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Barbour defends controversial pardons as based on the Christian belief in forgiveness
Fox News ^ | January 13th, 2012 | AP

Posted on 01/14/2012 3:27:06 AM PST by KantianBurke

Former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour said Friday he's "very comfortable" with his decision to grant pardons or other clemency to more than 200 people, including convicted killers, in his last days in office, telling Fox News that Mississippi is predominantly Christian and believes in forgiveness.

The pardons have set off outrage among some victims' families and prompted a judge to block the release of some of the pardoned inmates out of concern that proper notification rules were not followed.

Barbour told Fox News that any problem with paperwork was an accident on the part of corrections officials, who needed to send the notices out earlier to get them published in newspapers on time. But he defended the pardons.

"I understand and recognize that these families had love ones who were the victims of terrible crimes ... and I sympathize with the fact that this hurts them, that they lost somebody like that and that they're not going to forget it and they want vengance," Barbour said on Fox News' "Special Report."

"But what the state does and has done ... most people in Mississippi are Christians or profess to be Christians, and we believe in forgiveness and we believe in second chances," he said.

Barbour told the Associated Press in an earlier interview that it's a tradition in Mississippi for governors to free the trusties who worked at the Governor's Mansion. Four inmates freed this past weekend are convicted killers who worked as trusties.

And the former governor said he's not concerned that the freed trusties might harm anyone. "I have absolute confidence, so much confidence, that I'd let my grandchildren play with these five men," the Republican said.

(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Front Page News; US: Mississippi
KEYWORDS: barbour; barbour4criminals; barbour4dnc; barbour4felons; barbour4romney; fool; forgiveness; haleybarbour; mississippi; murderer; pardons
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To: KantianBurke
And the former governor said he's not concerned that the freed trusties might harm anyone. "I have absolute confidence, so much confidence, that I'd let my grandchildren play with these five men," the Republican said.

Maybe, having worked near the Governor, these five trusties are a bit more trusty than anyone knows.

41 posted on 01/14/2012 5:35:14 AM PST by Mr Ramsbotham (Laws against sodomy are honored in the breech.)
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To: KantianBurke

Jesus taught not to take personal revenge but it is the duty of the state to punish the guilty, in part to protect the innocent, and in part because actions have consequences. Mercy to the wolf is injustice to the sheep.


42 posted on 01/14/2012 5:37:23 AM PST by JPG (Matters at which the foolish laugh and at whose consequences the prudent weep.)
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To: anglian
"That’s like saying I believe in the welfare state because it’s Christian charity."

Dubya sure did:

"It's going to take awhile for this piece of legislation to kick in. It's going to take about two years to get all the reforms in place. But within six months of the law being signed, our seniors will start to see real savings in health care costs because seniors will be eligible for a drug discount card that will save them between 10 to 25 percent off their regular drug costs. And low income seniors will receive up to $600 a year to help them with their drug costs in addition to the card. Their card will serve as a transition to the reforms that are inherent in the Medicare legislation.

When the full drug benefit arrives in 2006, all seniors will be eligible for prescription drug coverage for a monthly premium of about $35. The result is that for most seniors without coverage today, the Medicare drug plan will cut their annual drug bills roughly in half. That's positive news for America's seniors.

http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2003/11/20031125-5.html

43 posted on 01/14/2012 5:38:56 AM PST by KantianBurke (Where was the Tea Party when Dubya was spending like a drunken sailor?)
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To: Cringing Negativism Network
There were two really weird things which happened this week.

Barbour’s “pardon” thing.

And Bolton’s endorsement of Romney. Really makes me wonder about both of them...

Weird?

Around here we call them Career Enders.

44 posted on 01/14/2012 5:40:56 AM PST by TYVets (Pure-Gas.org ..... ethanol free gasoline by state and city)
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To: sinanju

“What is it about these evangelical governors?”

They think they were elected God. Of course, none of them run on a platform of “Dispensing forgiveness to murderers and other unsavory characters at the end of my term”

What he doesn’t want to say, but is usually the case with these evangelical characters, is that God told him to do this.


45 posted on 01/14/2012 5:44:23 AM PST by RFEngineer
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To: Sacajaweau

46 posted on 01/14/2012 5:50:54 AM PST by mkjessup (Jimmy Carter is the Skidmark in the panties of American history, 0bama is the yellow stain in front.)
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To: Nickname

Correct as I have pointed out to people before, you can forgive them, and then flip the switch that sends their soul to judgement.


