During Joe Biden’s first three-and-a-half years in office, I thought he was a very good president. I saw all the polls that continually showed his approval ratings in the cellar, but I admired him: for picking up the pieces after four divisive years of Donald Trump’s presidency; for stoking the economy while cushioning the landing from inevitable inflation (which resulted in a 54% increase in the Dow Jones Industrial Average); for adding a record 14.6 million jobs in his first three years; for championing labor rights and encouraging union efforts; for pushing for environmental protections and tackling climate change; for seeking to bring Americans together instead of trying to drive us apart.

As important to me as any of those accomplishments was the clear indication – I thought it was a pledge – that Biden intended to serve a single term, using his four years to stabilize the country and then stepping aside for the next generation.

His decision to run again seemed more about his own needs than the those of the country. I get that. We old people don’t like to admit when it’s time to let go.

So too with the pardon of his son, Hunter. The president speaks almost solely in personal terms. “Jill and I love our son, and we are so proud of the man he is today. So many families who have had loved ones battle addiction understand the feeling of pride seeing someone you love come out the other side and be so strong and resilient in recovery.”

I get that, too. My children are the center of our universe, and I will do anything to protect them. Moreover, Trump makes no secret of his commitment to revenge and retribution. He, too, is driven by the personal, and his vendettas are a serious threat, not just to Hunter Biden, but to the country.

But what about the president’s pledges that he would not pardon his son? And what about Hunter’s responsibility? He traded on his father’s name for years and made millions of dollars to fuel his addictions. Why has the White House never addressed what sems like a powerful form of enabling? Hunter Biden was indicted by the Justice Department and convicted by a jury of his peers. Doesn’t that count for something?

And what of all the others who spoke up for their country? I think, above all, of Alexander Vindman, who stood up and told the truth when Trump was still in office, for which both he and his twin brother, Yevgeny, who had done nothing, were frog marched out of their offices. It’s hard to think they are not on the inauguration day hit list.

I wish Hunter Biden well. He has had too many tragedies in his life. But his latest troubles are not just a family affair. They have transcended the personal and entered the public realm. In so doing, they have jeopardized this country’s social and legal fabric. Does Hunter owe the country nothing in return?

And finally, what of our obligations to those threatened with persecution simply for following their conscience? Blanket pardons are not a substitute for the courage to stand up to injustice.