Black = Criminal

He Looks Like A Criminal

Black men are much more likely to be arrested for drug usage compared to white men although their usage is roughly the same. Racism is still very alive in this country and the aftermath of discrimination and racism is still affecting lives today. A survey reported that white Americans over estimated the proportion of some crimes committed by people of color as high as 20%-30%. Although crime is disproportionately high in minority neighborhoods it is not because of their race but because of the effects that poverty has on one's behavior. Of course someone is more likely to steal or sell drugs if they live in a neighborhood where there are poor schools and fewer job opportunities. These residential patterns are not in place simply because people want to live in poverty stricken neighborhoods. They are a result of years of discriminatory housing and employment systems. Can we expect someone to abide by laws when there are put in such a situation. To make matters worse police presence is disproportionately white relative to the local population. These people are put under circumstances that persuade them to commit crimes and are being punished by people who see them all as criminals. How is it that people get away with murder in this country and justify their crimes by saying that the black person they killed was going to hurt them. Associating black people with criminals has lead to the wrongful death of many young black men by white men. There needs to be action taken to bring more colored people into the police force and hold those who use racist stereotypes to justify their crimes accountable for their crimes.