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submitted 6 months ago by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/politics@lemmy.world

Summary

President Joe Biden commuted the sentences of 37 federal death row inmates to life without parole, sparing all but three convicted of high-profile mass killings.

Biden framed the decision as a moral stance against federal executions, citing his legal background and belief in the dignity of human life.

Donald Trump criticized the move as senseless, vowing to reinstate the death penalty.

Reactions were mixed: some victims’ families condemned Biden, while others supported his decision. Human rights groups praised it as a significant step against capital punishment.

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[-] SnotFlickerman 129 points 6 months ago

When you hear the acts of each, you won’t believe that he did this. Makes no sense. Relatives and friends are further devastated. They can’t believe this is happening.

That's because like Trump, those people don't understand justice, they only understand revenge. Trump thinks literally everyone is a horrendous person who wants to wantonly murder others just like him. Control over whether someone lives or dies is the ultimate control, and the one Trump craves most. It's super clear why this is so upsetting to him, he got his favorite type of domination and control taken away. His toys.

[-] Xtallll 19 points 6 months ago

Remember that Trump said that "Relatives and friends are further devastated. They can’t believe this is happening." Without source, and can be dismissed as something he made up on the spot. The families of the victims are a mixture of reactions some are in support some opposed and some can't be found for comment.

[-] logos@sh.itjust.works 82 points 6 months ago

Is trump cryingon social media about how he doesn't get to kill 37 people on Christmas eve ?

Nice move by sleepy joe i guess

[-] Zachariah@lemmy.world 30 points 6 months ago
[-] CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world 13 points 6 months ago

Well, Kamala had that laugh, so....

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[-] SnotFlickerman 8 points 6 months ago

Santa told him he was getting an inmate to put to death in exchange for every single one of his felonies. Sorry I mean Satan told him.

Anyway he's pissed that he got coal instead.

[-] stevedice@sh.itjust.works 64 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

While I'm overall glad about this, leaving 3 unpardoned inmates really corrupts the "moral stance against federal executions" justification and makes it seem like he is in favor of capital punishment but only for people he thinks deserve it. It also makes it seem like he believes it's his decision to decide who gets to live and that rubs me the wrong way.

[-] Nightwingdragon@lemmy.world 45 points 6 months ago

Even the most die-hard anti-death-penalty believer has their limits. It may take Hitler-level atrocities to get there, or maybe even worse. But everyone has their own line in the sand where even they will say "If there was ever a case in favor of the death penalty, this is that case." That line is in a completely different place for everybody.

It also makes it seem like he believes it’s his decision to decide who gets to live and that rubs me the wrong way.

Since the President has final pardon power, he actually does get to decide who gets to live. It's a power granted to him by the Constitution.

[-] greedytacothief@lemmy.world 21 points 6 months ago

Yep I'm anti-death penalty, the 3 that didn't get pardoned should probably just live the rest of their lives in prison. But I'm not going to shed any tears for them.

[-] Maggoty@lemmy.world 10 points 6 months ago

He didn't pardon the others, he commuted their sentences to life in prison. Of note, the 3 civilians left are terrorists who committed mass murder and were caught red handed. There are also 4 people on military death row who remain. One is also a mass murdering terrorist; one committed literal treason, attacking his own unit in the middle of the night overseas; one is a serial killer/rapist; and one took three trials over 4 decades to convict of a group murder.

They should probably commute his sentence too...

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[-] stevedice@sh.itjust.works 18 points 6 months ago

I understand that and, if you ask me, those 3 guys are pos. My problem is that he said he did it to take a moral stance against death penalty. You can't do that and go "except for these 3 cases".

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[-] crapwittyname@lemm.ee 9 points 6 months ago

Nope. The most die hard, anti death penalty believer has no limits and literally says "we do not have the right to take anyone's life, even if they are Hitler. In fact it would be better for society if we got to try to rehabilitate Hitler".
And I agree with them.

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[-] Infynis@midwest.social 8 points 6 months ago

Even the most die-hard anti-death-penalty believer has their limits.

I'd love a source for this. Personally, I don't think we should be in the business of killing defenseless people in any context.

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[-] peoplebeproblems@midwest.social 9 points 6 months ago

The only thing that I can come to the conclusion is that two of the three are neo-nazis.

He could be sending a message, and that's what Trump is actually pissed about.

The Boston bomber I can't justify with that same line of thinking though.

Executions are barbaric, plus life in prison is far more cruel anyway.

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[-] danc4498@lemmy.world 59 points 6 months ago

Good conservative Christian’s LOVE killing!

[-] sik0fewl@lemmy.ca 17 points 6 months ago

Nothing says "pro life" like whining about not being able to murder someone.

[-] Zementid@feddit.nl 9 points 6 months ago

Nothing shouts "Christian" than revenge murder.

[-] CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world 33 points 6 months ago

Pretty clear donvict knows his qon "pro-life" fanbase is bloodthirsty, and they demand sacrifices.

