Dem
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GOP
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Speaking of lawlessness and the Southern judicial system, Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) had a big announcement yesterday: He has issued a pardon for Daniel Perry, the outspoken racist who killed 28-year-old Air Force veteran Garrett Foster (who, note, was white) at a Black Lives Matter protest. That means that instead of serving 25 years to life, Perry will be out after serving just 1 year in prison. And, you'll be relieved to hear, Perry's right to own a gun will be restored.
In his announcement, Abbott explained: "Texas has one of the strongest 'Stand Your Ground' laws of self-defense that cannot be nullified by a jury or a progressive District Attorney." He also noted his opinion that DA José Garza "demonstrated unethical and biased misuse of his office in prosecuting Daniel Scott Perry." We should also add, in interest of providing the full story, that Abbott acted on recommendation of the Texas State Board of Pardons and Paroles. So, it could be that Abbott was in the right here.
On the other hand, every member of the Board of Pardons and Paroles was appointed by... Greg Abbott. Further, while his announcement suggests his decision was governed by what they learned during their investigation, the Governor said over a year ago, before he knew all the facts (or even most of the facts) that he was determined to pardon Perry. It's also the case that the indictment was approved by a grand jury, and the verdict was reached by a unanimous petit jury, after a trial in which numerous witnesses testified that Foster, though armed, did not raise his weapon, while Perry, who was in a vehicle, could have driven away and been out of the way of harm. Oh, and in the weeks before the shooting, Perry took to Facebook to share valuable thoughts like this one: "It is official I am a racist because I do not agree with people acting like animals at the zoo."
In other words, it looks to us like this was about pandering to right-wing Texans much more than it was about justice. And if you lived in Texas right now, or in any other red state, and you were tempted to take a shot at a left-wing protester, wouldn't you feel pretty empowered to do so? It's hardly inconceivable that a gun-wielding individual could, say, show up at one of the pro-Palestine protests on one of the Texas campuses, wade into the middle of everything, and then take down a few "animals." Don't you think such a person would feel pretty good about their chances of either an acquittal or a pardon?
Meanwhile, to add a tinge of irony to the situation, a new poll from progressive advocacy group Unlocking America's Future finds that three-quarters of Texans think that an "extreme conservative agenda" has taken control of the state, while 77% of voters (and 62% of Republicans) think the politicians in Austin are primarily "working for their wealthy campaign donors." Hmmmmm... if only the voters of Texas had some way to do something about politicians who they don't feel represent their interests (and no, we don't mean "shoot them"). (Z)