Opinion: Unbalanced Justice: Tales of Terror & the Awkwardness of No Peace

Kimberly F BrownPhoto bythe Brown Report Newspaper.

This article is an opinion editorial by Kimberly F Brown, known as Brown on Cleveland. It does not reflect NewBreak's or its affiliates' views and is Kimberly F Brown's sole opinion.

The United States of America: - "No Justice, No Peace." This mantra is echoed across America every time an incident or accident occurs that does not favor the minority. To mention the word "minority," I am not necessarily speaking about race but the status of not being the majority.

One thing I know is that all people - I said all people want to be safe! Heck, including criminal elements. No one wants to be gunned down or experience any form of act that violates them or their family members; we all belong to someone.

So, the question to be asked is, what is justice, and how does this situation resonate within our legal system? What are people looking for or hoping to accomplish when they scream, "We want justice?"

As I ask several of my colleagues, I am often perplexed that they don't know what they want when they say, "We want justice." Let me ask. Is sentencing fair when someone has committed a crime against you or a family member? Is justice about people receiving harsh penalties and sentences when they have done someone wrong? Is seeking justice about watching others suffer because they have done wrongful acts to you and your loved ones? Is it about blacks getting lighter sentences or whites getting the same sentence as blacks? Is it about the ethnicity of the judge and their political views? What is justice?

According to the Cornell Law School, Justice is the ethical, philosophical idea that people are to be treated impartially, fairly, properly, and reasonably by the law and by judges of the law, that laws are to ensure that no harm befalls another, and that, where harm is alleged, remedial action is taken - both the accuser and the accused receive a morally right consequence merited by their actions.

Under what premise is justice suitable to Please the Dissatisfied Minority? Who decides if Justice is Equally Brand-named and Disseminated?

There are many cases throughout the USA where people claim justice was not rendered due to political affiliation and unforeseen circumstances of who gets what, when, and where. The "Why" is often left out of the equation because it may seen as discriminatory or self-serving foolery of the "go along to get along behind the scenes promises to fulfill a contract of a 90% commitment to maintaining jails and prisons occupied with the worst of them, the wrongfully accused, sentencing disparity and downright laziness of Correction Officials and Parold Boards that are more concerned to over-see a plantation than to ensure that administering the rights of people through rehabilitation or habilitation whichever is first needed.

To add insult to injury, what about those individuals, including teens, who need to be incarcerated but can't due to crowdedness because the decision-makers who can release those who have served their time won't release them for a second chance but allow those who don't deserve to be free have another chance to cheat, rob and steal from the best of us who are law-abiding citizens.

The Awkwardness of Justice: Unbalanced Scale of Terror and Tales

No disrespect, but I keep telling myself that some of the folks in a decision-making capacity are not the brightest in the bunch. Rather than weed them out of a thinking position, they are overlooked as if one day they will catch an epiphany.

Justice is an unidentified action that individuals and groups want, warrant, and desire for actions that have caused one to suffer and have experienced an act of violation. Hopefully, it's a call for action to bring calm to an unsettling matter. Justice for one individual may insult another, for every issue is different, and no two situations are identical; they may be similar or tales of terror.

No Justice, No PeacePhoto byClay BanksonUnsplash

The awkwardness of justice results from imbalanced legislation and codes of punishments for crimes committed and time served. No one can argue differently. As long as our judicial system, our parole boards, and our judges are allowed to use subjective measures to hand out consequences based on personal rationale, age, sex, race, affordability of attorneys, systemic racism, political favors, and tricks, senseless crimes by "today's" perpetrators will continue to be taken lightly and excused due to overcrowding of jail cells. Some of these folks need to be locked up immediately - no second chances, and the key should be thrown away! How is it that this group continues to get chance after chance after chance, but those incarcerated who have served their time can't get a second look? Before you get antsy, I am not talking about those who have committed murder or rape.

In contrast, those wrongfully accused and those who have served their time will continue to take up unnecessary space because our appointed Parole Board lacks the guts to make "right" decisions that may require them to release a black man who has already served 33 years out of a 500-year sentence for telling a white male judge to "screw himself." Let's go further. They also fear releasing people, knowing very well that they are not the perpetrators of a crime they have been accused of.

When people in position - those who make decisions about other folks' livelihoods are brave enough to do what's right - deliver justice to those who have been victims of systematic failure and admit wrongdoings, turn a wrong into a right only then will this word called "justice" becomes a deliberate act of an intentional action that one may find settling. Until then, the awkwardness of justice will be a ball of confusion, and "no justice, no peace" will continue to resonate within the walls of a broken system that fails every time - anyplace and everywhere.

I welcome your criticism, destructive feedback, and constructive feedback, for this is how we learn. Consider the positions of others and grow. Feel free to give it your best shot. I am waiting.