It Cuts Both Ways

By Gary Ashwill / March 24, 2005

Alabama district attorney and practicing Catholic Doug Valeska "has sent more people to Death Row than other DA in the state except those in more populous Jefferson and Montgomery counties." Alabama bishops have joined a national campaign to end the death penalty, and the DA's own priest has asked him not to seek execution in specific cases, but Valeska makes like Huck Finn:

"I'll continue to seek the death penalty. If that means that I'm going to hell then God's going to send me to hell," Valeska said. "I have a problem with the bishops, their liberal stance."

Since there was much loose talk by conservative Catholics and other right-wingers about denying communion to liberal politicians, particularly John Kerry, if they didn't oppose abortion rights, it's interesting to see a hang-'em-high DA have to sweat a little when his own ideological leanings run afoul of church doctrine. (Denying him communion apparently hasn't come up yet.)

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