I was just scrolling through CNN when I came across this story of a lacrosse girl found dead--thought to be murdered by a lacrosse boy. While the story is a tragedy and the report leaves out any discussion on race, the comments on the story are about race. Granted the story provides the picture of the victim and the suspect, I am fascinated by peoples inability to see the story for what is being told and the desire to start a discussion on race into it.
The debate is about whether or not justice will be served or if the suspect will be found innocent simply because he is white.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/05/03/virginia.student.killed/index.html?hpt=C2
President Obama walks fine line on race, justice
11 years ago
The claim that he will get aquited of the murder charge just because he is white is bogus. Nonetheless, there is a commonly held idea that white people, especially young white people, get away with their fair share legally, while many black people have to face severe consequences. Although I do not have many examples to back up this thought, I do believe it to be somewhat true.
ReplyDeleteI feel like generally the average white male would have a better chance at getting a good lawyer than an average black male in the same position. This ties back into that socio-economic idea that there is a much smaller percentage of black people within the upper classes. If the white guy is more likely to have money and a good lawyer, then he has a better chance at beating the case.
Also on a similar note I was thinking about how much attention the media gives to certain stories depending on race. You have these two white kids on the front page, but what if they had been black, latino, etc. I wonder if the story would have been given as much attention. I don't know, but I was thinking of how much attention that Jonbenet Ramsey kidnapping got all of those years. I have a hard time believing that if a young black girl from the inner city was kidnapped and never found it wouldn't be nearly as big a deal.
I thought his was an interesting example in the comments of the stereotypes people have about prison.
ReplyDelete"Huguely is going to pay dearly for this crime - HE is going to be prime fodder in the prison showers - justice will be served up frequently"
Perhaps this person has been to prison and really knows what goes on there, but somehow I doubt it. I find it interesting that he assumes not only that shower-rape goes on in prisons but also that this kid will be "prime fodder." Perhaps both of these things are likely to happen, but why do we assume we know what goes on in prison? Is, as Davis explains, due to media depictions of prisons?
I agree with Kyle in the sense that he will not be relieved from his sentence merely on the basis that he is white. That being said, racism, or at least classism (linked to racism) is present in courts frequently. How many times do we see stories in the papers of a wealthy business man cutting his sentence for embezzlement or fraud down from like 18 years to 2. Not only might the jury act less severe towards people of money, but those with economic wealth can afford the best lawyer, thus decreasing their chances of receiving a full sentence. This is an implicit bias/privilege of the white wealthy male.
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