5 ms·

Pardon? Pardon, a pardon?! An apology is what he deserves and what he got. To use words like 'pardon' and 'forgive' carries the very strong connotation that wha

Pardon? Pardon, a pardon?! An apology is what he deserves and what he got. To use words like 'pardon' and 'forgive' carries the very strong connotation that what he did was wrong, and we're being nice by forgiving his mistakes. I mean, half the great men in the history of the last century have had the honour of being jailed by the British. Imagine the Queen issuing a posthumous "pardon" to Gandhi. I can scarcely imagine a worse insult to his memory.

Svip 14y ago
I thought pardons - even posthumous ones - were about undoing a false conviction based on later evidence (or good connections). Of course, the pardon of Nixon does not fall into this category. Then again, I agree with your analogy of pardoning Gandhi.
- tubelite 14y ago
  Undoing a false conviction is fine, but they really ought to use a better word. Exonerate. Vindicate. Absolve. (Then again, I don't understand the idea of the President 'pardoning' a turkey either. What's the turkey done? Headed a Wall Street investment bank?)
  - jerf 14y ago
    A pardon is a legal term. It is related to, but not equal to, its plain English meaning. Law will forever confuse you if you insist on trying to use plain English meanings. For that matter, you're going to have some serious problems as a programmer, too. There's hardly any term that two programming communities have the exact same definition for.
- peeters 14y ago
  Pardons are not, nor have ever been, about undoing a false conviction based on later evidence. You don't need a pardon in that case; you need an appeal which will overturn your conviction. That's not to say a pardon couldn't be used for this purpose; but the judicial branch can ordinarily handle it itself. Pardons are usually an executive power to to absolve someone (clear their record). Commutation is similar, where you do not negate the guilt but reduce or eliminate the punishment. Both are tools used for various reasons. In Canada, many minor crimes are pardoned years after a criminal has been reformed to clear their record. IMO this is in general a good thing, but then there are cases like this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graham_James_(ice_hockey)#Pardon http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graham_James_(ice_hockey)#Pardo... Pardons and commutes are also used to balance out a flawed justice system or one that has its hands tied (e.g. with mandatory minimums). This can include people being sent to prison for years for minor drug crimes, etc.

Svip 14y ago

I thought pardons - even posthumous ones - were about undoing a false conviction based on later evidence (or good connections). Of course, the pardon of Nixon does not fall into this category. Then again, I agree with your analogy of pardoning Gandhi.

tubelite 14y ago
Undoing a false conviction is fine, but they really ought to use a better word. Exonerate. Vindicate. Absolve. (Then again, I don't understand the idea of the President 'pardoning' a turkey either. What's the turkey done? Headed a Wall Street investment bank?)
- jerf 14y ago
  A pardon is a legal term. It is related to, but not equal to, its plain English meaning. Law will forever confuse you if you insist on trying to use plain English meanings. For that matter, you're going to have some serious problems as a programmer, too. There's hardly any term that two programming communities have the exact same definition for.
peeters 14y ago
Pardons are not, nor have ever been, about undoing a false conviction based on later evidence. You don't need a pardon in that case; you need an appeal which will overturn your conviction. That's not to say a pardon couldn't be used for this purpose; but the judicial branch can ordinarily handle it itself. Pardons are usually an executive power to to absolve someone (clear their record). Commutation is similar, where you do not negate the guilt but reduce or eliminate the punishment. Both are tools used for various reasons. In Canada, many minor crimes are pardoned years after a criminal has been reformed to clear their record. IMO this is in general a good thing, but then there are cases like this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graham_James_(ice_hockey)#Pardon http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graham_James_(ice_hockey)#Pardo... Pardons and commutes are also used to balance out a flawed justice system or one that has its hands tied (e.g. with mandatory minimums). This can include people being sent to prison for years for minor drug crimes, etc.