No – it’s a disgrace that goes by the name of Lorain County Common Pleas Judge James Burge. And how do you even begin to describe the awfulness of this picture?
First of all, the only difference between Che and Hitler or Stalin is scope – all were murderers in the name of tyranny, but Che didn’t have quite as much blood on his hands. So why would a judge lionize this man? And why does he not face the universal condemnation anyone would face had he been photographed with a framed poster of Der Fuhrer behind his desk? The irony is that this picture comes from a story about his ruling against the death penalty. I wonder how much time Che spent pondering the pain his methods of capital punishment might cause? He certainly had enough opportunities…
Even if Che wasn’t a brutal murderer, he certainly didn’t believe in the rule of law. He said, “To send men to the firing squad, judicial proof is unnecessary…These procedures are an archaic bourgeois detail.” When a man whose sole job is to uphold the law so openly admires a figure so famous for disregarding it, the people living within his jurisdiction should be most frightened.
Second, how inappropriate is it to have a gigantic poster of a presidential candidate in your chambers? Judges must be apolitical, at least at work. The appearance of neutrality is central to the legitimacy of the judiciary. Judges are human and have their biases, but to have this huge display of partisanship to to announce that you aren’t even trying.
To have this in his office is to proclaim, “I am an advocate for liberal causes.” To say it another way, “Even if the law is on your side, if you represent something I don’t like politically, expect me to rule against you. And even if the law is not on your side, appease me politically and I’ll show you favor from the bench.”
And finally, if you really care about Obama, why would you put these two together and then ensure the media photographs it? Doesn’t he at least understand most of the population isn’t so keen on communists? If nothing else, it speaks most poorly for his judgement.
Another thought – that’s a scary Obama poster, and not one I’ve ever seen before. It is of a particular style of propaganda art that recalls the glory of The State, and the cult of personality that so defines a fascist nation. Obama is still very much a blank slate upon which anyone’s dreams of an ideal candidate can be projected, and it says a lot about judge Burge that he sees Obama as a figure on the level of Che Guevera – and that he thinks it’s a good thing.
It is amazing that someone educated enough to become a judge sees no problem with this. It’s unfortunate that he didn’t choose to join the revolution down in Cuba, where he could see his hero’s handywork up close and personal. Maybe he could even become a criminal defense attorney there, and see how far he gets challenging the man and bucking the system in that tropical worker’s paradise. At the very least, our country would be improved by his absence.
