Critique of Black Culture

[elSicomoro]

Watching white people try to discuss black culture is funny.

Here is the link to Mr. Martin's post.

This is what Mr. Martin is referring to:

Brothers behind bars
The "alarming overrepresentation" of black men in the U.S. penal system concerns Rep. Charles B. Rangel, outspoken New York Democrat and member of the Congressional Black Caucus.

The congressman from Harlem notes that two-thirds of the U.S. prison population is made up of racial and ethnic minorities — and for black men in their 20s "one in every eight is in prison or jail on any given day."

"Even more upsetting is that African-American males born today have a one-in-three chance of going to prison during their lifetime, compared to a one-in-17 chance for white males," Mr. Rangel notes. "At year-end 2003, African-American inmates represented an estimated 44 percent of all inmates with sentences of more than one year."

That causes Mr. Rangel to wonder if the sentencing system is truly colorblind.

"Despite the notion that the scales of justice is blind, it is no secret that racial bias plays a deplorable role in the disproportionate conviction and sentencing of African-American men, compared to their racial counterparts, who are charged with the same or a similar offense," he notes.

In fact, the United States is experiencing a decrease in crime rates, yet the overall prison population — federal, state and local — is increasing, particularly among blacks. This is said to be because of "truth-in-sentencing" laws that limit early releases, impose mandatory sentences for drug offenses, and set "three strikes and you're out" laws for repeat offenders.

More than 2 million Americans are behind bars.

I share Rep. Rangel's concerns, though racial bias in the justice system is just one of the many problems that needs to be addressed. Mr. Martin is reaching just a little bit...he accuses Rangel of a knee-jerk reaction, when he seems to be doing the same thing.