This Tuesday, the director of the FBI, James Comey, gave a statement on national television regarding the investigation of Hillary Clinton's emails and the FBI's recommendation to the Department of Justice to not charge her. In a nearly 15 minute statement he rattled through a number of talking points. Among such were conclusions from the actual investigation, why and how the FBI had reached their decision and reiteration of the extensive time and effort that was put into the investigation. However, toward the end of his statement he made a remark that would and should be considered incredibly controversial by those who noticed it. Around the 12 minute mark of his statement he said, "To be clear, this is not to suggest that in similar circumstances a person who engaged in this activity would face no consequences." In Layman's terms, Comey admitted to the public that the system is broken. He admitted that her selfish, reckless mishandling of sensitive emails with the potential to jeopardize national security would be dismissed because she is a Clinton. She has wealth, she has power and she is part of an influential political dynasty. She is part of the establishment and the establishment protects their people.
Along with injustice regarding the political side of things, Tuesday also brought forth yet another injustice regarding the civil rights side of things. In Baton Rouge, Louisiana another black life was viciously taken away by the police force. Alton Sterling, a 37-year-old father of five was first arrested for selling CDs outside of a convenience store and then shot, from point blank range, multiple times by an officer after he and another officer noticed Sterling had a gun. However, Louisiana is an open carry state, meaning as long as Sterling had legal permission to possess a firearm and was (obviously) over the age of 17, he could carry his gun. Also, according to the Huffington Post, the owner and manager of the convenience store, Abdullah Muflahi, said Sterling wasn't holding a weapon and never attempted to reach for it during the altercation. The graphic, disturbing video shot by witnesses of the murder is the only evidence due to the fact that the officers' body cams mysteriously "fell off." The most important question that can be conjured up after watching the video and being informed of the altercation's details is why? American citizens should be asking this question and even more so, expecting the criminal justice system to ask this question as harshly and critically as possible when it comes time for the officer's trial.
These two events, although on the surface appear to have no correlation, actually have everything in common. They shed light on a truth that has been hidden in the shadows so well, the justice system is broken. It works for those with money, status and power. It divides and discriminates us by our race and social class. The FBI's decision to let Hillary Clinton, a wealthy, white politician off the hook for carelessly jeopardizing national security and not the arrest which he fully cooperated in, but the murder of a black man by police for illegally selling CDs, blow the whistle. Now is the time for the American public to enter a state of consciousness. Injustices are being exposed daily. We must become aware, stand united and speak out against them. We cannot perpetuate a system that does not seek to serve all of us regardless of race, class, religion, sexuality or any other cultural barrier in society.
