08-26-2017, 02:12 PM
(08-26-2017, 12:44 PM)Sociopathicsteelerfan Wrote: Absolutely, a pardon is much different than clemency. An argument could also be made that a man who served his nation in various capacities for over fifty years is different from an unrepentant terrorist or a service member who dumps hundreds of thousands of classified documents on the internet because feelings.
It's not just Manning, although I have a strong suspicion that if Manning was a regular dude and not a trans woman he wouldn't have gotten clemency. He also released convicted criminals with felony convictions and a complete piece of shit in Oscar Lopez Rivera. Left wing celebrities ate that one up. I mean he was only a leader in an active terrorist organization that killed people. Not only that, he has never shown any remorse and maintains his cause is just.
Honestly, I couldn't have told you who Obama used the power for. I will say that I'm not a fan of the power being used at all unless there is something that comes up after conviction that points to innocence or there are some extreme circumstances. I see it as something that is ripe for abuse, and it has been shown that people are willing to abuse it.
(08-26-2017, 12:44 PM)Sociopathicsteelerfan Wrote: You could interpret it that way if you desire to. You could also see it as pardoning the actions of an 85 year old man with a long history of public service. At the end of the day we're talking about a misdemeanor he wouldn't have served a day of custody time over. Be for the pardon or against it, the pardon, in essence, just clears Arpaio of having a criminal record and having to do some community service. Yes, I get your point about the precedent and the message it sends. That's why I counter with Obama granting clemency to far more suspect people.
I can think of quite a few people that have long histories of public service but were shitty public servants. I don't give credit to people for public service that do things like Arpaio because he wasn't serving the public. If you swear an oath to uphold the law of the land, and then violate the civil liberties of those under your jurisdiction, you're a shitty public servant. I know that law enforcement is very often a thankless task. Before he moved from being an officer to being an elected official, maybe he wasn't so bad; I don't know his employment history. But his record as a political figure (because that is primarily what a Sheriff is, and I know you know, but I just like to make things clear) has been less than stellar in that regard and he has not served the public's best interests.
