President Biden has commuted the death sentences of 37 federal prisoners to serving life without parole leaving three facing possible execution: the men ( yes all ) convicted in the Boston Marathon Bombing; and the killings at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church and the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh.
He also commuted his son Hunter's conviction. Oh stop. I would do the same. (Ed. note. My son is truly a fine man and a law abiding citizen.) But attention must be paid at how harsh and punitive Mr. Biden acted through every and all stages of his political career toward nonrelatives with drug related offenses and problems while his son struggled with addiction and other issues.
That being said, the lame duck President also commuted the sentences of almost 1500 prisoners. Included in that group is the Cash for Kids Judge. He accepted 3 million dollars in bribes over several years to send 2300 children, some as young as 8 years old, to private juvenile detention facilities. He destroyed countless lives, interrupting their childhood for a path to prison and lingering trauma. Former Judge Conahan betrayed these kids for an average of $870 per. To reiterate, he was granted a pardon.
Who wasn't pardoned? Steven Donziger. Yet. There is still time, President Biden.
What was his crime? Donzinger won a $9,500,000,000+ judgement against Texaco, later acquired by Chevron, to help clean up parts of the Rainforest in Ecuador that the company destroyed. The money was also to assist the people living there who were affected in a myriad of ways including severe health problems. But, Chevron never paid.
Yes, most of the planet does not reside in this South American country. But we all, every person needs a healthy nay thriving Rainforest. And if companies are people my friend, then Chevron is criminally liable. (Together with United Healthcare and countless other corporations, their executives should be sitting on death row in Texas. According to Mitt Romney.)
Donziger followed the rules. He won in court. Only to have Chevron bribe corrupt officials in Ecuador. But the oil company won on an appeal at the Hague. Then, this brilliant lawyer was called a criminal here in his country, the United States. He was charged with criminal contempt of court for refusing to turn over his electronic devices. Besides the ironclad rule of attorney/client privilege, imagine what Chevron et. al. would/could do with the names of protest leaders fighting for their land and people. Indigenous communities that had been regarded as a dumping ground.
Please read about what this man achieved and then endured, including house arrest and prison. As well as losing his law license. Unless he is pardoned, he can be re-incarcerated at any time. The judge who moved Donziger from house arrest to prison had ties to Chevron. The entire saga is beyond infuriating and heartbreaking. Justice, like children, apparently for sale.
President Biden has just a few weeks to begin the process of rectifying this massive wrong. It won't bring back the billions that people in Ecuador won/ but it will unshackle this passionate fighter.
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Rest In Peace Jimmy Carter. More about him. including the almost complete elimination of the guinea worm at a later date.
We can win peacefully. We can challenge and triumph against corrupt corporations and judges. We can stop the destruction of our planet and putting our children to work or for sale.
Best wishes and respect for your holidays and whatever you are fighting for. Join a massively growing united economic protest movement. Stay tuned for big things in the coming year as DSOT grows with the coming challenges ahead in 2025.
And as always shop locally six days each week and then....
Don't Shop on Tuesday.