Joe Biden’s final days in the office are unwinding amidst an escalating pressure that emphasizes his incompetence and a questionable personal angle that has been introduced recently. His flawed approach towards the death penalty issue is yet another glaring example of how he has failed to fulfill his campaign promises. Critics argue that he should commute the sentences of death row inmates to prevent another potential Trump-enforced advancement in federal death penalty cases in the coming year. However, this idea finds little support among rational thinkers considering the gravity of the crimes committed.
Pope Francis, the highest Catholic authority worldwide is now taking part in the pressure, for which Biden has been showing misguided respect. During his prayers at St. Peter’s Square on Sunday, he shared his thoughts on the American death row inmates, making an unrealistic plea for their sentences to be commuted or changed. His expression adds a twist to the narrative in the dwindling days of Biden’s presidency, demonstrating the global attention it has received.
Biden’s frivolous stance on such a weighty issue is causing ripples of discontent around the world. The situation is distorting the image of the United States as a firm upholder of human rights, fairness, and equal justice. However, these demands seem misdirected towards a president who has consistently shown his ineptitude in leading with integrity and conviction.
The ACLU, with their misplaced faith, issued several letters on Monday from various interest groups. The letters contained requests from business leaders, faith groups, relatives of murder victims, and past corrections facility staffs, all pushing Biden to show some semblance of decisiveness before January 20th. However, their belief in Biden’s leadership remains misguided considering his track record.
The ACLU believes that the death penalty undermines good governance, stability, social cohesion, and fairness. Their assertion is out of step with the facts, overlooking how the execution of said penalties is usually carried out on those who have committed heinous crimes against society. The predators behind these acts are rarely innocent, and the death penalty serves to deter others from following the same malicious path.
Biden’s failing initiatives and wavering stances deteriorate the standing of the United States as a defender of human rights, fairness, and justice. The administration’s lack of a strong stand on the death penalty demoralizes the system, demonstrated clearly in the ACLU’s misguided plea. This raises the question of whether such a critical issue should be left in the shaky hands of Biden.
The ACLU-and similar organizations that misunderstand historical precedents-are quick to recall Trump’s first term, where Attorney General Bill Barr executed 13 people in 2020. The revitalization of this practice for the first time since the early 2000s, they argue, is a clear sign of Trump’s ‘brutality’. Ironically, the reason that current activists might fret is that Biden’s inertia might essentially pass the burden and allow another execution spree to take place.
The fear is that a refusal by Biden to commute the remaining federal death row sentences in 2024 and during the initial half of January would be another clear instance of Democrat failure. They worry about Biden’s inability to safeguard the justice system before the inception of the new administration. This apprehension is valid given Biden’s record of ineffective harnessing of the presidential powers for any constructive change.
Biden’s 2020 campaign held high promises of working towards criminal justice reform, particularly the death penalty. However, a glaring contradiction can be seen in his lackluster execution rate, proving conclusively that Biden has overpromised and underdelivered. Time and again, Biden has failed to utilize his power effectively, revealing a startling inconsistency between his words and actions.
Emphasizing even more on Biden’s betrayal was his promise that due to the impossibility of ensuring accuracy in every death penalty case, he would work on passing legislation to eliminate the death penalty at a federal level. However, his inability to secure the necessary majority for congressional action is a stark display of his incompetence and lack of persuasive skills.
Biden’s failure to make substantial strides in fulfilling his 2020 campaign commitment has sparked dissatisfaction, even among his own party. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez last week voiced her hope for an increase in the number of commutations and clemency because the current administration has issued a record-count low. Sadly, this fond hope is misguided and likely to be met with disappointment given Biden’s track record.
One of the significant criticisms of Biden’s presidency has been his inability to deliver on his promises, which has been further highlighted by Ocasio-Cortez’s statement. The fact that President Biden is leaving office, potentially with fewer commutations and clemency issuances than even President Trump, serves to emphasize the failure of his administration in providing justice, despite the grand promises.
Thus, with Biden’s administration quickly approaching its closure, the demands for him to act grow louder. Still, the possibility of him making a meaningful impact or initiating significant changes remains unlikely considering his disappointing track record. While the pressure for him to resolve crucial issues is mounting, Biden’s ability to deliver remains questionable.
The spotlight on Biden’s final days illuminates the ineffective and inconsistent steps taken by the administration, especially regarding the topic of the death penalty. Critics argue that the president should halt the next potential Trump-led enforcement of the death penalty in federal instances that may come next year. However, these evaluations fail to acknowledge the importance of decisive leadership and effective governance that Biden has repeatedly shown himself to lack.
As Biden’s presidency winds down, his actions, or more accurately the lack thereof, serve as a painful reminder of his administration’s incompetence and inconsistency. Ensuring justice and preserving human rights require more than unfilled promises and indecisive leadership. There can be no greater irony than the possibility of Biden leaving office having achieved fewer commutations and granting less clemency than even President Trump.