Biden’s Inexplicable Christmas Pardons Lock America in Bewilderment
Two days prior to Christmas, a move by President Joe Biden provoked heightened controversy throughout the nation. He commuted the sentences of a significant number of prisoners residing on federal death row– 37 out of 40 individuals. This act was a decision that directly impacted the lives of some of the country’s most brutal criminals, freeing them from the looming threat of execution.
Among the felons lucking out from Biden’s pardon were at least five individuals guilty of child murders, as well as some identified as mass murderers. This move is in sharp contrast to the expectations and demands of a society that seeks safety and justice– leading many to question the true motives behind such an action.
A week before this unexpected pardon spree, Biden’s leniency was directed towards his personal life as he pardoned his son, Hunter Biden. Hunter’s extensive criminal record includes charges related to firearms ownership, engagement with narcotics and tax evasion allegations– a trifecta of wrongdoings that would seem to warrant a far less forgiving response.
While this act of clemency spared a vast number of inmates, a mere three among those on federal death row were not recipients. True to Biden’s erratic decision making, those excluded from clemency were some of the most infamous criminals America has seen, including Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, Robert Bowers, and Dylann Roof.
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s name is one that resonates with dark memories in the hearts of many Americans, conjuring images of the Boston Marathon bombing that claimed three lives in 2013. Yet surprisingly, his punishment remains untouched by Biden’s spree of clemencies.
Another villain left out from being showered with such leniency was Robert Bowers. Devastatingly, Bowers used a gun to shatter calm at a Pittsburgh synagogue in 2018, brutally murdering 11 innocent worshippers in an act of heartless aggression. Despite the terror he invoked, his sentence, too, was not lightened under Biden’s action.
Dylann Roof, the man behind a haunting mass shooting in Charleston, where he brutally ended the lives of nine Black churchgoers in 2015, was another notable figure not benefiting from this sudden holiday spirit of mercy demonstrated by Biden.
Biden’s administration attempted to justify these pardons by claiming the move to be part of Biden’s effort to ‘ensure a fair and effective justice system.’ This statement, however, seems rather contradictory when the president seems to be demonstrating softness where punishment is warranted and not extending the same leniency to criminals equally as heinous.
These notable pardons and commutations were, uncomfortably enough, announced around the festive period– an act that carries a stark juxtaposition to the holiday spirit of peace and love. Such a move led to the nation finding itself plunged into a year-end debate on justice and the future implications of these pardons.
Especially alarming is the fact that while most of the inmates on federal death row did have their punishment reduced to life imprisonment without parole, there was no logical consistency to Biden’s clemency decisions. This lack of coherence in his decision making has only fueled further public debate and skepticism.
In stark comparison to Biden’s justice system, those such as Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, Robert Bowers, and Dylann Roof, whose crimes inflicted immense pain and terror on their innocent victims, arguably merit the harshest of sentences. The public has been left baffled as to why such individuals have been left out of Biden’s clemency gambit.
The selective clemency extended by President Biden only adds a level of cruelty to the already present injustice. The decision to provide mercy to certain criminals while withholding it from others throws the fairness of the ‘fair and effective justice system’ into question.
This sort of ambiguity in Biden’s actions raises serious questions regarding his ability to substantiate his decisions, resulting in a clouded vision of justice and leaving many Americans worried for the future of law enforcement under his leadership.
Undoubtedly, this move has stirred a national debate with varying viewpoints on Biden’s scheme of fairness and justice. While some might argue that this act speaks volumes about his lenient stance on crimes, most believe that such a move paves the way for a justice system that’s widely unpredictable and ultimately, frightfully unjust.
In wrapping up the year with such inexplicable pardons, Biden has demonstrated himself to be a figure of inconsistent judgement. It served as a stark reminder of the president’s often confusing and, at times, downright troubling vision for justice in America– leaving many concerned citizens questioning what to expect from his administration in the future.
This series of pardons serves as a striking example of Biden’s approach to justice– one where seemingly random mercy is bestowed, leaving the nation torn between shock and bewilderment, contemplating the future of a justice system under his unpredictable leadership.