Good On Paper

Dear Officer,

A few weeks ago you pulled me over because I ignored a red light, although I swear it was yellow. Said so, too, when you asked if I knew why you pulled me over. You asked for my license and registration- gave them to you, no big deal- I was ready to accept a ticket.You only gave me a few minutes to consider how I would pay for this ticket when you returned and, after returning to me my things, said, "Ma'am, thank you. Next time just be more cautious. Good night." 

Officer, as I drove off I wondered why you didn't give me a ticket I obviously deserved. I am hardly ungrateful for your timely mercy, but I admit surprise. Then I smirked: you didn't give me a ticket because I look good on paper.

Ha, damn right, I look good on paper. Never been caught.

sincerely, Justine

P.S.- But seriously, though, thanks for not giving me a ticket. 

But whether I should be proud to look good on paper is an entirely different question because, as I said, I only look good on paper because I've never before been caught zooming through an-almost-red-light, or speeding on the highway, or texting, none of which should be positively rewarded, yet I drove home, late that night, free of tickets or points.

I wondered who else looks good on paper; you'll forgive me for suddenly turning dramatic, but I answered my own question like this: leaders of organized crime. Ha, I know, how dare I compare zooming through an-almost-red-light to organized crime- I'm hardly, however, comparing the way the laws are broken, but how they both go unchecked.

Not only did I drive away that night without a ticket, I also drove away with my car and body fully intact, harming no one. My actions that night had no serious repercussions. I didn't need to channel my ninja skills to sneak my way out of a ticket (I also don't have ninja skills to channel), which would probably mean I wouldn't be a very good leader of organized crime.

Everyone knows not to drive through a red light... how does everyone not know not to sell or keep slaves?

Don't assume that I'm suggesting the former leads to the latter- hardly, but I want to know who else looks good on paper, and how they got to looking good on paper, and we continue to let them look good on paper. (I also apologize for using the universal 'we', but just bare with me on this one, just once.) I am aware that once a person, like the leader of organized crime, is caught it is difficult to keep that person caught because the things for which he is caught are hardly enough to keep him behind bars- maybe just a little slap on the wrists, and then give him a ticket that he'll probably ignore anyway because what's the worse that you could do to him?

Yeah, seriously, good luck with that because even Bryan Mills had to take the law into his own hand in order to see justice served and served well because, apparently, that is the only way to get justice: big government isn't going to help you because some of the people in that system are helping that corruption. Honestly, watch more television- you'll learn something.

This, of course, begs the question, what then really is justice if it can only be used as vengeance?, but I'd rather not.

Damn right, crime organizers look good on paper. They never get caught- they hire other people to get caught.

"'Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness." Matthew 23.27 (ESV)