Mass Shooting at San Antonio Elementary School

[Belsnickel]

(06-09-2022, 02:36 PM)hollodero Wrote: Oh ok, sentenced was the wrong word then. Non native speaker coming through.

I wonder though if in the end, meaning de facto, this system makes free speech a privilege for the rich and powerful. If you can afford potential financial consequences (or have the backing of an organization that will do so for you), you can say whatever you want. If you're not rich, you better keep your mouth shut.

Actually, what you are hitting is one of the big criticisms of our justice system from the progressive side. We tend to see the scales of justice as imbalanced in this way where the most disadvantaged people in our country face the most damaging effects of our system. In fact, there are laws on our books to this day that were passed specifically to keep black people imprisoned and it was acknowledged that it would also sweep up poor white people. That was the intention of these laws. It's legitimately in the minutes of the Virginia General Assembly and was done to keep them from voting and to use them as free labor for the state.

So not only do we have our laws themselves than can have this imbalance, but as you note the way the fines are doled out can also be an issue. Then you have the powerful that will bring suits just because they know the other person can't afford to defend them, thus weaponizing the justice system for their benefit (something Trump was notorious for). It's all a mess.