The New Jim Crow: Film Analysis

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and when the economy took a downward turn and jobs were scarce, there was anger and resentment toward the immigrant worker (Dial, 2013). Hence, the creation of a law against a drug associated with that ethnic group. In the 1980s, there was national hysteria over crime which led to laws that penalized offenses involving crack cocaine (associated with poor African Americans living in urban areas) far more severely than offenses involving similar amounts of powder cocaine (associated with whites living in the suburbs) (Dial, 2013).
Michelle Alexander reiterates the unrelenting systemic oppression of minorities in her book “The New Jim Crow.” Mrs. Alexander describes minorities being subject to lawful discrimination in employment, housing, public …show more content…
Jarecki, and Mrs. Alexander make the case that America’s drug laws have cause far more damage, to individuals and communities, than drug use has. It was a surprise to me the authenticity with which the people in the film willing to share their personal knowledge about the drug war. The film has on-screen testimony of academic experts, activists, and journalists; prison officials, guards and a federal judge. All state emphatically the system is not working at it stands, and has not worked for years. Mr. Jarecki discovers one explanation in the generally solid nature of the prison-industry complex. He also, finds sufficient blame at the feet of all Americans who facilitate the current system. Politicians with tough on crime and drugs messages are resounding with voters while suggesting that other approaches (treatment, education) might produce better results is equal to handing the election to your opponent. Those messages might not be as excitable as creating a fight, and sounding tough. Then again, and policy that threatens to reduce the prison population also threatens to undermine the economic survival of communities in which a prison job is the best job available. The main burden of the system as it is will continue to fall on blacks and other minorities. Their suffering has long been overlooked; so we build more prisons. As mentioned in the documentary “if you build a prison, they will fill it” (Jarecki, 2012). I am thankful to Mr. Jarecki and other who
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