The Maverick Conservative

See the entries in the past few days (including the comments of Kyla, my younger daughter) as to the disturbing trend of concentrating our efforts for African-Americans on CRIMINALS (as distinguished from real heroines, such as Alexis Goggins).  I have (correctly) said that it is a MISTAKE to make HEROES out of African-American CRIMINALS and thugs, even if they have been treated unfairly.  It is even more of a mistake to EXXCUSE African-American criminals because African-Americans may be discriminated against by the "system".  It is especially a mistake, and HARMS African-Americans (often physically) to fail to enforce the law against black criminals (whose primary victims are African-Americans). 

A story today (there was a Supreme Court decision this week saying that judges had the discretion to do this even withoug a formal change in guidelines) is about a Federal panel recommending that Federal sentencing guidelines treat crack cocaine and powder cocaine the SAME in sentencing (right now crack cocaine calls for higher sentences).

Now, I AGREE with this.  I see no reason for the distinction.  However, there is an AGENDA here I do not agree with.  

There has long been a theory that higher sentences for crack cocaine is DISCRIMINATION against blacks, and aimed at blacks, because crack cocaine is primarily an urban (black) preferred type of cocaine, since it is CHEAPER.  Hollywood types, and rich whites, tend to use the powder.  The theory/allegation is that the treatment of crack as an expecially heinous type of cocaine is really AIMED at blacks. 

I agree that there is no reason to believe that crack cocaine is an especially heinous type of cocaine, or that there is any reason to punish criminals spreading crack more heavily than those spreading the powder.  But the discrimination theory bothers me.

Say that crack cocaine IS a major problem in BLACK ghettos (as it appears to be), because it is cheap. Say that crack cocaine is a major force in DESTROYING blacks and black families (as it appears to be at least partially the case).  Acknowledge that the excessive penalties against crack cocaine criminals affects primarily BLACK criminals.

Ok.  Is this BAD or GOOD for African-Americans in general (notice I am NOT saing that the criminal jusctice system should operate this way, but am only delving into the idea that it automatically discriminates AGAINST African-Americans to punish crack criminals more heavilty than the--more white?--powder criminals).  If you accept the premise that more punishment DETERS crack criminals, and REDUCES the crack in African-American communities (one of those debatable questions left for another time), then it seems to me to be GOOD for Afircan-Americans that crack criminals are punished MORE.   In a pretty direct way, it shows MORE concern for the forces destroying the African-American children and communities.  

This has been my entire point:  what is ADVANTAGEOUS for black CRIMINALS is not usually advantageous for African-Americans in general--espccially since they are the PRIMARY VICTIMS of black criminals.  Now this particular example is not really a good one, because there are so many other issues here.  But the point is valid:  Making heroes of, or excusing, black CRIMINALS does NOT help blacks in general.  It HURTS blacks in general--both directly and by sending the WRONG message to black yourths.  Crack cocaine dealers are NOT helping the black community.  Giving them lighter sentences will NOT help the black community. It may be fairer to the individual criminals, and be more defensible in promoting a sense that the law is fair (or at least fairer), but it does NOT help African-Americans (excpet to the extent that African-Amiercans get the idea that the systemm really is not biased against them, but the problem here is that there is always ANOTHER "cause" of black CRIMINALS--or a particular one--being treated unfairly).  African-Americans are being CONDTIONED against "values", even as they need them the most (and even as the racism in society holding them back is less than it has EVER been).  Notice I am not saying that racism and unfairness do not exist.  What I am saying is that OBSESSING on those things DESTORYS African-Americans.

That is why I say leftists have DESTROYED more African-Americans recently than they have helped.  This trend has been INCREASING, as the obvious "civil rights" causes have been WON. It is the WRONG direction.  It is, of course, EASIER to make political points by crying "racism" and "discrimination", but what Afrian-Americans NEED now is VALUES and MOTIVATION.  They need POSITIVE examples, and not crminals held up as heores because they have not been treated fairly. 

I am right on tis (as on most things).  What is hard is to see why more people do not see that I am right--especially leftists who SUPPOSEDLY have the best interests of African-Amiercans at heart (or is it really their own political agenda that they have at heart, as they prefer to keep African-Americans down and voting leftist as eternal victims).

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