Mercy as the Backbone of Freedom | Salt Lake City News

Salt Lake City News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Jul 4, 2026 · 2m

As America nears the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, a powerful question emerges: What does freedom really require? Beyond justice and accountability, the founders recognized that liberty demands mercy — a rare and vital virtue we often overlook. Figures like Alexander Hamilton and George Washington practiced governmental clemency, seeing forgiveness not as weakness but as essential to a functioning republic. While our legal system still holds punishment as central, ancient traditions of restoration — like the Jubilee year — remind us that true freedom thrives when…