Along with the tradition of celebrating the importance of the Charter of 1215, there is a long tradition of skepticism concerning its purpose （which was not to achieve responsible government but to preserve the prope...Along with the tradition of celebrating the importance of the Charter of 1215, there is a long tradition of skepticism concerning its purpose （which was not to achieve responsible government but to preserve the property of wealthy landowners）, its force （it was annulled by the Pope and repudiated by the king within a few weeks）, and even its success as a peace treaty （war broke out within a few months）. The author will outline the reasons for skepticism, because we can only see what there is to celebrate in 2015, if we understand that the Charter of 1215 was the failed result of a reactionary armed tax rebellion by wealthy and powerful landowners, who were not trying to make a new constitution. What is there to celebrate？ The author will address that question by asking why the Charter of 1215 was neither void （as the Pope asserted） for repugnancy to the King＇s authority, nor voidable for duress. The author challenges the idea that the Charter of 1215 is the foundation of the rule of law in England, arguing that the rule of law goes back farther, and that the Charter of 1215 was very limited in its impact. But it did promote the rule of law in two ways： by giving new specificity to legal duties and restrictions that the king had already been subject to, and by highlighting the country＇s need for effective processes for giving effect to those duties and restrictions.展开更多
Racial discrimination remains a prevalent issue in the contemporary U.S.despite efforts to promote equality.Many young African American and Hispanic males are easy target for law enforcement agents.Minorities experien...Racial discrimination remains a prevalent issue in the contemporary U.S.despite efforts to promote equality.Many young African American and Hispanic males are easy target for law enforcement agents.Minorities experience a higher and more unfair form of racial discrimination,racial profiling,police brutality,unfair sentencing,and mass incarceration for offences which are the same or less than those committed by White males.The rate of incarceration in the United States is five to eight times higher than most developed countries,and Black males constitute the largest percentage of inmates in the U.S.prison system.Once arrested,Black Americans are more likely to remain in prison longer,and await trial for minor offenses at a higher rate than Whites.Black and Latino males sentenced in state and federal courts face significantly greater odds of incarceration than White offenders for the same or even higher crimes.Vagins and McCurdy in a 2006 ACLU on“cracks in the system”reported that“There is no rational medical or penological reason for the 100:1 disparity between crack and powder cocaine and instead it causes an unjustified racial disparity in our penal system”(p.7).There is a racial disparity in the proportion of Black males in prison serving sentences of life without the possibility of parole(LWOP).In addition,The United States Criminal Justice System needs to be carefully examined as a top priority agenda needing immediate call of action that needs reform to guarantee the constitutional rights accorded to every American“with liberty and justice for all”.展开更多
文摘Along with the tradition of celebrating the importance of the Charter of 1215, there is a long tradition of skepticism concerning its purpose （which was not to achieve responsible government but to preserve the property of wealthy landowners）, its force （it was annulled by the Pope and repudiated by the king within a few weeks）, and even its success as a peace treaty （war broke out within a few months）. The author will outline the reasons for skepticism, because we can only see what there is to celebrate in 2015, if we understand that the Charter of 1215 was the failed result of a reactionary armed tax rebellion by wealthy and powerful landowners, who were not trying to make a new constitution. What is there to celebrate？ The author will address that question by asking why the Charter of 1215 was neither void （as the Pope asserted） for repugnancy to the King＇s authority, nor voidable for duress. The author challenges the idea that the Charter of 1215 is the foundation of the rule of law in England, arguing that the rule of law goes back farther, and that the Charter of 1215 was very limited in its impact. But it did promote the rule of law in two ways： by giving new specificity to legal duties and restrictions that the king had already been subject to, and by highlighting the country＇s need for effective processes for giving effect to those duties and restrictions.
文摘Racial discrimination remains a prevalent issue in the contemporary U.S.despite efforts to promote equality.Many young African American and Hispanic males are easy target for law enforcement agents.Minorities experience a higher and more unfair form of racial discrimination,racial profiling,police brutality,unfair sentencing,and mass incarceration for offences which are the same or less than those committed by White males.The rate of incarceration in the United States is five to eight times higher than most developed countries,and Black males constitute the largest percentage of inmates in the U.S.prison system.Once arrested,Black Americans are more likely to remain in prison longer,and await trial for minor offenses at a higher rate than Whites.Black and Latino males sentenced in state and federal courts face significantly greater odds of incarceration than White offenders for the same or even higher crimes.Vagins and McCurdy in a 2006 ACLU on“cracks in the system”reported that“There is no rational medical or penological reason for the 100:1 disparity between crack and powder cocaine and instead it causes an unjustified racial disparity in our penal system”(p.7).There is a racial disparity in the proportion of Black males in prison serving sentences of life without the possibility of parole(LWOP).In addition,The United States Criminal Justice System needs to be carefully examined as a top priority agenda needing immediate call of action that needs reform to guarantee the constitutional rights accorded to every American“with liberty and justice for all”.
