Our founding fathers, understanding that laws and their administrations are imperfect and that special circumstances merit special treatment, provided the president with the power to pardon individuals convicted of a federal crime.
(“The President … shall have Power to Grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offenses against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.” Article 2, Section one, U. S. Constitution.)
Yet we are told by the Associated Press that “President Barack Obama has granted the first pardons of his presidency, to nine people convicted of crimes including possessing drugs, counterfeiting and even mutilating coins.
“No one well-known was on the list, and some of the crimes dated back decades or had drawn little more than a slap on the wrist in the first place — such as the Pennsylvania man sentenced in 1963 to probation and a $20 fine for mutilating coins. “
Whether to blame Attorney General Eric Holder for such timidity or it is the desire of President Barack Obama to avoid criticism, we cannot tell. The Hebrew – Christian tradition (probably also among others) teaches us to combine justice with mercy. Clearly there are persons languishing in prison where all indications are that for the sake of justice and mercy they should be set free.
