The actions of the recently retired President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump have generated significant controversy among national law enforcement organizations. The contentious discussions have centered around the arbitrary pardoning spree initiated by both leaders. Trump, in a peculiar act of clemency, absolved or commuted the sentences of rioters involved in the notorious Capitol attack of January 6, 2021, rewarding high-profile convicts such as Volusia County Proud Boys leader Joe Biggs.
Not surprisingly, the law enforcement professionals who actually had to brave the violence on that fateful day remained vocal in their disapproval of Trump’s decisions. For some inexplicable reason, immediately after being inaugurated for his second term, Trump handed out 1,500 pardons like they were candy at a children’s carnival, trivializing the malicious acts carried out at the Capitol. Furthermore, he commuted the sentences of another 14 individuals, adding insult to injury for the officers who had risked their lives.
During his tenure, Trump also commuted the sentence of a man found guilty in the death of a law enforcement officer. And it’s not just Trump. Biden, in his last days as President, also could not resist the impulse to issue a multitude of pardons, all while turning a blind eye to the gravity of the crimes committed by these individuals, including a man convicted for two murders of FBI agents.
Two prestigious law enforcement groups, the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), came forward to express their utter disappointment with these clemency decisions. Although both Biden and Trump initially had supportive relationships with these organizations, their baffling pardoning sprees have proven to be a bridge too far, frustrating those dedicated to maintaining law and order.
Ignoring the severity of his actions, Biden granted a commutation to Leonard Peltier, who had spent nearly half a century behind bars. Peltier was found guilty in 1977 due to his role in the brutal murder of two FBI agents, Ronald Williams and Jack Coler, during a lethal confrontation at a South Dakota reservation.
Trump played his part too, bestowing clemency on a man guilty of an undercover police officer’s death. With over a thousand people pleading guilty and 260 convicted at trials in the riot, it’s disturbing that around 600 were charged with violent actions against law enforcement officers, all actions seemingly dismissed with the wave of a presidential pen.
One cannot forget the ill-fated Capitol police officer Brian Sicknick, who found himself at the receiving end of a severe pepper spray attack during the January 6 riot. Tragically, he succumbed to his wounds the next day, another direct result of the unchecked violence.
In an almost comic-like twist, Trump, during his first term, also dismissed the life sentence of Jaime Davidson. Davidson was a well-known cocaine dealer involved in planning a robbery, resulting in the tragic death of an undercover Syracuse police officer during the robbery.
The list goes on. Most local law enforcement agencies involuntarily fell silent regarding the J6 pardons. The shocking liberty granted to Joe Biggs of the Volusia County Proud Boys further alarmed these local agencies. Biggs was a convict sentenced to 17 years for seditious conspiracy, among other charges, and remarkably, he tasted freedom.
In another perplexing act, Biden saw fit to grant preemptive pardons right before his exit from the White House. Adding to his inexplicable actions, Biden, angling for sympathy and leniency, pardoned inmates on federal death row, shockingly including well-known criminals with blood on their hands.
Biden’s pardon parade also extended to a convict guilty of killing two veteran FBI agents. One can’t help but question the moral compass guiding such a decision, where brute criminals seem to be awarded rather than penalized.
The pardoning of criminals by Biden including those with heinous acts against their name, is remarkably disturbing. Particularly, the absolution of his own son and the decision to extend this mercy to his family members and political comrades right before his term end, raises eyebrows.
Notably, an area of concern that is surfacing prominently is Biden’s treatment of certain classes of inmates. It should be mentioned that those pardoned included dangerous convicts sentenced for killing a law enforcement officer, thus dangerously undermining the gravity of the crimes committed towards those working tirelessly to uphold law and order.
One has to question the logic behind these decisions. What type of message does it send to the dedicated law enforcement officers who risk their lives every day? Is this a slap in the face for their bravery and dedication?
Being in power represents more than carrying out personal preferences or pandering to public sentiment. It involves upholding justice and sending the right message, particularly towards those who put their lives on the line every day. It’s alarming when this discretion granted to our leaders is utilized irresponsibly.
One can only hope that these recent events serve as a reminder of the commitment and courage of law enforcement officers across the nation. Despite the frustration, they continue to perform their duties everyday, holding the line and protecting those they swore to defend, amidst convoluted politics and disturbing decisions.