Justice
I have the good fortune to have seen actual justice. There is so little fairness, so few who might objectively appraise any other person, and so much opinion. Does it anger anyone to hear the dramatization of the legal process as the best story wins? Are there protests and slogans such as "poor lives matter" when an overburdened and callous attorney who barely passed the bar who is known and often appointed by the man who shall judge the "stories" presented. Frankly, there are too damned many examples of injustice to iterate, or even (thankfully) to know.
So I choose to think of the few moments when the undeniable connection with another person or a collective received the humanity of justice. Yet there is no notable recollection of genuine justice without great cost. Nelson Mandela's release from prison was one of the purest forms of justice, but dependent upon the injustice 27 years earlier. Was it a form of justice that the man who had assassinated a United States President should be shot in cold blood the next day, or could it have been the obviation of justice? Is there any justice when a domestic or family court judge alone has the power and sole discretion to mete out punishments, or is the jury system more just than an individual with prejudices and memories and experiences and opinions?
Many thought it just when President Nixon resigned. Many thought his unconditional pardon from President Ford was just; however, many thought it unjust. Perhaps President Nixon's justice was meted in the political and societal deprivation, the crown jewel he could never touch. After a long career in the business of law, any definition of justice simply cannot include the now traditional plea bargain. In the United States, it is glaringly obvious that justice is defined by dollars. A low level employee embezzles thirty thousand dollars and is sentenced to five years in Federal prison. A wealthy Ponzi crook takes millions and gets five years in Federal prison. A pound of marijuana can evoke a life sentence in Federal or state prisons. It all depends on the story that is presented, and that story depends upon the teller of the tale. How far will this go, how long will it continue, how much injustice can reasonable people accept?
Try this, perhaps, define justice to yourself. Don't understand, don't compromise, and create your personal definition of justice. Once there, let it be your religion to never accept injustice in any form. Seek justice, not legality. Be assured that you will be an exception and part of a thinking minority, but if you are capable of this one definition you have no choice. Is this a just request?
