At some time between 2004 and 2010, I was receiving a lot of studies from the Department of Justice: Bureau of Justice Statistics. These studies provided me with all kinds of information that included recidivism rates, the differences in defining recidivism, crime rates, and even how education effects all these things.
Of all the statistics that still swirl in my head, the things that always jumped out at me when reading these studies was how much of this information was based upon race, and how that caused division. It is true that the statistics on race are quantifiable. You can show the numbers. However, the more important detail seemed to be missing. They can show prisons are filled with approximately 60% African Americans and 30+% whites, but if you view this from a purely economic standpoint it looks something like 98% poor and lower middle class, and 2% wealthy. Sadly, almost every study shows the race statistic, and everyone gets offended about the racial disparity in the judicial system. The problem within the judicial system is not the racial disparity, but how the whole system is intended to incarcerate the poor. Making the matter worse is that if people continue to focus on the racial statistics, the people are so divided and angry that they cannot unite to fight against the real issues.
What I find really disturbing is how this racial issue has permeated the political arena. They keep saying things like systemic racism in America, and how bad it has gotten. Politicians call one another racists or white supremacist sympathizers. When did all of this become okay?
One other strange aspect to this is that the media seemed to be promoting this idea that white people are the only ones who can be racists. I cannot begin to tell you just how wrong that idea is. I have been locked up around 25 years, and I can assure you I have seen Black, White, Latino, and even Asian racists.
I cannot help but wonder, if all this rhetoric is not just another means by which to keep all of us divided? I am white, but I am not a racist. My skin tone does not mean I was born racist, or that I grew up in a racist home. What is all of this doing to us as Americans? What is it doing to our beloved country?
I will say that when people go around saying there is racism over here, or over there; the common people will start finding in places it has never existed nor ever will. At that point, no one will ever be able to work together to fix the problems that plague us all.