ALL THINGS BEING EQUAL, THINGS ARE NOT EQUAL

Let Me See If This Is Correct.

The district attorney for Tompkins County has recently written a guest
column in The Ithaca Journal stating, "The reason why we have so many
minority males in prison is that so many minority males are selling drugs."
Is this correct. Did my district attorney just admit to racial profiling.

Dentes then states, "let the discussion begin" while simultaneously closing
the discussion by saying, "but please, no nonsense about racial
discrimination, unjustly incarcerated mothers, and inadequate judicial
discretion." How can one admit to racial profiling (i.e. so many "minority"
males are selling drugs) and then say, but I do not want to talk about it.

By ending his diatribe in attempting to silence the very discussion that is
at hand, George Dentes can vent his personal opinions without having to be
held accountable for them. He can act out racial prejudices while denying
they exist (or denying to discuss their existence). This is the ultimate
form of silencing.

Dentes does not offer any data or research to substantiate his claims.
There is no support, no concrete example(s), and, indeed, no basis for his
perpetuation of the "minority" drug dealer stereotype. When we strip away
all of the rhetoric, what we are left with is the shock of myth and scare
tactics. We have yet another employment of stereotype threat to justify
discriminatory practices. Dentes' statement is not a reflection of reality,
but of personal ideology. Had Dentes attempted to substantiate his personal
prejudices, here is what he may have found: In the 1998 National Household
Survey of Drug Abuse conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services, it was reported that African Americans are only 17 percent of all
people who use and sell drugs while their white counterparts comprise 82
percent of users and sellers.

In another study published in the American Criminal Law Review, it was
found that even when controlling for variables such as severity of offense,
income and prior criminal record, African Americans are handed sentences 49
percent longer than their white counterparts. Similar findings were
reported in studies commissioned by the United States Department of
Justice. This is the very point Langston Hughes made half a century ago. In
other words, all things being equal, things are not equal.

There are other research studies and statistics that one could quote ad
nauseam. In the interest of space and time, I will not do so here but would
be happy to comprise a reading list for our district attorney (assuming
that he would read such "nonsense").

Quite simply, if George Dentes truly wants to discuss our community's view
on drugs, he will need to examine his own personal philosophies. Believing
that "minority" males are more likely than non-"minority" males to sell
drugs is precisely the reason why we have a national epidemic. Drug using
or drug selling is not germane solely to communities of color. This is
despite the fact that we have directed nearly all of our resources and
personnel to scour and patrol "minority" neighborhoods.

Rather, by sheer numbers alone, non-"minority" communities are plagued with
more drug users and more drug sellers. Brace yourself for a shock: One of
the reasons why we have a drug epidemic is because so many white males are
using and selling drugs.

The facts are that within the United States, white people are five times
more likely to be drug users and sellers, while black people are 13 times
more likely to be incarcerated on drug related charges. Dentes claims those
who challenge draconian drug laws "do not believe drugs are sufficiently
evil to warrant incarceration." I submit a different paradigm. Despite what
some would have us believe, the true agenda of those who challenge our drug
laws simply do not believe the color of one's skin is sufficiently evil to
warrant incarceration. There is a clear difference and this difference is
worth the discussion.

I am writing this letter in the attempt to open a real dialogue. I do so in
hopes that a candid discussion will find legitimate solutions to the
current crisis rather than misplace blame and engage in intellectual futility.

To be honest, I am not necessarily concerned that George Dentes holds these
beliefs. As a citizen, George Dentes has the right to believe and say
whatever he likes. Yet, what concerns me most is that he is in a position
to act on his beliefs. As my district attorney, he has the responsibility
to question (or at least investigate) such prejudicial ideologies.

In closing, "let the conversation begin." But please, I do not want to hear
about how the district attorney in the county where I reside, tells me that
I am more likely to be a street level drug-pusher and then tells me he does
not want to talk about racial discrimination. I cannot speak for everyone,
but as a black man I cannot afford to hear such "nonsense."