WASHINGTON – For millions of Americans, when the topic of end-of-term presidential pardons is raised – of who’s most deserving of the outgoing chief executive’s compassion and mercy – there’s one case that leaps instantly to mind: that of Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean, the two imprisoned U.S. Border Patrol agents.
Ramos and Compean are serving sentences of 11 and 12 years respectively for the shooting of an illegal alien drug smuggler in the line of duty – a case that has inspired near-universal outrage and passion among Americans, including numerous U.S. congressmen who staunchly defend the two imprisoned border cops.
Now, with just days left before President George W. Bush leaves office, WND is launching a powerful campaign to persuade the outgoing chief executive of the urgency and moral rightness of showing clemency to these two jailed law enforcement officers.
Many Americans have regarded the prosecution and sentencing of Ramos and Compean as nothing short of a travesty of justice:
- The illegal alien drug smuggler received only minor injuries and was given full immunity from prosecution by the federal prosecutor in return for his testimony against the agents.
- Ramos and Compean were convicted and sentenced under a law requiring a minimum 10-year sentence for the use of a firearm in the commission of a crime – a law Congress never intended to apply to law enforcement officers. Even the lead prosecutor subsequently admitted the sentences are too harsh.
- After the trial, several jurors complained they had been intimidated into voting “guilty” while actually believing Ramos and Compean were innocent, yet the judge refused to set the verdict aside.
Monica
Ramos embraces her husband, former U.S. Border Patrol agent Ignacio
Ramos, two days before he was sentenced to 11 years in prison (Courtesy
El Paso Times) - The Border Patrol agents have already served nearly two years in prison, mostly solitary confinement, subjecting their wives and children to extreme emotional and financial hardship.
Moreover, the imprisonment of Ramos and Compean and the severe impact on their families has demoralized the rest of the U.S. Border Patrol, the nation’s first line of defense against the massive influx of illegal aliens into the U.S.
FedEx the president!
Right now, with just a few weeks left during which President Bush could pardon the imprisoned border cops, WND has organized an easy, inexpensive and high-profile way for Americans to make their voices heard by President Bush on this matter.
With the click of a mouse, you can send the following letter to President Bush, with your name and address at the bottom, and it will be delivered to the White House by Fed Ex courier, along with thousands of others:
Dear President Bush:
I know I speak for millions of other Americans with this letter urging you to pardon or commute the sentences of Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean – the two Border Patrol agents currently serving prison terms of 12 and 11 years respectively.
Do this, sir, as a merciful act of compassion.
Offering these two men mercy is not an admission of any wrongdoing on your part or on the part of your Justice Department.
It’s just the right thing to do.
This letter is not written to reopen old wounds or renew an argument about who was right and who was wrong. It is written to heal wounds and end the arguments.
You have offered dozens of pardons already as your second term winds down. On Jan. 20, 2009, you will hand over the reins of power to a new president. But before you do that, you have absolute, unquestioned authority to make whole the lives of some hurting people. In addition, you can restore confidence in our judicial system in the minds of many Americans who can’t sleep at night as they consider the suffering and anguish being experienced by the Ramos and Compean families.
I urge you to do this because the Ramos and Compean sentences are not proportionate.
I urge you to do this because you have compassion in your heart.
I urge you to do this as a way of bringing healing to our country.
I urge you to do this, most of all, for the sake of the wives and children who are punished as severely as the imprisoned agents because of their continued incarceration.
The clock is ticking.
Jan. 20 is right around the corner.
Please find it in your heart to restore officers Ramos and Compean to their wives and children before you leave office.
Sincerely,
YOUR NAME
YOUR ADDRESS
Now just imagine if thousands of Americans send this letter to President Bush, what a powerful message it will send!
If you FedExed a letter to the president yourself, it would cost you about $13. But by joining others in this WND campaign, we can bring the price down to just $7.95 complete – including all shipping and handling charges! And by keeping the price this low, we can make it possible for as many Americans as possible to make their voices heard.
Finally, WND pledges to send a portion of the proceeds directly to the Ramos and Compean wives – Monica and Patty. “If this campaign is successful,” says WND Editor and CEO Joseph Farah, “you will be blessing them this holiday season with more than money. Help us to bring their husbands home for the New Year.”
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