@hingehead,
The higher sentences is more a function of economics than race. Black kids don't get the sort of defense money can buy and I feel certain they probably accept plea bargains more often than white defendants, although this is pure speculation on my part.
Now you can believe that the economics of the situation is based entirely or greatly on racism, but it's bit more complex than that, unless you want to credit racism as the motivating force behind so many liberal programs that have created a environment of dependency within the black community.
In any case the places in this country where there is the greatest racial tensions are urban centers that have been governed by liberals and liberal blacks for decades. What more can be done for these places and the plight of the black population than for them to be governed by people who claim to be totally dedicated to solving the problems found there? A never ending book of blank checks from the federal government?
Whether one is an individual or a group, life is tough, and for some it's tougher than for others. If you found yourself in a tough place, you could, I suppose, blame everyone but yourself and demand that everyone but you help you out of it, but that wouldn't be a very successful strategy.
Black people are fundamentally every bit as capable of achieving success as white people, and the very large number of black people who are successful prove this fact.
There are, by the way, quite a large number of white people living below the poverty line. Are they the victims of racism?
Look into the background of Ben Carson. Somehow he was able to rise from abject poverty to great prominence. Regardless of what you might think of his politics, you can't deny his achievement. He credits much if not all of his success on the fact that his mother, in raising him, refused to allow him to think of himself as a victim.
Once you take responsibility for your self and for how your future develops you can overcome tremendous obstacles. It's not a magic formula and not everyone succeeds, but guess what? If racism was entirely eradicated overnight there would still be plenty of black people who won't succeed in life.
People can use the obstacles they face as an excuse for their failures; it happens all of the time and with a whole lot of white people.
I've not seen anyone offer a comprehensive plan for dealing with what is perceived as the crippling effect of racism on black people. Liberals run Chicago, Atlanta, Baltimore, Newark etc etc and the problems are still there, so I'm seriously disinclined to listen to any liberal suggestions.
I could get behind a plan that made sense and was a lot more than simply pouring money into urban centers than crooked politicians (black and white) can skim, but there's one thing I know and that is that a solution that depends on violence will not only not work, it will make things a lot worse for black people in this country.
