Injustice in America

So, let's face it, I love America.  I live here by choice.  But there is some stuff going on in our legal system that needs a good swift kick in the statutes.

First of all, there is the police officers.  My boyfriend Kit, got pulled over the other day for having a cracked windshield.  I got out later and looked, and there is no possible way that you could tell the windshield was cracked.  He was just a young kid driving a sports car, so they wanted to check him out.

My other boyfriend Ivan got pulled over when we had our jeep for no license plate light, and again in our Truck for the same thing.  The reason they say this is so important, is that if you rob a bank, people need to be able to read your license plate at night to report you.  Well, if I am going to rob a bank (looks at his todo list.... well not yet) then let me tell you the last thing I am gonna worry about is my freaking license plate light.

Then there is the federal judicial system, where, if you get picked up by the feds, and taken to court, you will spend at least three days in jail.  They don't have to have a reason, they just put you in for three days.  Then after that, if you think that this system has a innocent until proven guilty way of thinking.... well, you're wrong.  If you get picked up by the feds, you will be guilty until such time as they either prove it or disprove it.  You can lose all of your freedoms, all of your rights, everything, until they get around to putting you through a trial.  Chances are, you will either be put in jail, a halfway house, or home detention.  And that is until they get around to the trial.  How is that innocent until proven guilty.  Now I can understand the bond system.  A bond just guarantees that you will show up for your court date.  You show up, and whether or not you are innocent or guilty, you will get the bond released.  But more than likely that will not matter, because you will be held up somewhere until that time comes.

I think all this started during the reign of Bush, and the fact that we do not care about the constitution anymore.  That was made evident by the patriot act.  That act, basically said that we can put you away for an undisclosed amount of time, in a place where no one will know where you are at, and say that is to further Homeland Security.  I can call up the FBI and say, you know, I think that Joe Blow is a terrorist, and he will be picked up, and put away til they get enough evidence to convict him, even if he is innocent.  Now, truthfully, I do not which started first, the patriot act, or the guilty until proven guilty philosophy, but they are all part of the same mind set.  We have to protect our self, and it does not matter who's rights we step on to do it.  But it does matter. It matters because those are the principles we, as a country, were founded on.  That we can walk down the street and not be harassed by law enforcement.  That if we are suspected of committing a crime, we will be afforded all the protections that come with being an American citizen and that if we are convicted, those same protections will remain in force as we serve out or punishment.  And let me tell you, we need to get back to those days, or America will become no better than a third world country, where everyone is afraid of the government.  Or at least that is as I see it.