Governor's Pardons in Mississippi - An Evaluation
Many Pardon Applicants Stressed Connection to Mississippi Governor - NYTimes.com:
'via Blog this'
Pardoning has a quality of mercy. Nevertheless the fact is that the Governor's actions had a pattern of preference based on social and political relationships Therefore they seem tainted.
Some of the cases where pardons occurred resulted from a combination of hubris and chance - as in deaths due to drunk driving. The law metes out penalties deemed just by society. The habitual issuance of pardons is strained when, as in this case, there was a larger than normal number of pardons based on possibly skewed criteria.
It would be nice if all punishments were remedial. Today punishment is more retribution than remedy. And the use of pardons seems a frail means of changing things. With millions in jail growing old and presenting no danger to society, a robust campaign is in order.
