That does not seem like a good thing for the most part, on many levels.
Oh, and I agree with you (e:metalpeter) about "Across the Universe". I love that movie, and thought the music and the visuals for it was awesome. They should have nominated songs from it, but I think it had to be an original song.
I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought about that for across the universe and Now that you say it you are right that it was for best song.
In terms of the race thing. I think the numbers speak for them selves they really do. I hate to say it but race is a factor, it isn't the only factor but it is a big one. Lets face it if "Mr White boy" gets a black guy who is accused of something and a white guy accused of the same thing even if he doesn't want to he will fight harder (even if he is a shitty lawyer with shitty pay or maybe he is good) for the black guy. Deep down he doesn't care if he is innocent cause if he is locked up he can't sell drugs to his cousin or break into his house. I'm not saying that he thinks these things but they are ingrained in there. But the reason that the % is so high for blacks (when you take in there % of society it gets really scary) is because of Poverty. Then when Dad goes to jail and never see his kids guess what happens son is fucked up and becomes a criminal and the cycle continues. But you just can't say race isn't a factor it is a big one. But poverty is why most people go to jail. Oh wait I forgot they did a crime. But why most people get away or don't get away with something does have a lot to do with the legal team and if they can pay for jury experts and the poor can't.
What amuses me about these statistics is that they always, always, always break them down by race. As if helping blacks and hispanics is suggested as the cure. They never do these stats by class.
America has been playing the race game to death and aren't getting anywhere because we refuse to talk about class.
(e:tiburon1724) -I edited the one comment I had out, because I didn't mean to make it sound the way it came out probably sounding. It really bothers me that there is such a high prison rate from a lot of perspective- a moral and ethical one, as well as a financial one. I'm also strongly against the death penalty.
send 'em all to the chair...imagine the savings
If we stop criminalizing marijuana possession, this number may come down dramatically.
There is *no* reason to lock up a person for possessing a piece of a plant that grows wild in some areas.