Posted: Wednesday, 12 September 2007 10:11AM
Join The Hunt For "Justice"
Steve Corbett Reporting
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
You think it’s funny, don’t you.
You think you’ve escaped.
You think you’ve succeeded in stealing justice.
But nobody can steal justice, not even a fiber-glass mule named “Justice.”
And I mean nobody.
Even if we can’t find you – and I believe we can – your juvenile larceny will follow you like a curse. Unless you acted alone and haven’t told anybody about your crime, your lawlessness will hang over your head like a sword that one day will drop.
Guilt will follow you and your character might further deteriorate.
So start fresh.
Return “Justice.”
Make no mistake about your offense, either.
Stealing the life-sized sculpture of a mule constitutes wrongdoing that is punishable by consequences that I doubt you’ll embrace.
Your reputation is on the line here.
A criminal record is nothing to laugh about.
Yeah, I know it was just a joke.
You and maybe some friends saw the mule on the front porch of the law firm on Jefferson Avenue in Scranton and, before you knew it, the bolts were undone and the mule made its way down the street.
Now “Justice” sits in somebody’s living room or dorm room.
Lots of laughs will be had, I’m sure – until somebody plays the part of a smaller animal and rats you out.
Lawyers at the firm have offered a $500 reward for the statue’s safe return.
That’s a lot of beer.
In the meantime you will likely worry about the day that police ask to interview you and your little world starts to unravel.
Fears or tears will replace your laughter.
Supporters will desert you.
A lawyer might become your best friend.
So long dreams of law school or maybe a promotion at your job.
Instead, you will be mocked and discarded like old clay left over from a long ago art project.
Return “Justice.”
Bring back honesty to your life.
Small-town pranks like this are not funny in the long run.
The mule wore a black judge’s robe and a blindfold and dangled the scales of justice from its mouth. Purchased from a public art auction, fundraiser and heritage celebration that benefited the community, the mule stood as a symbol of the fairness upon which a free society depends.
But you stole “Justice.”
And, for that, you cannot go unpunished.
Even if you return the mule and disclose your identity, you must face the consequences of your action. So you might instead choose to leave the mule at a public place and alert police to its location.
Or call “Corbett” this afternoon and tell me where to find the mule.
Lead me to justice.
Do the right thing.
Don’t make a bigger ass of yourself than you already have.
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