I am already tired of all of the criticism that Joe Biden is getting for having pardoned his son Hunter. Hunter is his son, after all, and he is his father. What else would you expect him to do? What would you do?

I understand the Republican reaction. It’s natural since they are looking to criticize Biden for everything and, lo and behold, here is one more thing, unexpected. I don’t understand the Democratic critics, who should be sympathetic to a President in his last months, forced to forego a reelection campaign because of serious and presumably irreversible age related issues, and forced to turn the country over to the man whom he beat four years ago, and a man who will seek to undermine everything he has done over the past four years.

I am exacerbated at those who say that pardoning his son is going to destroy Biden’s legacy; I don’t think it will have much of an effect at all, and I think whatever effect it might have may in fact be positive, showing the humanity of the man. And I am certainly frustrated at those who say that Trump will stand on firmer ground when he decides to pardon some or all of the January 6 rioters. I can not imagine that this move will, in fact, encourage Trump to use his pardon authority, even though he will undoubtedly add it to his list of reasons and excuses.

Biden has stated that Hunter had been treated differently because of who his father is. This may be true; I don’t know. And whether I “believe” it to be true is irrelevant to whether it is true. And whether it is true may, in fact, be never known, although there will undoubtedly be those who will investigate this questions to death, and those who will broadcast their opinions, as if they matter, even without further investigating.

As to Hunter himself, he has clearly led a troubled life for a period of years; we don’t have to repeat all of his shortcomings. But, those years aside, he does seem to be a serious, and a bright, individual who is set on retaining his sobriety and living a moral life from hereafter. He has suffered greatly, both from his addictions and the attacks against him (resulting of course in a criminal conviction), as a very public person. Let’s just hope he continues on the course he is on, and doesn’t give into the pressure he will most likely continue to be under.

As to Trump’s presumptive pardon of the January 6 convicts now in prison, I must admit that I am fairly indifferent. Many of them (most or all of whom have political differences with me, to be sure) are normal citizens, who got carried away one time in their lives, and they too have already paid a price. I don’t think they are going to get out of jail and form an SS-like militia; I think most will just go on with their lives. That’s okay by me. (If Trump is going to use his pardon authority here, I do hope that he would not pardon any of those accused of physically attacking or injury law enforcement officials; that small group deserves whatever they got.)

I don’t think that Biden has used his pardon authority much, yet. I expect, like most presidents, he will use it to pardon a significant number of people before his term ends. This is is prerogative, like it is of all presidents. Sure it is a gift from a president to a convicted criminal, but it is also a gift to a president, guaranteed by our constitution. Unless he lets out child murderers or the like, I would support his right to pardon anyone he wants. It’s a “thank you for your service” to the president.

When he was in office, Trump used his pardon authority to pardon his machuten (I am told that is the male singular for machatunim, which is Yiddish for the parents of my son–in-law or daughter-in-law, for which there is no word in English), Charles Kushner, who not only committed federal campaign violations, and tax evasion, but also witness tampering. The witness tampering was not normal witness tampering, but to encourage his brother in law not to testify against him, he hired a prostitute to seduce him, Charles’ thought being that he could in effect blackmail him to keep quiet. And this man will now be our Ambassador to France. He also pardoned Steve Bannon and Roger Stone. In fact, the website for WTSP in Tampa has an article (dated December 2) that lists and gives a short bio of approximately 180 people pardoned by Donald Trump in his first term. Hunter Biden clearly did not do anything worse than the vast majority of those Trump has freed.

So, let’s not be too hard on President Biden. As someone recently said, “let’s give the guy a break!” Now, who said that? Oh, yeah, it was me.