Land of the free? 
The Incarceration epidemic.

The land of the free and the home of the brave? Many are left to question just what freedoms and liberties we support?

America is the #1 nation, leading in incarceration with 5% of the world’s population and 25% of the world’s prisoners.

Currently 6.9 million individuals are in prison that is more than in 38 of the 50 states. Sadly, however we cannot claim that we enforce our beliefs or our constitution as we have perpetually disproportionately striped the rights of certain individuals and protected others.

In 1971 Richard Nixon formally declared the war on drugs though actual drug usage had been declining for several years.

 Immediately afterwards the media was flooded with images of black men being hauled away as the new poster children for drug usage.

In our nation we can observe vast disparities in incarceration rates:

1/3    Blacks

1/6    Hispanics

1/25   Whites

When observing cocaine usage:

20% White

10% Black

10% Latino

14 million whites report using illegal drugs and only 2.6 million blacks report using illegal drugs

A 2009 human rights bill reports that whites are more likely than blacks to have tried most types of drugs.

Black individuals are:

3X more likely to be searched at a traffic stop

Only 12% of the population but 38% of those arrested for drug related offences

Arrested for drug possession at a rate of 3/1

6X more likely to be arrested

225,242 persons were serving a sentence in state penitentiaries for drug related offense in 2011, 45% were black and only 30% were white according to the bureau of statistics.

In 1971 Richard Nixon formally declared the war on drugs though actual drug usage had been declining for several years.

 Immediately afterwards the media was flooded with images of black men being hauled away as the new poster children for drug usage.

Weldon Angelos 25 was convicted for selling marijuana and received more time in prison than he would have for 

Hijacking a plane (24 years)

 Detonating a Bombing (19 years) 

or even

 Being a second- degree murder (21years) 

he has children but will be 80 before released

We must ask ourselves however how coincidental are these findings?

As recently as 2014 Floridian police officers were accused of participating in the Klan. David Borst (once Sargent of his local police force) resigned and George Hunnewell was fired from the force. This only five years after Jim Elkins, yet another officer with Klan affiliation was exposed.

David Gletty FBI informant undercover for 4 years with the K.K.K met both active officers Borst and Hunnewell at Klan and militia meetings. Gletty Notes that not all officers are involved and as he recollects  

“I’ve seen the ugly head of the beast I’ve been with these officers, at parties when they drawl their service revolvers and fire shots at cats and stray dogs I’ve seen their alter egos so to say and since they’re in a public trust job, position in of authority it’s a very dangerous mix and it needs to be stopped now”

The Klan and police force have a long history though this marriage has only become more insidious as legislation has forced individuals with a dual citizenship of sorts into secrecy.

Meanwhile in New York N.Y.P.D cops admit to an arrest quota and targeting blacks/ and Hispanics age 14-21 that must be “stopped”. These officers share that if quotas are not met than cops are fired. They have started a class action law suit in April of this year. In an interview conducted by NBC one cop notes that it is “Easier to get numbers when people are disenfranchised.”

We must remember however that there is hope and we can make a change.

Rand Paul (R) and Corey Booker (D) politicians from two parties that are notorious for disagreeing have come together to end these racially motivated incarcerations.

F.A.M.M is an agency that stands against mandatory minimum sentencing in drug related sentences and welcomes the community to join them.