Equalityin the United States
Equalityin the United States
Crimein the Suites
White-collarcrime has not been adequately addressed by the relevant authorities.Crime in the Suites is the description given to the wrongdoing by thecorporates. Most of the time, people tend to fear criminal activitiesthat occur in the streets due to the common portrayals of violence,murders, and brutality. On the contrary, there is significantindication that corporate crimes account for the highest costs interms of loss of lives and money. Additionally, the federaladministration has taken to the belief that crime refers tolaw-breaking in the streets and not in the offices. Examples ofcompany crimes include the release of pollutants, unsafe foodproduction, products that are hazardous to the consumers, healthcareand medical malpractices and the exposure of innocent civilians tocarcinogenic materials (Parenti, 2011, p.100).
TheClass Law
TheClass Law is centered on the fact that justice cannot be servedequally if the trial is dependent on the level of wealth a personpossesses. There have been numerous cases that portray the variedtreatment between the rich and the have-nots. More often than not,the deprived and underprivileged population receive more severesentences than the wealthy. Instances observed show examples such asattacks by the police, mistreatment, and violent or harsh handling ofthe weak. In essence, the uneducated, poor and minority racial groupsare exposed to greater chances of being arrested, denied bail, andpersuaded to plead guilty due to the lack of adequate legalrepresentation (Parenti, 2011, p. 105-106). The Class Law istherefore very tough on the feeble yet lenient on the affluent.
Amost Fallible System
Thesystem of justice and criminal law has the capability of makingmistakes and errors in its processes. Over the years, a considerablequantity of people has been convicted, imprisoned and some evensentenced to death for offenses they did not commit. Despite being aninstitution that needs to mete out justice to the wrongdoers, in someoccasions, the guilty escape and roam free while the innocent arecondemned. While at times the evidence may have pointed to the wrongperson, every now and then the institution itself may intentionallymake mistakes that lead to the unscrupulous judgment. A classicexample takes us to the case of Peter Limone, who was sentencedthirty-three years’ mainly because the respective federal agentsconcealed evidence that would have proved otherwise (Parenti, 2011,p. 110). The fallibility of the criminal justice system can also bewitnessed in the scenarios where the sentence goes on to beimplemented despite new evidence that proves innocence as in the Caseof Leonel Torres Herrera, who was executed although the relevantevidence was available but arrived later than the appeal due date(Parenti, 2011, p. 111). The extent to which the errors and mistakescause harm and death to the innocent makes the justice structuredeemed as most fallible.
SexistJustice
Inthe United States, women stand on grounds that predisposes them tofactors that significantly affect their freedom and well-being.Essentially, the primary cause of injury to this population isattributed to gender-based domestic violence. Another striking factis that a considerable number also die as a result of abuse fromcurrent or previous partners. These qualities make women quitegullible to injustice thus calling for more efforts on the protectionof their freedoms and rights [ CITATION Kat11 l 1033 ].The number of successful male incarcerationsin this regard indicate quite a small figure whereas female offenderstend to be handed severer sentences than their male counterparts. Inthe meantime, the rise in rape cases and lack of reproductivehealthcare rights still cause an unimaginable pressure. Additionally,studies have indicated that women averagely receive less remunerationthan the males for the same type of job. Furthermore, the rise in thenumber of female inmates is an indicator of something amiss, coupledwith the high percentage of the male correctional officers and staffwho mistreat and harass them. Most of the women incarcerated areimpoverished and are usually convicted of petty crimes andprostitution among others (Parenti, 2011, p. 113).
SexistJustice also encompasses the homosexuals. For a long time now, gaysand lesbians have been on the receiving end of social and legalinjustices. Most have suffered physical violence and murders whileothers have experienced the loss of jobs and denial of custody forchildren. Although some states have Laws that allow same-sex unions,the issue of homophobic attitudes is still widely spread across theUnited States and in the entire world. In a case in point, a Lesbianmother was denied custody of her daughter who was given to herfather, a former convict incarcerated for killing his first wife(Parenti, 2011, p. 114). Ultimately, fairness and impartiality inthe rulings are seen not to be upheld in the proper manner by therelevant institution.
TheVictimization of Children
Astaggering number of the child population is a victim of violence,starvation, torture, and neglect in addition to other forms of abusesuch as sexual assault. This directly translates to a relatively highnumber of children who suffer from non-accidental injuries and death.The experiences children go through has significant effects on theirgrowth and development. Consequently there is an association betweenchild abuse and victimization to depression, sexual dysfunction, andalcoholism as well as drug addiction. Victimization also encompassesthe trafficking of minors, forced labor, and prostitution.Furthermore, children who break the law are sent to orphanages,reformatories and adult correctional facilities where they areexposed to violence, sexual abuse and psychologically damagingconditions. Apparently, the perpetrators of child victimization aretreated leniently and at times, they are released Scott free(Parenti, 2011, p. 115).
