Pam Hemphill, aka ‘MAGA Granny,’ refuses Trump pardon, shows integrity
Guest Commentary by Patrick Scriven
Recently, everyone had an opinion about presidential pardons. Some bemoaned the unprecedented pardons offered by former President Biden to family and to others threatened with potential prosecutions during a heated campaign season.
Others were disturbed by the pardons and acts of clemency given by President Trump to those charged and convicted of participating in the riots on Jan. 6, 2021.
Then, I ran across a unique reaction from a woman in Boise, Idaho, who was formally rejecting her pardon from President Trump for her participation in the Jan. 6 insurrection.
In an interview with the Idaho Statesmen, the woman, Pamela Hemphill, shared, “Accepting the pardon would be an insult to the Capitol Police officers, to the rule of law, to our nation.”
Hemphill, also known as the “MAGA Granny” from videos that circulated online after the attack on the capital, explained that by accepting the pardon, she would be contributing to an effort to “rewrite what happened on that day.”
All of us have, at one time or another, done something that we regret. By taking responsibility, we can avoid the trap of cheap grace and grow as people and as disciples.
In owning her mistakes, Hemphill is walking the path less taken, and in doing so, she offers others a good example and a little hope for a world desperately needing examples of integrity.
May God use us in similar ways to provide a little light in dark times.
Pam’s interviews on podcasts give hope to those of us who feel we’ve lost loved ones to what Pam calls “the cult of Trump.”