I’m always a little intrigued by how easy it is for us humans to instinctively demand justice, yet how deep we have to dig in order to muster up any inclination toward mercy or forgiveness. What’s up with that? I understand that God has wired us with that desire for righteousness, to see “the crooked made straight and the rough places plain” (Isa. 40:4). But I also know how much trouble we get into when we presume to dispense judgment without mercy. Wouldn’t it be something if, instead of righteous indignation, our first instinct was one of grace and mercy? What would that look like?
I say all this because I’ve been fascinated by the response to a situation here in Illinois. Many of you probably know that our former governor George Ryan was sentenced to a six-year prison term for a variety of corruption charges that stem from his tenure as secretary of state. Probably the most notable and tragic result of Ryan’s crimes were the deaths of the six children of Scott and Janet Willis, who were killed in a fiery traffic accident caused by a trucker who obtained his driver’s license illegally from one of Ryan’s secretary of state offices. Consequently, many people view Ryan as an accomplice to murder.
Dick Durbin, one of our U.S. senators, recently sent a letter to President Bush requesting that Ryan’s prison sentence be commuted to the one year he has served already. (Coincidentally, Durbin is a Democrat and Ryan is a Republican.) In a truly gracious display that, unfortunately, has been drowned out by the cynical cries of favoritism and “politics as usual,” Durbin writes that the 74-year-old Ryan “has lost his state pension benefits and a commutation will not restore them. He would emerge from prison facing economic uncertainty at an advanced stage of his life.” He also notes that Ryan’s wife, Lura Lynn, is in declining health and would benefit from her husband’s presence. Durbin continues:
“For those who would argue that a commutation makes light of his crimes, it is clear that he has already paid a significant price and will continue to do so as long as he lives. Justice is a sword that should be tempered with compassion. Further imprisonment will not, in my opinion, serve the ends of justice.”
For this, Durbin has taken a major lashing from the public. On the Chicago Tribune website, one commenter opined, “Whatever good opinion I have had of Senator Durbin has just diminished to zero. He has just added to the belief that politicians stick together no matter what the crime. It is time that they not be considered untouchable where justice is concerned.” Responding to the criticism, Durbin said he had been “raised in a tradition of redemption” and that he believed Ryan has already paid a great price.
However, the overwhelming majority of folks seem adamant that Ryan should not be given any special treatment. Again on the Tribune site, in a survey that asks: “Should President Bush set Gov. George Ryan free?,” out of 1,977 respondents (when I last checked), a whopping 1,617 said “No,” while only 360 folks said “Yes.” That’s 82% whose natural and abiding impulse is to go by the letter of the law versus 18% who think the old guy has suffered enough.
Ironically, Gov. George Ryan’s other great controversial act was the moratorium he placed on Illinois’s death penalty because of several dubious cases where individuals were unfairly tried. Then, before leaving office in 2003, Ryan commuted the death sentences of every inmate on Illinois’ Death Row—167 in all—to life in prison.
What do you think? What’s the proper balance between mercy and justice? Would commuting Gov. Ryan’s sentence send the wrong message, or would it send exactly the kind of message our society needs to witness more of—one of compassion, forgiveness, and grace?
In What’s So Amazing About Grace?, Philip Yancey writes:
Because it goes against human nature, forgiveness must be taught and practiced, as one would practice any difficult craft. “Forgiveness is not just an occasional act: it is a permanent attitude,” said Martin Luther King Jr. What greater gift could Christians give to the world than the forming of a culture that upholds grace and forgiveness?
Reconciliation Blog 
Off the cuff:
I am not against mercy in most cases, including this one. However, in this case, I think there should be equity. The case of every person over 70 in the Illinois prisons should be considered at the same time.
I have a friend who spent six months in prison. I visited with her while she was in there. It was an education. The environment is psychologically demeaning, beats one down. I hate to think of an older person being in there.
There are too many people in prison in this country. This man is not a threat to society. It’s expensive to keep him, and all the elderly, in prison. In some cases, we are paying for better health care for them than many outside are getting. We help the budget by releasing those who are not a threat.
I’m not sure there is general agreement as to whether prison is to protect society, exact retribution, or reform the individual (teach him/her a lesson).
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Having made these comments, I find it’s easier to forgive a person who has offended someone else than someone who has offended me!
Has George Ryan sought forgiveness for his actions?
Is George Bush in any position to offer that forgiveness?
Does mercy = forgiveness?
Just asking . . .
