Justice in an Imperfect System
September 25th 2011 12:24
When it comes to opinions about the current state of the American Justice System there is no shortage of wrath for the flaws that shine a brighter light than the things that continue to make it one of the best in the world.
Wrath for the unbalanced nature of a process created to serve judgments of guilt or innocence on the simplicity of every man and woman being presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt no matter their socio economic class, gender, race, sexual orientation, national origin, religion or creed.
While the balanced scales and blindfold of Lady Justice symbolize everything “Justice” is supposed to be in a court of law it is the high profile nature of “Reality TV” and the harsh reminders that come with every execution that tell us a different story.
A story that forces the American people to ask themselves the tough questions about how some people can have the ability to purchase the best defense money can buy while others are forced to rely on the luck of the draw when their life is on the line.
Questions about the ability of a court case involving a celebrity murder trial or the negligence of a mother raised to celebrity status gaining more national attention than the struggle of a Death Row inmate fighting for his or her life against the possibility that an innocent man or woman may be condemned to death.
Every time an O.J. Simpson or Casey Anthony Court Drama captures the attention of the world public opportunities to chastise a justice system created from the flaws of many other systems around the world are seized by the masses.
Of the many rights we enjoy in American Society there is no right more important to our individual freedom than the right to receive a fair trial in a court of law.
For this right to remain so, American Citizens must be forced to deal with the pain that comes from lack of closure in high profile cases that rely more on convicting men and women in the court of public opinion than the court of law.
As long as the American Justice system is based on men and women being innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt there will continue to be high profile cases that enrage the World Public.
While the men and women convicted in the court of public opinion go on to live their lives in the free world thousands of other men and women are forced to fight for their lives in prisons across the United States of America on a daily basis.
Lives given an expiration date in a court of law with only a short time frame to turn back the clock.
It’s the thousands of men and women executed annually in the United States of America that should be receiving headlines in media outlets but it is the belief in death bringing the ultimate amount of closure that prevents it from being so.
While the image of murder immediately provokes a reaction consistent with the ultimate punishment there is also something to be said about the lack of closure that exists when innocence is proven after the sentence has been executed.
After an innocent life is taken away based on a decision made in a court of law there is no second guessing, apologies that will make it right for the family of the accused or anything an outcry from the court of public opinion can do to bring the life back.
Much like the snap decisions of guilt made from the camera images of “Reality TV” celebrities in handcuffs it’s become far too easy for the public to react for execution and not give any notice to the consequences that happen after it’s too late to fix a mistake.
There can be no argument against the fact that the American Justice System has flaws.
Even with these flaws it is still among the best in the world because of its imperfections.
Imperfections that can be molded to give the men and women filling up American prisons on a daily basis better legal representation.
Imperfections that can be molded to give grieving families closure in knowing that the person responsible for the death of a loved one is receiving punishment for their crime.
Imperfections that can be molded to ensure that innocent men and women are not being put to death for crimes they did not commit.
It is our duty as American citizens to stand up against the status quo when the American Justice System representative of the will of the American people is not working for all the people.
Wrath for the unbalanced nature of a process created to serve judgments of guilt or innocence on the simplicity of every man and woman being presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt no matter their socio economic class, gender, race, sexual orientation, national origin, religion or creed.
While the balanced scales and blindfold of Lady Justice symbolize everything “Justice” is supposed to be in a court of law it is the high profile nature of “Reality TV” and the harsh reminders that come with every execution that tell us a different story.
A story that forces the American people to ask themselves the tough questions about how some people can have the ability to purchase the best defense money can buy while others are forced to rely on the luck of the draw when their life is on the line.
Questions about the ability of a court case involving a celebrity murder trial or the negligence of a mother raised to celebrity status gaining more national attention than the struggle of a Death Row inmate fighting for his or her life against the possibility that an innocent man or woman may be condemned to death.
Every time an O.J. Simpson or Casey Anthony Court Drama captures the attention of the world public opportunities to chastise a justice system created from the flaws of many other systems around the world are seized by the masses.
Of the many rights we enjoy in American Society there is no right more important to our individual freedom than the right to receive a fair trial in a court of law.
For this right to remain so, American Citizens must be forced to deal with the pain that comes from lack of closure in high profile cases that rely more on convicting men and women in the court of public opinion than the court of law.
As long as the American Justice system is based on men and women being innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt there will continue to be high profile cases that enrage the World Public.
While the men and women convicted in the court of public opinion go on to live their lives in the free world thousands of other men and women are forced to fight for their lives in prisons across the United States of America on a daily basis.
Lives given an expiration date in a court of law with only a short time frame to turn back the clock.
It’s the thousands of men and women executed annually in the United States of America that should be receiving headlines in media outlets but it is the belief in death bringing the ultimate amount of closure that prevents it from being so.
While the image of murder immediately provokes a reaction consistent with the ultimate punishment there is also something to be said about the lack of closure that exists when innocence is proven after the sentence has been executed.
After an innocent life is taken away based on a decision made in a court of law there is no second guessing, apologies that will make it right for the family of the accused or anything an outcry from the court of public opinion can do to bring the life back.
Much like the snap decisions of guilt made from the camera images of “Reality TV” celebrities in handcuffs it’s become far too easy for the public to react for execution and not give any notice to the consequences that happen after it’s too late to fix a mistake.
There can be no argument against the fact that the American Justice System has flaws.
Even with these flaws it is still among the best in the world because of its imperfections.
Imperfections that can be molded to give the men and women filling up American prisons on a daily basis better legal representation.
Imperfections that can be molded to give grieving families closure in knowing that the person responsible for the death of a loved one is receiving punishment for their crime.
Imperfections that can be molded to ensure that innocent men and women are not being put to death for crimes they did not commit.
It is our duty as American citizens to stand up against the status quo when the American Justice System representative of the will of the American people is not working for all the people.
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