Pubdate: Fri, 27 Mar 2015
Source: Washington Post (DC)
Copyright: 2015 The Washington Post Company
Contact:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/491
Author: Gene Fellner

THE LASTING BURDEN OF DRUG CRIMES

Regarding the March 20 Metro article "Bowser weighs in on 'Black America' ":

If Americans are troubled by the disparity of income between African 
Americans and white Americans, one tactic would go a long way to 
reduce it: Correct the country's racist policies regarding drug 
crimes. White Americans consume drugs at virtually the same rate as 
blacks, research shows. Yet black Americans are about twice as likely 
to be arrested for a drug offense as whites, and they are about four 
times as likely as white defendants to end up in prison.

With so many black men (a man of any color is far more likely to be 
the target of a drug bust than a woman) removed from the community, 
is it any wonder that their children grow up with stifling 
disadvantages in education, income and involvement in the justice system?

Gene Fellner, Rosedale, Md.
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