Author says: US Conservatives are responsible for 1 in 9 young black males

[grace hopper]

in prison? Why? Author writes: "You know, if you've read today's headlines, that the "one in 100" figure represents the percentage of American adults now serving time in prison, according to a study by the Pew Center on the States. That figure confirms America's position as the world's No. 1 jailer.

But set aside that figure for a moment. The real number that should shock and appall us is the one in nine figure, as in one in every nine African-American men between the ages of 18 and 34 are in prison.

That is what has been happening in the African-American community for years, and the conservative movement has only had three responses: 1) ever-more punitive and racist sentencing practices, 2) cuts in programs that would help change the social and economic climate in African-American communities, and 3) sanctimonious finger-wagging.

It is time the conservative movement was called to account for this."

Are conservatives responsible for the incarceration of young black men in the US?
Article titled: "One in Nine: Conservatism's Strange Fruit":
http://www.ourfuture.org/blog-entry/one-nine-conservatisms-strange-fruit

[andy g]

No, conservatives are not responsible for the incarceration of young black men.

The individual who committed the crime is responsible for being incarcerated. Criminals should be considered lucky if they are incarcerated because some states now allow homeowners to shoot and kill intruders in their home.

If you want to find a real cause, look at this gangster crime glorifying culture. Whatever happened to jazz or blues? The Harlem Renaissance? These are the role models they should be seeking, not G-unit.

This goes out to all races.