Monday, October 18, 2010

So here's something I posted on Facebook. Essentially this came up during a "discussion" about Ben Roethlisberger while I was in class. My professor (the amazingly loud and all around excellent person, Kristen Scroggins) got pretty unhappy with me saying that we can't assume guilt in the case of either party. I basically got chewed out, which is okay with me, I don't do shouting matches. And even if I did, I have no way to actually out loud Mrs. Scroggins. Seriously, she has the lungs of an opera singer. And from what I understand, she actually is a great singer. I wonder if she googles herself frequently. In the event that she does, I want to point out that the fear of her finding me saying horrible things about her doesn't frighten me from saying them. I honestly could not say a bad thing about her. She is the savior of my college career, and I will probably tell stories to my children about what she has done for me and my college career. Anyway, here's my written thoughts. I'll expound a bit more.

My only concern throughout the discussion deals with our legal system being based on assumed innocence until evidence proves otherwise. I'm all for locking up the guilty, and making sure they are punished for their crimes, butdoing so by using due process. If we just start locking people up because they "look guilty", or have had past offenses, what's to stop someone from assuming because I'm black that I must be a criminal, or because you've been convicted, you are incapable of repentance? As a person who's had unpleasant experiences with police on numerous occasions, I dont relish the kind of world that punishes first and asks questions later, because I've seen first hand the effects of assumed guilt, and I know what it feels like to be treated as if I've comitted a crime when I was innocent.

So here's my point. The justice system is flawed. But its what we got. And guess what? Its not getting any better. If you have the money, you could kill your ex wife and her lover, throw the gloves you used, and drive down the the highway the speed limit and be straight. Or be a raging alcoholic and coke addict and get caught multiple times with drugs and alcohol and never do any real time in jail. I know the system is flawed. I could backhand a dude who just hit my car and because I'm poor, I will do extreme amounts of jail time, AND I will probably have to pay dude for his pain and suffering.

This goes back to a conversation my father, his neighbor, and I had about the fact that black people on the whole DO NOT call the police. Its because for years, the police were like the mongooses (mongeese?) to the cobra of the black people. They're the natural predators of black people. Dave Chappelle said it himself, if he got robbed, he wouldn't call the cops because while he doesn't have the nicest house, but its too nice for the cops to believe its his. That's just the point. Are all police like that? No. But do all black people love chicken? No. But enough of us do that it's a stereotype. But I digress.

The justice system is corrupt. But it is what it is. If you want justice at some future point, you really need to start making the money now. Then you too can pull an OJ on your ex wife and her new boyfriend.

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