Pardon Me

 

"In a profit-driven society, you'd be foolish to think people will adhere to an honor system." 

Dr. BLR

 

When I was growing up, my mother always told me to be respectful. I thought this meant that when you step in front of someone, you say "pardon me" or "excuse me." Either would suffice to show respect. However, the phrase "pardon me" has taken on a very different meaning.

The practice of granting pardons is rooted in the Constitution, specifically in Article II, Section 2, which states, “the President has the authority to ‘grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offenses against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.’” These same powers were recognized at the state level during the 19th and early 20th centuries. 

I didn’t pay attention to any of this political rambling because I’m just one person with the right to vote for a politician, but I understand they’ll do whatever they want anyway. They all lie. So why am I writing about this topic now? 

When President Trump was reelected, he did the unthinkable. He pardoned the January 6th rioters who stormed the Capitol Building, an act that ultimately cost a few police officers their lives. I watched, like millions of others around the world, as these criminals caused damage and instilled fear in scores of people. I later learned that at least one of the rioters was a retired New Jersey state trooper I knew, the son of a former sergeant I worked for in the late 1980s. Coincidentally, that former sergeant also had another son who worked for the United States Secret Service and was assigned to the protection detail for former First Lady Michele Obama. 

As a retired law enforcement officer, I am offended that the lives of police officers were lost in vain. As a “pro” police president, he showed he couldn’t care less unless he’s pandering for support. The police officers who support these pardons are a disgrace and should turn in their badges. The world recognized that President Trump was going to be different this time around. He recently pardoned the convicted drug-smuggling former President of Honduras, Juan Orlando Hernandez, while at the same time killing alleged drug smugglers from Venezuela and kidnapping the sitting President of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro. I don’t know the inner workings of his actions, but the optics are foul. 

Nonetheless, President Trump was no different from his predecessor, President Biden, who, in his final days, pardoned his son because he knew President Trump would try to prosecute him at no cost. While I didn’t like the self-avowed pro-Zionist President Biden, as a father, I understood why he needed to protect his son. 

A deep dive into the history of presidential pardons will undoubtedly show that some truly horrible people were given a second chance. Moreover, many of those pardoned were well-connected politically or financially. So, what does this power say about the criminal justice system? I will say the quiet part out loud, “It fucking sucks and is unfair!” If this perk doesn’t apply to every American citizen, then it shouldn’t be afforded to anyone.

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