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Blacks account for 13% of the population in the US, but they make up 50% of the prison system. Are racist drug laws the cause of this?
Let's go back to 1986, there was a new, cheap drug hitting the street, Crack Cocaine, this was a huge problem in 1986 and it's popularity over the much more expensive Powder Cocaine was spreading like wildfire. To counteract the spread, congress passes the Anti-Drug Abuse Act. This act was extremely harsh for crack cocaine as it (by law) was counted at 100 times the strength of powder cocaine. 1 ounce of crack was equal to 100 ounces of powder.
The racists argument states that because whites predominately use powder cocaine and blacks use crack, the law was racist.
Here's what's forgotten about the law. It was enacted and supported by the Congressional Black Caucus. In fact Charlie Rangel of Harlem at the time was head of the House Select Committee on Narcotics Abuse and Control. Crack was at the time destroying black communities and so the goal of the Act was to put very strict laws in place to curb the spread of the drug. Everyone felt that if they were very strict with the punishments, that people would move away from the drug and look elsewhere for their highs. Black leaders at the time wanted drug pushers to have stiff penalties because they really wanted to save the black community.
11 black members out of 21 in the House signed off on the Anti-Drug Act, in fact several had long records of voting against racial indifference and they basically demanded that this bill be pushed through.
Since it's enactment, and in hindsight, this has habitually been brought up on political platforms as being a racist law.
Obama, in his first term was successful in moving the 100 to 1 ratio of crack vs powder down to 18 to 1, but there is still a big disparity between the two forms of cocaine.
Blacks make up about 85% of all crack cocaine users, and although Obama made it a little nicer for the drug dealers by giving them a much lighter sentence for selling, did he really do the black community any justice by lessening the severity of the penalty?
Drug arrests since the war on drugs began has jumped drastically in the past quarter century. Do you feel that this is because of the law? Or perhaps cops are more racist now that 25 years ago and targeting blacks? Perhaps it's because of another reason not listed.
So the question is: Is the war on drugs really truly racist? Or just a failed government system that needs a huge overhaul? What's your solution?
Blacks make up 50% of the prison population because they commit crime in their communities and it isnt mostly drug use.
Black on black crime....tge dirty little secret. But the Race Mongers like to call it as white racism. Tell that to the poor old black lady that just got her hip broken because she was shoved to the ground so some hood rat could steal the few bucks in her purse.
Yeah the laws for drug offenders have become racist although I would love to believe that wasnt the intention. Finding a solution is going to be very tricky. Its unfair that someone selling drugs gets 15 years and a rapist gets 7. also the violence that came from the drug trade is just horrific.
What bothers me is how stigmatized the whole situation is. The drug trade is a crime problem but its also a health/economic problem as well. People sell crack to make money not because they are raving lunatics. Some people are prone to do drugs because of certain situations which can include anything from depression to mental illness. After years of systmatic oppression and stripping of resources out a community the one thing that alwyas remains is vice. If we could approach the issue from a completely different angle or view the statistics will drop and conversations like this would be different. We cant just lock everybody up. Its obvioisly hasnt worked this far
Yeah the laws for drug offenders have become racist although I would love to believe that wasnt the intention. Finding a solution is going to be very tricky. Its unfair that someone selling drugs gets 15 years and a rapist gets 7. also the violence that came from the drug trade is just horrific.
What bothers me is how stigmatized the whole situation is. The drug trade is a crime problem but its also a health/economic problem as well. People sell crack to make money not because they are raving lunatics. Some people are prone to do drugs because of certain situations which can include anything from depression to mental illness. After years of systmatic oppression and stripping of resources out a community the one thing that alwyas remains is vice. If we could approach the issue from a completely different angle or view the statistics will drop and conversations like this would be different. We cant just lock everybody up. Its obvioisly hasnt worked this far
I agree that the system is completely broken. There are more juvenile gang members in jail than any other demographic, and their main offence is selling drugs. How do you propose we fix the system? What laws would you propose to alleviate the current situation. Does letting convicted drug dealers (some second strike/third strike, some violent offenders) out on a lighter sentence really do us any good? Are these felons coming out reformed? If statistics and history prove anything, the answer is a resounding NO. So why are we jailing juveniles, that don't get reformed, releasing them to commit the same crimes and becoming wards of the system?
Why then would lighter sentences be any different than what we have now?
I don't think that treating the drugs with a less harsh sentence is the answer, I personally feel that we need to educate, father, mentor, and drive our youth to a more positive outlook in life than one of "I'm either going to die or end up in jail".
Location: The High Desert of the American Southwest
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drug laws "racist?"
How many innocent, non-drug-using blacks have ever been arrested for crack or other drugs?
The simple fact is that suburban blacks use and distribute drugs more than any other demographic in this country; thus, they comprise the majority of the arrest made by law enforcement.
It's like saying that SEC (securities exchange committee) laws are racist because the vast, vast majority of wall street guys they bust are white. but see, the same dynamic is at work here: the white yuppies are getting busted for insider trading and fraud and what not because of racism, but simply because they comprise the majority of those breaking the rules.
I agree that the system is completely broken. There are more juvenile gang members in jail than any other demographic, and their main offence is selling drugs. How do you propose we fix the system? What laws would you propose to alleviate the current situation. Does letting convicted drug dealers (some second strike/third strike, some violent offenders) out on a lighter sentence really do us any good? Are these felons coming out reformed? If statistics and history prove anything, the answer is a resounding NO. So why are we jailing juveniles, that don't get reformed, releasing them to commit the same crimes and becoming wards of the system?
Why then would lighter sentences be any different than what we have now?
I don't think that treating the drugs with a less harsh sentence is the answer, I personally feel that we need to educate, father, mentor, and drive our youth to a more positive outlook in life than one of "I'm either going to die or end up in jail".
This is exactly what i meant by the economics of it all. The thing is we aren't even trying to reform these kids/young adults and once they have a record they are basically F'd when it comes to jobs. There used to be programs where you could learn a trade or even recieve some form of degree but most of those have been cut so the cycle repeats itself. Lighter sentences for non violent bad choice decisions can make for a better person but just slapping time on someone theb dumping them back in the community that had no resources to begin with doesnt help.
Its going to take years of "hood" reconstruction and some super radical policies to put a dent in this statistic
I suspect this will largely turn into a question with no real answer. Take any law that penalizes something considered to be self destructive.
There are two ways to view the law.
1) Penalizing something done largely by one group could be viewed as "anti-ThatGroup" because you're targeting something they do a lot.
2) Not penalizing something done largely by one group could be viewed as "anti-ThatGroup" because you're ignoring a problem that's causing harm to the group and allowing the problem to continue.
You can put in race, gender, religion, sexuality, or any other group and the above view points will quickly form. On one hand, you have people who considers laws to be an effort to help. On the other, people who consider them an attack. Combine that with the need to assume anything that affects one group more must() be directed at that group and you'll find the OP's question everywhere.
Do I think it's racist? Not at all. There is no denying it affects blacks more though. The question then becomes, does it help them or hurt them.
It's the selective enforcement that is racist, task forces that target predominantly black areas. White suburbanites use drugs too but it's easier for them to get away with it.
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) be directed at that group and you'll find the OP's question everywhere.
