With recent events, it is good that America sees how corrupt and unfair our justice system is: the Mueller "witch-hunt," Hillary Clinton's exoneration before the investigation was complete, FISA court abuses and, most recently, "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett's having had 16 felony charges dropped by Chicago, an accomplished, corrupt Democrat city.
Smollett got two bits of good news last week. He was able to buy his way out of 16 felony counts, among them filing false police reports, and he got an acceptance letter to USC, where he is expected to play on the transgender field hockey team. The Illinois state attorney released a statement on Jussie's behalf: "He's looking forward to playing field hockey for the first time in his life, at USC."
Do not confuse Smollett's 16 felonies with rapper R. Kelly's case: 16 Candles.
In reality, our justice system is used all the time by opportunists trying to make money by extorting high-profile people and/or getting back at enemies. Tucker Carlson has been exploited by a crazy woman who said he raped her. When I managed money for wealthy clients, our clients were often the victims of people using the criminal justice system for extortion threats. That is why Smollett getting off scot-free hurts an already damaged justice system fraught with political corruption. There is no deterrent now for lying about someone and using the justice system for vengeance against an enemy.
Just to recap, Smollett filed police reports and went on TV shows saying he (a gay black man) was strolling to get a Subway sandwich at 2 a.m. in minus 10-degree Chicago weather (it was so cold the number of drive-by shootings in Chicago went down that night as gang members found it too cold to roll down their windows). And as we all know from the media, he was accosted and beaten up. He had a noose put around his neck and chemicals thrown on him by two white men wearing MAGA hats who told him that part of Chicago was "MAGA Country" - because that's the country we live in now.
It turns out Smollett paid two Nigerian brothers with a $3,500 check to stage the attack. Two things became apparent: One, actors like Smollett are too dumb to be directors; and two, this marks the first time an American scammed Nigerians with promises of money.
Sadly, this has not even hurt Smollett's career; he is still celebrated as a hero by most of the entertainment industry. He has even caught the eye of CNN puppet-master Jeff Zucker, who might use him as a producer on CNN because of his ability to make up racist stories blaming all whites and Trump out of thin air.
Smollett will not take a lie detector test. And the media only seems to care about one thing in his case: What became of the Subway sandwich and was it good?
From the media, fresh from two years of daily teasing out their working theory that Donald Trump and Jefferson Beauregard Sessions (who had lived the American dream) decided to become Russian agents in their early 70s, there were no apologies. In fact, there was scant self-reflection by the "drive-by media" - it was just on to the next slander. It's who they are. It's how it's done.
Crimes involving the wealthy or celebrities have been debased in this country because of so many false accusations. You do not get an interview on ABC with Robin Roberts if you accuse a Waffle House night cook of sexual misconduct. You need someone rich, famous and right of center.
Smollett may not deserve 16 felony convictions, but there should be some punishment for staging a hoax hate crime that wasted the Chicago PD's time and resources which could have been used investigating the rampant murders there.
The media should be punished by further losing their public credibility, but it is hard to embarrass pious and corrupt media that pat themselves on the back. The Democrats (whose mascot is the donkey) and NBC (the peacock), are looking so silly chasing these stories that they both need to change their mascots to Wile E. Coyote.
Contact Ron Hart, an op-ed humorist and author, at Ron@RonaldHart.com or @RonaldHart on Twitter.