Our Accountability Era?
In recent years, it has been easy to feel as though those with power will never be held to the same level of accountability as us common folk. Many high-powered officials have been accused of crimes such as sexual assault, insider trading, and corruption
with seemingly little consequence. Leaders such as Brett Kavanaugh, Ted Cruz, Nancy Pelosi, and Bob Menendez have faced scrutiny for their actions, though Menendez is the only of the four to face criminal charges. It is not difficult to find a politician who has been accused of corruption, one must only look so far as the 2024 presidential candidates. With politicians like these, how can one have hope for a moral future?
This week has given average Americans reason to hope for a country in which all are held equally accountable for their actions. After the devastating shooting at Georgia's Apalachee High School, stunned citizens can se a glimmer of hope in second-degree murder charges against the shooter's father. This is certainly limited mollification, though it continues the trend of parents being held accountable for ignoring their children's blatant mental health issues. Hopefully, fewer parents will choose to look past the threats in their homes as they now know that they can be sentenced to prison alongside their child.
Returning to the elites, this week saw President Biden's son, Hunter, plead guilty to all charges of federal tax evasion. This guilty plea was entered last-minute and comes after Hunter Biden was found guilty for drug use and gun possession. The president's son is facing up to 17 years in prison and some very hefty fines that amount to $1m.
In New York this week, several NYPD officials have seen raids on their homes and subpoenas for their cell phones. Though very little information has been released, making speculation difficult, it has been reported that this is part of an ongoing investigation of New York City mayor Eric Adams' supposed corruption which involves free upgrades on Turkish Airlines.
All of this has been a roundabout way to ask "are we holding people accountable?" With former President Trump's New York sentencing being once again pushed to later in the year, it is beginning to feel as though the politician will never face punishment after being found guilty on all charges. However, the events of this week may show a changing tide that will finally lead to the once most powerful man in the world to see the consequences of his actions. The United States of America may finally be holding all Americans accountable, no matter their name, position, or status.
Hey Caitlin, I will say it's incredibly pleasing to me to see powerful figures being held accountable for their missteps and crimes. It definitely upset me to hear that Trump's sentencing is being pushed back over and over, and this time it's pushed until after the election. It's a testament that powerful figures will never be held to the same standard us regular folk are. I think social media and the amount of influence we have to call out our politicians helps hold them accountable for things like this.
ReplyDeleteHey this was an interesting blog post and you filled it with a lot of information that is important yo know about our government. Holding people accountable in general is a great idea within society, but sometimes we forget the ones in authority also need to be held accountable. I feel as though our country will do better with accountability in the future along with other things that will better our government!!
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