Pop singer Brittney Spears is defending herself over photos that show her driving with her baby on her lap instead of strapped to the car seat. She defends herself by saying that she was trying to avoid paparazzi and didn't have time to strap in her child. This incident, however, is a glaring example of the two sets of justice we have in America.

If Brittney were an average citizen, that photo would have been more than enough evidence to remove Brittney's child from her home, due to concerns over the health and safety of the child. Her home would have been searched from top to bottom, and she would be facing a long future in court defending allegations of being an unfit parent. While social services are investigating, they've publicly stated that they do not expect any action to be taken. I assure you, they would not make such a statement if that were you or I.

Looking at the photo, I find Spears' claims of being hurried to avoid paparazzi hard to believe. There is not much blur in the background, which would seem to indicate she was not going at a high rate of speed, and neither her facial expressions nor the baby's convey any sense of urgency. Even if her claim were true, wouldn't the fact that she would be racing to avoid paparazzi be even MORE reason to strap the baby in? After all, one need look no further than Princess Diana to see the consequences of a high speed crash, and a baby on the seat in its mother's lap would be a certain projectile in the event of a crash.

Spears is not the first celebrity to act irresponsibly with her children. And she won't be the last. I am sure we well remember Michael Jackson's dangling his baby over a balcony's edge. But it is beyond the pale when 580,000 children linger in US foster care on far less serious allegations, while celebrities act with impunity.

California's Child Protective Services has more than enough reason to act here. Because they don't, it behooves us to ask the question WHY they don't. Could it be that placing their policies and procedures under a microscope of public scrutiny would expose them for what they really are and bring their house of cards crashing down? To steal a highly appropriate phrase here, Inquiring minds want to know!