Black people in prison/death row

[=D.C.L.I=Everest]

Most of the participants in this debate will have read the \"Fighting Evil\" thread with the same opinionated passion they feel towards this issue, so this should be fun, especially for those who are madly into empty threats and head-up-assery.

So, what do we think of the proven overrepresentation of black people in the American prison system? Is it racist or coincidence? And how come it is that way? :?

(I\'ve read my fair share about this, but I\'ll hold my word vomit until the bucket is about half full. Call me sick, but I like how my word vomit clashes with others and splashes up all over the bucket, making others that much sicker in the process. Yummy!)

[The_Punisher]

It\'s not coincidence, nor is it racism.

And I really can\'t tell you why. I\'m not a psychologist nor a crime expert.

I can just tell you that even though african americans hold a lower % of the general population, they cut about even numbers of caucasians in the prison system.

[dr.moe]

well... lets see.

there are probly a couple reasons for such an overrepresentation. i havent seen any stats, so im just gonna ramble a little bit.

firstly, who proved the overrepresentation and which prisons were surveyed? also, what crimes were most popular among the prison and race? the answers to those q\'s might illuminate the situation a little bit.

i know a helluva lot of dudes are imprisoned for narcotic offenses or some kind.(this probly shouldnt be here - but if you legalize, tax and regulate narcotics, more than half of the convicts would be set free. but that argument probly belongs in the good vs evil argument) how many of which race? depends on the region. i doubt you\'ll find many afro-americans in spamtown, usa; however if you cruise by washington, DC your results will differ.

but, if there is a genuine dichotomy(i like that word even if i do use it wrong) then there are most likely social reasons for it...

but i gotta run!:wall: i only have five minutes to meet a friend. tschau!:eek::tup::roll:

[Gego]

What about the overrepresentation of white homo people in Holland? Stupid thread...

[=D.C.L.I=TuRb0jUg3nD]

Don\'t trust yerself on this, Gego. You know, a habit of shoving cigarettes up the nose can be very harmful to your perception!

[Reno]

One of the biggest problems with representaton of black people in teh news is just that.
it\'s the news. They put up stuff that people wanna hear, or what will draw ratings.

You\'re likley to get alot more people watching if you hear about \"all those poor black people on death row\", negating the fact that there might be just as many, if not more, white people there was well. It\'s about curbing you words to get the most attention.

It\'s like with crime rates. White people do, indeed, do criminal things. But what do you see on TV? Always the black guys that are out doing drugs, robbing stores, etc. Because that\'s what we\'re accustomed to hearing, and that\'s what\'ll draw attention.

This is why you dont really ever listen to the news(heck, i hardly watch tv anymore. I like my brain. I dont need cnn cramming overhyped, curbed, garbage up my nose )

[=D.C.L.I=Everest]

Aside from the way the news is given to Average Joe, there is in fact a racial problem in prisons. It\'s okay not to watch the news because you don\'t trust it, but you can\'t say nothing\'s wrong because you don\'t see it everyday.

[isoFlux]

One word:

Slavery.

I\'ll type it again:

Slavery.

The oppression and enslavement of the African race in the United States is the main reason for the lack of education, limited resources, and high crime rates found in black communities in the US. The average black man is poorer, has a lower IQ, and has a higher chance of engaging in crime NOT because of his race or his ethnicity. It is due soley to the fact that the white man enslaved his race/culture for nearly 200 years.

It is changing, but as with most societal changes, slowly. Not only are there stereotypes that hinder upward mobility for black people, but mostly their social history within the US. The best thing Americans can do to help and correct this imbalance is to be colorblind. This includes all races, including whites. So-called \"affirmative action\" is only fighting racism with racism. The answer to the issue is to recognize and understand the differences in race and culture, but not to exaggerate them, or make them a source of polarizaiton or separation.

FOX News and COPS have little to do with black people being in prison. It might alter people\'s perceptions of crime and race, but it doesn\'t cause it.

[The_Punisher]

I was going to remain as calm as I could, but I just have to call Bullshit on Iso.

There are so many programs in the US to give blacks and even poor and misfortunate people a leg up. This isn\'t just something that started this year either. Many of these programs are starting to get in their 30\'s.

But the fact that many people CHOOSE to move into places with high crime has nothing to do with Slavery at all. Or even what happened 20 years ago.

[Reno]

I never claimed the news was behind people being in jail
I\'m just saying that most of it is blown out of porportion, the black-to-white ratios at least.

Also, iso, i have to disagree, just because black people tend to have the shorter end of the stick doesnt instantly imply slavery. Alot of it is that you tend to have black people living in high crime areas(black crime or not, it\'s still crime) which only enhances the image that black people are no good theives, and makes it harder for them to get jobs and the like.

I also understand that they simply cant just up and move to a better place because of money issues, but the fact of the matter is, the ignorant, poorly educated, and criminally based part of black culture is the minority. By quite a shot. It\'s just that things that are bad tend to get more attention than things that are good. We dont hear about good stuff the US does *nearly* as often as how \"this is how the US screwed up today....\" just to give an image

It\'s blatantly obvious that there\'s still a problem with some areas where black people ahve it bad. But it\'s never solely black people.