BALANCE: JUSTICE AND ENFORCEMENT

Do people want to vent their emotions or seek a lasting solution to our problems?

An ongoing crisis in our society has come to the forefront once again. Addressed often throughout the history of this nation; frequently as a headline or editorial; it has at times occupied the main stage.

Injustice

Justice has been dealt with unevenly in societies throughout history; differences distrusted and weaknesses exploited. With all of the wonderful rhetoric and documents, slavery had been written into the Constitution of the United States. As waves of immigrants provided cheap labor for the rapidly expanding nation, each group has faced obstacles of exclusion. As each was eventually able to free itself of the shackles of persecution however, one has always been left behind; those who were brought here, not as the others of their free will, but in chains. Still facing the injustices and indignities of our society, people of color, as a group, have never enjoyed the same freedom and justice as others in America.

Persistence

The story is well known. Freedom from slavery, despite constitutional amendments to the contrary, did not translate to equal rights. Treated brutally in some sections of the country and excluded in the rest, even the Civil Rights Movement and laws passed in the 1960’s was but a step forward and did not nearly eradicate the tyranny. And now, facing the third decade of the 21^st century, we find black people being slaughtered by those who would enforce the law.

Protest

So once again the righteous take to the streets to protest and we start to see attempts at progress. Anger for injustices are vented against the police as all cops are being vilified for the toxic culture within departments that has created the problem and the sins of those who take it to extremes. Several officers are reacting badly toward the demonstrators and people are rising to support the police. 

Violent crime and past mistakes

At the same time shootings are up in many of our cities, primarily in areas of disadvantaged people of color. One of the mistakes of the ‘60’s was leniency for violent offenders as many were set free to commit further crimes, primarily victimizing those within their own communities. Can there be justification for violence in any neighborhood?

Anger or reason?

While the forces of equal justice and criminal violence are in play simultaneously, divisions are created as the pendulum swings further and further from center. Do people simply want to vent their emotions or seek a lasting solution to our problems? It has been over fifty years since violence and polarization killed the movement, creating conditions that brought us to the multiple crises we deal with today (see The Legitimization of Ignorance). Didn’t we learn anything?

We need justice for all! We need respect for law enforcement! We need to end the violence on both sides and assure protection for all of our communities!

The enemy of progress is divisiveness and, if we are to find real solutions that work for all, we must stand together.

The pendulum is swinging more and more violently. Shouldn’t we be trying to catch our balance?

10/2020