I'm serious. Tell me how I can trust American justice

I want you to tell me how I can trust the justice system. Mr. Attorney General, the question is for you.

[Sam Curitiba]

Mr. Pitts presents a thoughtful, fact-based, question that he acknowledges will probably not be acknowledged by those who are guilty of racism and desperately need to look at themselves objectively.

I'm in my sixtieth year and have been living abroad for the last thirteen years, my job taking me to Brazil, Japan, and now Switzerland. I travel back to the States twice a year and spend at least a month there. Each time I return, my perspective of the United States changes because I have had the opportunity to view it from an outsider's perspective. In the States, citizens are blasted in every direction by a media that proclaims it's "fair and balanced" and "tells the truth." Believing this is quite naive, as every critical observer knows. The news is manipulated to alter public opinion, and the types of propaganda used are clever and very effective. In regard to issues of race and racial profiling, any objective analysis of news reports and television programming will show that negative bias against people of color still exists disproportionately to bias against other ethnicities. This is very apparent to those of us living outside the U.S. when we watch American television and movies. When you are subject to this bombardment of racism from myriad sources, you become calloused and accept it as normal. Perhaps that is why many Americans do not see the subtle messages of racism that those of us viewing from outside the country do see.

I applaud Mr. Pitts for trying to enlighten the American public about this serious flaw in many of those who purportedly serve the cause of "justice." I sincerely hope it turns on a light of recognition and culpability in some of his readers. Only through an awareness of the problem can progress be made toward solving it.

[Mervin]

The American Judicial system is a joke. It is unfair and unjust to everyone, not just blacks. Major shortcomings should be corrected. Some believe the system is so bad that they should can it and start all over again.

[GOP Imbeciles]

I won't trust in justice until Bush and the Republicans are out of office. This bunch of crooks has given us a $10 trillion debt, a quagmire war, 4,000 dead soldiers, a worthless dollar, massive pork barrel spending, corporate cronyism, and an economy that's in the toilet. Time to throw the bums out!

[okkkk]

Sam Curitiba wrote:

Mr. Pitts presents a thoughtful, fact-based, question that he acknowledges will probably not be acknowledged by those who are guilty of racism and desperately need to look at themselves objectively.
I'm in my sixtieth year and have been living abroad for the last thirteen years, my job taking me to Brazil, Japan, and now Switzerland. I travel back to the States twice a year and spend at least a month there. Each time I return, my perspective of the United States changes because I have had the opportunity to view it from an outsider's perspective. In the States, citizens are blasted in every direction by a media that proclaims it's "fair and balanced" and "tells the truth." Believing this is quite naive, as every critical observer knows. The news is manipulated to alter public opinion, and the types of propaganda used are clever and very effective. In regard to issues of race and racial profiling, any objective analysis of news reports and television programming will show that negative bias against people of color still exists disproportionately to bias against other ethnicities. This is very apparent to those of us living outside the U.S. when we watch American television and movies. When you are subject to this bombardment of racism from myriad sources, you become calloused and accept it as normal. Perhaps that is why many Americans do not see the subtle messages of racism that those of us viewing from outside the country do see.
I applaud Mr. Pitts for trying to enlighten the American public about this serious flaw in many of those who purportedly serve the cause of "justice." I sincerely hope it turns on a light of recognition and culpability in some of his readers. Only through an awareness of the problem can progress be made toward solving it.

Very good post. I agree with you completely. The media is serving the public in very negative, horrible ways. Just last night I heard MyFox9 news anchor say something about the obese kids and "How this is affection YOUR wallet!"

How is that not breeding contempt and prejudice? It has worked for hundreds of years. The general public will go there so fast it astonishes me. I see this country going to the dogs in a Hitler fashion and it's awful scary to watch.

For some reason people believe if someone else is not like them it gives them perfect reason to be horrible to them.

I do not trust the system either.. the whole process is a farce. Right down to voting! Want to know WHO votes in our government? The illegals do. Yep... they come in droves to get the dem's in.. this is why the Dem's like to make the legal, even tho they are law breakers... so they can get their votes.

nobody checks legal citizenship when voting. It's ridiculous. the whole system is so broken it's not funny.

[okkkk]

affecting your wallet..

please excuse the typo's..

[Thomas F Schraad]

GOP Imbeciles wrote:

I won't trust in justice until Bush and the Republicans are out of office. This bunch of crooks has given us a $10 trillion debt, a quagmire war, 4,000 dead soldiers, a worthless dollar, massive pork barrel spending, corporate cronyism, and an economy that's in the toilet. Time to throw the bums out!

What has your ranting to do with the article you are commenting on?????

[Michael F Knife]

Thomas F Schraad wrote:

<quoted text>
What has your ranting to do with the article you are commenting on?????

The answer to your question is too obvious. The article is questioning "justice" in the United States of America. And don't downplay GOP Imbecile's comments by suggesting that he is ranting.
His statements represent the truth, and that's all that matters.

[Jim]

Michael F Knife wrote:

<quoted text>
The answer to your question is too obvious. The article is questioning "justice" in the United States of America. And don't downplay GOP Imbecile's comments by suggesting that he is ranting.
His statements represent the truth, and that's all that matters.

It is not the truth, only an opinion. It is the democratic led congress who gives the president the pork barrel laden budget. When the democrats took over Congress and the House in 2006 they said they would make sweeping changes. Funny how they have not done a thing. Way to go Amy.

