The System Makes It 350% More Likely That People Of Color Will Do Time For The Same Crime

No matter what, she will not "do time."

Dear Fred,

Thanks for your email.

Territoriality is a powerful thing.

I suppose we all have our limits.

Even so, I think territoriality gets triggered most often by "ego issues" rather than actual "population pressure."

Consider.

My wife and I own our home on an "all white" street. 

But we also own a nearby rental property in an overwhelmingly black neighborhood.

I happen to like the black neighborhood better than my own white neighborhood.

Socio-economics has a lot to do with my preference since both neighborhoods are populated by reasonably well-to-do people.

Given the socio-economic equality of the two neighborhoods, I simply prefer black people to white.

If reasonably well-to-do latinos "took over" my white neighborhood I'd feel good about them too. Even better than the whites. 

Muhammed Ali observed -- and my memory is close to verbatim -- "Man! White people sure  are smart! But boy! Are they crazy!" 

I know it's true for me...

Several times this week I've heard NPR say that blacks get sent to prison three to four times more often than whites get sent to prison for the same drug infraction.

Here's the thing that leaves most educated white guys clueless - although Chris Rock provides a bunch o' clues at 
http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2014/02/comedians-in-cars-getting-coffee-chris.html

Once you're rapped with a felony, the rest of your life gets goddamn complicated. 

Immediately, every establishment "door" slams shut. 

And stays shut.

Most dark-skinned kids who get swept up in the legal web never get a shot at a living wage.

The alternative?

They dig deeper into the "behavioral sink" of criminality. 

Why?  

Because once you've got a record, crime becomes the default way to make a living - in effect, the only way.

Sure, we can jabber about pulling oneself up by the bootstraps.

But, metaphorically at least, these young black people -- now with criminal records -- are, as Shakespeare would have said "bootless." http://www.worldwidewords.org/weirdwords/ww-boo2.htm)

Then, once you're systematically excluded from "getting a life," the urge to self-medicate -- coupled with the garden variety consolation of  "getting high" -- starts to look like Pam-Anderson-in-her-seductive-prime...  crawling into your bed begging you-to @#$% her.

An unusually high percentage of black- and brown-skinned people "turn to the dark side" because systematically-racist cops busted them for little or no reason.

And down at the jail house, zealous prosecutors smell easy conviction -- and boom! -- the poor bastards are 350% more likely to be permanently fucked up before they get their first crack at adulthood. 
http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2014/02/blacks-are-singled-out-for-marijuana.html

To paraphrase Obama: "Who are you going to hire? James, or Jamal?"

And when Jamal's got a felony record for selling pot?
Watch the Chris Rock tape again. 

http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2014/02/comedians-in-cars-getting-coffee-chris.html

Pax tecum

Alan

This woman WILL do time.
Even if she's innocent, she will "cop a plea." 
Why?
Because the public  defender will let her know that any predominantly white jury 
will almost certainly convict her. 
So, if she's smart, she'll plea down to a couple o' years rather than ten.

(Alan: I know how this works. For years, I was the Public Defender's "go to" Spanish language interpreter in Orange County, North Carolina.)

On Tue, Feb 4, 2014 at 4:26 PM, Fred Owens <froghospital911@gmail.com> wrote:

Isn't this a widespread truth -- that individuals and communities have tangible limits of acceptance? -- that limit can be expanded, but first it must be acknowledged.

In other words, how many Filipinos can move into your block before they start "taking over" in the minds of some of your neighbors. And might recognize your own limit as well.

On Tue, Feb 4, 2014 at 1:16 PM, Alan Archibald <alanarchibaldo@gmail.com> wrote:

Bloody close.

Neither has a "real" home here.

On Tue, Feb 4, 2014 at 4:04 PM, Fred Owens <froghospital911@gmail.com> wrote:

take out "homeless" and insert "immigrant"  -- it becomes the same thing.

On Tue, Feb 4, 2014 at 8:33 AM, Fred Owens <froghospital911@gmail.com> wrote:

Sustainability applies here. A given neighborhood can tolerate and sustain a certain number of homeless persons. When that capacity is exceeded, things get ugly.

This is a very strong pattern. Overloaded neighborhoods should be offered relief and forgiveness. And neighborhoods that are "underserved" by the homeless need to make room for a few more.

--

Fred Owens
cell: 360-739-0214

My gardening blog is  Fred Owens

My writing blog is Frog Hospital

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Fred Owens
35 West Main St Suite B #391
Ventura CA 93001