Justice Prevails and We Still Want Blood

I know I sound like I am beating a dead horse by now, but this country's obsession with violence is getting very close to the point of no return. While today's verdict in the Casey Anthony trial made me question this stance for a fleeting moment, the immediate reaction from all reaches of the nation made me more convinced than ever that I am onto something. Plain and simply, this country is blood thirsty.

For those of you unfamiliar with my thesis about the violence obsession, lets take a peek at some of the goings-on in America today:

1. Two wars, which in themselves have resulted in many, many more deaths (US and the unseen "others") than the terrorist attacks which brought them about

2. The dominance of the NFL, proven even further by the grief-like reaction across the nation to the prospects of a temporary lockout and the inability of media, fans, and anyone else to simply move on to sports that are actually playing in favor of constantly conjecturing about the chances of an NFL season in 2011

3. The resistance to any change in the constitution (or even in its interpretation) regarding the 2nd Amendment. Never mind that countless inner city kids are being killed each and every day-we Americans cant live without our guns.

4. The Obama Hitler references- ok, maybe thats more racist than anything

5. The extinction of the innocence presumption- more on this to follow.


Anyway, I thought today's verdict would be a positive step away from the barbaric path down which criminal law, especially in the south, has been headed in recent years. After seeing Florida and other states consistently convict defendants on purely circumstantial evidence (only to see many of those defendants released later once forensic evidence proves their innocence), I was overjoyed to see a jury finally take a stand in defense of one of our nation's fundamental principles-the presumption of innocence.

Much more than the "right to bear arms" (not really the language, but beside the point), the presumption of innocence in a court of law is central to the American way of life. As much as has been made about the problem with trying terrorists (and apparently accused killers...and white collar criminals...and former governors...and.....) in a system that requires the government to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, such a system is what makes America the great country that it is. As harsh as it sounds, without this prosecutorial burden of proof, our justice system starts to look and feel a lot less democratic and a lot more like, say, Iran's. Without making sure that justice protects the accused as much as the victim, our nation would be a much different place.

So again, I thought that I would sit here tonight writing about my pleasure in finally seeing years of vigilante justice, of sending kids, the mentally handicapped, and even the very obviously innocent to death row come to an end.

Instead, it is the opposite. The calls for Casey Anthony's death, calls for a "Dexter-style" attack, and even blood-curtling predictions of her hellish afterlife showed this country to be exactly what I feared it to be, blood thirsty.

The reaction to the acquittal isnt really mere outrage at what many believe to be the case of a criminal getting off unscathed, it is simply an expression of disappointment that one less execution will go on the docket, that one less darling of the media spotlight will find herself in an orange jumpsuit. Justice worked and this country didnt even see it.

This obsession with violence, with retribution, with placing blame and handing out concrete punishment, is why we are currently facing a multi-trillion dollar deficit (wars), and multiple state bankruptcies (prison overcrowding). We are obsessed with violence, with power, and with shows of strength so much so that it has left us at a position of immense and incomprehensible weakness. Our desire to be the world's superpower, to project strength at home (prisons) and abroad (wars) has left us at the mercy of China, a country with similarly violent desires but without the mirage of a democratic past.

Anyway, dinner is getting cold so I will have to cut this one short. So let's leave it at this:

Casey Anthony was not guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and therefore is due to be acquitted under the guidelines of the Florida and US Constitutions. Justice worked and it is sad to see that no one in this country can appreciate that.