Siera Fitzhugh Essays - Drug Policy Of The United States

Siera Fitzhugh Jennifer Vinsky English 002 February 20, 2018 The New Jim Crow Michelle Alexander, the author of "The New Jim Crow " takes a look at how discrimination is still and, in some ways , discrimination ha s gotten more conspicuous over the years . Alexander argues, "The criminal justice system was strategically employed to force African-Americans back into a system of extreme repression and control, a tactic that would continue to prove successful for generations to come " , (Alexander pg.34) and demonstrate s how many practices and beliefs from slavery times are just classified differently now. The labeling make s legal discrimination, but most people disregard it because it is covered with words such as "criminals," in order to legally enslave and separate an unhesitating represent of people. Language is everything and how you label it deviate s the way people judge it. This discrimination is in manifold areas of the U.S. authority. Alexander describes how dis crimination is still current in employment, education, the housing market, and voting rights. Alexander reveal s these discrimination practices by compar ing them to modern government systems to the old-fashioned Jim Crow laws. Alexander thinks that the racial caste system is basically the same, the only thing that has changed is what we call it today. Throughout the Alexander's book, her biggest argumentation on this new system is incarceration specifically. She uses a few admirable points to justify her claims. Alexander consult about the "War on Drugs." Alexander says that the "War on Drugs", is a policy put into effect through Reagan's reign in, increased African American imprisonment. Alexander also individualize that the "War on Drugs" was launched during a period where illegal drug usage was going down. As cocaine spreads rapidly throughout the unsatisfactory black communities' arrest and convictions were on the rise for drug offences. Alexander stated, "The impact of the drug war has been astounding. In less than thirty years, the U.S. penal population exploded from around 300,000 to more than 2 million, with drug convictions accounting for the majority of the increase (Alexander pg. 4)." All those arrests hardly received any helpful legal representation and a lot of people were forced into , according to Alexander . In my opinion, the War of Drugs is a war that is target ing blacks and other minorities as well as the poor across all racial demographics . Alexander shows how the CIA confessed that revolution ary armies in Nicaragua were smuggling drugs into the United States. They also acknowledged to not tolerate law enforcement to investigate the illegal drug networks. Most drug dealers, crack heads, or any other injurious names at the time were characterized as being "black". As stated by Alexander 's studies, it shows that all races use and sell illegal drugs about the same rank as African Americans do . She also uses surveys that state that youthful white Americans are more probable to be involved with drug crimes. This explains how the statistics are not represented inside of the U.S. prisons, which shows that there is a definite target on confine people of color. These are things many slaves did not have in the United States. Alexander makes a lot of good points and I agree with most of her book. I love the point that she compelled concerning President Barrack Obama. She discussed about how just because we have an African American president does not indicate that this country has conquered the concept of race. Race is a common fact whether we like to admit it or not. I feel as if that the modern Jim Crow system is still in effect even if there are African Americans that are barring to the regulation. Just like the original Jim Crow was used to guide the progression of African Americans and used as a system of lawful distinction, the recent Jim Crow uses those exact same concepts and just diversify the term we use. One race can't be more devoted to illegal activities than another race unless there is another factor involved. We are all the same. I agree with Alexander on the point of Barrack Obama not being an element to disprove the New Jim