Laws, we are told, apply equally to all citizens. If you break a law, you’ll get punished for it regardless of social standing, race, sexuality, religion, etc. Justice is blind. Or at least that’s what the government wants us to believe.
Nevertheless, being a student on a private college campus, has forced me to realize that this is not the case. Through Campus Safety, Gustavus’ administration can decide which law violations will be punished, and how they will be punished.
It is unbelievable how they can take a law that has been established nation-wide for decades, and twist it into their own version at their convenience. A typical example, would be what happens to students caught drinking underage or using drugs illegally. We all know a large number of students do it, yet for some reason, everyone is still just a college student, not a criminal. How?
If one were to be seen only a mile off campus with a marijuana joint, the police would probably show up and drag you to jail.
No questions asked: weed is illegal, you broke the law, these are the consequences, too bad if you were unaware. However, here on campus, it seems like part of what is included in tuition is a free pass from the legal system. I cannot believe how people can be severely punished for doing drugs off campus, while privileged students, like ourselves, shamelessly consume these drugs rather on campus knowing that the worst thing that could happen is Campus Safety showing up and giving us a fine. Maybe they force us to take a class or two as well. Seriously? A class?
College is supposed to prepare us for the real world. How are these lenient, unrealistic approaches preparing us for the future? In fact, if anything, it’s giving us the wrong idea. We are taught it’s okay to drink abusively, and irresponsibly because the consequences aren’t that bad here.
Yes, I understand that college is a time to experiment and make mistakes, I’m not saying we should all be criminalized or persecuted for trying new things and acting immature. In fact, I myself am appreciative, as part of the student body, of campus resources such as the campus safety officers and medical amnesty.
Through Campus Safety, Gustavus’ administration can decide which law violations will be punished, and how they will be punished.
They do help keep us safe without evoking that “fear of authorities” factor, making us more willing to call for help. However, I do believe that everyone should be treated the same. If a 20-year-old Gustie is given a first strike warning for being in possession of drugs, then so should a 20-year-old working at a gas station.
Furthermore, it is no surprise that students are not ‘ratted out’ to the actual police by collegiate staff such as Campus Safety.
By keeping all unwanted attention hidden from the public eye, everybody wins. Gustavus gets to keep their reputation clean while making a little extra cash from all those fines, while students get to do practically whatever we want without having to face severe consequences.
Can you imagine what it would look like if Gustavus were known for having students with criminal records? Having a few arrested every weekend? Definitely not good for an advertising campaign to recruit more first-years for the upcoming fall. If the school can make sure no one calls unwanted attention that would reflect badly on the institution, then that’s all that matters. This way, parents may even be more willing to pay a nice tuition for their children to attend a safe, Lutheran College.
We all know a large number of students do it, yet for some reason, everyone is still just a college student, not a criminal. How?
Regardless of whether higher-education seekers can afford a private institution or not, national laws and the way they are implemented should be applied fairly and equally. It has been physiologically proven that teenagers and young adults in their 20’s are at the point in their lives where they will be more likely to make irresponsible choices.
It is a time in life that allows us to learn from those mistakes and grow into more mature adults. What seems baffling is that even though these facts have been known and publicly available for the longest time, the legal system refuses to change, sending thousands of young adults to jail for committing relatively harmless acts.
College is supposed to prepare us for the real world. How are these lenient, unrealistic approaches preparing us for the future?
Teenage behavior is so predictable, that even car insurance companies have modified their services so that the purchase of insurance is much more expensive for drivers in their 20’s than drivers in their 40’s. Why? Well because we haven’t been driving long and are still learning how to, so we are more likely to crash. This applies just the same in life; we are getting the hang of things, experimenting, and forming as individuals.
Therefore, instead of keeping the juvenile justice system as it is, labeling thousands of minors as criminals and leaving a mark on their records, potentially impacting their future in a negative manner, the legal system should be modified to help forming adults rather than harm them.
With less severe punishments, youngsters would be able to have those years of finding themselves while not being afraid of authorities, who are here to help us rather than ‘catch us’, just like Campus Safety does for Gusties who are trying to find the ropes.