Systematic Binaries

America’s political and judicial system is a perfect example of how extensive the binary way of thinking is in the functionality of society.  When voting for the highest office in The United States, the presidency, we have a republican option and a democratic option and throughout American history, a third party has never won.  When democrats are in control of the House or Senate they are able to push their particular agenda. Bi partisan bills and committees are uncommon because many political issues are either democratic or republican, and each side wants to obtain as much power as possible to further their own agenda.  In the house, currently the Climate Change Caucus consists of only 8 people. It is supposed to be bipartisan because it is an issue that affects everyone. However, because climate change is seen as a Democratic issue only, only 4 Republicans will join so only 4 Democrats can join and this fighting is detrimental to our society. The binary system prevents fair policy for all citizens.  This two party system is not only in America either, many other countries all over the world, including Jamaica, Australia and Malta function in the same binary way.

The American judicial system is built off of the same binary principle that the election system is. Sentencing is either guilty or innocent, and mandatory minimum sentencing provides no room for in between.  The people who are the most susceptible to unfair sentencing and convictions are the people who have been consistently hurt by binaries the most, the poorest and most disadvantaged/oppressed in society. We as a society label people as law abiding citizens or criminals, and once people have been sentenced as guilty, (even if it was a nonviolent crime) they are labeled as criminal for life and it goes on their recored. It is far less likely that people will hire a criminal than someone with no record, and they are further othered by society as a failure and a threat through binary judgement and categorization.

Mandatory minimum sentencing has disproportionately affected blacks, Hispanics and others who often don’t have the financial means to fight back.

Rand Paul, Senator from Kentucky since 2011