Lately there has been a lot of news about prostitution, the D.C. Madam, Eliot Spitzer’s fling, and of course, we remember the Louisiana representative that made his way to the Senate after being outed on a list of Deborah Palfry’s “clients.”  In fact, we now know that the representative became Senator David Vitter.

There has been quite a bit of news about immigration of late.  Maybe not in the “big” media, but quietly government agents are rounding up undocumented workers straight off the grounds of the plants where they work.  If you live in one of those small towns with a meat packing company, you may have seen the procedure.  The workers are herded into vans and buses, booked, and in some cases deported.

So, there may be no connection between prostitution and immigration, per se, but let’s take a closer look at the arrests.  In the case of prostitution, it’s the “madam” who sits in court and faces trial.  The “clients”…. known as “johns”…. hope their names aren’t mentioned for fear of humiliation.  But, David Vitter didn’t face prosecution for buying a lady for an evening.  He walked away unscathed, was elected to the Senate, and offered an apology for his sins with his wife by his side.

The undocumented immigrants who are being herded out of factories and plants are the ones who are being arrested and facing deportation.  The employers are seemingly waiting for the dust to settle so they can hire more cheap labor… undocumented workers.  Very few of the corporations who have hired these undocumented immigrants are even fined.  Perhaps, I can think of one… from some time years ago.

Now, it seems to me that if someone steals something and I buy it from them, I’m about as likely to be arrested as the person who stole the item.  I think it is called “receiving stolen goods.”  With a penalty on both sides of the transaction there is less likelihood of the transaction taking place… at least for me.  If I buy pot from a dealer, he can go to jail for selling it.  I can go to jail for buying it.  There is a penalty on both sides of the transaction.  I’m well aware that there are still dealers on many corners across the country, but with a penalty for buying as well as for selling, I can say with certainty that they have one less buyer… me.

My question is simple.  Why is it with immigration and prostitution that the rich and powerful have no penalties?  Pilgrim’s Pride has no incentive to stop hiring illegals.  David Vitter has no incentive to remain faithful and monogamous.  On the other hand, we all know the sad story that followed Deborah Palfry’s conviction.  And, I have witnessed children staying in foster homes waiting for the resolution of their undocumented parents’ encounter with the law.

Perhaps, if there were “justice for all” David Vitter and Eliot Spitzer would be sitting in a court room facing graphic testimony of their exploitations followed by a few years in jail.  Maybe, Pilgrim’s Pride and the other factories who hire undocumented workers would lose a day or two of production, have a corporate officer or two or three or more sitting in a court room to answer why they continue to hire undocumented workers at below minimum wage when they know it is against the law.

If there were “equal justice under the law”… and we know there isn’t… perhaps, some of our country’s problems would begin to resolve themselves.  I am not so naive as to believe that undocumented aliens would never be hired.  Nor, as I so naive as to believe that men will stop seeking female company outside the marriage.  My only suggestion is that once again it seems that those who have the money and power to exploit those who are less fortunate, less educated, and in some cases desperate go without penalty for exploitation and degradation, while those who are exploited and degraded are punished.

But, we all know life isn’t fair…. and neither is the law.