I fear a city on fire has caused our country to question the legitimacy of a very real, very important movement. Just as we watched the city of Ferguson deteriorate in the name of injustice, peaceful protests in Baltimore have become national-headline bloodbaths. While I am unable to suggest justification for torching anyone’s cars, nor do I think theres ever an appropriate occasion for burning down your local drug store, I think its important that we are all aware of why people are angry in the first place. Whether or not you believe anyone has the right to act out violently, if we don’t recognize the issues that people are protesting then we’re going to be forced to inhale smoke and sweep up ash in every major city.

The civil rights issues in our country go far beyond a couple white cops shooting a few unarmed black men. The racism that exists in our judicial system goes beyond a bad shooting, a dirty cop, and a jury verdict that goes against public opinion. Although I was previously aware of a presence of racism in our country, until recently I was unaware of the extent of the issue. I’ve spent the past few months educating myself on the modern civil rights movement for my senior sociology seminar. I write to you not as an expert, but as an individual who went beyond personal experience in order to understand the hardship facing a group of people I do not identify with. While everyone is entitled to a conflicting opinion, ignorance is inexcusable.

The use of the term “mass imprisonment” in reference to the United States correctional situation may not be well received to those who see the stars and stripes on our flag as the unconditional promise of liberty. The status of our justice system is a reality that many people choose to ignore. Perhaps those in denial aren’t directly influenced by the global abnormality of our nation’s incarceration rate. After all, it just doesn’t seem fathomable that the land of the free has a higher rate of imprisonment than the notoriously cold Russian Federation.

What many consider even more frightening than the rate of incarceration is the massive  racial disproportion among prisoners. There is no scientific evidence that African Americans are biologically destined for violence and drug use, yet 70% of the incarcerated population is either black or hispanic. The fact that 22.3% of black men will go to jail before age 30 should not be accepted as a cultural normality. Its ironic that despite the abolishment of slavery and Jim Crow laws, 1.5 million black men reside behind bars at this very moment.

I appreciate cops, having them around makes me feel safe. I realize their job is dangerous, and I am unbelievably grateful that there are strangers who would fight to save my life. I admire their bravery. I wouldn’t disrespect a cop. However, while I believe most cops are not racist, careless, or arrogant; I’m not going to pretend that there are not people in law enforcement with distorted values. The police force in our country is powerful, so it makes sense that people who thrive off control would be driven towards that field. I think its important to be able to talk about corrupt law enforcement; ignorance isn’t always bliss, and some conspiracy theorists fabricate their findings entirely in their head. It’s not sensible to say “fuck the police”, but if we don’t even consider a possible issue with our law enforcement we’ll fall victim to anything.

Cops spend a lot of their time in places known for having a lot of crime. This makes perfect sense, their job is to respond to illegal activity. If a cop were to hangout in my hometown growing up, they’d find teenagers smoking pot in the woods, drinking on the beach, and having sex in hidden parking lots. We’d never get in trouble, because we we were “good kids” with “promising futures” and they don’t want to “ruin our lives”. They occasionally let me off because they knew my parents. In many areas where poor and working class people live, if someone knows your parents thats all the more reason to arrest you. They see you hanging out where gangs do and they classify you as a thug. Anything you do looks suspicious, and any mistake you make will be punished.

There are a lot of people in jail for things that my friends and I do every day. Think of all the college students who sell adderall and recreationally use marijuana– even if its only sporadically . If they were in a different situation, say a place where people are regularly stopped on the street and patted down, I’d know a lot more people in jail. Choice is a right we all have as humans, but privacy isn’t always a guarantee. For people who live in these communities, constant surveillance is a reality. Hello, Big Brother. If someone was suspicious of me each time I walked out of the house with pot I’d be serving a life sentence.

Even once prisoners are “freed”, invisible shackles follow them. Once a person is convicted of a felony they experience punishment for the rest of their lives— far beyond the judge’s sentence. In addition to public scrutiny, ex-cons are denied the right to vote, apply for federal student loans, and are virtually unemployable. Most state prisons are in rural areas and most convicts are from urban lower-income areas, therefore many of them lose touch with their families. Phone calls aren’t free, they’re actually quite expensive. Many people’s family members don’t have access to reliable transportation, they might miss their son or daughters entire childhood. By the time of their release they’ve become an outcast in their own world.

Doesn’t it seem cruel and unusual to arrest someone for possession of less cocaine than your average CEOs wallet stash? The “war on drugs” began during the Reagan administration. First lady Nancy actually coined the term “just say no”! His efforts were initially commended, but we now know that the movement was counterproductive. Although we’ve kinda-sorta ended the “war on drugs”, the “tough on crime” policy implications attached to the movement still exist to this day. Police officers are still required to make a certain number of arrests, to avoid corruption or something, and more than half of the people incarcerated in the United States are there for drug-related charges. Now that drug  addiction is recognized by the medical community as a legitimate disease, if we want to decrease our incarceration rate we need to improve our subpar drug treatment facilities. Everything is circumstantial, but as a country we should be advocating for rehabilitation as opposed to incarceration for more than just the third-time DUI neighbor.

So why are so many people in jail if they don’t need to be? For one, there isn’t really a political incentive to be more lenient on crime. Those who are actively involved in politics are typically interested in security and protection. Few people are going to advocate for a candidate who wants to lighten the police presence or increase pay for public offenders. In addition, many of these enormously wealthy people fund political campaigns. Seeing as only a small percentage of our country could afford to do such a thing, it should come as no surprise that many of these Wall Street big-shots benefit from our incarceration system. Privately run prisons are also often publicly traded companies. The more filled beds, the more money investors make. Not to get too hypothetical, but if the accused can’t afford an attorney he’s more than likely going to plead guilty in order to get a lighter sentence. 90% of criminal cases are never tried before a jury. A highly-paid lawyer can dodge jail time in many instances. Unfortunately public defenders are underpaid, therefore there is minimal incentive to take up the career. Our judicial system is supposed to protect us, but in most instances we’re forced to fend for ourselves financially. If you’re poor, you’re much more likely become a prisoner of your own country. As a society we are failing to protect one another.

