The ‘Squad’s’ newest member Cori Bush is demanding President-elect Joe Biden move to grant clemency to everybody currently sitting on death row.
Bush’s view shows once again that there isn’t any level of criminal the group won’t embrace.
The Missouri Democrat made her views clear in an op-ed with Time Magazine on Monday.
“If [Biden] truly opposes the death penalty,” she wrote, “he must do everything in his power to stop it for good. Granting clemency to all on federal death row is his most effective tool.”
Bush went on to describe the death penalty as “murder in the name of justice” and drew a link between it and the dark stain of racism in American history.
“Ending the death penalty is about justice,” she argued, seemingly unaware that families of their victims need justice as well. “It’s about mercy. It’s about putting a stop to this nation’s dark history of lynching and slavery.”
“We must build a fair criminal-legal system on a foundation of mercy, due process and equity,” continued Bush. “We must break the cycles of death, devastation and trauma that have broken Black and brown communities like mine.”
Let’s call this what it is: state-sanctioned murder.
I’m thinking of Brandon Bernard and his family—the system failed them. We cannot allow this to continue. The Biden-Harris administration should commute the sentence of every single person on federal death row. https://t.co/B3hGa6pFKN
— Cori Bush (@CoriBush) December 11, 2020
Cori Bush Wants Death Row Inmates Granted Clemency From Joe Biden
42.1 percent of inmates currently sitting on death row are white, while African-Americans make up the next largest group at 41.6.
Compared to the U.S. population, the numbers are skewed. So, does Bush have an argument? Of course not, she’s the victim of ‘Squad-think’ an inability to process information more than two steps forward.
Men make up 98 percent of all those currently on death row, while just 2 percent are female. Most certainly, the U.S. population does not represent that kind of makeup.
Does that mean the criminal justice system is inherently sexist? You decide.
Bush’s op-ed was spurred on by the recent execution of Brandon Bernard, a man convicted for the 1999 robbery, kidnapping, and the brutal murder of youth pastors Todd and Stacie Bagley.
That’s the type of person Bush is rallying behind.
The claim that Brandon Bernard “didn’t kill anyone” is a flat out lie. He was part of a group that kidnapped two married youth pastors, locked them in a trunk, and shot them. Bernard is the one who lit the car on fire. The wife, Stacie Bagley, was still alive. He killed her.
— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) December 11, 2020
Biden supports eliminating the death penalty according to his campaign website.
“Biden will work to pass legislation to eliminate the death penalty at the federal level, and incentivize states to follow the federal government’s example,” the site reads. “These individuals should instead serve life sentences without probation or parole.”
President Donald Trump, by contrast, made a campaign promise to bring back capital punishment then followed through on that promise.
“We’re not going to let bad things happen to our police,” President Trump says. “We believe criminals who kill our police should get the death penalty. Bring it forth.” pic.twitter.com/Pyfd3ONDHp
— NBC News (@NBCNews) May 15, 2018
RELATED: Ilhan Omar, Socialist Group Share Dem Candidate’s Call To ‘Defund The Pentagon’
Bush’s Views On The Criminal Justice System
Cori Bush’s views on the death penalty, granting clemency to murderers, and law enforcement in general, show she is squarely on the side of criminals, not on the side of the victims of crime.
She stands in opposition to Biden and Barack Obama’s suggestion that defunding the police is a losing political argument.
[totalpoll id=”218893″]
“It’s not a slogan,” Bush argued. “It’s a mandate for keeping our people alive. Defund the police.”
With all due respect, Mr. President—let’s talk about losing people. We lost Michael Brown Jr. We lost Breonna Taylor. We’re losing our loved ones to police violence.
It’s not a slogan. It’s a mandate for keeping our people alive. Defund the police. https://t.co/Wsxp1Y1bBi
— Cori Bush (@CoriBush) December 2, 2020
Bush has even gone so far as to argue that it is necessary to defund our military.
“If you’re having a bad day, just think of all the social services we’re going to fund after we defund the Pentagon,” she tweeted.
