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Family Fights For Emma Longstreet’s Legacy As DUI Offender Seeks Pardon
“Most folks don’t walk this road in life…”
“Most folks don’t walk this road in life…”
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5 comments
He needs to live with the conviction for the rest of his life. For all the people who voted yes to being pardoned, why?
I’m stunned at the percentage of yes votes. There is absolutely no good reason to pardon this guy for what he did.
I am also baffled by the number of yes votes. Being released, okay, being no longer on parole, maybe, but pardoned, no way. Pardons are to free someone of a political hatchet job of a trial or for someone who has a non-violent crime erased after demonstrating works of a greater community benefit. Nelson Mandela comes to mind. I don’t think Tom Cooper raises to that standard.
His original sentence was too lenient for killing an innocent child
I voted yes. Why? Because of 2 reasons. 1) as a Christian I am called to forgive. 2 Corinthians 2:5-11. My heart bleeds for this family and I cannot imagine the pain they are feeling. But I know they and a lot of the hatefulness coming from their friends’ posts towards the Mr Hutto baffles me because as Christians that is not how we are called to behave. 2) I have gotten to know Mr Hutto and I know he hates himself for the pain he caused by bad decisions he made 13 years ago. He does live with the pain and regret. He served his time (whether you agree it was enough or not, according to the law and his sentence, his time and punishment has been served).
I know the man now and he’s nothing like the man he was. He won’t go near a drink because of the pain he has caused. He talks to high schools about his mistake and the cost of it. He serves in his local church. He openly wishes he could’ve switched places with that beautiful girl.
He’s not asking for the DUIs or convictions to be expunged or anything. So that part of the article and some of the posts I’ve seen is inflammatory and a lie. He can already drive a car without a breathalyzer so a pardon wouldn’t change that. He’s asking to be able to visit his family on a military installation, to be able to protect his family under the 2nd amendment if needed, to be able to get back some basic simple things that you or I take for granted every day. He’s not asking for anyone to forget but he is asking to be able to move past the mistakes and for the family to forgive him and allow everyone to move forward.
And I have no doubt a lot of you have made a similar bad decision of driving while impaired but were lucky enough to not have to pay consequences of that action or live with it 13+ years later. He did. And he lives with it everyday. Be grateful you don’t have to if you also have made this same terrible choice.
Again, my heart breaks for the family. It is something I hope I never have to feel. But 2 families were ruined that day. And God loves and forgives both equally.