In the late afternoon on inauguration day, I contacted my friend and brother-in-Christ, Conrad Black, to express my sorrows regarding his commutation. In his response, he once again surprised me by cataloging a list of worthy avenues that exist for him in his pursuit of justice and freedom. His attitude and disposition remain strong and upbeat.
For a man who spent his whole life replete with the luxuries of the rich and powerful, Conrad Black has adjusted to his current, and hopefully temporary, imprisonment (and his certainly Spartan surroundings) with a characteristic grace. Many thought that, once behind bars, Mr. Black would be whining like a spoiled brat. We have all had the chance to read his writing during this time and can see this is not the case. I have no doubt Conrad Black is the most productive resident of the Federal System and a real asset to so many ‘in need’ during his difficult time.
The most tragic facet of incarceration is parting with loved ones. As a man of romantic temperament I deeply sympathize with Conrad Black’s heartrending separation from the greatest love of his life, the beautiful Barbara Black. I know he would give anything to be with her right now. All of us that know Conrad well are deeply aware of how much he loves his wife. Barbara has given Conrad more emotional support and unadulterated love than he could ever have prayed for.
It sickens me that so many people that do not know Conrad, having no true measure of the man’s character, actually buy the nonsense that he stole money and that this purported theft was done out of greed. First, it is well beneath Conrad to commit a crime. Second, it would be as much a necessity for Conrad to steal 6 million dollars as it would for me to take candy from a baby. The whole idea is ludicrous. It would be downright absurd to entertain the notion at all, except that Patrick Fitzgerald somehow managed to convince a jury that this farce is fact.
