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They Got Away With It: On Power, Fear, and What Justice Should Feel Like
I used to think that justice meant something. Like, truly meant something. That if something terrible happened, the system would rise to meet the moment. That the courts would protect, the police would help, and the truth would matter more than money or image.
But then something happened to someone I love. And nothing happened to the person who did it.
“The people who harmed my family were never arrested… they still live normal lives.”
That’s the kind of sentence that breaks you. Because you realize — deep in your gut — that justice is often a luxury, not a guarantee. And for people like us, people who don’t have connections or cash or clean reputations, the legal system can feel like a locked door we’re expected to thank for existing.
It’s not just about race, though that’s real. It’s not just about class, though that’s real too. It’s about power. And how some people have enough of it to walk away from the damage they cause like it’s nothing.
“We live in a world where the law doesn’t always apply equally.”
I’ve seen families break apart because no one believed them. I’ve seen survivors stay silent because speaking up only made things worse. I’ve seen mothers scream in courtrooms and still lose…