Clemency Granted ; Why One and Not Another

Friday the Georgia Pardons and Parole board granted clemency to a killer. Reduced his sentence to life in prison. This Mr.Greene had killed one man with a knife while committing a robbery. He had also stabbed another clerk in the lung (she lived) while he was at it he attacked another couple and another clerk. What a terrible crime spree and a sad state of affairs.

Apparently this Mr.Greene was a great guy before and after this crime spree and even his lawyer said he was a nice guy. Why the paper even says he was an outstanding lineman in high school. He is such a nice guy the prosecutor for the case even endorsed the change in sentence. This is all really what I would endorse too. But I am critical of the this Parole Board because the decision that was made is based on some sort of supposed understanding of the remorse displayed by the defendant and the perception that the board has of this mans words and actions. One man gets life in prison while if the perception is different another man dies at the hands of the state.

Troy Davis died at the hands of the state. He died because of the perception of this same group of nine people. He too was a good guy, supported internationally...the Pope and a past President for heavens sake. But in Troy's case this same group said No. And, Troy Davis died. The thing is , for me, the evidence of murder was less certain in Troy's case.. By any measure , Troy was "less guilty" than Mr.Greene. I am not saying one man is guilty or another man is Innocent. What I am saying is that when it comes to the finality of the death penalty we all have a right to "equal justice under the law". In this case one man got a break and the other did not.

This whole set of circumstances is one of the best arguments against the state , any state, taking life through the death penalty. All of these perceptions and legal words that describe what can be included and excluded from a trial lay bare the major problem with Capital punishment. Men and women deciding the finality of life...it can never be fair or certain in taking one life over another.