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Szabo Compares Abortions to Slavery, Condones Use of Deadly Force

"Just because a law is on the books does not mean that it's lawful," the Hillsborough County Sheriff candidate said.

 

Update: Frank Szabo, this morning, apologized for the comments detailed in the story below. For more information, click here.

Original story: In the face of criticism from both New Hampshire Democrats and high-ranking members of his own party, Republican candidate for Hillsborough County Sheriff Frank Szabo is not backing off his comments that deadly force is an appropriate means to prevent abortion.

"Just because a law is on the books does not mean that it's lawful," said Szabo. "I talk about the difference of 'legal' and 'lawful.' It used to be legal to own slaves, but that didn't make it lawful. It used to be legal to restrict someone of color to the back of bus ... Just because a piece of legislation says it's legal to murder the unborn doesn't make it lawful."

Szabo contends it's the responsibility of the sheriff to protect the lives, property and citizens of the country and the state.

"The big issue here is the sheriff is supposed to protect all of its citizens," he said. "Just because a person is not born yet doesn't mean he or she shouldn't have same level of protection. Someone needs to stand up and tell federal and state officials they're wrong if it's in the best interest of citizens ... but my main point is deadly force is always a last resort."

Today, GOP gubernatorial candidate Kevin Smith posted a Twitter message denouncing Szabo:

"Frank Szabo's comment on using deadly force to stop abortions is irresponsible/dangerous. No place for him in GOP-shouldn't be tolerated."

Szabo did an interview with the television station WMUR this morning. And while he hasn't had an opportunity to watch it, he said he stands by his comments.

"I've seen some chatter going on because of interview I did this morning with WMUR ... but one comment I've seen is Kevin Smith calling for me to step down because of my belief that the use of deadly force is appropriate to prevent an abortion," said Szabo. "I don't think anybody would have trouble with preventing a full-grown human being from being murdered, so why would anyone object to the use of deadly force to prevent the murder of an unborn human?"

Szabo went on to clarify his assertion, saying he does not object to abortions if the life of a mother is on the line.

"That's a medical issue," he said, "but as far as elective abortions, and abortions being used as birth control and late-term abortions, absolutely, I stand by my belief."

"My wife and I went through in-vitro ... and I have a photograph of my daughter when she was 8-cells old," he added. "Someone would have to be very convincing to convince me life doesn't begin at conception."

Democratic Outcry

Yesterday, Raymond Buckley, chairman of the New Hampshire Democratic Party, called on Andy Sanborn and fellow Republican state senate candidates Phil Greazzo and Joseph Krasucki to publicly reject the endorsement and support of the Republican Liberty Caucus, which announced that it will work on behalf of Szabo, who has promised to arrest doctors who provide legal abortions.

"Phil Greazzo, Andy Sanborn and Joe Krasuki should publicly reject the endorsement of the Republican Liberty Caucus and denounce its support for the dangerous and extreme campaign of Frank Szabo," said Buckley. "Greazzo, Sanborn and Krasucki are running to be leaders in Hillsborough County. Well it is now time for them to show leadership and stand up for the rights of all citizens.

"The Republican Liberty Caucus is preaching that elected officials can ignore existing laws and make up their own laws," he continued. "Greazzo, Sanborn and Krasucki should reject its endorsement and its extreme agenda."

Sanborn, however, was equally critical of Buckley and Szabo, saying the focus should be on jobs and the economy.

"I might suggest Mr. Buckley learn how to read because the RLC hasn't endorsed me," said the District 9 Senate candidate. "But if Frank Szabo made statement like that, he should withdraw from the race ... I don't know all the exact responsibilities of a county sheriff ... but my gut would tell me having the authority to go arrest people for performing legal medical procedures is a pretty high stretch.

"We're suppose to be running to solve problems, to get people back to work and lower taxes," he added. "As a candidate for state senate, everyone knows that's what I'm focusing on, and that's what all elected officials should be focusing on right now."

Still, Szabo remains resolute.

"I'm certainly not surprised (at the outcry) and again, people are certainly welcome to your opinion," said Szabo, "but my understating is murder is murder, and honestly, I don't know if I've ever had any support from Democrats."

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About this column: Your guide to all local, state and national politics relating to or impacting voters in New Hampshire. Related Topics: Andy Sanborn, Frank Szabo, Hillsborough County Sheriff, RLC, Raymond Buckley, Republican Liberty Caucus, and Senate District 9

Dan Brown

3:36 pm on Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Clearly it's time to stop letting the patients run the insane asylum.

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labman57

4:35 pm on Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Typical of socially-regressive conservative politicians and pundits and their "Second Amendment remedies".

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Shay

5:21 pm on Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Facts are Meaningless To RePUKEblicans

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Steve From NH

5:23 pm on Wednesday, August 22, 2012

This is the guy of whom the head of the NH Tea Party - Jane Aitken - remarked "will bring new knowledge and perspective to the often overlooked office of the Sheriff." She, and presumably the Tea Party are endorsing him for Sheriff.
Szabo also believes that the Sheriff is the highest authority in the county, answers to no one, and is responsible for interpreting the law according to common law and the Constitution and acting upon any transgressions.
Endorsement: http://bedford-nh.patch.com/articles/nh-tea-party-leader-endorses-liberty-minded-candidates
Sheriff as supreme being: http://bedford-nh.patch.com/blog_posts/power-of-the-county-sheriff#comment_4448691

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Keith F Thompson

5:28 pm on Wednesday, August 22, 2012

He has also been enthusiastically embraced by Caroline McKinney, who posts here and speaks for the republican liberty caucus. Disgusting.