47 posted on 01/14/2012 6:03:31 AM PST by org.whodat (What is the difference in Newt's, Perry's and Willard's positions on Amnesty.)
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To: RFEngineer
 Dear God - Please protect me from your followers

OK, not from all Your followers, just the ones who hear voices in their heads telling them to do stupid things and attribute them to You. Amen

48 posted on 01/14/2012 6:04:15 AM PST by MD Expat in PA
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To: KantianBurke

I am perfectly comfortable forgiving convicted murderers who are sitting behind bars for the rest of their natural lives, or those who have a date with the execution chamber. They no longer pose a danger to the public, while holding hate in my heart is unhealthy once the danger has passed. Where I have an issue is with confusing personal forgiveness with a pardon. Once these bloodthirsty killers are out, they are again a danger. Also, if others who are considering the ultimate crime see the punishment as acceptable, releasing them with a clean slate puts people in danger even if the released murderer doesn’t happen to snap again. This was the wrong move by yet another out of touch governor.


49 posted on 01/14/2012 6:12:35 AM PST by Pollster1 (Natural born citizen of the USA, with the birth certificate to prove it)
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To: Cringing Negativism Network

I might be totally off base, but Romney is Kerry 2.0 to me.

He will say anything to get elected. And he was before it before he was againstt it.

And then there is that pesky ‘I am progressive’ thingey.


50 posted on 01/14/2012 6:13:23 AM PST by Cowgirl of Justice
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To: KantianBurke

I loath it when people use false piety to justify their stupidity. Not only is it wrong doctrine, it abuses the VICTIM of the crime all over again.

The only one who has a right to forgive a sin is the one who has been sinned AGAINST.


51 posted on 01/14/2012 6:14:46 AM PST by left that other site
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To: sinanju
Sunspot activity?

Full Moon?

Signs of the Apocalypse!


52 posted on 01/14/2012 6:16:50 AM PST by airborne (Paratroopers! Good to the last drop!)
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To: KantianBurke
Former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour said Friday he's "very comfortable" with his decision to grant pardons or other clemency to more than 200 people, including convicted killers, in his last days in office, telling Fox News that Mississippi is predominantly Christian and believes in forgiveness.

Why pursue justice at all? Just forgive and let them go.

53 posted on 01/14/2012 6:19:52 AM PST by Moonman62 (The US has become a government with a country, rather than a country with a government.)
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To: KantianBurke

Yesterday, there were people on a thread defending Barbour’s actions and coming down hard on the rat Attorney General who is making political hay out of this event.

Pardoning murderers is never right. If this had been a rat governor and republican A.G., there would be plenty of people here who would be hyping the A.G. for P.O.T.U.S.


54 posted on 01/14/2012 6:28:10 AM PST by Graybeard58 (Eccl 10 v. 19 A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things.)
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To: Sacajaweau
In reality, you kill the whole party.

The party needs to be killed and rebuilt from scratch.

55 posted on 01/14/2012 6:33:22 AM PST by Timber Rattler (Just say NO! to RINOS and the GOP-E)
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To: freeangel
I’d buy houses next to the grandchildren of officials and judges who let out these monsters and let them stay next to THEIR relatives.
IIRC, there were six or eight sex offenders pardoned.
They will no longer be required to report to the authorities where they live or work - like schools, day care centers, etc.
56 posted on 01/14/2012 6:38:08 AM PST by oh8eleven (RVN '67-'68)
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To: KantianBurke
"So essentially if one is a convicted murderer(of your ex-wife) in MS, work as a slave on the Gov's mansion and spout off on the Jesus talk and you'll be back on the streets soon after. Good to know."
57 posted on 01/14/2012 6:44:20 AM PST by Earthdweller (Harvard won the election again...so what's the problem.......? Embrace a ruler today.)
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To: KantianBurke
My thought is that the family of one of these men paid him off. He pardoned so many that he hid the money connection to one of these men with the cover-up pardon of hundreds of convicted criminals.

The only other thing that makes sense is he's going senile. If he really allowed his grandchildren to play with the murderers alone then he is senile. But I imagine in the governor's mansion, the grandchildren were never alone with these murderers.

58 posted on 01/14/2012 6:44:20 AM PST by FR_addict
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To: KantianBurke
forgiveness comes from the VICTIM.... NOT the state!!!
59 posted on 01/14/2012 6:47:00 AM PST by Chode (American Hedonist - *DTOM* -ww- NO Pity for the LAZY)
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To: Chode
Yep..God is not a get out of murder scot-free card. Where do normal people get those kind of stupid ideas?

In my practice I've seen crafty sociopathic people use this “forgiveness” card to get their victims to shut up. Works fairly well on some people...obviously.

This should never have been done on a state level..it adds to widespread demoralization and confusion.

60 posted on 01/14/2012 6:55:59 AM PST by Earthdweller (Harvard won the election again...so what's the problem.......? Embrace a ruler today.)
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