As I read through the first chapters, I immediately realized how true the words written were. I decided to analyze for myself a little bit of my views on today’s society and realized, although we’ve come a far way, we still have a way to go. As I read through, I realized that this book isn’t unlike Professor Molina’s view. There are a lot of commonalities between the way we’re “using” the criminal justice system, and the way banks used zip codes and other redlining techniques to keep their businesses safe. The idea that the Blacks are dangerous is still a very powerful theme in today’s society. I myself will be feel more safe walking home at night if I saw a White man walking by than if I saw a Black man. But that’s completely illogical because of the fact that I know a few Black people and all of them are the sweetest people I know.
My father relayed to me a story once where he was driving on the highway when his car broke down. He was not far from the hospital he was working at, and apparently this was in a bad neighborhood. He needed a boost and no one on the highway stopped for him. My father said that he was worried as it was late at night and no one would be able to get to him before two hours. After fifteen minutes of waiting for someone to help him, a car pulled up near my father and this really big Black man stepped out of the car. My father was terrified because he thought he was going to get mugged. The man asked my father what was wrong with the car, and my father told him what had happened. The man brought his car over, boosted my father’s car, and then told my father that the area he was in was very dangerous. The man gave my father the cables he used to boost my father’s car with and said that in case of any emergencies, it helps to be prepared. The man, who knew nothing of my father, was, in my father’s terms, the most respectful nice gentleman ever. Looking back on it, my father thought of how silly it was that he was afraid of such a nice man.

Another key concept which I saw throughout the chapters was the idea of the cycle which we saw in Dr. Wallace’s paper. The poverty and inaccessibility is further exacerbated by the fact that the system keeps these people locked in this vicious cycle. Once again we see the trend of cause and effect, and the effect which gives rise once again to the cause.

My question to the author is, as a citizen of a country whose human rights movements seem to be extremely important, why is it that it takes so much effort to change something when the facts are so obviously clear? Is it really that many Americans are just plain stubborn?