Argument Against Capitalism
The Burden Behind The Get Out of Jail Free Card
Millions of convicts and felons spread across the world, millions taking the consequences for their actions, all trying to get through their situation, struggling to get back onto their feet. However, the upper class gets away with millions of crimes a year due to their higher financial status. Not taking responsibility for their actions, getting away easy with things that are not easy to get away with, it isn’t right and it isn’t fair. Why should people be able to roam the streets when they should be serving a sentence? They are a danger to society and should be punished for their wrong doings. The law is the law no matter how much money you have. This injustice is definitely something I want to address. We watch our world as people like athletes get away with serious crimes and it isn’t right.
Capitalism, some claim. Money equals luxury, you work harder you’re more “privileged” as simple as that. But I think …show more content…
this problem illustrates quite the contrary, you mess up you lose your “privileges” and are punished despite your financial status. In May 2010, football player Lawrence Taylor was charged for raping a 16 year old girl, and was found guilty. This degree of sexual assault, consists of 10 years of jail time and ongoing probation (depending on the actions and behavior of the convict) on average in the United States. Taylor received a 6 year probation and no jail time, easily getting away with an incredibly serious crime, when others have to serve their consequence. Capitalism? Or injustice? This is essentially an injustice, fairness is denied, and a society’s danger is let out for no reason but his title and his money. This is unfair to people who do serve the right amount of probation and jail time for their crime, and unfair to society, a rapist is roaming free. Lawrence Taylor was most likely able to get away with this because he was able to afford a very good lawyer, but should people be able to get what they want just because they can buy it with money, no, justice is due. This is just one of the many instances where upperclassmen were able to get away with serious crimes.
Donte’ Stallworth, an NFL athlete, killed a man while was driving under influence of Marijuana and alcohol.
He obviously killed the man in the crash, was found with a blood alcohol level of 0.12 which is more than 0.8 (the legal limit), and was found with possession of marijuana and the weed in his system as well. This evidence shows that he was obviously guilty, meaning to get out of his situation, he had to use his money to afford a proper lawyer, another time where athletes can use their money to escape the law, which once again is not fair. Stallworth went to jail for 24 days, for a charge that normally people can serve up to five years for. Imagine, two men, same crime, one serves about a month in jail, the other, about 60 times that. Just because one has more money he gets to have 5 years less in jail than the other. How is that fair?! This all shows instances where people with a higher financial status were able to easily escape the law but in my opinion this is a complete
injustice.
Many may argue that locking away sports players is bad for business, and I understand the fact that sentencing athletic superstars could seem like a burden in the sports world but you have to consider the logistics. Laws exist to regulate our country to safer standards, but if they don’t apply to some, why should they apply for the rest of our society? One incredibly unfair case consists of Adam “Pacman” Jones, and the crimes he has committed concerning drug possession, resisting arrest, assault, vandalism, coercion, public intoxication, and disorderly conduct. One of his biggest cases was when he got mad at a stripper and beat her with a punch and then repeatedly smashed her head on the floor. This is a high degree assault offense, that on average earns up to a year in jail. Jones was suspended from the NFL from a year and received no jail time. Some with no money for a quality lawyer, could be in jail for two years. This is just not right. The privileged can escape the law, the rest cannot, the law is the law no matter how you slice it.
This is how our society functions is a common rebuttal, freedom is like some kind of reward for having money, but if that is how our society is functioning legally in court, something is wrong.
Another huge case concerning athletes getting off easy, is the case of double amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius. He shot and killed his wife Reeva Steenkamp, and was charged with first degree homicide. His sentence was originally 30 years, however he managed to cut it down to a sixth of that giving him five years in jail and was placed under “correctional supervision”. The man killed a woman. Murder. Homicide. And the man got out of prison in five years. All over the world today murdering someone puts you away for a long time and ruins your chance at redemption, why should Oscar only stay in prison for five years and be free the rest. In addition, he is most likely a danger to society. Although he claims that he just thought there was an intruder in his house so he took a few shots at the door, that is still not the way to handle a situation. The fact that he would freely shoot at something even if his certainty of what it is, is unclear, that still is not safe. Being released from prison so early still allows him to roam the world dangerously, not fair to the world or other convicts whose lives are ruined for the same crime.
Imagine you steal a pack of gum from the drugstore, you are caught and taken to the police department with another person who committed the same crime of taking the gum. The policeman makes you do 100 hours of community service, the other convict, same crime, same age, more money is sentenced to 10 hours of community service. How would you feel? Would you be mad? Raged? Or excited for picking up trash for 100 hours while the other gum stealer only does a day or two of picking up trash? That’s how every felon, convict, etc. feels when an athlete or upperclassman gets away easy. That is an injustice and we all know it.
Surely, it is hard to watch your favorite athlete get locked away, but in retrospect, your favorite athlete is a criminal. Money can buy a lot of things, but injustice shouldn’t be one of them.