RacistLaw Enforcement
Despitethe advancement that has been made including the rise of anAfrican-American president, racism has been and is still rampant inthe various aspects of life. The Law is not left behind in thisconcern, and it is evident that the whites have been favored over thepeople of color in various laws. The minority groups generallyinclude the African Americans and the Latinos. The enforcement of thelaw seems to show partiality when dealing with these groups. Evidenceto support this is demonstrated by the vast numbers of AfricanAmericans and Latinos in the prisons. Also, there are instances wherethese people are treated more suspiciously than their whitecounterparts. The application of racism in Law enforcement can beattributed to the historical practices, and the white population whohold high office and federal positions. An example is given where,prosecutors and the police treat people differently based on theirskin color rather than the crime committed such as Amadou Diallo, whowas shot 19 times by the police. A designated jury found the federalagents not guilty yet the man was unarmed at the time (Parenti, 2011,p. 117).
Thecontemporary status of Civil Rights for Racial Minorities
Inthe previous years, discrimination based on the race and ethnicitywas a common phenomenon, but as time has passed, there have beensignificant developments that mainly include the end of exclusion anddiscrimination based on legal sanctions and the necessary actions tobe taken for the historical injustices. There have been numerouscases that tend to indicate the presence of bias, but it is,currently widely accepted that the constitution has been developed toprotect the racial minorities from any potential mistreatment anddisadvantages. Presently, we have government and educational programsthat have now become permanent remedies for the enhancement andpropagation of diversity. In a case involving the University ofMichigan, the ruling broadly showed the importance of facilitatingthe admission of all the qualified and talented individualsregardless of the race while at the same time expressing theimportance of cross-racial interaction (GreenBerg, 2014, p. 540).Outside education, the racial discrimination has also seensignificant improvements including employment and also the promotionof workers in their various institutions and organizations.
Thecontemporary status of Civil Rights for Women
Themovement to support the rights and freedoms of women began decadesago, and the struggle has borne fruit in the recent past. As morechanges and progresses in civil rights and protection for femalesadvance, the overall participation of women in most facets of lifesuch as the society, economics, politics and governance has beengreat so far. In the society, there are currently more women inwell-paying jobs, high organizational positions, protection fromsexual harassment as well as the increased attention to health careaccessibility and availability. In the case of abortion rights,rulings have been cited that support a woman’s right to pregnancytermination (GreenBerg, 2014, p. 543).
Thecontemporary status of Civil Rights for Gays and Lesbians
TheGay and Lesbian movements were similarly fuelled by the need forrespect and recognition from the public as well as the civil rightsprotection under the constitution. Significant and substantialadvances have been achieved by this minority group but still, otherforms of retaliation still thrive about same-sex unions. However, dueto the awareness and the displays in mass media, the negativeattitude towards sexual orientation is dwindling steadily. Therefutation of basic civil rights to gays and lesbians is deemedunconstitutional and at the same time, some states permit same-sexunions albeit with diminished rights and benefits compared toheterosexual married couples (GreenBerg, 2014, p. 550). Althoughthere have been considerable developments, the same-sex debate has along way to go and the future outcome is barely predictable based onreligion and politics.
Arewe unequal before the law in the United States?
Itis a common phrase that no one is above the law. Yet in the currentsituation, there is substantial evidence that supports the notionthat we are unequal before the Law in the United States. It is notpossible to accord justice in a righteous manner if the trial itselfis solely fixated on the amount of resources the accused person orentity possesses. It goes without saying that indeed, we are unequalbefore the law [ CITATION Nor84 l 1033 ].
Whilethe wealth and distinguished can afford well educated and renownedlawyers and accountants, the poor can barely afford one and the lackof finances may limit extents to which such a person can go to provehis or her innocence. Some might argue that those who cannot affordcounsel can be accorded one by the court. This is not necessarilytrue, and the major difference arises when the representative is notfamiliar the defendant and also the quality of the lawyers might bequestionable [ CITATION Elw03 l 1033 ].In general, the poor, and the minority groupsincluding women and children, ethnic groups and races are at a higherrisk of not being accorded justice compared to the affluent and thecorporates.
References
Dorsen, N. (1984, June 17). Unequal Before the Law. Retrieved from New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/1984/06/17/books/unequal-before-the-law.html?pagewanted=all
GreenBerg, E. (2014). The Struggle for Democracy. New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc.
Hall, E. (2003). The Struggle for Democracy. Retrieved from SlidePlayer: http://slideplayer.com/slide/6280136/
Parenti, M. (2011). Democracy for the Few. Boston: Wadsworth.
Smith, K. (2011, March 4). This Week in Civil Liberties. Retrieved from American Civil Liberties Union: https://www.aclu.org/search/sexist%20justice