Austrians Against Arnold

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's hometown of Graz, Austria has taken their favorite son's name off the local sports arena. From the International Herald Tribune's account:

The stadium had been named after Schwarzenegger in 1997 as an act of a kind of fealty toward the poor farmer's son and international celebrity who, though born in a little village nearby, was educated in Graz and has always readily identified it as his native place.

But when Schwarzenegger, now governor of California, declined to commute the death sentence for Stanley Tookie Williams, the former Los Angeles gang leader who was executed in California two weeks ago, the reaction in Graz, where the death penalty is seen as a medieval atrocity, was swift and angry.

Christ, where was the outrage when Jingle All the Way came out?

According to a local poll, 70 percent of Grazians (?) wanted the name to stay, but hell, they live in a democracy, so their votes don't count. And among the proposed names to replace Arnold's? Some want it to be called after the Crips, Tookie Williams' old club.

Whole thing here.

Comments

[Homeland Stupidity]

Schwarzenegger ASKED the city to stop using his name, according to the Associated Press.

[Pro Libertate]

I heard on the radio that the city was debating taking his name off of the stadium, and his response was to tell them to damn well take his name off and to go to Hell. Interesting, if true.

[Ken]

Arnold demanded that they take his name off the stadium and that they not use his name in ANY connection with Graz.

He also sent back a ring they had presented to them.

Maybe Graz would be a good place to exile all murderers, since they seem to like them so?

[Chris]

"Crips Stadium" has a nice ring to it, although I still prefer Monster Park.

[Jim Murphy]

....the "Tookie Dome" sounds pretty good to me

[Mike H.]

I hate people.

[PapayaSF]

the reaction in Graz, where the death penalty is seen as a medieval atrocity

One sees many references in the media to how our European betters see us as barbarians for having the death penalty, but I've also seen surveys that indicate majorities in many European countries are fine with it. Thus the criticism seems to come from political and media elites who may not represent actual democratic sentiment.

[Phil Hartman's Ghost]

Arnold was excellent in Jingle All the Way, as were Sinbad and Phil Hartman. The blame for that movie rests squarely on the kid, who, not content to destroy that movie, went on to obliterate the Star Wars picture where he played young Annikan. If killing movies were a capital offense, that kid would have been executed along with Tookie.

[Rhywun]

Grazians (?)

The word you're looking for is "Grazer".

Speaking of Arnold... has anyone else been amused by the righteous indignation on display against Arnold in Hollywood et al., given that he's likely the "kindest, gentlest" Republican around? The anger vented at his very modest reform proposals was quite a spectacle. It reminds me of Cathy Young's article from, oh, a couple hours ago.

[mediageek]

"Christ, where was the outrage when Jingle All the Way came out?"

Comedy gold.

[Fartre]

Austria abolished the death penalty in 1968.

That's easily the most defensible date I've ever seen proposed as the end of Medieval Europe.

Well-spotted, IHT.

[Isaac Bartram]

According to a local poll, 70 percent of Grazians (?) wanted the name to stay, but hell, they live in a democracy, so their votes don't count.

From what I've read, capital punishment enjoys roughly the same level of support in some Euro-lands. Apparently numbers don't matter. 🙂

Thus the criticism seems to come from political and media elites who may not represent actual democratic sentiment.

I think PapayaSF has it about right. But there are many other things that I would also rather not see subject to "actual democratic sentiment".

[Bonar Law]

"Vy did Arnold haf to kill Tookie Villiams? It's not as if Tookie vas Jewish or anyzink like zat."

[yupitsme]

I don't hate people, but I feel much better when they're not around.

[Douglas Fletcher]

Wasntt he really telling them to stuff it way back when he decided he had a better future coming here with $50 bucks in his pocket and not speaking the language, instead of staying home in Graz?

[MJ]

Supposedly, the people who think of the US as barbarians for having the death penalty would like to rename the stadium after a convicted multiple murderer or the gang of thugs he led? I see no shame in our country being thought poorly of by such obvious fools.

[andy]

MJ,
I'm sure that the fucknuts who want the stadium called "Die Krips" or whatever are in the vast minority. Reactionary, unthinkingly reflexive-acting fools can be found in any country.

[New Balance 574 jabz]

a great man want to contributeto his hometown