When things don't go your way (and you're the Governor of Texas)
By Cameron Vickrey
Last week, Gov. Greg Abbott exercised his power for popularity, and by doing so, made racially motivated political violence not just acceptable under the law, but not even answerable to it. The governor interfered with the justice system by influencing the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles to issue a pardon to Daniel Perry, who was tried and convicted by a jury and sentenced to 25 years in prison for the murder of Garrett Foster.
For a few years now following the work of Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, I’ve been discouraged at how rarely this governor-appointed board is willing to issue pardons. Even when it seems like a person was wrongfully convicted and sentenced to death, the board prefers to let the justice system run its course. It is my belief that Texas has killed innocent people because of a lack of political will to save the lives of those who are disproportionately Black, Brown, poor, and/or have mental disabilities.
But for a white veteran, who expressed hateful intent to kill Black Lives Matter protestors and followed through on that threat, sure.
Garrett Foster was also white, also a veteran, and also carrying a weapon openly. On July 25, 2020, when Perry drove his car directly into a crowd of mostly Black protestors in the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder, Foster came to their defense. But according to trial evidence, he did not point his gun at Perry. Nonetheless, Perry targeted and killed Foster and drove away.
The day after Perry was convicted by a fair trial, Gov. Abbott called for his pardon. The jury of 12 impartial peers heard all the evidence presented by both sides, as opposed to cable news hosts and even the governor. The trial didn’t go Abbott’s way, and he wasn’t having it.
In isolation, this incident makes my blood turn cold. But in the context of the upcoming election and rising political violence, it is even more terrifying. It means that the measure of justice boils down to nothing more than aligned political beliefs.
When fair processes like trials or elections don’t go our way, we have to learn to abide by them. This is hard in parenting, in relationships, in friendships, at school, in the workplace and in politics. Not everything’s going to go your way, but that doesn’t mean it’s not fair. Gov. Abbott needs to go back to kindergarten to learn these basic rules of life.
