so, I must ask the question

[oly884]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070718/ap_on_re_us/prisons_racial_disparity_1;_ylt=AgYHJ5xzCGDk1uP5sb HrIooE1vAI

Is it that the whites are let go more often, or does it revolve around who commits the most crimes?

Not trying to be racist by any means, but let's look at the reasons why this is so.

[randver]

i think its who commits the crimes

[YotaGirl]

I agree.

[ChickenLover]

Would I be a bigot if I said that there is often a fine line between racism and realism?

[Tofer]

remember... its not profiling, its Statistics

[oly884]

I do understand that yes, people other than whites ARE discriminated against from time to time. However, I think that this article is clearly trying to portray a message that may not be 100% correct.

So now the question is, if it's a social issue with the opportunities that blacks/hispanics are given that is causing them to end up in jail/prison more than whites, then what should we do?

How much of the blame should be put on society vs. the individual? I don't think that I really need to explain my stance because I feel everyone here knows it. I'm just interested in seeing what the rest of you think.

[Bob98SR5]

this report is absolutely meaningless because the observation does not address anything meaningful (i.e. why?). the implied cause/effect is "blacks and hispanics are disporportionately represented in the prison system becasue they are black and hispanic", which is most likely numerically true, but in terms of actually making changes to why they are disporportionately represented in the system, the report does not say anything about that. useless other than to turn the debate of how to keep all members of society productive into a racial argument

[Texas Jim]

Iowa has the largest amount of, blacks in prison. I do not feel that Iowa is a state that is or should be considered racial.

I think a lot of the issue is basic parenting, and education. Children in Iowa, can quite school after 8th grade.

With that in mind, and most of the minorities living in the urban areas. I think that minorities are not motivated to go further in school, and also I think that social welfare is too liberal.

Thus you end up with the minorities ending up feeling like society has give up on them. Giving someone a hand during hard times sometimes makes it too easy to be like that forever. :argue: TJ

[Peter]

^ What he said...

It's studies like this that keep racial tensions where they are. People are more likely to blame the society around them than realize that criminals are *mostly* a product of their environment. It's the tired old argument that we have continuously in mature debates on these forums... people simply don't take responsibility for their actions and are ALWAYS on the lookout for an easy way to blame someone/something else.

[tacoclimber]

...people simply don't take responsibility for their actions and are ALWAYS on the lookout for an easy way to blame someone/something else.

IMHO, this pretty much sums it up. It's no ones fault anymore. It's everyone else's.

When one refuses to take responsibility for their actions, there is very little hope of rehabilitation.

[fustercluck]

As long as society refuses to recognize the source of decay, it will always find itself in decline and eventual anarchy.

Political correctness has guaranteed for us the latter

[Cheese]

So the prison system demographic should represent the general population break down? I have heard this garbage before. Problem is I am a 20 something straight white kid from the Midwest, dime a dozen baby. I don't talk about racism, sexism or gay-ism.

No, the prison should be filled with prisoners, race shouldn't even matter.

[tacoclimber]

No, the prison should be filled with prisoners, race shouldn't even matter.


Bingo.

[04 Rocko Taco]

Well said Cheese. Here in Atlanta, we hear this argument ALL the time, all the minority groups want equal treatment they say they dont get because the jails here in Atlanta, Ga are about 75% black and 25% white. Some say this is because "the man" wants to hold the black men down....how about the fact that 3 out of 4 violent crimes in Atlanta are commited by African Americans? Could that have anything to do with it?

In Atlanta's case even, the prison IS a represenative sample of the population, and still they scream.
75% of the ATL prison population is black? Oh, wait whats that 75% of Atlanta's population is black, well that makes sense then, eh?


I stand by my motto - Most minorities don't want equality, they want to be special!
(i.e. -
The United Negro College Fund - where is my redneck white kid scholarship?.
The Black Student Alliance on campus - you know what they call a white student alliance? The KKK.
Black Fraternities - We don't have any white only fraternities, thats racism.
B.E.T. Black Entertainment Television - What about a channel for white people, made by white people, about white people, starring white people? *i know - it's called Spike TV. :) ) <rant off>