Loved Ones Aren’t Free from Prison [PHIL-OSOPHY]

Greg Floyd admitted shooting and killing two young people, one from Lakeville, after the couple was carjacked, driven to a golf course, blindfolded, robbed of $18 and shot in cold blood as they pleaded for their lives to be spared.

This happened 20 years ago. Now, Floyd is petitioning the court for a "compassionate release" due to worries of COVID-19 in prison.

I find this latest development hard to swallow.

In 2000, Jason Burgeson, 20, of Lakeville and Amy Shute, 21, of Coventry, R.I. were taken hostage in Providence and driven to Johnston, R.I. by Floyd and four other troublemakers involved in this heinous assassination and convicted. Floyd, serving a life sentence in federal prison in North Carolina, admitted to pulling the trigger, as the young man and woman were hugging and crying and begging for their life. He said he felt nothing morally or emotionally.

With respect to Floyd fearing getting sick in prison, I pray the court doesn't agree to show him sympathy. In law, someone is guilty when he violates the rights of others. But there's another law here other than the law of government. It's the law of conscience. The loved ones left locked up in endless pain, brought on by Floyd's lack of conscience, aren't free from the prison they've been in. They can't get a compassionate release from this. Floyd must also be held equally responsible.

Phil Paleologos is the host of The Phil Paleologos Show on 1420 WBSM New Bedford. He can be heard weekdays from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. Contact him at phil@wbsm.com and follow him on Twitter @PhilPaleologos. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.