How Have We Allowed Ourselves To Come To This?

by Mark Sierra on April 1, 2007

PARIS, TEXAS – Perhaps you’ve already heard about the 14-year-old black student, Shaquanda Cotton, who pushed a 58-year-old hall monitor out of the way. She received a 7-year sentence in prison for the act. Seven years!

Apparently, such upside-down justice is commonplace for the city of Paris. A 19-year-old white teenager was convicted of killing a black grandmother and her grandson with his truck. He got a slap on the wrist: probation and was required to send a Christmas card to the victim’s family every year.

What is going on?!

This is clearly racism that has evolved into an art form in this city. How is it that this has gone on for so long? I mean, honestly, this is like finding out a prehistoric tribe has been secretly living in your basement.

It’s so infuriating to me to know that justice has become so backwards these days. People getting ridiculously long sentences for what most people would consider a minor offense. And others not getting anything at all for horrendous acts.

Justice should be blind. Remember that statue of the lady holding the scales in the context of our legal system? She’s blindfolded. That wasn’t an artistic choice, it was a statement, and it was saying, “People will be treated fairly and the decisions made against or for you won’t be based on anything other than the facts of the trial.”

[tags]justice,prison[/tags]

{ 1 comment }

Malin (11 comments.) April 1, 2007 at 10:56 am

It’s freaking horrible that it can go on like this. Where is the world coming to? Possibly the end but we have to be optimistic I guess…

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