Greetings!
Equal application of law is one of the most basic foundations of a functional society. Without equal justice there is no freedom. Without fair and consistent enforcement of the rules of any game, the door is open for some to take advantage and the rest to take offense. We all know that laws are applied differently in our society to white and black, rich and poor, insider and outsider, yet we all still cling to the idea of equal protection under the law.
The Travon Martin murder is consuming the news cycle because it touches on so many deeply sensitive issues in our society. The story is still rolling out and will undoubtedly change as it goes on, but some of the most fundamental questions it raises are about equal protection in our diseased justice system.
Murder might be the most egregious arena for unequal protection, but it’s not the only one. Theft is a serious crime; when someone steals your wallet or your car we expect the law to punish them. What if someone steals your retirement, the equity in your house, or the retirement and equity of millions of other people? We want them punished, but can we still expect them to be punished? If not, then what kind of equal protection do we have?
Americans have fought and died for two centuries to defend idealistic principles like equal justice under the law. A justice system that favors particular groups or is used as a bludgeon against others is not a justice system. If we aren’t able to feel the protection of law equally, then we’ll feel the effects of our crumbling democracy.
Make a great day,
Tom
