10-Year-Old Explains Wealth Inequality in the Justice System Better Than You Ever Could

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10-Year-Old Explains Wealth Inequality in the Justice System Better Than You Ever Could

Mic

Philip Lewis 6 hours ago

Move over Bernie Sanders, the kids have something to say about wealth inequality, too. A video of a 10-year-old Texas student preaching to his classmates about the criminal justice system, the wealth gap and The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story went viral Friday.

The elementary school student, who was honing his debating skills in a school program mentored by volunteers, had a lot to say, but the clip was cut short by Twitter's 30-second video restriction.

The viral clip was recorded by Naomi Yitna, one of the volunteers for the school's debate program, in Garland, Texas.

"The justice system is really not fair because the average person that's wealthy can easily pay their way out of prison," the student contends.

10-Year-Old Explains Wealth Inequality in the Justice System Better Than You Ever Could

Source:

"It's really all about money because the people who have the money always pay their way out. They hire the best lawyers, people that know they did the crime, but still, the people that are put on death row are the people that hardly have anything, people that hardly have family."

He then made a point about his "favorite show," The People v. O.J. Simpson.

"Think about it this way, and back to my favorite show, OJ. Simpson v. the People," the young boy said, in a 20-second clip that was posted later in the afternoon. "He literally paid his way out of jail. It wasn't from his lawyer, it wasn't from the jury, it was the way that he represented himself, it was the way that he paid people to let him free."

The student, who has yet to be identified, echoed the sentiments of many Americans who tuned in for the landmark verdict in 1995. During the trial, which was often called the "trial of the century," racial lines were also drawn. In 1995, according to CNN-Time magazine polling, only 14% of black Americans thought the charges against Simpson were true. Fast forward to 2014, which marked 20 years since Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman were killed, a majority of black people believed that Simpson was guilty, according a 2014 CNN-ORC International survey.

The People v. O.J. Simpson ended its season on Tuesday and still held viewers' attention more than 20 years after he was acquitted of the murder charges.

10-Year-Old Explains Wealth Inequality in the Justice System Better Than You Ever Could

Source: VINCE BUCCI/Getty Images

Correction: April 8, 2016

A previous version of this story reported that a 2014 CNN poll indicated that 24% of black Americans thought the charges against O.J. Simpson were true. A 2015 CNN-Time magazine poll indicated that 14% of back Americans thought the charges against him were true.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/10-old-explains-wealth-inequality-190400061.html

https://twitter.com/NaomiYitna/status/718444070020866048

https://mobile.twitter.com/NaomiYitna/status/718444070020866048/video/1

Edited April 9, 2016 by Janelle2002