Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Innocent Black Men in Prison? Why?

A writer writes!

Throughout the United States you occasionally hear about Black men being found innocent of crimes years after they were judged guilty in the United States court system.  Through DNA test, recanting of testimony, etc. many Black men have been released from prison in the past decade when the evidence showed that they were not guilty.  Their lives ruined, with no money being enough to make up for the life they endured in the prison system, they are released into society.

 For years there have been claims that the court system is unfair to African Americans especially Black men.  With all of the overturned convictions one would think there would be close examination of any verdict that imprisoned a Black man to life or death without undeniable evidence that they are guilty.  But, even in the year 2013, in this great scientific age where we can now walk around and communicate with each other verbally, visually, or in writing via a hand held device, the court system still suffers from personal prejudices of those who are part of the system.

For those cases where detectives, police, attorneys and/or an alleged witness lied to convict a Black man, the question has to come about, what was their motive to lie?  Racial prejudice, ignorance, hatred?  In a society where racial prejudice existed for years, how could their not be doubts that the judicial system in the United States is not fair to Black men?

Is there some common belief that Black men are evil and more likely to commit a heinous crime than other ethnic groups?  Is that profile and belief so great that it overwhelms the judicial system so a Black man stands a greater chance of not being given a fair trial?  Look at what images are presented of Black men on television, the movies, in video games.  Especially notice what images are presented of Black men on your local news shows.  Then ask yourself, if a crime was committed in your neighborhood and you were shown a photograph of a white male, a Black male, and an Asian male, whom would you suspect without even hearing of the details of the crime?


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