Julana,
I agree. It is easier to forgive someone who hasn’t harmed me directly. Still, I wonder if this is what Yancey is talking about when he says forgiveness must be practiced like a craft (and I think Lewis Smedes talked about this as well). Perhaps forgiving in these distant ways, when the offense didn’t directly affect me, strengthens me to forgive more willingly in those instances when it’s really up close and personal.
Ed G.
i believe strongly in mercy. i believe strongly in justice. and i have to pray and trust that walking humbly with God will help me to know when to apply which.
there’s much more to this than just “should we let george ryan out to be with his wife and deal with what will be a hard life for him now?”
this is, i believe, a very good example of privilege…and how we have created and enabled a system perpetuated through such things as this request. here’s just a few thoughts that have caused me to oppose his release.
his crime is considered lesser in many people’s eyes because it was not violent, but many oppressive people have not been the violent actors. they’ve just used their power and influence and act at the expense of others. that has often lead to violent results somewhere down the line.
most of america would have no trouble knowing george ryan was moving in next door after being released from prison, and i think that’s what allows durbin and his constituents to look at this merciful act with such ease. application of this same mercy – he will be economically strapped so that will continue his punishment / his wife is in poor health and needs him – these things applied across our prison system would cause many people to recoil.
as “economically disadvantaged” as durbin might be when he walked out of the prison door, it’s doubtful he’d remain that way for long. his privilege included connections to assistance and work that most people leaving prison don’t have. his color passes him opportunities immediately that could and would lead to his ability to survive.
we’re still having huge problems with setting free prisoners who have been, for the most part, proven innocent through modern forensic techniques. D.A.’s still have to decide whether to have another trial that could free a man or woman who likely have spent many years falsely imprisoned. yet this person, rightly convicted would be released immediately based on a merciful act.
the corruption in this city and state is well-known and rarely stopped. there has been some movement toward attacking this system of injustice in the past few years via the FBI and investigative journalism, but it goes on for the most part unimpeded. part of the idea of imprisonment is that it will be a deterring factor to those considering acting in some particular way that would cause them to end up imprisoned themselves.
and lastly, although it may be that we should do as Julana suggests and release prisoners over a certain age (and i’d certainly be for looking at something like that), the fact is at this point we don’t. we sentence many people to life in prison, knowing that they will die there in a way that allows them little comfort or mercy. i do not say that George Ryan should stay in prison because everyone else has to remain. however, if an oppressive system, such as our justice system, finds someone for whom the system primarily works entangled in it, that person should not be extricated through special circumstance. that makes the system even more oppressive.
i truly am not opposed to seeing people released from prison through merciful acts. i am opposed to it either perceptively or really reinforcing the issues that system has.
It’s possible to have a balance of grace and truth. Simply desiring to see someone receive consequences of their wrongdoing, not only for justice but to encourage righteousness (not just ethically but in practice) does not necessarily mean someone is unforgiving and not a believer in redemption. I think sometimes we take grace to the extreme or truth and justice to the extreme.
Points to ponder: Geo. Ryan has never admitted wrongdoing, to my knowledge, not even when faced with the tragic deaths of that Christian family, an atrocity that directed resulted from his corruption. Also, Jesus wasn’t easy on religious leaders who exploited people (i.e., Temple scene w. the whips and overturned tables); He minced no words to express God’s displeasure at their treatment of the less powerful. And, the same Jesus who told the woman caught in adultery that He didn’t condemn her, also told her to go her way and sin no more, less some worse thing come upon her. This is also the Jesus that blatantly told folks if they didn’t repent, they’d die in their sins.
I value the question of the balance bet. grace and truth, but I don’t think a desire for justice automatically means a person lacks grace.
[…] that has not one but two consecutive governors who are immersed in corruption? And to think that, in an earlier post, I embraced the idea of extending grace to former Governor George Ryan for his transgressions. […]
Today Chicago Tribune columnist John Kass had a touching piece on this topic. He interviewed Duane and Janet Willis as they struggle with the issues of forgiveness, repentance and consequences in relation to Governor Ryan. The Willis’ lost six children as the result of the then Secretary of State’s actions.
They mentioned Chris Braun’s book “Unpacking Forgiveness” and the definition he provides.
“Forgiveness is the commitment by the offended to pardon graciously the repentant from moral liability and to be reconciled to that person, although not all consequences are necessarily eliminated.”
The Kass piece can be found here: http://snurl.com/8rb90-pew