The Third Estate: A Tale of A City and a Country

Louis Charles Auguste Couder

              Justice is something we all seek. Fair justice is what the law grants us, where bias and public opinion is meant to stay out of the room. No matter the outcome, justice is to be found in a matter without bias. We see the Supreme Court, the ultimate judge of our land work without major influence from the public. That is what they are supposed to do. Look at what happened in the French Revolution when the public was given the power, chaos, injustice, fear. When the trials were had and the public sat crying for vengeance  and death, they were given what they asked for. They received  the bloodbath they wanted. The guilty, the innocent it did not matter, the people were out for blood. When the rulers of the time, met in quiet to decided the fate of the chaotic city they were interupted by mobs spilling into their halls. What were they to do with their lives on the line? In order to satisfy their prime instinct, they compromised their own beliefs in order to survive, resulting in the degrading of society even more than before. That is the effect, of the rise on power of people who seek blood, from vengeance  and fear. A misspoken word in that time could result in the loss of your head, it could result in your nearly immediate death, simply by sounding different than the usual. Misunderstandings, lack of knowledge, and anger are all the shortest distance to failure. Had they ruled with power from the top, in a gradual and slow fashion, then history might have had fewer blood stains.

              To make a more recent, and more relate-able connection, look at the film Gladiator. In the film we see a defiant Gladiator rise up among the ashes of his former self. He is found to be a man who the emperor had wanted dead, but now could not kill. The Emperor had a Vendetta against this very man he set out to destroy, but now the man standing in front of him, less than the distance of a sword. His new gained protection was due to the public, they wanted him alive, and therefore he was immune for a time.
           To arrive at my point I had to propose those situations for we find ourselves in scenario  with similar outcomes. Anger, and a mass majority have made up their minds about the situation that has presented itself. The town filled with resentment, bitterness, and fear has started to make rash decisions. As stated in my previous post, The King and the Jesters, they folded like a bad hand in a card game, to the pressure of the public eye upon them, if it be right or wrong is not of my judgement , but of the peoples for they now hold the power.

          In this same way, with the current ruling by the NCAA, One must take a step back from the call for blood and ask oneself, was justice what I saw? I hope I still hold on to you reader, and I hope that my points are of logical derivation, for I take no sides in this matter. I can say from a position of neither Judger nor Loyal that the ruling that you witnessed, the ruling I witnessed, and the ruling the rest of the world witnessed was not one of justice, but of vengeance . A ruling that sought out the blood of the innocent, mine as well as my fellow students. I can understand a fine being presented to the football program, and I can see the logical conclusion of taking the record away from Joe Paterno (though I am conflicted on such matters), but to limit the number of scholarships, and to not allow the students that have trained hard all their lives to participate in bowl games, is not justice.

     If the best interest was to fix those that are hurting, you do not add the innocent to the list, and this verdict, this conclusion by the NCAA had done just that. They have soaked their hands in the blood of the innocent, for the public is knocking at their door. Similar to the French Revolution, the leaders in control of that institution submitted to the mob, in an unjust manner, resulting in my blood, the blood of my friends, neighbors and fellow students to be upon them. How can you justify, an action that only effects up and coming students, as justice?

     The football players are playing to attempt to get into the NFL, and make a name for themselves. They are trying to secure their livelihood in this broken economy. It is hard enough to gain entrance into the NFL alone, but now with the limitations, and the less chance of gaining access to such a (previously) prestigious program, how are they to make it in this weakening country? Is it not our duty to secure the future, then why are we neglecting to help them, the children that will someday lead us when we are old and dying? Do we not want a secure country for our children? Then help them.
There is more to The School than sports, there is highly ranked education. I came to this institution for it was highly ranked in my major. It is already barely affordable  with tuition, being the highest in state. Tuition college. Now with the lost revenue, they are planning on raising tuition by 2.4 percent. I am not rich, and by walking along the streets I can tell many others are stuck in my same predicament. We are all trying to become something, to help this country, this world. We are the leaders of tomorrow, but we are just beginning and we need all the help we can get. With the monetary demand, how are we supposed to rise? We have so much pitted against us, a broken economy, a war, fear of more wars. And now a higher monetary demand that we are struggling to meet. How is that justice?

    How do you justify punishing me for something I did not do? How do you justify punishing my brothers, my sisters, my friends, my neighbors, my community? How does that equate to justice? The actions that were made, were not by my fellow peers, they were made by people who have already been convicted. Those involved are no longer at our School, so why punish it further? I did not hurt children, I did not cover anything up, I did not partake in this evil affair, but I am being punished for it? If that is what you call justice, then this world is broken and does not deserve our help. 
And many are refusing to notice the elephant in the room, the new football coach. The man came to Penn State from a professional team, that alone is an honor. But now he is being punished for things he had not committed? He now can not participate in bowl games. That is not fair, that is not justice.
Now unlike before, I ask of you to spread this post, share it, do whatever you can. Justice has not been done here, vengeance  has taken its course. I ask for your help to show the people the error in their ways.

And I leave you with this, a less than civilized rant.

   You soak your hands in the blood of the innocent. You watch us and wish us to burn. This justice that you so dearly cling to, is but an illusion  created by those who seek vengeance . You look down upon us by your imagined high horse, when you have fallen so much further. You look to find guilt in those who are far more innocent  than yourselves. Your sick sense of justice is a shame, and I hope that when we rise as your future, that we are more knowledgeable  and sympathetic. I hope to never stain my hands in the blood of the innocent, I hope to never be you.