[JTY]

Michael F Knife wrote:

<quoted text>
The answer to your question is too obvious. The article is questioning "justice" in the United States of America. And don't downplay GOP Imbecile's comments by suggesting that he is ranting.
His statements represent the truth, and that's all that matters.

Justice in the US has been skewed long before Bush and will be long after.

[John - St Paul]

Our justice system started is collaspe as a reliable arbitor of justice the day John Marshall was appointed to the Suporeme Court. Marshall started immediately stripping the power from the states and individuals and transferring it to the Federal government. Marshall, like the Democrats of today, believed in a monarchical/elitist form of government, not the democratic-republic the Founder's designed.

The problem is with a breakdown of the 'separation of powers' between the vaious branches of government. Attorneys, the beginning point for the Judicial branch, are allowed by the courts to run for office in the Legislative and Executive brances. Attorneys, typically, drive and/or support legislation that promotes regulations that impede economic benefit to the people, increase the complexity of laws to force citizens to hire attorneys or become judges and interpret the laws as they would like them to be, not as they were written. The results are losses of personal freedom and property rights while expanding the influence and control of government over our lives and businesses.

I find it extremely difficult to trust the American justice system as it isn't about the law, it's more about personal opinion and interpretation based on those beliefs.

[Patriot]

Pulled over your kid for an air freshener? That's kinda funny in a sad sort of way. While our justice system is far from perfect, it's still much better than most any other country in the world.

[okkkk]

Patriot wrote:

Pulled over your kid for an air freshener? That's kinda funny in a sad sort of way. While our justice system is far from perfect, it's still much better than most any other country in the world.

Prove that statement please. I do not believe it's the best in the world. Not for a minute.

[steve baker]

How?

You, being obviously perfect and omniscient, should know!

[Red Ryder]

***Brooklyn Park Police raid suspected meth house, only find fish tank***

http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx...

The lure of asset forfeitures is irresistable!

I’d like to see a simple law...anytime the cops screw up on a house raid...they have to cough up $10k of the budget of the office and each cop on the raid loses three days of pay.

[JJs]

Here is a thought for everyone...if America is so bad THEN LEAVE!!! I am guessing that you can't go to some other country and complain the way you complain here. I am proud to live in the USA!!!

[Master of Clowny]

JJs wrote:

Here is a thought for everyone...if America is so bad THEN LEAVE!!! I am guessing that you can't go to some other country and complain the way you complain here. I am proud to live in the USA!!!

... when a Republican is in charge.

[Red Ryder]

Thomas F Schraad wrote:

<quoted text>
What has your ranting to do with the article you are commenting on?????

you didn't know? Bush conducts all the voir dire
questioning of jurors now, too.

he gets around.

[JJs]

Again, if you don't like it...LEAVE!!! Apparently people find other countries so much better...

[Super Wayne]

JJs wrote:

Again, if you don't like it...LEAVE!!! Apparently people find other countries so much better...

But JJs..... You see one of the many benefits of living in and being a citizen of a "free" country means that instead of just picking up and leaving you can stay and fight to change what it it you dont like. For the people, by the people and all that.....

And what is wrong with looking to countries who are doing things "right" or "better" and emulating or learning from them?

The excuse of; "It may not be the best but its better then most" is a cop-out and a slap in the face of the principles this country was founded on. The people of this country shouldnt settle for; "better then most" and, quite frankly we deserve better from our leaders.

Our system of justice currently breeds criminals rather then rehabilitates them. We give a life sentance to all who are found guilty of a crime. A sentance that follows and haunts them when attempting to become productive citizens once their debt to society is supposidly "paid" by becoming the reason why they cannot secure decent employment, home loans and rentals anywhere outside of section 8 or ghetto's.

In the few instances where we do allow for people to pursue expungement of their records we do so by creating an almost hidden criteria that would have a law major reading the statues and requirements twice.

We have a system that rewards well off people via private attourneys while subjecting those without funds to less then desierable representation.

Go in ANY courtroom across the country and you will see the exact same or dramatically similar cases heard coast to coast, time and time again, yet you will see that the results and punishments of those cases have as many different outcomes as courtrooms yu choose to observe in.

Judges have sentancing guidlines that are basically set as the maximum that can be given rather then a true progressing guidline and often the person standing before them places his very life in the opinion of mearly a fellow man. Oh, there are appeals yet most in the system know how frequently an appeal gets a different verdict or sentance much less even if that appeal is ever heard in the first place.

Then we have this "jury of our peers". Sorry but that equates to nothing less then a joke. I served on two juries in my time and both times I felt excessivly uncomfortable in deciding another mans fate. Not because I felt "I" couldnt be impartial or responsible but rather that I know how different one man can be from the next and I can count about ten people off hand that I know personally who I just cringe when having the image of them in that position cross my mind.

Can you look at everyone you know and honestly say that they should ever be in a position of deciding another mans fate?

Sorry... ranting. But the idea that our system of justice is "good enough" and that anyone should "just leave" if they dont like it doesnt sit well with me.

And thats not even getting started about the racial disparity that exists in the justice system... Bah.

[Fed Up]

JJs wrote:

Here is a thought for everyone...if America is so bad THEN LEAVE!!! I am guessing that you can't go to some other country and complain the way you complain here. I am proud to live in the USA!!!

Let's remember that statement, the next time you or others complain about the democrats in the MN legislature, the gas tax, etc, etc. If you hate it here so much, you're free to go as well.