I know next to nothing about the Peterson murder trial. As far as I am concerned it is just one murder among thousands that happen every year. It is wonderous how certain cases make it to the elevated status of sensationalized media event, while others are forgotten on the back page of local newspapers.
I came across a head line on AOL that got me thinking this morning. The Banner read something like, "Lack of Emotion Sent Peterson To Death Row". Where are the appeals to JUSTICE in this headline? It is a very scary thing in my opinion, when philosophical discourse in society disappears entirely, replaced by surface level playground politics. A man is sentenced to death because he is stoic?!!! Perhaps if he would have been an actor and football star he would have got off. Peterson should have been more dramatic, maybe putting on a piece of clothing that was too small would have got him off. It all worked for OJ. Forget that the guy killed his entire family, he was composed in court.... crucify him!
Our justice system depends on educated citizens, who on the whim of a jury summons, are able to make decisions about justice that effect not only individuals but society as a whole. American citizens are so drunk on emotion and judgment that that system of justice is in jeopardy.
Perhaps I am just as lame as the rest of American media addicted junkies, but this headline totally reminded me of Trial scene in Pink Flyod's, The Wall.
Good morning, Worm your honor.
The crown will plainly show The prisoner who now stands before you
Was caught red-handed showing feelings
Showing feelings of an almost human nature;
This will not do.
Rock stars and artist always seem have a interesting perspective on a schizophrienic society.
Again, there has to be a distopia novel here somewhere. People sentenced to death, not for their crimes, but for their personalities. If I imagine plots to distopia novels every time I read the news, it makes me wonder, maybe I am living in a distopia!
2 comments:
Wow, that was quite strange. I was thinking to post something very similar in my blog for my next entry.
I know nothing about any Peterson murder trial, or most trials anyway, but I think very much like you: american citizens are very judgmental and emotional, but in my opinion, it doesn't end there.
Americans, on average, are very ignorant people, I mean dumb; they don't know and they don't want to know, and that's the mail problem. Try to educate them, and they'll react hostile and name you "geek" and so on, but don't get in the middle of americans and "snoop dog" because we know they'll absorb the slang like a sponge.
Sad. The worst is that citizen based juries are very expensive and on top of that: flawed. What to do then? Is a fact that judges that are also juries can be easily corrupted... is very difficult to make a good criticism without giving a decent alternative solution, but truth be told: I have nothing.
What I do know is that by now, brave new world doesn't look like a bad place to live at all.
Great post man (Y)
I was just thinking about that today and almost put it in my post... the part about people being dumb and ignorant, but while sipping coffee and thinking about it i came to the conclusion that they are not. they are briliant. people are incredibaly smart. they are so smart that they willingly act dumb. For some strange reason, and this is where the conspiratorial man behind the curtain distopia comes in, the media glamorizes movie stars and idiots. It starts in elementary school when timmy the jock gets little mia the play ground goddess. The smart guys end up building sand castles with the exchange students. We learn really quickly that to succeed means to look and act like timmy who goes on to be a stage actor in new york, sleeping with college freshman who wear black rimmed glasses and furry turtle neck blouses.
Try talking about anything important at a social gathering. it is nearly impossible to talk about big stuff such as justice. And maybe it should be. but Two things will happen if you do. People will quote the tv or movie they saw that delt with justice and the conversation quickly turns into a conversation about brad pits abs. or people get up and walk away. They wander over to the drink table and start a name dropping conversation. but who knows, i have never gone to a champange function with senators and chemical engineers.
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