One of Joe Biden’s most significant acts of mercy is the decision of President Obama to commute the sentences of almost all national death row prisoners. Three of the most famous and terrible crimes in new US history were spared from this relief, even as he commuted the phrases of 37 men and spared them from the federal implementation. Their offences, marked by anger, despair, and large death, continue to resonate with national and international viewers.
1. Robert D. Bowers: The Tree of Life Synagogue Shooting
Robert D. Bowers, then 52, carried out the deadliest attack on the Jewish community in US history. On October 27, 2018, Bowers stormed the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, during Shabbat service. Armed with an AR-15-style weapons and several weapons, he murdered 11 worshippers and injured many people, including police officers responding to the invasion.
According to his social media posts and comments made during the invasion, Bowers ‘ steps were fueled by racist anger. He accused Jews of supporting immigration laws and declared his intention to murder as some Jews as possible. His murder sent shockwaves through the state, sparking renewed conversations about hate crimes, gun power, and the increase of fanaticism in the US.
2. Dylann Roof: The Charleston Church Massacre
Dylann Roof, then 30, is a white nationalist who carried out the 2015 mass shooting at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina. Posing as a Bible study member, Roof joined the congregation for nearly an hour before opening fireplace, killing nine Black believers, including the church’s priest, Rev. Clementa Pinckney.
Roof’s cause was rooted in cultural anger. He afterwards admitted that because of its value historically for the Black community, he chose the temple. In a discriminatory statement he published online, Root detailed his desire to inspire a race war. He became the first people in US story to be sentenced to death for a federal hate crime because of his lack of remorse and overt hatred for it.
3. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev: The Boston Marathon Bombing
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, then 31, carried out the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing alongside his older brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev. The strike, executed with bread pressure cooker weapons, killed three people, including an eight-year-old boy, and injured more than 260 people, many of whom suffered life-altering accidents such as surgery.
The bombing was a terrorism plot intended to punish the US for its military deeds. The Tsarnaev brothers killed an MIT police officer in the ensuing manhunt and engaged in a bloody altercation with law enforcement during which Tamerlan was killed. Dzhokhar was apprehended shortly thereafter. During his trial, evidence showed his continued support for extremist ideologies, which contributed to his death sentence.
Biden’s Decision: A Line Drawn at Hate and Terrorism
President Biden’s commutations were fueled by his long-standing opposition to the death penalty, which was made even more so by a federal execution moratorium that was put in place during his administration. Biden, however, drew a sharp line when it came to mass murders motivated by fear or terrorism. Biden emphasized in his statement that while the death penalty should be generally abolished, there must be exceptions for” cases of terrorism and hate-motivated mass murder.”
These three men represent crimes that Biden viewed as beyond the purview of clemency, crimes that allegedly claimed the lives of innocent people and targeted entire communities with hatred and terror. Their continued presence on federal death row, as well as for the families of their victims, demonstrates the profound weight of justice in the face of unforgivable deeds, for the victims ‘ families and many others.
Biden’s nuanced approach has received praise and criticism, reflecting the deep divisions between the public and the death penalty, particularly in these infamous and devastating circumstances.
