To the Journal editor:

The furor over the Ray Rice domestic violence case is indicative of the fragility of our judicial system and by extension, the civility of our society as a whole. In our representative republic, we elect representatives who pass laws, ideally, based on a valid moral code, which we must then obey.

We abide by a criminal justice system which metes out punishment to those in violation of the law. Once violators are apprehended, tried, and convicted, they pay their debt to society in whatever way the court sees fit.

The evidence Ray Rice abused his then fiance was so damning a grand jury indicted him on a charge of third-degree aggravated assault. He applied for and was accepted into a diversionary program for first-time offenders that could clear him of charges in one year.

If society deems that punishment insufficient isn’t that an indictment of the system itself?

Now in response, there is a call for the resignation of the NFL commissioner. Do we really want private entities handing out punishment to society’s transgressors?

Employers certainly have a responsibility to hold employees to an acceptable standard of conduct, but do we really want them to be responsible for doling out justice above and beyond what the criminal justice system deems appropriate and do we want to the hold heads of those private entities accountable, at risk of their own employment?

It’s not hard to imagine the abuses to which that could lead. Shouldn’t the outrage be directed toward the prosecutor and not a private entity?

Plaxico Burress accepted a plea deal to serve two years in prison for violating New York’s gun law. He served his time and returned to the NFL.

Mike Vick pleaded guilty to federal dogfighting conspiracy charges, served his time, and is now with the New York Jets. Should Ray Rice be allowed to earn a living in our society? If not in the NFL, where? What industry and what employer should hire him?

Justice throughout much of human existence can be characterized as mob rule and vigilantism. Modern society is never far from that fate. No doubt those with celebrity status are too often shown leniency, but celebrity can be a powerful tool in the advocacy of a cause.

In a better world, Ray Rice would serve his penance, emerge rehabilitated, and become a meaningful voice in the fight against domestic abuse. What are the chances?

Brad Stried