Amnesty is another word for Pardon.

I'm always ready to admit to being one of those people who sees shades of grey everywhere. I really don't think I could come up with a single absolute if I had to. I've taken a lot of heat for it through the years, as many have tried to convince me that there are indeed issues that are up/down, black/white, or right/wrong, and that my refusal (which is more of an inability) to see this is proof that I am somehow unprincipled. So, I have to ask this today, to my many friends and acquaintances who are comfortable with absolutes, and particularly those who have patted me on the head and said that my passion for human rights notwithstanding, we are a nation of laws, first and foremost. The "Rule of Law" argument is the last and best refuge for those who are against the idea of forgiving the trespasses of those who circumvent our immigration laws by crossing our borders "illegally." "Law is the cornerstone of our great nation!", they exclaim, and then conveniently forget that our laws allow for things like forgiveness (pardons) and that amnesties are applied rather often. Letting the punishment fit the crime is another fundamental component of our system of laws, after all, no one wants to sentence a jaywalker to life in prison, right?

So, this has me scratching my balding head. Two border patrol agents tried to apprehend a drug smuggler, somehow botched the takedown and when the smuggler attempted to flee by crossing the Rio Grande, they (illegally) shot him in the ass. Then they compounded this "mistake" by (illegally) policing up their spent shell casings, and if this wasn't enough, they then filed a false report about the whole incident. I count three laws broken at the very least. Apparently, none of their behavior warrants punishment, at least according to Lou Dobbs , various parasitic politicians, and so called "grass-roots" groups. To them, the ends justify the means. The Chairman of the Border Patrol says that these two officers were doing all they could to keep this poison off the streets, just doing their jobs so to speak. I applaud the effort, right up to the point when they broke the law. But this post isn't about these two officers, really, it's about the hypocrisy of those that apply the rule of law only when it is convenient. I thought that the prosecuting attorney summed it nicely, here. I guess I'll take some comfort in the fact that close to a quarter million people signed a petition seeking amnesty for these two officers. Apparently, a lot of other people see shades of grey...