If you have ever watched a crime show or movie, you have seen the statue of a blind folded Lady Liberty. This is supposed show that the American Justice System is blind to race, gender, wealth or any other unique attibute that a defendent may exhibit. But how true is this?

Take the time to vist your local library and you will find that history is full of incidents that proves that justice has  been far from blind. There has always been a double standard in the American Jusice System in regards to race, gender, wealth, etc. You have to wonder if we will ever reach a level playing field for defendents in this country.

America, when compared to other countries, is still in her infancy. Prehaps this explains why the legal system in this country seems to be so confusing. The average American, truly believes that if they ever have to appear in court that they will get a true and unbias hearing. How true is that statement? If Joe Blow had to defended himself against a big corporation, or wealthy individual or political entity, would he receive a fair hearing? Or does it come down to how much money he would have to shell out to an attorney? Can a court appointed attorney truly represent a defendent against fairly?

You would think that by now, as a nation, we would have worked out a more equal and fair representation for all members of our society. Unfortuantely, it seems that we still continue to let racial bias and social standings dicate our legal system. Recently, the Department of Justice declined to hold the New Black Panther Party responsible for voter intimidation in Philadelphia. Isn't this just as bad as what the KKK did in the south back in the 1960's? If we are all equal, then we need to be treated equal, regardless of race, gender or social status.

Why is it that so called movie stars, or rock stars or other so called celebrities appear to get different treatment when they commit a crime? Why are they held to a different standard? Is it just a case of better PR, or more money to pay for better legal representation? Is it a case of better backroom wheeling and dealing? Is it really true that the media can make or break a person when it comes to legal representation? Can a person really buy themselves a better deal with the court? Have we become so liberal in this country, that we no longer care about the laws governing this land? How much corruption is there in our judicial system?

What if anything can be done to improve our American Legal System? Do you have the answer? Perhaps recognizing that there is a problem is the first step in finding a solution. Maybe it's holding lawyers, judges, reporters and media outlets accountable for their actions or lack thereof. Maybe it's as simple as teaching our children right from wrong. Maybe it's as simple as teaching our children that race, gender, wealth really doesn't matter, but it's what's on the inside that counts. Maybe we shouldn't encourage our children to look up to athletes, or celebrites. Maybe it's just getting back to having morals and values.