As I began the reading, I felt that the claims being made were quite outlandish- a sentiment I’m sure many of my classmates felt as well. However, as noted by some of the posts that I’ve looked at, the author provides a well-thought out argument that, by the end of the first chapter, has you convinced that her claims are true to a large extent.
What bothers me most about this disturbing idea- that our justice system is, in fact, a vehicle for racism- is the fact that it is so unnoticed. How can it be that in such a race-conscious time, where the idea of equality is ingrained in us and stressed in most institutions of higher education, that such an elaborate system of racism exists under our nose? How can it be that officials who went through several years of schooling meant to provide a liberal arts education of rational and free thinking make policies intended to freeze out a sizeable portion of our population from their rights?
The idea of the ‘new Jim Crow’ and these questions are things that leave much to be thought about. We must answer these crucial questions if we hope to ever achieve true equality.
