a Republican politician seeing no compelling reason to oppose late-term abortions (and there are many prominent names that come to mind).

We see here that neither major ticket party really has a reliable position or platform that informs much more than their prepared campaign speeches, plastic debate replies, and soothing promises to the hand-clapping, good-hearted grassroots fundraisers and supporters who they fool again and again and again into thinking that they really mean it this time.

It is shameful and despicable and should galvanize our efforts to re-think the politics we suffer from—and, perhaps, even the state apparatus itself.

I mean, if Augustine is right and “an unjust law is no law at all,” then, what is an unjust state?

Anarchist whispers aside: Shame on you, Gov. Kaine.