There aren’t a lot of World War II vets around anymore.  Their service to our country has given rise to the name, “The Greatest Generation.”  But that doesn’t mean that any particular vet has the greatest ideas.  Even 91 year old Martin Harty, first-term state representative from Barrington, New Hampshire. 

From the Concord Monitor :

A 91-year-old state representative told a constituent that he believes in eugenics and that the world would be better off without “defective people.”

Barrington Republican Martin Harty told Sharon Omand, a Strafford resident who manages a community mental health program, that “the world is too populated” and there are “too many defective people,” according to an e-mail account of the conversation by Omand. Asked what he meant, she said Harty clarified, “You know the mentally ill, the retarded, people with physical disabilities and drug addictions – the defective people society would be better off without.”

There’s something about being 91 years old, whether it’s the disinhibition of old age or the onset of senile dementia.  Word around the statehouse if that Harty isnt turning out to be the most effective legislator.

Colleagues say he is hard of hearing and has appeared confused in recent House sessions.

“He’s shown signs of great confusion in committee in terms of House process and content,” said Rep. Marilinda Garcia, a Salem Republican who serves with Harty on the House Legislative Administration Committee.

So why is he tolerated?

Rep. Jon Richardson, an Allenstown Republican on the Legislative Administration Committee, said he does not condone Harty’s comments on any level, but he takes into account the fact that Harty is a World War II veteran in his 90s.

House Speaker William O’Brien said in a statement that he does not endorse Harty’s comments but respects “his longstanding commitment to protect the values we cherish.”

“As someone who served in General Patton’s Army in North Africa and Italy against dictators like Hitler and Mussolini, he has given far more to our country and our ideals than most of us ever will,” O’Brien said.

That may well be true, but at what point does the free pass for a World War II vet expire?  One can certainly respect and honor the sacrifice a soldier made for his country while recognizing that his brain is past its prime. 

My father is a World War II veteran as well, having earned his bronze star and three purple hearts.  It wasn’t until he reached his 80s that he was ready to talk about his time in the Ardennes Forest.  His stories were compelling, horrifying and fascinating. And if my father ran for office, I wouldn’t vote for him.  He is still a wonderful raconteur, but his finger is no longer on the pulse of the nation.  To his credit, he knows it.

Martin Harty, for reasons unknown, felt that he would make a good state rep at the age of 91.  Apparently, enough of his constituents agreed to elect him. I’m going to take a complete leap of faith and guess that he didn’t run on the eugenics platform.  His initiative, then, might come as a bit of a surprise, maybe even an embarrassment, to the good citizens of his district.

Of course, Harty has lived a good long time, and may believe that his experiences combined with the unlikelihood of his running for re-election, allows him to speak his mind on issues of controversy.  Thus, Harty elucidates:

Harty said nature has a way of “getting rid of stupid people,” and “now we’re saving everyone who gets born.”

Omand says Harty then stated, “I wish we had a Siberia so we could ship them all off to freeze to death and die and clean up the population.”

Harty told the Monitor he was “just kidding” about Siberia.

Before you dismiss Harty out of hand for being some crazy old coot, his ideas are not without their cultural and historical foundations.  Consider  how the Inuits use to put the non-productive members of their family during times of famine onto an ice floe and let them drift out to sea.  Of course, those weren’t the mentally ill, or even the terminally stupid.  Those were the old folks and the practice is called senilicide.

Maybe Harty isn’t as crazy as he seems.  Just misdirected? Only kidding, as the really nutty ones here are the people who voted for this honorable World War II veteran to represent them in the state legislature.  What the heck were they thinking?

Update:  Even service in WWII  wasn’t enough to carry him through:

State Rep. Martin Harty (R-NH) has resigned from the New Hampshire House of Representatives following his comment to a constituent that mentally challenged people and other “defective” people should die in a modern-day Siberia.

New Hampshire Republican leaders are searching for ice floes.