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The concept of diplomatic immunity has been troublesome for many Americans since its inception. The fact that a foreigner can come to the United States, commit a serious crime, and get away without any punishment through our criminal justice system is infuriating. But that is what our laws provide since our national representatives are supposed to get the same treatment from other countries.
But stories like one this week, which happened a few miles from my home, call into question the wisdom of diplomatic immunity.
It seems the ambassador from the tiny African nation of Equatorial Guinea was a very bad father, to say the least, this past week. For reasons as yet unknown–and which possibly may never be known–Ruben Maye Nsue Mangue took a chair leg and beat the hell out of his 16-year-old daughter. Someone at the family’s residence in an upscale neighborhood of Arlington, Virginia, called 911 and reported the beating on Monday, August 25. When police responded, they found the daughter bleeding and battered, and she had to be taken to the hospital for treatment.
None of the pictures of Mangue that have been published in the media I have reviewed show the image below of the Ambassador with President Obama, even though this photo is displayed prominently on the Flickr account of Equatorial Guinea.
What I am wondering is this: Did Mr. Obama have a discussion with Mr. Mangue about the real War on Women that is inherent in domestic violence? If not, maybe Obama should extend another invitation to his fellow African to give him some pointers on how to control his anger and to pick someone of his own sex.
Better yet, Equatorial Guinea’s government should waive diplomatic immunity in this case and let Mr. Mangue see what happens to men who wage a war on women, especially their own daughters. The country should follow the lead of the Vatican this past week in waiving diplomatic immunity for a defrocked priest who had served as the Vatican’s Ambassador to the Dominican Republic. Rev. Federico Lombardi allegedly molested young boys in the island country. It is right that he should stand trial there and be subjected to the lawful punishment that is meted out by the courts and the people of that country if he is convicted of of perpetrating the crimes.
Meanwhile this young 16-year-old girl, daughter of an African Ambassador, has to start school this week in Arlington with the bruises and lacerations that her father inflicted upon her less than a week ago. As if growing up these days wasn’t hard enough, the local headlines about the Ambassador beating up his daughter is likely to bring unwanted scrutiny to this young girl.
It is time real perpetrators in the War on Women are held responsible. Waiver of diplomatic immunity in the Mangue case is a good place to start. Are you listening, ?
The answer is simple, since his country will never waive diplomatic immunity: simply inform Equatorial Guinea that Mr Mangue is no longer acceptable to us as their ambassador, and he is to leave the country within 72 hours.
My city/county is run by liberals, so they would never criticize him. He will remain, and I will be behind the likes of him driving into the District tomorrow. He will weave and speed through traffic. Par for the course. I see cars with diplomat tags every day where they ignore traffic signs and lane markings. We mere citizens cannot win.
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