Amidst all of the hullabaloo surrounding Donald Trump’s haste to pardon between 1,000 and 1,500 criminals who had been convicted of various crimes, ranging from trespass to treason, in connection with the storming of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, one such individual — Pamela Hemphill of Boise, Idaho — stands out as a shining example of honesty and decency that should make the others cringe in shame.

Not that they will. You need a conscience for that.

But how, you may ask, can I possibly suggest that someone who once wrote on Face book, “It’s a war!” . . . and posted a video of herself on her YouTube channel saying, “Let’s go to the Capitol” . . . and was later seen in the Capitol rotunda telling fellow rioters to “come on in, come on, have fun … this is your house!” [en.m.wikipedia.org] . . . how could I possibly hold her up as a role model for decent, law-abiding citizens?

Because now — having pled guilty to one count of demonstrating, picketing or parading in a Capitol building, and having served her sentence of 60 days in prison plus 36 months of probation and $500 restitution — she has refused to accept Trump’s unconditional pardon, saying “We were wrong that day.” [Robert Plummer, BBC News, January 22, 2025.]

In fact, back in June of 2023, when Trump wrote on Truth Social that Hemphill would be spending more time in jail than Hunter Biden, and added the comment, “Horrible,” Ms. Hemphill responded on Twitter:

“. . . please . . . don’t be using me for anything, I’m not a victim of Jan6, I pleaded guilty because I was guilty! #StopTheSpin.” [Wikipedia, op.cit.]

In September of that year, she also published an open letter to Congress, stating in part:

“I am not a victim of the government, the Justice Department was not weaponized against me, I was a participant who broke the law.” [Id.]

And now she has told the BBC that “We were wrong that day. Accepting a pardon would only insult the Capitol police officers, rule of law and, of course, our nation. I pleaded guilty because I was guilty, and accepting a pardon also would serve to contribute to their gaslighting and false narrative.” [BBC, op.cit.]

Yes, Pamela Hemphill broke the law four years ago. But she did not participate in any violent acts against others; she was convicted of a misdemeanor, and she has paid the penalty. But more importantly, she is truly repentant, and honest enough to admit her mistakes — not only to herself, but to the world.

And that takes courage, and honor. For that, Ms. Hemphill has my respect and admiration. We all make them, you know.

Mistakes, that is.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
1/23/25