I Am Not the Enemy

In my county, two thirds of all the criminal defendants are black, which means that roughly two thirds of all victims are black. Should law enforcement not prosecute black criminals and doom all black victims to the absence of justice? Why aren't the police and the prosecutor seen as the champions of the black victim? There is a disconnect in the mind of many black people. My great-grandfather was murdered in Kentucky back in the 1940s. There was no investigation. There was no prosecution of the people involved. There was only a funeral, a widow and fatherless children. This would never happen today. Criminal acts—violent or otherwise—will not be tolerated by any person regardless of race. The system is not perfect, but have you seen the alternatives out there? We have the most perfect imperfect system on earth.

Of course, it's harder to be black in this country. Of course, black people are treated unfairly. Of course, the inner cities have a decaying infrastructure. But there is absolutely no reason to break a reasonable, appropriate law. None. The alternative is chaos.

Nu’Man lives in Louisville.

© 2008