Wallace's shooter may be released from prison

The South Alabamian ^ | 8/31/07 | Bob Martin

[Santa Fe_Conservative]

George Wallace, Jr. revealed a poignant moment in the life of his father last week following the story that the former governor's assailant, Arthur Bremer, was to be released from prison in Maryland later this year.

Wallace told Mobile Press-Register capitol reporter Brian Lyman, who first broke the story, that his father wrote Bremer in 1995 telling him that he forgave him. Lyman quoted the younger Wallace as saying…"I asked my father about it one night, and he didn't hesitate. He said, 'Oh son, if I can't forgive him, the Lord won't forgive me."

Bremer, a 21-year-old bus boy and janitor from Milwaukee, shot Wallace in the parking lot of a Laurel, Md. Shopping center, paralyzing the 52-year-old governor for life. He wounded three others, including Alabama State Trooper, the late Capt. E. C. Dothard.

Wallace was in his prime …running again for the White House. He led off with a victory in the Florida Democratic Primary and carried every county in the state. Although the Bremer shooting spelled the end of Wallace's presidential bid, he went on after the shooting to win presidential primary victories in Maryland, Michigan, Tennessee and North Carolina.

Reliving those days in 1972 caused me to think back about where I was when I learned of the Wallace shooting on May 15, 1972 and a couple of other important events. I was in the offices of The Anniston Star when I learned that Wallace had been shot. I was a young.

[Santa Fe_Conservative]

An interesting read!

[Obadiah]

I know Wallace had a change of heart later in life, but it is an important point of historical fact that Wallace was a Democrat and at the time he was a Democrat he opposed almost all forms of civil rights involving minorities.

[kbennkc]

I am all for forgiving him , but just keep him in prison like Manson and Sirhan .

[Logophile]

I fail to see the difference between “attempted murder” and “murder.”

The difference is competence and (perhaps) luck. The intent is the same.

[Sonny M]

I remember reading something about him in the mid 90's after Wallace had written to him (he never wrote back, and this was after Wallace had died), that he was still pretty mentally unstable, but was very smart, and the feeling was, just as dangerious.

He also didn't seem to have any remorse.

Letting him out, might not be a good idea.

[MIchaelTArchangel]

Free Sirhan Sirhan!

And give him a ticket to Hyannisport!

[buccaneer81]

Hell, they'll let Hinckley out next.

We are soft. And we're going to pay for it someday.