Arkansas Republican endorses death penalty for children

A man running as a Republican for State Representative in Arkansas published a book in which he endorses the death penalty for rebellious children and much, much more.

In his book "God's Law: The Only Political Solution," published in April, former Arkansas Department of Human Services attorney Charlie Fuqua explains that he supports killing wayward kids because that's what a Bronze Age tribe did in his favorite religious text.

"The maintenance of civil order in society rests on the foundation of family discipline," he wrote, according to an excerpt published by The Arkansas Times. "Therefore, a child who disrespects his parents must be permanently removed from society in a way that gives an example to all other children of the importance of respect for parents. The death penalty for rebellioius children is not something to be taken lightly. The guidelines for administering the death penalty to rebellious children are given in Deut 21:18-21."

He goes on to write: "Even though this procedure would rarely be used, if it were the law of land, it would give parents authority. Children would know that their parents had authority and it would be a tremendous incentive for children to give proper respect to their parents."

Fuqua's run is being bankrolled by established Republicans in the state, including the party itself and the House Republican Leadership PAC. Spokeswoman Katherine Vasilos told Raw Story in an email that the Republican Party of Arkansas had no plans to make financial contributions to Fuqua in the future.

In his book, Fuquoa also expresses his opposition to paying minimum wage, funding public education and what he calls the "Muslim problem," which he believes could be dealt with by expelling all the Muslims from America. He adds that prisoners who cannot be rehabilitated within two years should just be executed to save money.

And in a diatribe published to his campaign website, Fuqua explains that liberals and Muslims have formed a "strange alliance" around their links to the "antichrist," because, as he explains, "they both deny that Jesus is God in the flesh of man, and the savior of mankind. They both also hold that their cause should take over the entire world through violent, bloody, revolution. Both want to end freedom of speech so that their doctrine cannot be criticized. Neither can survive in a free marketplace of ideas."

He's running against incumbent State Rep. James McLean (D), a conservative Democrat with an A- rating from the National Rifle Association.

[Ed. note: Updated after publication]