Why the Law Protects the Rich and Imprisons the Poor

While the justice system in the United States is meant to provide equal protection to all, this is simply not the case. Time and time again it has been proven that if you have money, you can get away with nearly anything – in some cases even murder! This is a trend that has got to stop here in America, and fortunately for our nation, there have been some big changes made in our justice system as of late. While these changes have had a big impact on a lot of cases and individuals, they are in no way complete. And because of this, indeed the law is only meant to protect the rich and uphold the status quo.

There are numerous examples of this being the case in the United States all throughout history. Indeed, one can argue that because the United States was founded by some of its wealthiest men and individuals at the time, that this was even done so on purpose – our founding fathers realized the fact that the United States economy and well-being depended on the wealth of only a handful of people. If these people are not protected more than others, our entire nation could be doomed.

At least that is what they though back in the 1700’s and 1800’s, anyway. But by now, we have seen the ill effects of having such a negative outlook on the United States. Wealthy individuals and large companies engage in illegal and unethical business practices every day – yet charges are rarely brought against any. When a poor man rests his head on a sidewalk to go to sleep for the night however, he may be arrested in thrown in jail simply because he does not have a home to go to at night. Instead of arresting the man he should be helped, and perhaps he will be able to better his own life. Arresting him is doing nothing but turning him angry, and making him even more defiant in the face of the law.

Look at the O.J. Simpson case back in the 1990’s – nearly everybody in the entire world recognized the fact that O.J. did indeed kill Nicole, yet the former football star was still acquitted of murder. Because he had millions of dollars and he was able to assemble one of the most intimidating, effective, and costly legal teams ever heard of, O.J. Simpson was found not guilty.

But there are recent cases of justice being served lately, even when it concerns the rich, famous, and powerful. Look at the most recent legal troubles of O.J. Simpson, for example – not too long he was found guilty of armed robbery, and now he may face life in prison. And of course there is the dog-fighting case involving Atlanta Falcon’s star quarterback, Michael Vick – he was found guilty, was convicted and is no spending time in a federal prison on dog-fighting charges. He has lost all of his sponsors because of this, along with the career that he has been working so hard for. However, he did the crime, and now he has to do the time. Regardless of wealth or fame.