Justice is an ambiguous concept with no accurate definition. One man’s idea of justice differs from another man’s idea, depending on the circumstances. Some people see justice through the eyes of the court system, while others see justice as “an eye for an eye”. Still others see justice through fairness and moral equity. An individual defines justice based on their personal belief of what is right and wrong. The Greek philosopher, Aristotle writes, “[Justice] is complete virtue in the fullest sense, because it is the active exercise of complete virtue; and it is complete because its possessor can exercise it in relation to another person, and not only by himself” (Aristotle 4). Justice is not only doing what is right, it is doing what should
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America uses a court system to exact justice. The court system can invoke a jury of peers to determine if a person is guilty or innocent or appoint a judge to decide the final verdict of the accused by following the laws set up by the legal system. The legal system in America, unfortunately, is not always just. In particular, mandatory minimum sentencing laws dictate the punishment an individual receives for the crime committed, regardless of the judge’s opinion on the specific case. John Horner is an example where the justice system failed him. Horner sold a friend, who turned out to be a police informant, his prescription painkillers. He was later prosecuted for drug trafficking and sentenced to 25 years in prison. In contrast, Rebecca Gayheart struck and killed nine-year-old Jorge Cruz, Jr. with her car. Gayheart was prosecuted for vehicular manslaughter and sentenced to three years’ probation. Both Horner and Gayheart were tried by the same court system and in each case, justice was served but with very different …show more content…
Is it only reserved for the use of the high power of the government, or is it one of the many rights that humans are born with? In reality, it is both. Society represents justice by establishing a system of laws to protect citizens from crimes committed against them. However, these laws do not always serve justice and many citizens fall victim to unfair sentences. Personal justice materializes when individuals follows their ethical beliefs and strive for fairness. As shown with the Michael Brown case, the two groups affected had different viewpoints on justice. The criminal justice system found Wilson innocent, while the parents found their son’s death unjust and sought out their own personal justice. The term justice is not set in stone and it is not easily accomplished. Albert Einstein cleverly writes, “Striving for social justice is the most valuable thing to do in life” (Einstein 1). Einstein’s quote provides invaluable wisdom on the concept of justice and as human beings, we have the responsibility to implement justice in the absence of selfishness and bias. Above all, with integrity and decency, society can work together and obtain the true meaning of
America uses a court system to exact justice. The court system can invoke a jury of peers to determine if a person is guilty or innocent or appoint a judge to decide the final verdict of the accused by following the laws set up by the legal system. The legal system in America, unfortunately, is not always just. In particular, mandatory minimum sentencing laws dictate the punishment an individual receives for the crime committed, regardless of the judge’s opinion on the specific case. John Horner is an example where the justice system failed him. Horner sold a friend, who turned out to be a police informant, his prescription painkillers. He was later prosecuted for drug trafficking and sentenced to 25 years in prison. In contrast, Rebecca Gayheart struck and killed nine-year-old Jorge Cruz, Jr. with her car. Gayheart was prosecuted for vehicular manslaughter and sentenced to three years’ probation. Both Horner and Gayheart were tried by the same court system and in each case, justice was served but with very different …show more content…
Is it only reserved for the use of the high power of the government, or is it one of the many rights that humans are born with? In reality, it is both. Society represents justice by establishing a system of laws to protect citizens from crimes committed against them. However, these laws do not always serve justice and many citizens fall victim to unfair sentences. Personal justice materializes when individuals follows their ethical beliefs and strive for fairness. As shown with the Michael Brown case, the two groups affected had different viewpoints on justice. The criminal justice system found Wilson innocent, while the parents found their son’s death unjust and sought out their own personal justice. The term justice is not set in stone and it is not easily accomplished. Albert Einstein cleverly writes, “Striving for social justice is the most valuable thing to do in life” (Einstein 1). Einstein’s quote provides invaluable wisdom on the concept of justice and as human beings, we have the responsibility to implement justice in the absence of selfishness and bias. Above all, with integrity and decency, society can work together and obtain the true meaning of