Friday, January 16, 2009

President Bush and his pardons

I totally do not understand him. I have no idea why he has the ability to pardon and he uses it in such strange cases (often involving drugs or really minor offenses) and totally ignores cases that are pleading for his help.

I have no idea why he has not pardoned or at least commuted the sentences of the border guards who were unjustly imprisoned for wounding some illegal drug dealer. I get why the jury might have been feeling they had to be sticklers with these cases but if ever there were cases that scream for a pardon it is these. Is President Bush using bad judgment or his "advisers?" We can only continue to wonder.

I also would not have minded seeing President Bush pardon a number of veterans who are convicted of non-violent crimes. While being a vet doesn't buy the right to break the law, again, that is what pardons and mercy are supposed to be about. Who shouldn't we look to first but those who served our country and then made serious but non-violent mistakes when thinking about mercy and pardon?

This pattern of his is one of the things I plain do not understand about him. You know what it's like? He has pardon and mercy capability but plays only "small ball" with it. If you are a baseball fan you know what I mean.

Jeepers, do the right thing in the remaining days.