As the House of Representatives continues to take up impeachment to a vote we need to analyze how the actions of this administration and the impeachment inquiry affect our society.
It is a slap in the face that the impeachment process has taken this long and that he doesn’t have to go through the same criminal justice system as the rest of the country.
The U.S. Congress and any group that influences it needs to understand the message it portrays to the people of this country if the sitting president is not impeachment and removed. It sends a message that a double standard in the criminal justice system exists, Congress can’t do anything about it, and as long as you’re part of an elite group you can do what you want.
In the United States, this accumulates to the majority of society that will receive unequal treatment after committing any type of crime, regardless of how non-violent or petty it was, compared to someone else who comes from a more affluent background.
There clearly exists a double standard in the treatment one receives when going through the criminal justice system if you are not a member of the elite.We see on the news almost every day stories about how people from prestigious backgrounds like Harvey Weinstein, Brett Kavanaugh, and Donald Trump are able to commit crimes and not face even a portion of the same consequences that the rest of society does.
There are people across the country whose lives have been ruined forever because of outdated laws that were designed to target marginalized communities. Laws that were passed under the Nixon, Reagan and Clinton administrations that disproportionately impact people of color, especially from working-class backgrounds.
The rhetoric used against crimes committed by people such as Donald Trump is drastically different and even more forgiving than any situation involving someone from a marginalized community.The government cannot expect citizens to trust these institutions when people with backgrounds like Trump are constantly given special treatment.
The system is completely broken against us and actively over incarcerates people who don’t deserve to have their lives destroyed over petty crimes. These people are not the ones obstructing Congress or abusing power by encouraging election interference.
Yet, the sitting president will likely not face any long-term repercussions, further emphasizing the double standard that exists within the criminal justice system.
Donald Trump needs to be both impeached and removed, if not, our Senators and Representatives, have failed to do the bare minimum.
We need systematic criminal justice reform. The government cannot expect us to trust them if they allow the current president in getting away with serious crimes that impact our country much more than if someone was caught with marijuana. Donald Trump cannot be another exception in a system that rewards those with elite backgrounds — regardless of their damage.