Gavin Newsoms premeditated attack on the death penalty was an assault on decency and democracy

Gavin Newsom saved his worst for last, commuting the sentences of all 548 convicted murderers on Death Row to life in prison.If these commutations survive legal challenge, they will mark an extreme and cynical abuse of power.Start with the fact that California voters have decided, in one ballot initiative after another, to keep the death penalty.  The biggest news, opinion and culture shaping California right now.Please provide a valid email.

By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.Never miss a story In 2016, voters rejected the abolition of the death penalty — and even approved Proposition 66, to cut down on endless appeals.Newsom decided that he alone could override the democratic will of the people.

So much for “No Kings,” and all of his complaints about President Donald Trump acting like a dictator.Consider also that Newsom waited until he was a lame duck, after Election Day, on his way out of office.He did not have the political courage to make his decision while he was still accountable to the voters who elected him.Next, note Newsom’s appalling narcissism.

His letter explaining his decision is all about himself: “I could not remain true to my values … I have concluded the state cannot morally kill [murderers].” He even had the nerve to claim: “I follow the moral leadership of past presidents.”Abraham Lincoln, perhaps our greatest president, granted clemency in many cases, but also approved the execution of deserters during the Civil War, a great moral cause.He understood the heavy burden of leadership did not allow private sentiment to interfere with public duty.The duty of a governor includes, first and foremost, a duty to the victims of crime, as well as their families, whom Newsom never consulted. A governor also has a duty to the communities made less safe by leniency toward murder.While claiming to embrace “California values,” Newsom claimed th...