Jonathan Pollard: Clemency Long Overdue
by Jerrold L. Sobel
THE ARGUMENT IS NOT ABOUT POLLARD’S GUILT….MY OWN VIEW IS THAT HE IS NO HERO, WAS GUILTY AND DESERVED PUNISHMENT….BUT 26 YEARS, MANY IN SOLITARY CONFINEMENT, IS TOO LONG AND TOO HARSH ……RSK
Back on New Years Day of this year, the Tea Party Tribune published, “Jonathan Pollard: Revisited Again and again,” the third of three articles I had written about Jonathan Pollard and the wrongful sentence he received for the crime he committed. Some of my dear readers wrote to me me “he’s a traitor,” “he should rot in hell,” and so on. Interestingly, I was accused of being a leftist for stating Pollard had engaged in criminal behavior; me being accused of being a leftist, that’s a new one, others on the right called for my head because I advocated for his release. In all my years of writing I can’t remember another situation having to defend my position to both sides of the political spectrum. What castigators on both sides fail to recognize, this is not about left or right, it’s not about Pollard being Jewish; although the veracity of this statement could come into question, it’s not even about Pollard. It’s about a modern day injustice which has kept a man incarcerated for an inordinate amount of time despite protestations from those most closely related to this action.
For those interested in the facts of this case and not just gut feelings, you may wish to read the article.
Jonathan Pollard: Revisited Again and again
http://www.teapartytribune.com/2012/01/05/jonathan-pollard-revisited-again-and-again/
However, mitigating circumstances aside; and there are many, the question begs, why after 26 long years; many of which served in solitary confinement hasn’t Pollard been granted clemency? Many, many people have done far worse and in times of war but have been either pardoned or granted clemency, why not Pollard? Let’s review some of them.