Dear Criminal Justice System,

I’m afraid to write this letter.  I’ve been punished before.  I fear punishment.  But, I feel like giving up.  I don’t want to be locked in a cage.  I don’t want to be followed around by people with guns.  I don’t want to be stopped and searched when I haven’t done anything wrong.  I don’t want my home to be raided, neither to be asked if uninvited visitors can come inside and look around, nor to have them return with a warrant if I refuse.

I don’t want to be asked embarrassing questions.  I don’t like to answer your questions, especially,  when I feel threatened.  I don’t like how it feels to have my honesty questioned.  I don’t like to be presumed guilty.

On the other hand, I don’t like it when you are overly polite, either.  I don’t think you’re being genuine.  I don’t like you.  You’re not my friend.  I don’t care to “cooperate” with you.  I don’t want to turn my fellow citizens over to you.  I’m not a rat or informer.  No, I won’t wear a wire.  And, no, I won’t spy on my friends for you.

You carry guns.  You act tough.  You’re KILLING people.  You snarl instead of smiling.  You talk loud.  You dress funny.  You’re invasive.  You’re rude…

Your judges are rude.  They think they’re better than the people they’re presiding over.  They put more weight on the “evidence” presented by police.  They don’t trust anyone who comes into their court room.  They don’t treat the accused with respect.  They think everyone (but themselves) are criminals.  They’re tired of punishing people.  They don’t have any way out.  And so, they sentence people to the maximum penalties.

Your penalties aren’t appropriate to the crimes.  Fines are outrageous.  Court costs are ridiculous.  Lawyers are in collusion with each other.  Public defenders don’t defend their clients.  And there is no dignity in the court rooms.

There are too many laws.  Everyone has become a “lawbreaker”.  Regular people are punished the same as criminals.  Traffic violations are punished the same as violent crimes:  Violent criminals are even shown more compassion than “upstanding citizens”:  The rich, people with jobs, people with families, and young people with promising futures… their lives are being ruined by “the system”.

Finally, what about mental health?  Don’t you think “criminals” can be helped with counselling?  I do!  What about the definition of insanity:  As defined, anyone who is a “danger to themselves or others” has a mental health problem.  Why aren’t we helping these people?  Why are we punishing them?  It’s not society’s fault?  It’s not your fault?

So, I’d like you to define justice.  Does justice mean revenge?  Is that why people want to see “criminals” put behind bars?  Or does justice mean punishment?  Surely it doesn’t mean rehabilitation!  We seem to have given up on that concept.  And how is it justice to return violence with violence?  Or:  Why is it that when citizens use guns they’re criminals and when police use guns they’re heroes?

Cops and robbers:  A game.  How else would we define who the robber is except in contrast to who the cop is?  I’m tired of this game.  It’s time for police to police people rather than acting like teachers with guns:  All right, children, open your books to page one… or I’ll shoot!  Is this what the world is coming to?

Shaking in my boots,

A concerned citizen