Eager to fulfill one of President Trump’s major campaign promises, the White House is aggressively seeking out any illegal immigrants who have a criminal record and pose a threat to the safety and security of the American people. But with the concern about the safety of Americans the key point of rounding up illegal immigrants who pose a threat, Trump, himself, pardoned American criminals convicted and jailed in the January 6th riots and attack on the Capitol and the democratic process. If it’s so important to protect the American people from criminals, then why release criminals into American society?
As I said countless times, I am generally against pardons of criminals and that includes the many pardons President Biden exercised at the end of his administration, including the pardons of his own family. My opinion of pardons is not politically-motivated, it’s based on the idea that pardons, in general, diminish the power of our justice system.
As we begin 2025, I accept that Americans have voiced their opinion and Donald Trump is the President of the United States and his campaign promises are part of what people voted for. It doesn’t matter what storylines are spread, Trump won by a very thin margin and there are many Americans who don’t like him and didn’t vote for him and many who did vote for Trump do not like him and voted for him because he was their best option. Thank the Democrats for that. But as we begin a New Year, I am dedicated to taking a new approach to President Trump and his most ardent followers. I will continue to be honest and only speak the truth about Trump, but I will work to be less confrontational about any disagreements I have over policy.
Many of those convicted in the Jan 6 riots were vicious individuals who demonstrated no respect for the law. If you didn’t watch it unfold live on TV, you have seen the videos and anyone who depicts that event as anything but a violent and horrifying attack on the Capitol and the democratic process is clearly delusional. Many of those who were part of the attack on the Capitol were convicted and deserve to be in jail today.
Reports are out about time slipping away leading up the Inauguration Day and frustrated with the process, Trump gave the order to just pardon everyone, even those guilty of the most vicious crimes, including attacking police officers. To put it simply, many of the Trump supporters involved in the attack are just bad people who were looking for a fight. Many admitted they thought they were following Trump’s orders that day. Most of the participants in the rally did not attack the Capitol, but those who did had evil intent reflective of an evil mentality.
That brings me to 42-year-old Matthew Huttle of Indiana, who was shot and killed by police on Sunday as he resisted arrest after his car was pulled over by police in Indiana. According to the Jasper County Sheriff Patrick Williamson, Huttle got into an altercation with the police officer who was trying to arrest him and the officer became so threatened that he fired his weapon killing Matthew Huttle.
Why Huttle was stopped is inconsequential to conventional wisdom that says you follow the directives of law enforcement. The philosophy from right-wingers to people like Geroge Floyd is that you follow orders. In this situation a right-winger failed to follow the orders of the police and he is now dead.
Why didn’t Matthew Huttle follow the orders of the police? Did he feel protected because he was just pardoned by the President of the United States and might he have felt protected and immune from prosecution as long as Trump was president?
If Tuttle didn’t have the attitude that he was untouchable as long as Trump was president then he was just a violent person and possibly just ignorant and arrogant - not a good combination when it comes to human qualities.
Andrew Taake was convicted of attacking a police officer with a dangerous weapon during the Jan 6 riots and he was recently pardoned by President Trump. Taake, 36, is on the run right now and wanted on charges of attempting to have sex with a minor. The only reason he did not go to trial was because he was arrested for his involvement in the Jan 6 riots. Taake still faces those charges.
Matthew Tuttle and Andrew Taake are two examples of why Trump should not have pardoned all of those convicted for their crimes in the Jan 6 riots. Tuttle and Taake show signs of not being worthy of freedom in American society.
And at a time when Trump and so many of his followers want illegal immigrants out of our country because they are criminals, how do Trump and his followers justify the pardons and release of Matthew Tuttle and Andrew Taake? These are convicted criminals who were released into American society. Tuttle is dead - Taake is free to attempt to have sex with a minor or commit other crimes. I am not talking about Trump supporters being criminals - I am talking about the convicted criminals getting freed into society only because they supported Trump. That is not a legitimate reason to pardon individual Americans who have proven they have no regard for our laws.
