On Tuesday, news about "America's Dad" flared up again as he was sentenced to three to 10 years in prison for the drugging and sexual assault of a woman. Cosby's mug shot was released, revealing him as a sad, confused old man.
Realizing how old Cosby is, his defense called for leniency, others have claimed the ruling was too harsh and he would die in prison. One reason Cosby's supporters believed the 81-year-old's sentence was too harsh was that he is black, opening up the conversation of a prejudice justice system.
While Cosby's offenses are disgusting and completely worthy of punishment, one must be careful when walking the line of racism and righteousness. Fifty-two percent of perpetrators of sexual assault are white, and most of the celebrities and public figures accused in the last few months have been white. Yet, many have not suffered true consequences besides public humiliation and decline in work.
It's questionable to see a prominent black male figure in society to be so harshly punished for the same act many of his white counterparts have committed. While Cosby heads to prison to predictably spend the rest of his days incarcerated, huge stars like Kevin Spacey and Matt Lauer may never truly be brought to justice for their crimes.
But to point that out above the victory of Cosby being convicted, when 80% of campus sexual assaults don't even have a chance of prosecution, is distracting from the original crime.
Many have even gone so far to make excuses for Cosby because they believe he was harshly judged as if his race and elderly age changes the fact that he forever changed a woman's life against her will.
As difficult as the issue is, with all its sides and opportunities for blame, the fact of the matter is that sexual assault is a rampant issue in America and all perpetrators of it should be severely punished. Regardless of skin color, age, or social class, the world should not take sexual assault lightly. With its criminals ranging from well-off, neatly-cut white boys like Brock Turner to megastars with a name in history like Bill Cosby, our justice system must consider every single case as important and judge the crime not the demographic of the person.
Yes, there is a clear racism in our justice system, set in deep foundations that allow it to actively ruin the lives of people of color in America. It is evident in all kinds of crimes, whether it be petty drug charges or heinous felonies. But rather than trying to free Cosby from his crime or focus on his race, try to focus on the women hurt. Advocate for the sentence Cosby received being doled out to others such as Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey.
It's a fine line we walk when considering how to punish another human for the crimes they've committed, and it is made entirely more complicated by race. Bill Cosby deserved what he was sentenced to, but the justice system cannot fail to give the same treatment to other disgusting humans like him regardless of race.
