When a murderer is to be considered for pardoning, it is not the single-handed act of a mucho man that millions startle to blink as to who and what and when.
by Rufus Randeniya
The presidential pardon granted recently to a heartless moron kicked off an angry opposition all over the island. We knew nothing about it till the murderer walked scott free from the death row. We know how two suspects who were sent home on bail by one judge had to come back to the remand prison on orders given by another judge.
Former President Sirisena pardoned a young man who killed a young woman repeatedly hitting her head on cement floor causing 64 cracks on her skull. This atrocious attack that may have taken some time to perpetrate surely broke our hearts as the news spread. A death could be caused by stabbing or pulling a trigger but to hold a helpless victim and shatter her skull to smithereens takes a stone cold anger. Is this the way to award sheer brutality by releasing the culprit back to his comfortable home? This type of irrational release makes us laugh. Soon this pardoner might try to open the door of a lion's cage. Now he is looking for someone to blame for urging him to act illogically. Isn't this a drop of cow dung in the pale of milk he was filling for four years? Who asked him to send this convict home? What do the psychiatrists say about unleashing this man? Could they assure that this man's temper has been lowered to a controllable level? If he repeats his nut cracking, who will take the responsibility?
When a murderer is to be considered for pardoning, it is not the single-handed act of a mucho man that millions startle to blink as to who and what and when.
More learned men should have been involved in this. American presidents have pardoned convicted men by hundreds but in all such attempts, final approval has been earned after lengthy discussions in favour and against. Presidential pardon is in the constitution - Article-11 section 2 clause 1. George Washington rescinded convictions of 16 people, John Adams pardoned 21 people, Thomas Jefferson - 119 people, James Madison - 196 people, James Monroe - 419, John Quincy Adams - 183. During civil war times, hundreds of convicts faced the firing squad. In the meantime, US presidents were persuaded to pardon some death row inmates. In 20th century alone, around 20,000 people had been pardoned.
Mr. Sirisena's pardon given to a prisoner who was counting his finger is highly controversial. The pain of loss the girl's parents endured, heartbreak the country people suffered and still suffering, great struggle the lawyers engaged in, conviction the honourable judges stamped... all were washed down in one stroke of the presidential pen. American presidents didn't save stupid murderers who stole promising lives of teens. The ones pardoned had been given death sentence for sedition, that is doing things against the government (mainly during World War 1), rebelling against taxing, Governor of Michigan sentenced to death for surrendering Fort Detroit, a captain who had taken more people on board a ship than permitted by law., letting slaves to escape,...Law was very strict during wartime but no president would have saved a murderer who snuffed out an innocent life. American presidents commuted some charged with treason, piracy, robbing US mails.
Before long, some lawyers and interested parties might sue the president for this unmerrited pardoning that has mocked the whole judiciary system of the country. More prisoners who are sentenced to death have challenged the president to release them too. This incompetent clumsy decision is going to spread like cancer. We may see more fun in near future. Let us do something soon.
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