Blagojevich Legal Ruling Proves How American Legal System Coddles Their Politicians

The sentencing of disgraced Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich went down this past week. The result he received fourteen years in prison. This sparked outrage. Of course, if you talk to many people, you might get differing opinions on the outrage that is being offered, depending on whether they supported the former Illinois governor, judging Blagojevich is some tragic victim or those who knew he was a corrupt filthy politician who got far less than what he deserved.

Blagojevich’s Brother Says Sentencing is “Outrageous”.

Outrageous is the term to describe the sentence and here is what I think. It is outrageous, because if he, Rod Blagojevich had been convicted to the absolute letter of the law, he would have spent about three or fourth lifetimes right in prison. He claims that he is sorry but you know, I’m sure all criminals from the hardened murderers to the most petty thieves would claim they were sorry, if it could get them a fraction of the sentence.

Rod Blagojevich was arrogant enough to think that he was not going to get caught. He did get caught and now he is trying to play the tragic victim. The only victims here are his family and he is the victimizer. He is the one who decided to commit the fraud actions that he did. Because, as it was stated, Blagojevich got caught, because he was arrogant enough to assume that he was not.

In many ways, this is part of the reason why the United States is in the state that it is. We tend to coddle politicians who tend to put on some kind of sob story. Fourteen years for he did is rather light. It might be bigger than a slap on the wrist but face it, Blagojevich could have spent decades, the rest of his life in prison.

And by all rights he should have.

Blagojevich is far from the worst case of people in power getting off too light. Most people get away with it in fact. For each case of corruption you hear, there are about four, five more than you don’t hear about. Perhaps even more now these days, as more now than ever before, most politicians (most, not all, as there are still a few honest politicians but let’s face it, few of them get too far and they are likely to get laughed at behind their backs), think themselves above the common person. They think they have the power to increase their power. They feel they are above the laws. Let the laws and legal ramifications be for the normal people. No, I got a nice office, I’m above that.

It’s disgusting really. And he gets to spent Christmas with his family. You think some working class criminal would get the same consideration. Johnny Convict who knocks over the local gas station wouldn’t get spend Christmas with his family, even if he might be doing so to feed his family. Yet the corrupt politician who commits fraud is going to get to spend Christmas with his family, because he’s known.

Fourteen years is outrageous and people are boo-hooing that Blagojevich’s family might have live a GASP lifestyle that doesn’t have as many luxuries and might have to live a middle class lifestyle.

Blagojevich is going to go to prison sometime in 2012.