Millions of convicts and felons spread across the world, millions taking the consequences for their actions, all trying to get through their situation, struggling to get back onto their feet. However, the upper class gets away with millions of crimes a year due to their higher financial status. Not taking responsibility for their actions, getting away easy with things that are not easy to get away with, it isn’t right and it isn’t fair. Why should people be able to roam the streets when they should be serving a sentence? They are a danger to society and should be punished for their wrong doings. The law is the law no matter how much money you have. This injustice is definitely something I want to address. We watch our world as people like athletes get away with serious crimes and it isn’t right.
Capitalism, some claim. Money equals luxury, you work harder you’re more “privileged” as simple as that. But I think …show more content…
this problem illustrates quite the contrary, you mess up you lose your “privileges” and are punished despite your financial status. In May 2010, football player Lawrence Taylor was charged for raping a 16 year old girl, and was found guilty. This degree of sexual assault, consists of 10 years of jail time and ongoing probation (depending on the actions and behavior of the convict) on average in the United States. Taylor received a 6 year probation and no jail time, easily getting away with an incredibly serious crime, when others have to serve their consequence. Capitalism? Or injustice? This is essentially an injustice, fairness is denied, and a society’s danger is let out for no reason but his title and his money. This is unfair to people who do serve the right amount of probation and jail time for their crime, and unfair to society, a rapist is roaming free. Lawrence Taylor was most likely able to get away with this because he was able to afford a very good lawyer, but should people be able to get what they want just because they can buy it with money, no, justice is due. This is just one of the many instances where upperclassmen were able to get away with serious crimes.
Donte’ Stallworth, an NFL athlete, killed a man while was driving under influence of Marijuana and alcohol.
He obviously killed the man in the crash, was found with a blood alcohol level of 0.12 which is more than 0.8 (the legal limit), and was found with possession of marijuana and the weed in his system as well. This evidence shows that he was obviously guilty, meaning to get out of his situation, he had to use his money to afford a proper lawyer, another time where athletes can use their money to escape the law, which once again is not fair. Stallworth went to jail for 24 days, for a charge that normally people can serve up to five years for. Imagine, two men, same crime, one serves about a month in jail, the other, about 60 times that. Just because one has more money he gets to have 5 years less in jail than the other. How is that fair?! This all shows instances where people with a higher financial status were able to easily escape the law but in my opinion this is a complete
injustice.
Many may argue that locking away sports players is bad for business, and I understand the fact that sentencing athletic superstars could seem like a burden in the sports world but you have to consider the logistics. Laws exist to regulate our country to safer standards, but if they don’t apply to some, why should they apply for the rest of our society? One incredibly unfair case consists of Adam “Pacman” Jones, and the crimes he has committed concerning drug possession, resisting arrest, assault, vandalism, coercion, public intoxication, and disorderly conduct. One of his biggest cases was when he got mad at a stripper and beat her with a punch and then repeatedly smashed her head on the floor. This is a high degree assault offense, that on average earns up to a year in jail. Jones was suspended from the NFL from a year and received no jail time. Some with no money for a quality lawyer, could be in jail for two years. This is just not right. The privileged can escape the law, the rest cannot, the law is the law no matter how you slice it.
This is how our society functions is a common rebuttal, freedom is like some kind of reward for having money, but if that is how our society is functioning legally in court, something is wrong.
Another huge case concerning athletes getting off easy, is the case of double amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius. He shot and killed his wife Reeva Steenkamp, and was charged with first degree homicide. His sentence was originally 30 years, however he managed to cut it down to a sixth of that giving him five years in jail and was placed under “correctional supervision”. The man killed a woman. Murder. Homicide. And the man got out of prison in five years. All over the world today murdering someone puts you away for a long time and ruins your chance at redemption, why should Oscar only stay in prison for five years and be free the rest. In addition, he is most likely a danger to society. Although he claims that he just thought there was an intruder in his house so he took a few shots at the door, that is still not the way to handle a situation. The fact that he would freely shoot at something even if his certainty of what it is, is unclear, that still is not safe. Being released from prison so early still allows him to roam the world dangerously, not fair to the world or other convicts whose lives are ruined for the same crime.
Imagine you steal a pack of gum from the drugstore, you are caught and taken to the police department with another person who committed the same crime of taking the gum. The policeman makes you do 100 hours of community service, the other convict, same crime, same age, more money is sentenced to 10 hours of community service. How would you feel? Would you be mad? Raged? Or excited for picking up trash for 100 hours while the other gum stealer only does a day or two of picking up trash? That’s how every felon, convict, etc. feels when an athlete or upperclassman gets away easy. That is an injustice and we all know it.
Surely, it is hard to watch your favorite athlete get locked away, but in retrospect, your favorite athlete is a criminal. Money can buy a lot of things, but injustice shouldn’t be one of them.