As a whole do do you think that American law through history has been good for blacks and other minorities?

Question

In light of another shooting by cops, and the fact that I always hear politicians in the US,etc to talk about following the law, with great reverance. I just curious, specially from the early days of this nation, has the law ever been in the side of the powerless, immigrants, poor, minoritites, etc. Would that be a never, few times sometimes, all the time or always.

Answer 1

Following the Civil War (1861-1865), the Reconstruction actually marked a time when blacks and other immigrants began to see great improvements in their status as human beings. Slaves were freed and as such were allowed to leave plantations and travel and gained the privilege of finally being able to be married. The Freedman's Bureau was also founded which oversaw such ceremonies and saw to other needs of African Americans. Also, especially in the North, blacks and poor whites gained the right to vote and, in some areas, were the voting majority as the power to vote was taken away from anyone (upper class whites) who sided with the South during the civil war.

However, after 1877 with the end of the era termed the Reconstruction, Jim Crow Laws, share cropping, and a lack of assistance by the new Federal Government forced blacks, poor whites, and other immigrants back into their Pre-Civil War conditions.

For almost a century, African Americans suffered the abject humiliation of living in a dual society and using separate public facilities, being refused basic services because of the color of their skin, and even being sworn in on different bibles in judicial proceedings. However, Post-WWII, in the 1950s and 1960s, African Americans and other "second class citizen" groups began to assert claims of their civil rights under leaders such as the Kennedy’s, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Thurgood Marshall.

Fast forward to 2006, I think that minority groups have made considerable progress and are experiencing much better circumstances than ever before. However, we still have a long way to go toward equality

Answer 2

Throughout history I would have to say no. Remember in The Constitution of the US black people were only counted as 3/5ths of a person. When the founders stated "We the People" what they really meant was "We the White Landowning Males. . . ."

Though since that time there have been some laws that promoted greater equality, but usually it was a long time before those laws were actually enforced. The same it true now when looking at events like the one you mentioned.

I would say "The Laws" in letter and the way they are written are generally on the side of the minority maybe 75%of the time. However the way laws are enforced it usually ends up being more like 25% of the time. And the laws directly work against us when enforced 60% of the time.

Answer 3

The application of American law to minorities has been varied. I think that the theory of law and justice underlying the American Bill of Rights has always been favorable, but the application of that law has not.

With regard to recent police shootings, and the feelings of the minority community towards the police, I don't think that you can necessarily find a "one size fits all" statement to describe the current state of affairs. Certainly there are some places where bigotry and negative attitudes about race characterize the police, and other places where there is a good relationship between the police and the minority community. FWIW, most of the people in crime-infested minority communities are solidly behind police efforts to decrease crime and break up the culture of violent gangs, and are actively supportive of the police as long as the relationship between the police at all levels and the community are close and strong. Where there are problems is when the perception of the community is that police consider that all people with a certain profile (young, male, black) are likely criminals, and because of that mindset develop a way of working that makes them antagonistic towards the community.

I think that it's been shown time and again that the best, most effective way of policing is to have community-based policing, with the police at every level having close ties with the community. Where you get into trouble is when the police have no connection with the community, and an "us vs. them" or "NHI" attitude develops in policing.

Answer 4

American law, historically, has been mediocre in its ability to legislate fairness and equality for blacks and other minorities. There have been attempts made, legally, to rectify some of the injustices suffered by minorities throughout the history of this country. Somehow, the word "justifiable" always enters the picture. The fact that this land, initially inhabited by a people that are now considered a minority, was somehow "justifiably" taken by force and by chicanery, but legally explained; the fact that another people, brought here by deception, force and greed, and "justifiably" put to work, under the most inhumane conditions imaginable, in and for a land they were never expected to enjoy nor flourish in; the fact that these same bought and paid for people, not even legally accepted as human but rather as chattel, were deemed human enough to share in the breeding, nurturing, and cultivating of their seed (human and non-human) all the way from the wood shed to the White house, all point to imbalance in our legal system and raises the question, "Who are the real immigrants?"

Everyone who is here did not ask to be here...but now that we are...don't expect us to remain in the past...it's too painful...nor be satisfied with the present...it's too limiting. The future is ours too, with all its expectations, benefits, opportunities, problems, and solutions. It is not to be legislated away "justifiably;" not to be snatched from us by way of a hail of bullets, "justifiably;" The Bible says that the "law is for the lawless," it does not specify race, color, nor creed. That's as it should be. As for not having rights, that should not be a question for those here legally, however or whenever they arrived. If we remain within the law, equality should not be a question. I understand the focus now on those who are here illegally, but it amazes me how there are those in our legislative and legal system who are "justifiably" saying that its ok. How ironic, we're coming up to the point and time where equality has to again be legislated upon. No law is beneficial to any one unless it is implemented and applied to all. The Civil Rights Act is now up to be voted on again. Fairness, justice, equality...let's see what happens.

By the way, "Jerry", all minorities are not on welfare, using your tax dollars. Not all immigrants are illegal, and not all laws are effectively enacted to benefit those for whom they were designed. Let's also see how shooting into a car full of unarmed young black men over fifty times can be "justified." Will the New York law stating that no officer is to shoot at a moving vehicle unless they feel threatened by something other than the vehicle be relevant? Let's see if this nation will move forward or continue to undo the good which has come through our legal system. The laws have to be enforced...equally. In response to the original question, Yes, the law is sometimes good for blacks and other minorities. "This is my country...land that I love..."

Answer 5

I'm with Stewpid (it's a bad pun but true!) on this one. Although historically the law here hasn't been good for quite a lot of people, things are improving. We still have a long way to go, and we should remember those like Stewpid said who went through worse than we have as well.

That's a great question that really needed to be asked :)

Answer 6

The major problem has not been, historically speaking, with the written law. The major problem was with the institutionalized racism that prevented equal enforcement of those laws. For example, seperate but equal would have worked if black schools would have been actually treated rqually. They were not because of racism in enforcement.

Blacks were not native here. We came on European slave ships, were bounced around, and forcibly relocated to this continent. That being said, with slavery abolished, voting rights granted, and a social stigma against racism, black people today fail to succeed because of their own roadblocks of self-victimization.

My ancestors were treated harshly. White people tortured and killed my ancestors. Those white people are dead. My ancestors are dead. To me, the issue is as dead as the ghosts of the past. We need to work to make this nation and this culture one that encourages people to succeed and get beyond race. There is no brown America, no black America, and no white America. There is just America, and we are a land of the people, for the people, by the people, and of all people.

Answer 7

all minorities including women have had an improvement in civil liberties in the last 100years under American law. ask an 80 year old woman, black person, italian, irish, etc. i remember blacks riding in the back of the bus, not voting, not owning property, not drinking from the "white" fountain, and not going to the "white" school.

Answer 8

I don't believe the nation should HAVE to give immigrants or anything like that rights, or be fair to them., I mean, first off they're usually illegal. Second, a lot of people here are using my tax money for welfare because they're too lazy to go out and get a job themselves, so they have to live off the taxes I pay.

Answer 9

NO NOT AT ALL. American justice is really justice for a caucasian person. Blacks always get stiffer penalties for the crimes that are most likely to be committed by blacks. However, crimes like child molestation usually gets an offender probation. WHY? a white person is more likely to committ this crime. trust me, this is really true.

Answer 10

Like the saying goes every dog has his day and white people will soon have theirs, if there really is a God in heaven each race should rise and fall equally, it's time for a change. But if the races keep mixing then there will be not one race to hate.