Planned pardon in fatal shooting is the GOP's latest retreat from law and order

Apparently, it’s open season on Black Lives Matter protesters in Texas. Gov. Greg Abbott didn’t even bother waiting for the sentencing of a man convicted of shooting and killing a protester supporting the movement before announcing he plans to pardon the shooter. Never mind that a jury has unanimously determined that the shooting was not, as the man claims, in self-defense. The case confirms yet again that the GOP’s once-consistent stance for law and order is now politically situational. It also spotlights the dangerous environment red states have created with stand-your-ground laws and open-c...