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A CANDIDATE FOR the US House of Representatives in the state of Iowa has come under fire for his plan to put to death some immigrants with a criminal record.
In an interview with the Knoxville Journal Express newspaper this week, Republican State Senator Mark Chelgren announced his candidacy for the national office, and laid out his policies.
His position on immigration was summarised as follows:
For border security, Chelgren believes a fence would define the border and control who enters and leaves.
If one is found to have crossed into the country illegally, committed a felony while here, then been deported, he supports executing that individual if they break America’s immigration laws a second time.
“There is no reason to have felons here who threaten our way of life,” Chelgren said.
Reached by phone, he told the Associated Press that his comments came during a broader conversation about terrorism and border control.
Chelgren stressed he was talking specifically about immigrants with serious convictions trying to re-enter the US illegally with further criminal intent, but repeated his support for executions in those cases.
I think capital punishment should be considered for people who are felons and re-enter this country illegally, yes.
We have to make sure we are not incentivising people whose only intent is to victimise.
Iowa Democratic Party Chairwoman Andy McGuire said the comments were “vile, hateful and downright deplorable.”
Iowa Republican Party spokesman Charlie Szold said the comments “do not represent the values and the beliefs of Iowa Republicans.”
Chelgren said Democrats did not closely read his statements, which he said were directed only at a “subset” of immigrants.
Asked about the Republican criticism, he said:
Those are my beliefs and my beliefs alone and I stand by them.
Contains reporting by the Associated Press.
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He’ll probably win…
Vile and yet honest Diarnuid
Beat me to it Diarmuid old bean old pal.
Politics is definitely showbiz for ugly people.
You’re no oil painting.
Well at least I’m not just a bunch of squigly spirally things.
Said the harbinger of the apocalypse to the ancient stone.
Donald Trumps running mate in the election! Vice President i’d say.
Can we get him to run for local council here? He would fit right in :-)
I think the USA should have a law against idiots running for office.
Ah now Kerry!
Ya can’t be sayin things like that!!!
Let the other 3 million citizens fight it out?
Kerry how dare you question the democratic process, people are free to choose their leaders! Personally I reckon it matters not a whit who gets in, they are merely puppets. The last president who stood up to them, our very own JFK, got shot. Democracy western-style is an absolute sham. Soundbites and propaganda, people being force-fed lies. George Dubya got in first time ‘cos the Supreme Court said so, many of whom were Republicans, when in fact thousands had been denied the right to vote in places like Florida. Despite queuing up for hours. The powers that be will never allow true democracy. Hopefully their grip is loosening. The planet and her people need to breathe easy. Say no to war.
I mean Hitler was massively popular in Germany.
Jamie Mc Cormack Please explain “our very own JFK” . JFk was an american and not really that good of a president or a person .
He opposed war. His people came from Wexford. He got taken out.
He opposed war ? You do know he sent military advisors to vietnam ? Just because he came from wexford means what ?
Robert he was taken out.
America “land of the irrational, home of the ridiculous”
America is a mad country when you think about it.
Ye really is. I don’t know why we feel such an allegiance to such a disenfranchised and backward country either
They owe us. The world owes us. We are the Irish and we will shape and rule the world. Because we come from the best little island on Earth.
I dunno, investment, employment, the fact that US was the first country to recognize Ireland as a separate state?
Corruption, poverty, homelessness, a shocking treatment of its most vulnerable in general and of course the influence of Catholic fairy stories. Not a wonder they recognise us
The guy has a good point. Do the same to unmarried dole sponging unmarried mothers who are sluts and murderers drug dealers social welfare fraudsters lazy bumbs and all sex offenders. Time to clean up and have a clean pure society. Nits grow into lice. Clean up.
You couldn’t sound like more of a daily mail reporter if you tried. Or maybe that’s what you were going for?
Okay Hitler.
Truly disgusting how little regard they have for othe people’s lives! You will probably see the same nut jobs standing up against abortion though!
Is he an extra from Deliverance?
Oh Stephen, gkrell, sertorious, Pat… Where are you?
Let’s be having you.
I’m here, that’s a pretty big straw man, I never called for the execution of refugees I just think that open borders are a bad idea.
The only border I’m concerned with is the false line that partitions this ancient land and her people.
Not you. The other muppet with the egg head.
Donald Trump’s new best friend.
Handsome chap all the same..
if he fails in the US he could always relocate to Ireland.
He’d be a shoo in in the current climate.
He likes gale force winds and relentless showers?
Now there’s a common sense approach. Well done Mark, keep up the good work.
Mark “Hitler” Chelgren to his friends and close associates.
Murica
Unconstitutional. He may or may not know that; I don’t know which is worse.
He won’t win but he would be Trump’s “Minister of The Wall”
have your say