Trump Issues Controversial Pardon

On August 25th President Trump announced via Twitter that he has pardoned former Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio. We don’t often hear about presidential pardons, however when we do there is a particular reason that the pardon should interest the public. In this case, Trump’s pardoning of Arpaio reignites the fire that is racial tension in America, especially because it follows just one week after the events in Charlottesville.

For 24 years Joe Arpaio ran the Maricopa County Sheriff’s department; during his tenure Arpaio had been repeatedly accused of “discriminatory policing practices” that lead to his eventually being issued a court order to cease these actions. Arpaio continued to detain people he suspected, on what was essentially a hunch, that they were illegally residing in the United States. After ignoring this court order Arpaio was convicted of criminal contempt.

There are multiple reasons why this presidential pardon is so controversial and, quite frankly, unacceptable. First off, by the nature of the presidential pardon, our commander in chief is essentially stating that the offense committed by Arpaio never happened and, in effect, does not matter. This is an extremely bold and dangerous statement considering the context in which it is presented. The president announced the pardon only one week after his questionable comments and poor handling of the situation in Charlottesville. The president received an onslaught of criticism following his equating white supremacists with counter protestors and his failing to explicitly condemn white supremacists and neo-nazis. His actions left him vulnerable to criticism that would paint him as a white supremacist or at the very least somebody who finds no problem with white supremacist ideologies. Compound these actions with his pardoning a man who has been known to racially profile and detain people without any semblance of concrete evidence, and you’ll see a picture of president Trump that depicts him as a supporter of a racist, discriminatory agenda. His actions repeatedly contradict his statement that he is “the least racist person,” and continue to prove that he is one of the most incapable presidents to date.

Another big issue with Trump’s decision to pardon Arpaio is the way that Trump views the former Arizona sheriff. When pardoning Arpaio of his offense president Trump praises the former sheriff for his actions and sees him as a patriot. By endorsing Arpaio’s actions and putting him on this idealistic, “true-american” pedestal, Trump also puts Arpaio’s values on a pedestal. Values that drive one to discriminate blindly and abuse the power bestowed upon one by his or her position. They are values that Trump believes will make America great again, but, in reality, will continue to divide the country, dissolve years of social progress, and position America as an unstable nation in the eyes of the rest of the world.