Americans consistently hear tropes from elected Democrats and white-guilt ridden sociology professors over our country’s supposedly “racist” prison system. It is often referred to as “the new Jim Crow” by alleged scholars who claim that proportionate to population, black Americans are imprisoned at a vastly higher rate than any other race.
The intricacies of that debate aside, President Donald J. Trump undertook a project not even attempted by President Barack H. Obama, or any other since President William J. Clinton implemented mandatory minimums and harsh prison sentences for non-violent offenders in the 1990’s. The First Step Act, bipartisan legislation which passed a House vote last week and has been touted by Trump will help alleviate the concerns of those who believe that the criminal justice system is too harsh.
“Thousands of federal prisoners would have access to more help preparing for life after the end of their sentences. Thousands of well-behaved prisoners would win freedom earlier. And thousands of people who are arrested for drug crimes in the future would become eligible for exemptions from harsh mandatory minimum sentencing laws,” according to an NBC article on the legislation.
One might think that those Democrats in Congress – especially the black Democrats – constantly banging away about “racist America” and “racist Trump” would support such legislation if the prison system truly is a racist institution. But some did not. Here are the black Democrats who voted against reforming the “racist” prison system:
The bill passed the House overwhelmingly. In fact, the list of Congresspeople above represents part of the only 14% of House members who voted against it. Are they interested in tackling America’s alleged racism in America, or are they simply using the idea of a racist America to score cheap political points against Trump?
You decide. But remember how they voted when it came to the issue of the American prison system – the “new Jim Crow” – next time they drone on about racism.”