On Monday, New York resident Patrick Carlineo pleaded guilty to threatening to shoot and kill Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar in March after calling her a “terrorist.”
Rep. Ilhan Omar has called for “a system of compassion to be applied” in sentencing a man who threatened to kill her earlier this year.
In a letter to District Judge Frank Geraci in New York on Tuesday, the Democratic Congresswoman specifically stressed the seriousness of Patrick Carlineo's crime, which “was a threat against an entire religion, at a time of rising hate crime against religious minorities in our country”.
Omar warned against responding to acts of political retribution “with retribution ourselves”, adding that “the answer to hate is not more hate; it is compassion”.
She called for a “restorative justice” approach toward Carlineo, insisting that “punishing the defendant with a lengthy prison sentence or a burdensome financial fine would not rehabilitate him”. If convicted, Carlineo will face up to 10 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine.
“It would not repair the harm he has caused. It would only increase his anger and resentment,” Omar wrote, adding that a punitive approach will not prevent criminals like Carlineo from committing a crime again.
“He should understand the consequences of his actions, be given the opportunity to make amends and seek redemption”, according to Omar.
She concluded by quoting Nelson Mandela as saying once…
