Hypocrisy manifests itself during hospital visits; Afghan mess justifies impeachment and more accolades | Letters to the Editor
Regarding “the man from Saint-Louis wants his weapons back after the governor’s pardon” (August 5): Governor Mike Parson does his best to demonstrate old-fashioned justice. He recently pardoned Mark and Patricia McCloskey for their crimes of threatening protesters with guns as protesters walked past their homes. The McCloskeys had to plead guilty because they were recorded as committing the crime. The McCloskeys were only fined for their punishment, but for some reason Parson felt obligated to forgive them.
On the other hand, Parson has refused to pardon Kevin Strickland, who has served more than 40 years in prison for a crime witnesses, and even prosecutors, say he did not commit. Parson said, “When something like that comes up, we look at those cases, but I’m not sure if that necessarily makes it a priority to jump in front of the line.”
The McCloskeys were indicted in October 2020. Strickland was convicted in April 1978. How did the McCloskeys come to head the grace line in front of Strickland?
The answer is simple, although no one is saying it: Strickland is poor and black while the McCloskeys are rich and white. It is the time of the 1920s, old-fashioned justice is applied. Apparently nothing has changed over the past 100 years, at least not under Parson’s regime.
Honestly, if the McCloskeys were black and wealthy and brandished guns against white protesters in their neighborhood, does anyone think Parson would have pardoned them?
Bryan kasten • Piedmont