Does Justice Still Exist?: American Justice, or the Lack Thereof

In the American justice system there are many ways to define the once simple word "justice." Justice lies within the quality of being just and fair and is the principle of moral rightness. Most know what it means, and the majority of us are left asking the same question:
Does justice still exist?

The upholding of what is just , especially fair treatment and due rewards in accordance with honor, standards, or law would be the ultimate goal of justice in today's world. As humans our desire is to be just, both conditionally and unconditionally at the same time, even though It can be quite difficult to act justly when so many others fail to do so.

Politically speaking, our nation stands by the phrase "and justice for all", but realistically we are forced to question whether justice still exists. The tradition of justice appears in many forms, some of which include faith, ethical beliefs, ones own actions and also social institutions. All of these things, among others, can play a large role in a persons own definitions of justice. Part of what could be to some considered a problem with justice is due to these differences. If one sees his actions as just and others think it to be an unjust action who is to say which is the true account?

Personal and legal justice or fairness have become so different that they almost require separate definitions. Our court systems are full of cases in which justice in one form or another is in question. We leave it to a single person in charge of the courts to decide what is and is not just; but who is left to say that his or her decision was in fact fair? Despite the many laws, bylaws, and guidelines our system follows in order to make just decisions the final outcome still comes down to that one person who must decide. These decisions can often be life changing or even be the deciding factor in the end of ones life. At times it seems to be only a vicious circle of unjust actions in a series of various aspects.

Ideally, if everyone had the same views on justice it would be much easier for people to understand and act justly. Of course we do not live in an "ideal" world and the possibility of a united view on right and wrong is not within our reach. This means that at some point we have to set aside our views and trust someone else to provide justice for all. It can be hard to fathom providing a fair and just outcome for those who have wreaked havoc on civilization, but where should the proverbial line be drawn? Do violent criminals deserve fairness, should every murderer be guaranteed justice with fairness in mind? Most would consider it just to provide a murderer with the death penalty, others will argue that this is an inhumane practice.

The answer to the question, "does justice still exist?", lies within each and every human being. Only we can change the face of justice and turn things around for the better of our nation. The subject of justice is of such a complex nature it would be nearly impossible to give a full description in one piece of writing, after all this would merely be one persons point of view. One thing that can be widely observed is that justice, equality, and fairness are a few things on society's most wanted list. Our children learn the phrase, "that's not fair", at a very early age and it is something that is carried all through life. As we grow and learn our habits and views tend to change from time to time leaving in place only the solid morals that have been implanted by peers. The child you raise today may run the country tomorrow so implanting sound decision making skills and a generous knowledge of what justice means could be the turn around America is seeking.

Even in the most fair cases someone will feel they have been wronged, it is almost inevitable since most often someone is in trouble. The optimal goal would be that every persons rights are upheld according to our constitution, so that even the guilty will one day look back and see they received a fair shot. We can never expect a world where everyone meets eye to eye, after all we are individuals with the right to form our own opinion. What we can hope for is a general understanding of justice, equality, and the United States Constitution.

As defined by dictionary.com-
jus·tice Spelled Pronunciation [juhs-tis]
-noun 1. the quality of being just; righteousness, equitableness, or moral rightness: to uphold the justice of a cause.

e·qual·i·ty Spelled Pronunciation[i-kwol-i-tee]
-noun, plural -ties. 1. the state or quality of being equal; correspondence in quantity, degree, value, rank, or ability.

In a short conclusion, the definition of justice would be to treat everyone adequately, fairly and with full appreciation of their rights and the laws of this nation, however, anything beyond learning/teaching the printed, official meanings of these things has to be achieved through showing our children how to be fair. Children really do learn what they live so it is up to each and every one of us to ensure a world where we can continue to profess "and justice for all". My answer to the question at hand, does justice still exist?, would be:
Yes, justice still exists even as it gets more difficult to find evidence of it's existence, the power of equality is still present and can be placed back into action.