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Posted on 01/12/2003 9:57:42 PM PST by TLBSHOW
Governor Ryan’s Ego Injection
By Joseph J. Sabia
In the last three days, Illinois Governor George Ryan (R) has granted pardons to four convicted murderers and commuted the death sentences of 156 others. Liberals are in seventh heaven over the governor’s recent decision, using the phrase “raw courage” to describe Governor Ryan’s action approximately seven billion times. The truth, however, is that the governor is neither courageous nor bold. Rather, he behaved like a tyrant drunk with power. His action will result in more innocent victims of heinous crimes in the state of Illinois.
Governor Ryan’s decision to commute over 150 death sentences reflects his utter contempt for the Illinois state legislature, its prosecutors, its police force, and its juries. With one swift stroke of the pen, he nullified the decisions of all of these individuals, declaring himself the judge, jury, and non-executioner of 160 death row inmates.
During his speech at Northwestern University on Saturday, Governor Ryan stated that the Illinois death penalty system was “broken” and that without “major reform” it should not be permitted to remain in place. But shouldn’t “major reform” in criminal law come from the Illinois state legislature? It is an extremely dangerous precedent to allow a governor the power to nullify state law.
What about all of the juries who sat in judgment on the 156 accused murderers? In one fell swoop, the governor has declared that these juries are incompetent and that his state’s police and prosecutors are corrupt. In this context, Governor Ryan’s decision represents a breathtaking power grab.
The governor’s opportunism and duplicity should startle even the most jaded political observers. His decision comes with only two days left in his term, thereby preventing voters from punishing him, his party, or his subordinates at the ballot box.
Even more importantly, Governor Ryan’s position on the death penalty changed during his term in office. During his campaign for governor in 1998, he ran on a pro-death penalty platform. When voters cast their ballots for him, they believed they were supporting a chief executive that would vigorously enforce existing death penalty law. In the governor’s own words, he had “a change of heart” during his term in the office. Fine. If he were a man with the true courage of his convictions, he would have stepped down from office and run in 2002 on a platform of abolishing the death penalty. But of course he did not do that because he knew that the people of Illinois would never elect him if he espoused such a viewpoint. Instead, he took the coward’s way out, thwarted the will of the people, and doled out midnight clemencies.
Fundamentally, Governor Ryan is wrong on substance. In his Northwestern speech, the governor proclaimed that the application of the death penalty in Illinois has resulted in innocent people being put to death because of a rushed, corrupt process. There is no evidence to suggest that a single criminal put to death in Illinois—or for that matter in the United States of America—was innocent of his crime. Moreover, in the period 1977-2000, there was a grand total of 12 men put to death in the state of Illinois. 12. (How’s that for deterrence!) So according to the governor, a process that, on average, results in one individual being put to death every two years is rushed! How slow should the process be? One death every ten years?
Some liberals argue that the relevant statistic to consider is the number of men who have their death sentences overturned due to new DNA evidence. But if the death sentences are not carried out, isn’t that evidence that the appeals process associated with the death penalty is effective? And let’s not forget that the men on death row are not aspiring priests who wrap gifts for “Toys for Tots” in their free time. These people are almost always repeat offenders with rap sheets that would make the Kennedy men blush.
Governor Ryan referred to the crusade to abolish the death penalty as “one of the great civil rights struggles of our time.” His conclusion is based upon studies showing that a black man convicted of murder in Illinois is two to three times more likely to be sentenced to death than a white man. First, these statistics do not control for mitigating circumstances of the crime. Second, even if we concede that racial inequality is a problem, why is the solution to abolish the death penalty? Why doesn’t Governor Ryan lead a political movement to execute more white murderers?
The governor called Illinois’ death penalty process “arbitrary and capricious, and therefore immoral.” No, the actions of Illinois’ lawmakers, prosecutors, police force, juries, and judges were calculated, well thought-out, and democratic. Governor Ryan’s blanket amnesty was arbitrary, capricious, and immoral. His grandstanding to liberal elites—especially journalists—was sickening, as he beamed in the glow of their applause. The governor has cheapened human life by letting 160 murderers escape their fate and has sent a signal to future murderers that they will not be executed for their crimes.
If Governor Ryan wishes to exercise true “raw courage,” he should invite all 160 convicted murderers to move into his mansion. Maybe he can let them baby-sit his grandchildren.
I don't think it's terribly likely that he'll win, but it's not out of the question. I'd probably wager at about 10 to 1.
I think "raw sewage" would be a more accurate description of Gov. Ryan's action. I heard a snippet on NPR (forgive me, Freepers - I live in a remote valley and it's about the only radio station I can get - I listen occasionally until I get sick) - of Ryan's voice saying something about the death penalty being unfair - GET THIS - because most of the criminals on death row were POOR, IGNORANT AND MINORITIES!!!! He didn't mention that they were also heinous murderers.
Karmically speaking, if someone who should be executed isn't, the person who was responsible is so liable.
I think "raw sewage" would be a more accurate description of Gov. Ryan's action. I heard a snippet on NPR (forgive me, Freepers - I live in a remote valley and it's about the only radio station I can get - I listen occasionally until I get sick) - of Ryan's voice saying something about the death penalty being unfair - GET THIS - because most of the criminals on death row were POOR, IGNORANT AND MINORITIES!!!! He didn't mention that they were also heinous murderers.
Karmically speaking, if someone who should be executed isn't, the person who was responsible is so liable.
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