The Blurred Line Between Justice and Injustice America is commonly thought to be the land of the free, with a government so meticulously laid out and easy flowing. A nation founded on a Constitution, which values qualities such as life, liberty, and happiness. These liberties have become clouded, and this has become very evident over the last decades or so. This government America fought for, is the force that is ultimately tearing us apart. The word ‘justice’ has been watered down. What is justice anymore? How can you tell when justice is served? Unfortunately, a lot of questions like these go unanswered, especially by our officials in the government and the judicial system. A fair ruling is sparse. There are numerous outside forces that
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Officers abuse their power more often than not. Miami-Dade police choked a fourteen year old boy on Memorial Day in 2013 because he watched them with what police called “dehumanizing stares” (Scott 14). This is just one example of many of officers abusing their power and using it against minorities, such as African American youth. This issue has always existed, but not until recent decades has it fully come to light. Almost every day another news story is pops up on the TV screen telling of another death by cop of an unarmed African American person. Although part of a work of fiction, the novel Native Son by Richard Wright still holds many truths to today. The protagonist Bigger Thomas is a young African American who is caught in the midst of the law. Bigger then reads in a newspaper, “It was reported that several hundred Negro employees throughout the city had been dismissed from jobs. A well-known bankers wife… missed her Negro cook, ‘for fear that she might poison the children’” (Wright 244). This blatint personal bias shows how the actions of one can tip the first domino in the string of events afterwards. The action of one serves as the basis for many. We see this often in law enforcement because of the stereotyping of African Americans. Because this one person was violent, violence in needed in all circumstances, similar or not. It seems like simple reasoning, but is lost constantly by members of the force. A big part of this issue is missed when this newfounded advocacy is so one sided. Protests gather civilians who speak out about the issue, but rarely does the public hear advocacy of the issue straight from the mouth of the problem, the police. Police encourage the truth, but when it comes to other officers disclosing the wrongdoings of another, it almost never happens (Scott 3). If law enforcement stepped up and claimed some responsibility, this could influence the
Officers abuse their power more often than not. Miami-Dade police choked a fourteen year old boy on Memorial Day in 2013 because he watched them with what police called “dehumanizing stares” (Scott 14). This is just one example of many of officers abusing their power and using it against minorities, such as African American youth. This issue has always existed, but not until recent decades has it fully come to light. Almost every day another news story is pops up on the TV screen telling of another death by cop of an unarmed African American person. Although part of a work of fiction, the novel Native Son by Richard Wright still holds many truths to today. The protagonist Bigger Thomas is a young African American who is caught in the midst of the law. Bigger then reads in a newspaper, “It was reported that several hundred Negro employees throughout the city had been dismissed from jobs. A well-known bankers wife… missed her Negro cook, ‘for fear that she might poison the children’” (Wright 244). This blatint personal bias shows how the actions of one can tip the first domino in the string of events afterwards. The action of one serves as the basis for many. We see this often in law enforcement because of the stereotyping of African Americans. Because this one person was violent, violence in needed in all circumstances, similar or not. It seems like simple reasoning, but is lost constantly by members of the force. A big part of this issue is missed when this newfounded advocacy is so one sided. Protests gather civilians who speak out about the issue, but rarely does the public hear advocacy of the issue straight from the mouth of the problem, the police. Police encourage the truth, but when it comes to other officers disclosing the wrongdoings of another, it almost never happens (Scott 3). If law enforcement stepped up and claimed some responsibility, this could influence the