I knew that there was a reason I dislike Geraldo Rivera. He's a lawyer. He's also other slimy and disgusting things, but lawyer is probably the worst.
Being a lawyer no doubt explains why Rivera has no idea of the difference between right and wrong. In our evolved (or is it devolved legal system that should make him ideal to replace the dog-eared legal system. He could just do one of his hate-shows, or better yet a call-in show: Instant Geraldo Justice.
Our present system has a lot of flaws. Firstly, it has lawyers. Then it makes at least a gesture toward respecting established rules, laws and precedents. Worst of all, it clutters up the entertainment with facts. And it sometimes tries to bother with details like innocence.
It's obvious that Rivera hates facts, but then he hates anything with depth or substance. This is an ideally shallow personality. A hacker will have an easy time reproducing the Rivera personality in an eleven ninety five computer chip to run a virtual courtroom when the "real" Rivera (talk about an oxymoron!) is busy being ridiculous someplace else.
The Rivera improvements would be instant and vast. Real trials could be instantly abolished. Rivera could simply pronounce sentence based on how much he dislikes the defendant or upon the defendant's appearance. Appearance is very important to Rivera, God knows why.
If Rivera wanted to go whole-hog to the full depth of his soul, he could have the public express its opinion. No need for even a single fact, or any of those silly rules of evidence and procedure. Then Rivera could have the sublime joy of executing the convict. That would boost the ratings of foundering CNBC. Nothing else seems to help. Would you trust any network that would employ Rivera, and, are you ready, Bay Buchanan (the fringe of the fringe)? I sure wouldn't!
The American legal system has declined into crass mass entertainment. Guilt (there is never innocence) is a matter of public opinion, or that version of public opinion manipulated by the media. Guilt is not established by silly rules like "beyond a reasonable doubt." It is jumped at by the vindictive mood of a middle class which less and less is able to cope with reality and must go to irrational extremes.
Rivera is just their man! Has bigotry ever found a more welcome nest?
Yes, public opinion; guilt by public opinion; isn't that the ideal of American justice? It can all be done on television and Rivera will be important...at last!
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