[-] Frozengyro@lemmy.world 10 points 6 months ago

Yea, this group largely believes an execution sends them to hell sooner to suffer more. As someone who isn't religious, I'd rather they waste away in jail, as that is much more a punishment than a quick death.

[-] g0d0fm15ch13f@lemmy.world 26 points 6 months ago

Prison should be rehabilatative, not punitive

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[-] Rapidcreek@lemmy.world 26 points 6 months ago

Neither Orwell nor Bradbury nor Vonnegut could have come up with anything so bizarre and upside down as to have a complete criminal and felon pretend that he cares about law and order.

[-] Death_Equity@lemmy.world 16 points 6 months ago

Biden: I believe in the dignity of human life, except those three guys. I mean, come on man. I'm just being honest, those guys suck. I respect human life, but them? Ho-wha-ya, I-I, they suck. As your senator, I have made this decision, and Kamala stands by it.

Trump: You know, Biden, Joe Bye-den, Sleepy Joe as I call him. Many other call him Sleepy Joe, very smart people. Kamalala lost, I won. Really, America won, America will be greater under my Administration. We would have been safer too, but Old Sleepy Joe, as I call him, decided he would rather have violent inmates live instead of saving the taxpayers millions of dollars and stop giving them socialized medicine and socialized housing, he wants more of that. You know, he wants to spend our country into poverty while letting millions of illegals, many of whom are criminals, just like those 37 terrible people, and the three Joe loved so much to spare, Hunter Biden, and of course the media filled with liars and terrible nasty people. He wants to ruin America every last second he has. But don't worry, there will be executions, many more, some would say too many, but I disagree. I spoke with experts in executions, very smart men, some women, if you could believe that, and they told me that we could execute many times more people than any president in history. I asked them how we could do that, how would that be possible, they told me about the concept for a plan to execute millions. I asked them, "millions?", they told me "Easily". Those very smart experts said we could easily execute millions, and I believe them. So we are going to make America great again and Sleepy Joe won't be able to do anything about that come January, when my administration, the best Administration, some will say it will be the best Administration ever, takes control and implements a comprehensive plan to deal with the boarder crisis and make America great again.

We could have had Bernie...

[-] Eldritch@lemmy.world 11 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

If he'd won a primary, sure. But he didn't. Sanders still had a massive impact despite his "supporters" attacking his party and by extension him. Because they don't understand how politics work. This isn't an endorsement of how politics currently work. Just pointing out that you can't change how it works without understanding how it works in the first place. Something which Sanders knew very well. But his supporters have no concept of. Just being pissy and angry in his name working against him. But not at his request.

[-] satanmat@lemmy.world 9 points 6 months ago

lol. I can’t tell if this is an amazing use of ChatGPT or what; but you’ve got trump’s voice down pat. It is scary that that it feels so dead on.

[-] Death_Equity@lemmy.world 9 points 6 months ago

I despise the prevalent use of LLM. That is all off the dome.

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[-] pixeltree 15 points 6 months ago

I don't think the government should have the power to kill people as a punishment, with that said I'm also not upset that the sentences of these three weren't commuted.

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[-] HawlSera@lemm.ee 13 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

One of the three he didn't pardon was Dylann Roof. I thought they fried his ass already, had no idea he was still alive.

I did wonder why the three that weren't spared were left to die.. and I still kinda do.

Also I'm kinda surprised Trump didn't pardon Dylann Roof.

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[-] Chef@sh.itjust.works 11 points 6 months ago

The State should not be allowed to punish someone by killing them. Capital punishment is merely revenge with the government acting as the hitman. There’s no way to prevent an innocent person from being accidentally murdered. And those 40 people are proof that it doesn’t act as an effective deterrent.

It’s a barbaric practice and we need to end it.

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[-] macattack@lemmy.world 10 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

Biden: Grants clemency indiscriminately for 1,500 people Public: Why did you let the Cash for Kids woman free Biden: Commutes death sentences selectively Public: Who made you judge, jury and executioner?

[-] Bob_Robertson_IX@discuss.tchncs.de 11 points 6 months ago

Biden: Grants clemency indiscriminately for 1,500 people indiscriminately Media: Why did you let the Cash for Kids woman free Biden: Commutes death sentences selectively Media: Who made you judge, jury and executioner?

FIFY... Real people honestly wouldn't care about any of this if the media wasn't trying to inspire outrage.

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[-] MapleEngineer@lemmy.world 9 points 6 months ago

His incompetence killed hundreds of thousands his first term. This time he was hoping for a more direct approach. Biden spoiled his murderous fun.

[-] crossdl@leminal.space 8 points 6 months ago

I kind of wonder if Biden is setting him up to execute Luigi and get on the wrong side of this current populist movement.

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this post was submitted on 24 Dec 2024
460 points (100.0% liked)

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