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No Bark, No Bite
So Why is the Hawaii Congressional Delegation Ignoring Duane 'Dog' Chapman While 29 Republican Congressmen Come to the Rescue?
By Malia Zimmerman, 10/11/2006 10:27:49 AM

Twenty-nine U.S. Congressmen sent a letter on Sept. 29 to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice requesting that she deny the extraction of Hawaii resident and A&E television star Duane “Dog” Chapman to Mexico.

Duane "Dog" Chapman, 53, his son Leland Chapman, 29, and his brother Timothy Chapman, 41, were arrested in Mexico in 2003 after they apprehended the Max Factor heir and convicted serial rapist, Andrew Luster, who skipped out of California to Mexico in the middle of his trial.

Bounty hunting is illegal in Mexico and now the Mexican government is seeking the extradition of the Chapmans to Mexico to be sentenced for their supposed crimes.

Instead of defending three citizens who have collectively rounded up an estimated 6,000 bail jumpers and criminals in the last quarter of a century, through their offices on three Hawaiian islands, the U.S. government is willing to turn them over to what could essentially turn out to be their death sentence. Mexican prisons are not patrolled by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and prisoners don’t have cable television, private cells, and three meals a day or the same rights as they would in America.

Congressman Tom Tancredo, R-CO, one of the 29 Congressmen, who was outraged at the U.S. government’s treatment of the Chapmans, writes in a press statement issued Tuesday: “Thanks to Mr. Chapman, Luster is now serving a 124-year sentence. It seems that Mexican authorities are pressing this case only because they are so stung by the embarrassment of failing where Mr. Chapman succeeded.”


Beth and Duane "Dog" Chapman.

The question for everyone in Hawaii is where is the Hawaii Congressional delegation on this issue? They have not helped the Chapmans. They have remained silent, while thousands of people throughout Hawaii and the rest of the country have demanded justice for the Chapmans.

The four Hawaii Democrats in Congress -- U.S. Senators Daniel Inouye and Daniel Akaka and U.S. Representatives Neil Abercrombie and Ed Case -- did not join the 29 Republican Congressmen in their plea to Condoleezza Rice on behalf of the Chapmans. Even the powerful Hawaii Senior Senator Daniel Inouye has not uttered a word.

The Chapmans are well known for their reality show on A&E, based on their work in Hawaii and the mainland as bounty hunters where they chase down and apprehend criminals who've violated the terms of their bail. They not only put on a popular entertaining show and promote law and order, but they run a compassionate and conservative operation through their business, Da Kine Bail Bonds. They pray during every television episode before they apprehend a suspect. They preach to the suspects about Jesus Christ, getting off of drugs, and turning their life around. And they even feature a picture of President George W. Bush in their shows.

Could it be the Hawaii delegation does not want to help a Republican, conservative, Christian family -- even if they are constituents?

Case did write to the U.S. Department of Justice for an explanation of the Chapmans’ arrest and received a response seen here Chapman Letter -- But there has been no public follow-up -- and he has not returned calls to Hawaii Reporter about the Chapmans. Even if Hawaii's delegation weren't "asked" officially to intervene - why should they be? They should just get involved - as the Republicans did - without being invited.

The people of Hawaii and the people all across the country who are grateful to the Chapmans for putting Luster and 6,000 other criminals behind bars, should be outraged and demand an explanation from Hawaii’s congressional delegation. They are supposed to serve the people, not ignore them, in their greatest hour of need.