Keith F Thompson

5:26 pm on Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Abortion is legal. This man threatened violence against a person acting legally. That the GOP has failed to disavow him, and some have embraced him, says volumes.

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Dennis Taylor

4:02 pm on Friday, August 24, 2012

Would you have advocated helping the Jews in 1939 in Germany hide from their government? To do so would have been breaking the established law. So, are you one of those people who follow all laws, regardless of whether they break God's law or even the laws of decent people? Would you allow your child to be killed by his or her teacher if the law allowed, for example? To talk of a people who follow all laws without the possibility of revolt is to speak of a nation of sheep. Is that what you want for our country?

Joseph Schofield

6:00 pm on Wednesday, August 22, 2012

What happened to the party of Law and Order?

Szabo's weakness of mind is in not knowing that legal and lawful are synonymous. Slave laws were both legal and lawful, but they were not just. In the absence of science proving that a fetus below a certain stage of development is a viable human being, the law prevails. At any rate, sheriffs take an oath to uphold the law. Justice is left to the courts.

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Steve From NH

6:30 pm on Wednesday, August 22, 2012

What's really amazing is that a group of people who claim to revere "liberty" are behind this guy. He seems to advocate a single branch of government - himself.

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Dennis Taylor

3:55 pm on Friday, August 24, 2012

The law supporting abortion is legal in the same way the law supporting ownership of slaves was legal. It is unjust to kill an unborn child. Talking about "viable human being" simply creates the grey area you need to justify your killing. Are you in favor of abortion ten minutes before birth or are you not? If you are, then you are killing a viable human being. If not, why not?

bob

8:36 pm on Wednesday, August 22, 2012

So he wants to enforce his own laws? Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the Christian Taliban.

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Rick

9:34 pm on Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Another REPUB whacko......Say goodnight, Frank...

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mommom

10:23 pm on Wednesday, August 22, 2012

I wonder how he feels about pregnant women who drink alcohol?Or smoke cigarettes?Forcing a child to drink alcohol would result in charges filed,if he thinks an 8 cell embryo has rights,would he arrest the pregnant women who drinks and smokes?

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Dennis Taylor

3:52 pm on Friday, August 24, 2012

I take it you have never seen a baby in the NICU ward at the Elliot who had to suffer from crack or other drug exposure while his mother made all sorts of "choices." If you suffered from a selfish and careless mother who damaged your brain by drinking, would you just shrug it off as your problem or would you seek and pay for medical help--and be pretty angry about the damage your mom did to you? I am guessing that you think your mother's choice to drink and smoke is one that all of us should pay for.

Peggy L. Trivilino

11:13 pm on Wednesday, August 22, 2012

It's quite obvious that Frank Szabo has no background in law or law enforcement, either civil or criminal. If he did, he would know that "legal" and "lawful" are synonymous by dictionary definition. And since his insistence that the two concepts are, indeed, not equivalent in meaning, that is the basis of his whole "deadly force" premise, how can we trust that he has a rational grasp of just about anything else?

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Shaina Carey

11:15 pm on Wednesday, August 22, 2012

8 cells old. *Gasps* I guess if your wife had a miscarriage you would have thrown her in jail

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Joe Avalos

7:45 am on Thursday, August 23, 2012

Conservatives like this advocate abstinence, no abortion, in all cases. When these 14 year olds , who are not mature enough to take care of themselves have children, men like this complain angrily because the are on welfare, food stamps and public housing. Their actions have been the cause of so many of our children raising children who can't take care of themselves. Are conservatives really this ignorant ?

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Margaret

8:56 am on Thursday, August 23, 2012

The more they talk the more we see the type of government and repression that would come from the republican party.

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Pete Stillman

12:27 pm on Thursday, August 23, 2012

LOL! So this is why my sister-in-law calls NH "Ignoramia"!

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Alan Thomas

3:01 pm on Thursday, August 23, 2012

I find this guy as horrifying as anyone, but I do feel that it should be pointed out that his argument does have a legitimate intellectual pedigree. The economist and philosopher Friedrich Hayek (1899-1992) made a similar distinction between "law" and "legislation". He took the former to be an inherent underlying element of social order, regardless of what legislation a government might pass. A good government, he believed, would pass legislation that dovetailed with law rather than working at cross purposes.

Hayek said he was not a conservative, but his works are certainly studied, and his views espoused, mainly by conservatives and libertarians of an intellectual bent.

Hayek is no fringe figure: he was a Nobel laureate, and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by George H.W. Bush in 1991.

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bob

6:13 pm on Thursday, August 23, 2012

I find that conservatives and libertarians who cite political works such as Hayeks rarely understand the larger context within which they were written, and quote passages and ideas free from any contextual anchors, thereby giving them free rein to misapply and mis-construe the main points and any conclusions of arguements reached using them. In short, they take just what they want and use as they see fit. For an example, see Glen Beck.

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Sharon LaCouture

6:44 pm on Thursday, August 23, 2012

Why hasn't New Hampshire candidate for Sheriff Frank Szabo been arrested for making a threat to murder ANY Doctor he determines to be performing an {illegal} abortion. [which seems it means 'in his opinion' which makes him a dangerous man and a threat to anyone who performs this medical procedure. he should be arrested and ordered by the court to undergo a psychiatric evaluation [say, like maybe from now until AFTER the election]

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Dennis Taylor

3:58 pm on Friday, August 24, 2012

I assume they are on hold on the phone lines of Attorney General Eric Holder, behind the decent folks who feel threatened by the New Black Panther's illegal offer of a bounty for the kidnapping of defendant Zimmerman. Holder has to work on a first-in, first-adjudicated basis if he is to be seen as having any integrity, does he not?

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