A sentence parsed

After much controversy and anticipation Chris Brown, pleaded guilty to assaulting Rihanna. Needless to say, I was mad and happy at the same time.
As part of the plea deal, Brown has to attend domestic violence classes in California. While I think that it is a bit much to have to travel across the country to attend a class, it at least gives him the opportunity to address his underlying issues.
I’m outraged at the same time. I’ve lived in Detroit for the last 19 years of my life. I’ve seen Detroit go through many different changes and heard about other eras of change dating back to the 20s from family members.
Blame it on the economy, blame it on the state of the city or blame it on whatever.
The truth is when regular people get caught, they do not pass go; they do not collect $200. They go directly to jail.
Why didn’t Brown? Why did Kilpatrick’s incarceration take so long for his corruption? Why don’t a number of other famous people?
Because they have money.
They are able to hire the high-powered attorneys who have studied for hours and hours looking for loopholes and ways to keep their clients out of jail. But the average citizen is left with public defenders that are overworked and underpaid.
So, John Doe goes to jail and spends time away from his family, causing even more problems. Yet Brown is allowed to continue on with his life as if nothing happened. Even Kilpatrick’s family was able to act as if they still had dad at home. With their primary bread winner locked up, life continued for them.
We continue to dole out half-punishments for those in the public light who do wrong. The judge in the Kilpatrick case had a hell of a defendant to deal with, and he said that he would be treated like a regular guy, coining the phrase “Joe Plumber.”
And now another man in the public light has committed a crime. Brown is standing up and taking responsibility for his actions. No doubt his career has been hurt, but he still seems to get preferential treatment.
If Brown had been any other man, had charges been pressed, the woman involved would have had to come to court, and testify on his behalf, for the same punishment Brown received to be enacted. Yet Rihanna was set to testify against him in court.
Evidence that money is what it takes to make it through this world is in cases such as these. And as the poor get poorer, the rich get richer, flaunting their privilege in every facet of society. Justice may indeed be blind, but she does accept a platinum card every now and then.