Criticism Kills

That's the opinion of at least one judge who thinks that some of the recent violence that has been committed in America's courtrooms are, in part, the result of criticisms directed at judges by politicians.

"Fostering disrespect for judges can only encourage those that are on the edge of the fringe to exact revenge on a judge who ruled against them," [Judge Joan] Lefkow said.

Unless the rhetoric actually advocates revenge, this argument is as nonsensical as the argument that banning guns will prevent crazy people from committing murder.

I don't know what Lefkow's political leanings are, but I wonder if she thinks the sliming of President Bush's judicial nominees by the Democrats, and the Left in general, falls within the scope of disrespect for judges that she believes Congress has a duty not to foster.

Update: The article doesn't explicitly say it, but I think it pretty clearly reveals Lefkow's politics.

Update 2: Actually, it's a joke that came to mind after reading Lefkow's dumb suggestion that being "harshly" critical of a judge is the same as telling someone to murder that judge. As told to me by someone at my firm: What do you call a lawyer with a 30 IQ? Your Honor.