Of A Heightened Expectation

Unequal levels of justice exist in society. For some, especially those who work with the vulnerable in society, we demand better behavior and enact more severe punishment for violations of our trust. In many ways we match our vulnerability with the justice doled out for violations.

For those who take advantage of our vulnerability we provide dual layers of punishment. Media stories are peppered with tales of “teachers gone wrong” and others who have failed at professional obligations. Public shaming comes before social justice and anyone who breaks public trust faces a trial by media long before appearing before a judge. In these initial stages there is no protection and one is dependent on public patience or the ability to communicate well in the face of fire.

To those whose violations of trust have been proven in a court of law we hold minimal patience. Justice is fast and never enough in cases of figures whose violations of the vulnerable have been proven. Granted our trust dare not violate it. Do so and brave the forces of a public whose own sense of security and social trust hinges less on you as the person and more on the basis of what you represent. Violating Doctor or Teacher, you are less an individual and more a symbol of social expectation.