There is very rarely anything organized to help the children of the imprisoned adjust and cope with their situation. People are so fearful of being associated with criminals that upon the imprisonment of someone’s family member, they are often completely isolated by the community. Recreation centers and mentorship programs can be very selective about who they admit. If a teenager has committed so much as petty-theft they could be denied membership. By refusing young people the resources they need to become productive members of society, we’re neglecting the wellness of our youth.

When you were growing up your parents constantly thought about who you’d become someday; what school you’d attend, career you’d choose, person you’d marry. When they thought of your future, it was probably in a very optimistic way. They told you that the sky was the limit, and they meant it. For the first eight years of my life I was positive I would eventually attend Harvard. For many people in our country avoiding arrest and graduating high school is not an accomplishment that occurred without a fight. Unless you’re an academic prodigy, you’re probably not going to get a full scholarship to college.

I’m sure you’re not a racist. You might even actively avoid the topic of race for fear of being categorized as one. Talking about race can be awkward because its a hyper-sensitive topic. We don’t need to sit on a highway during rush hour with poster boards to advocate for civil rights. Neglecting to educate yourself on important issues isn’t going to make this movement go away.

So what do people suggest?

Stop-and-Frisk: while well-intended in legislature (its meant to reduce gun violence), is a tyrant practice in execution. Due to the fact that SAF is practiced most frequently in communities that are heavily populated with minorities, the common criminal has been profiled as a poor black/hispanic male. High levels of incarceration destabilize communities, leading to future deviance. Most people in the system grew up in underprivileged communities where incarceration was an unavoidable stage of maturity.

School System Transformation: “Punished” by Victor Rios suggests that zero-tolerance policies transform school systems into prisons and children into criminals. Although the intention is to deter students from committing crime, such policies do not reform disobedient teenagers, but instead push them into a cycle of failure. As soon as they begin to look like men, these boys are labeled as gangsters, hoodlums, low lives, etc. Society expects them to fail, to commit crimes, and become gang members. Eventually, that is exactly what they do. This is all part of the labeling theory of sociology. It is easy to believe in yourself when there are people who support you, but eventually you’re going to believe you are worthless if that is what you’re told all your life.

With many students who have been exposed to high levels of crime, teachers understandably fear some of their students will become violent at school. As a result of this, they often rely on law enforcement as a means of punishment. While the safety of school officials is undeniably important, communities are doing a disservice to at risk youth by labeling them as criminals. In attempt to provide well behaved students with a quality education, schools often expel troubled kids instead of giving them second chances, and encouraging excellence. Rios suggests that school based police officers should be given limitations, as school should be a place of nurturing.

Community Effort:

Apathy is fucking frightening. The pharmaceutical companies are thriving and we’re constantly walking for them. What if we put the same amount of effort into helping those nobody is watching over; the children and teens of poverty stricken communities. If we can prevent children from becoming criminals, why aren’t we mentoring them? Don’t we want to improve society? Children born into a family in “the system” often become criminals themselves.

I know policy change does not happen overnight. However, it is important that we recognize that if we alter our judicial system even just a little bit, we’ll live in a much better country. You can do something. You can volunteer your time. There are so many things you can do; teach art, coach sports, give music lessons, or just take a kid to ice-cream— whatever your thing is. You can also stop shrugging your shoulders and saying “it is what it is”.

“Land of the free”…. by whose definition? If we’re a country built on freedom, why is it that we have the highest rate of incarceration in the world? There are a lot of people rightfully imprisoned of all skin colors, and I would never argue against locking up a murderer, rapist, or anyone who commits an act of violence. I value my safety and am comforted knowing there are people who work to ensure I am protected. However, whereas 52% of those in federal prison are there because of drug-related charges, I think we need to reconsider our trust in the system.

The people who are burning buildings and assaulting cops should obviously be held accountable for their actions. However, assuming that all the civil rights protestors in Baltimore are extremists is the equivalent to classifying all muslims as radical. Whether you identify yourself as conservative, liberal, or entirely uninterested in politics, it is a matter of social responsibility to ensure the children of our country have the opportunity to thrive, and that nobody has a reason to hate law enforcement. By not talking about race and pretending we’re colorblind, we’re acting as though the civil rights issues in our country don’t exist.

I come from a town where its unusual to have more than a handful of black students in a graduating class. If you were black, that was a huge part of your identity among the community. I don’t know what its like to grow up under surveillance with the odds against me. My good life isn’t an excuse for inaction, and yours shouldn’t be either. Educate yourself on these issues– knowledge is empowering.

There are many effects of racism that will exist for a long time, our country isn’t going to have a mutual “aha” moment. We weren’t born to hate, and we don’t have to raise anyone to hate. So while my grandmother may never consider herself a civil rights advocate, I hope that my grandchildren will see racism as an abnormality and not a “fact of life”.

I recognize people will have conflicting beliefs about this topic and I respect that. This post was composed of factual statements and opinionated commentary.

Suggested Reading List / Resources: 

Punished — Victor Rios

Invisible Punishment — Meda Chesney-Lind and Marc Mauer

The New Jim Crow — Michelle Alexander