Gov. Haley Barbour Frees Murderers

Posted by Jason Douglas on 01.16.2012

I beg your pardon?

We're all aware that governors, like the President, have the power to issues pardons for crimes. Most of us also know that issuing pardons just before leaving office to avoid political backlash is a cynical tradition in America. Today we're going to look at an especially egregious case where no concept of justice is served, only the furthering of class distinctions.

Haley Barbour, outgoing governor of Mississippi, has pardoned no fewer than four convicted murderers on his way out the door. Mind you, we're not talking about cases where men have been railroaded by the criminal justice system and are being freed rather than having to fight through bureaucracy and prosecutors who won't have their record tarnished. We're talking about houseboys being turned loose as reward for the oh-so-important work of directly serving the governor. The official term is "inmate trustees", which is about as sincere as saying "custodial engineer" in place of janitor. In essence, men who are serving long sentences and have been on good behavior can be given a gig at the governor's mansion cooking meals, cleaning the place, etc. In exchange for this, it is considered customary to pardon and release such men when the governor leaves office. Who are these pillars of virtue being returned to society? I'm glad you asked.

- Charles Hooker was sentenced to life for murder almost twenty years ago.

- Anthony McCray had an argument with his wife in a diner, went to get a gun, then shot her in the back.

- Joseph Ozment was involved in a robbery, and executed someone crawling to him for help with two bullets to the head. The victim didn't know Ozment was involved in the crime when he was initially shot by the other robbers.

- David Gatlin shot his estranged wife while she held their baby in her arms, then shot her friend in the head, who miraculously survived, and now gets to fear for his life on a daily basis. BTW, Gatlin was denied parole at a board hearing TWO WEEKS before Barbour pardoned him. Gatlin must make one hell of a cup of coffee.

The only explanation offered for the pardons is that releasing trustees who live and work at the mansion is a tradition that goes back decades. Tradition is one of my favorite words, because those who use it are freely admitting to acting out of mindless habit rather than actual thought, allowing me to dismiss whatever gibberish follows. It's the sort of thing that causes one to become morally outraged at a phrase like "holiday tree", as if decorating an evergreen is inextricably linked to the nativity. I think there's an actual reason for Mississippi's "tradition", but no one wants to say it.

Anyone who has met a politician has shaken their baby-soft hands, seen their pearly white smile, their fine clothing, and listened to them strain to pretend they remember what it's like to be a regular working stiff, if they ever were at all. Did you know Rick Santorum is the grandson of a coal miner? Just ask him and he'll proudly tell you, as if the soot is on his own hands. My point is that these people are largely removed from society and come to view themselves as inherently above other people, if only subconsciously. So a man who has a brush with greatness, in this case a toilet brush, can be elevated to a higher level by it. You see, one who serves our superiors dutifully has earned himself another chance in life, regardless of his transgressions. Sure, he murdered someone who didn't deserve it, but that is outweighed by a good shoe-shining for the upper crust. The governor has guards watching these inmates, unlike the rest of us when they're pardoned. That's only proper to keep his mansion secure. After all, we give the governor a mansion to live in to ensure he knows from day one that he's more important than the rest of us.

After the shooting spree in Arizona involving Gabrielle Giffords, I criticized the idea of a law barring guns within a certain range of elected officials because they shouldn't enjoy a protective halo the rest of us do not. Clearly that mentality is the rule rather than the exception. Haley Barbour had a security detail affording him the luxury of knowing these murderous people wouldn't harm him, but the little people will just have to cross our fingers and hope none of these four murderers cross our path. Politicians are generally the lowest form of life I know, but we keep telling them they're better than us, then wondering why they act as they do. The power to issue pardons exists as a final safeguard to reverse injustices, but has become one more toy for the privileged. When something dangerous is misused, it's time to take it away. The ability to issue a pardon should only be available where either a parole board or extensive psychiatric analysis of the convicted find they are no longer a danger to anyone.