Read this.
Then see this.
I want to believe that in an era of overflowing prisons people have finally realized that perhaps punitive approaches to confinement do more harm than good. And I’m glad that homeboy is getting off with a little more than time served. But something tells me that there is something else going on.
“Mr. Lawson is an atypical defendent in that he did not rob the bank to feed a drug habit, nor is he a dangerous or habitual felon. Mr. Lawson was a laid-off automotive design engineer who was desperate, without housing, and had $15 to his name. The criminal justice system is not a place for Mr. Lawson; he merely was caught up in Michigan’s devastating economic climate. I would like to turn a negative situation into a success story.”
Is that something else raced white privilege? Because Detroit is having hardtimes, folks can take a weapon and rob a bank and get time served?
It’s that something else, because if it was a brother, he would be sleeping on the floor of a overcrowded prison cell.
How do you know he’s a ‘homeboy’?
he’s male. “homeboy” for me is a universal male pronoun.
Okay. I saw the photo of the guy and he isn’t Black. I agree with Credo, they would not have been as easy on the guy if he was Black. They would have sentenced him to life or maybe 7 years like Shaquanda Cotton at least. I don’t think this type of thing would happen to a person of colour.
Hey Lester.
That’s a pretty remarkable story – but less so in metro Detroit. I’m sure you know already that this area is the most racially segregated in the nation. Race is everything out here, and everything is race. So to see a white man getting leniency from the court for robbing a bank because times are hard???
This hasn’t got a thing to do with acknowledging the reality of overflowing prisons although, like you, I sincerely wish it did.
well, if he’s white and poor this doesn’t happen. he’s black and middle class this likely doesn’t happen. class and race privilege wrapped up into one.
Doc”But somethings tells me there else going on here”I believe this is just the tip of the iceberg,the economic decline have not fully hit in Mich.when it does criminality will across 8 mile equally,and Amerika is not capable of locking up in any significant numbers white or black citizens.
Dr. Spence,the unfortunate truth is that we are more likely to empathize with those who are most similar to us or ones we know and love. Race and class do have a major role but I think the human psyche is just hard wired in this fashion. I can recall some years ago a couple of young white boys shot up a school in the heartland; a sheriff responding to the scene approached one boy who had his gun drawn and was reluctant to shoot because the kid reminded him of his son. I’m sure if it was a black kid he would have been objective and shot the suspect as the sitaution justified. This is a high profile case but I’m sure that this happens on the lower fequencies with blacks as well. What I was surprised to learn is that some conservatives, notably Senator Brownback, are calling for prison reform that would greatly emphasize rehabilitation over punishment. How do you think they have come to this point?
Is there really a pattern of white bank robbers getting off with only a year in jail? I’ve never heard of something like this before.
I think that given the economic hardship that white middle and upper-income Michiganders are facing, that it is ABOUT to be a pattern. They aren’t going to take the change in their status lying down, particularly as the various bill-collectors will not show as much sympathy towards them as the prosecutor in this case.
And I think what happens is that we “naturalize” difference. Our ideas about what is similar and dissimilar here don’t come naturally, but rather are produced by various social and political forces.
“I think that given the economic hardship that white middle and upper-income Michiganders are facing, that it is ABOUT to be a pattern.”
Race and class. Interesting. But even a poor raced white will get a listen to than a well spoken middle class raced African-American. Matter of fact, his class may place him in a special category as a suspect.
Like, what is someone who looks like you driving this expense car where that question would probably not be thought if it was a raced white man beyond the vehicle.
race and class..degree of separation..I can’t buy..you can fake class but you can’t fake the color of your skin.
I am not talking about those who fair skin enough to not look black.