Saturday, August 11, 2007 . 11:58 AM

Black and White- A Colourblind American Justice System?

This is a little commentary on the justice system in America, based on a case study as follows
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20072722/site/newsweek/page/1/

It was reported that in America, blacks that kill whites are twice as likely to be execueted by than the opposite, raising concerns over racial discimination in the Land of the Free. Now, such a phenomenon has been attributed to 2 main factors- racial discrimination and political influences. It has been discovered that as the black population grows in a given state, then executions become more likely, probably because whites fear blacks. But after a point—when the black population reaches about 16 percent—executions start to diminish probably because blacks become politically strong enough to reduce executions when their proportions reach that level.

Furthermore, such a finding has been alarming- as follows

" At the state level we found that … the greater the strength of the Republican Party in the state, the more likely you'll have executions, death sentences or that capital punishment will be legal in the state "

This suggests that a harsher law enforcement is imposed where the situation is politically more stable- does this mean it is safer to discriminate? Safer to supress them?

Generally, minorities have always been seen as intruders, "aliens" to the majority's way of life. Not just in America, but everywhere. It is not what permits us to discriminate, but the values and beliefs that we violate in the discrimination process. There is no need to elaborate on what needs to be done, but more of what we think about it and whether we take action on it, not for them, but for ourselves.