03-23-2018, 11:10 AM
Kind of "chicken and egg" questions.
Are black communities suffering more long term poverty due to a high level of drug traffic or is there a high level of drug traffic in black communities due to long term poverty?
Is gang membership a result of desperation and a feeling of helplessness, or is a high level of gang membership causing desperation and a feeling of helplessness?
There are lots of problems with the criminal justice system that make things worse for African Americans, but even statistics based on victim surveys (not arrests and convictions) indicate that African Americans commit crimes at a much higher level than whites. So there is more to the "mass incarceration" issue than just racism in the criminal justice system (which does exist).
Are black communities suffering more long term poverty due to a high level of drug traffic or is there a high level of drug traffic in black communities due to long term poverty?
Is gang membership a result of desperation and a feeling of helplessness, or is a high level of gang membership causing desperation and a feeling of helplessness?
There are lots of problems with the criminal justice system that make things worse for African Americans, but even statistics based on victim surveys (not arrests and convictions) indicate that African Americans commit crimes at a much higher level than whites. So there is more to the "mass incarceration" issue than just racism in the criminal justice system (which does exist).
