I’ve changed my mind on Huckabee
People say that Huckabee is not a fiscal conservative. I’m not so sure he is a social conservative, either:
Mr. Huckabee’s record of being soft on convicted criminals is harder to avoid. His role as an ordained Southern Baptist minister appears to have guided his actions when it came to forgiving criminals.
“I would not deny that my sense of the reality of redemption is a factor,” Mr. Huckabee told KUAR in Little Rock in 2001. “I don’t know that I can apologize for that because I would hate to think of the kind of human I would be if I thought people were beyond forgiveness.”
On average, Mr. Huckabee granted clemency once every four days.
In a remark quoted by the Associated Press, one prosecutor, Robert Herzfeld, said in 2004 after challenging Mr. Huckabee’s decision to let a prisoner loose before his sentence was completed: “It seems to be true at least anecdotally that if a minister is involved, he seems likely to grant clemency.”
The most notorious case of Mr. Huckabee’s penchant for forgiveness is his decision to release Wayne DuMond, the rapist of a teenage cheerleader who was castrated by a mob before being awarded a life sentence and a further 20 years in prison.
Mr. Huckabee, who questioned DuMond’s guilt and was in favor of his early release, denies the suggestion of two parole board officers that he pressured them to free DuMond. After his release on parole, DuMond moved to Kansas City and smothered to death a Missouri woman.
Also among Mr. Huckabee’s many contentious acts of absolution is that concerning James Maxwell, the killer of a pastor of the Church of God in Arkansas, who was working at the governor’s mansion in Little Rock when his prison sentence was reduced. Mr. Huckabee also pardoned Robert Arnold, who had killed his father-in-law. Arnold’s father was a friend of Mr. Huckabee, according to AP. Denver Witham, who beat a man to death with a lead pipe, also had his life sentence commuted by Mr. Huckabee.
According to the Nashua Telegraph, during his first eight years in office, Mr. Huckabee pardoned or commuted the sentences of 669 criminals, including 11 murderers.
I believe in forgiveness and redemption, too, but I also believe in the old addage that “if you do the crime you’ve gotta do the time.” I don’t believe in pardons except for what the person granting them believes to be wrongful convictions. The government has no business forgiving rightfully convicted criminals. I’m afraid I can no longer root for Huckabee.
For [the governing authority] is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. (Rom. 13:4)
I might also add that I am more than a little concerned that his desire to show mercy to people who are a threat to society (murderers) would extend to those who are a threat to the nation (terrorists and rogue regimes), especially given comments of his like, “The U.S. should not kill Saddam Hussein or anyone else.” (Given in response to a questionnaire from the AP) That’s a pretty broad statement, and I think it’s likely that he meant it very broadly.
Hey Casey!
Is that the only issue you have with Huckabee? What do you know about the individual cases?
I personally don’t believe that “forgiveness” is the place of the State. Governors or Presidents should be granting pardons when an injustice has been done. (Wrongful Conviction, Inappropriate Sentence, other Unique and Special Circumstances that make the punishment or conviction unjust)
Personally, I am not ready to give up on Huckabee yet. These things usually include more than meets the eye.
God Bless and thanks for visiting Freedomthirst!
ThirstyJon
freedomthirst.com