Should the U.S.A. stop Diplomatic Immunity?

Question

We are allowing too many diplomats to come here and do as they may, should we hold them to the laws of their own country insteas of giving the often ove rused "Diplomatic Immunity" excuse?

Answer 1

YES!  Diplomats get a free pass to break the laws here in the USA.  It is bull doodie.  They shoul dbe held responsible when they break the law just as with any other visitor to this country.  No special treatment.

Answer 2

hm...if US stop diplomatic immunity towards other counties and other countries will stop it towards US as well.

So...I dont' know

Answer 3

What is your evidence that diplomats "come here and do as they may"?  

Some people have seen that "Lethal Weapon" movie too many times -- you know, the one where the South African diplomats are going around dealing drugs and killing people under "diplomatic immunity."  

Real life doesn't work that way.    Any country that allowed its diplomats to behave that way would be guilty of state-sponsored terrorism -- and that's not a light charge.

It's actually very rare for a diplomat to commit a serious crime.   They would be persona non grata not only in our country, but in their own.  

In addition, a diplomat who commits a serious crime would face the prospect of his/her country WAIVING diplomatic immunity -- which would mean that the diplomat could face charges for the crime after all.    If they weren't charged in our country, they could very well be charged in their own.

Even when criminal charges can't be filed, the diplomat would almost certainly be expelled from the country -- and as for their home country, their diplomatic career would be over.   It would all look very bad on a resume.

Again, it's a MYTH to believe that foreign diplomats are running around committing serious crimes and getting away with them due to diplomatic immunity.    If they do anything wrong, it's usually something like not paying their parking tickets.

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Answer 4

Ummm... it works both ways.  Our foreign service personnel are protected by reciprocal diplomatic immunity, and we'd probably shut down our embassies if they weren't.

Answer 5

We can't.  Renouncing diplomatic immunity is like shooting someone carrying a white flag. We might as well renounce the Constitution, or the Geneva Convention.  

Historically, it is mentioned in the bible before the 10 commandments.  The Mongols used to kill every man woman and child in a city that killed one of their diplomats.  It was formally recognized at the Congress of Vienna in 1814.  If we renounced it, every US Embassy could be seized and every Ambassador would be subject to immediate arrest and imprisonment. It would be the Iran Hostage crises times 300.

Answer 6

Consider the possibility that one of the WTC terrorists is a diplomat and he feels like blowing up a building because Osama's iliterate girl friend couldnt get a job there.  (You really should know how to read and write before looking for a job in New York)

There is a limit on what kinds of activities the diplomat would want to do, go into a grocery and start shooting the cashier with his Beretta because he didn't understand how to put the charge card in the reader and the food there violated his tribal dietary restrictions.????

In this case he should be sent to the state mental ward in a foreign country for a brief rest.

Answer 7

There is a point to diplomatic immunity as a reciprocal agreement.  Without it, the system will break down.  You've watched Lehtal Weapon 2 too many times.

Answer 8

If these Diplomates come here, into our country, they need to follow OUR LAWS.  I would think just because these people are "Diplomates", that they should not be treated any differently than the Citizens of this country.