Are We All Criminals?

I found this article, "I Am A Criminal And So Are You" by Michell Alexander, very interesting.

Here's an excerpt that caught my eye, fortunately Keven's felony will be dropped but Anthony will be a convicted felon for life.  Is that fair?  Should a possession of a controlled substance have the same stigma attached to it as other felonies?  (Check out this list of felony crimes.)

"In this country, we force millions of people -- who are largely black and brown -- into a permanent second-class status, simply because they once committed a crime. Once labeled a felon, you are ushered into a parallel social universe. You can be denied the right to vote, automatically excluded from juries and legally discriminated against in employment, housing, access to education and public benefits -- forms of discrimination that we supposedly left behind.

This kind of stigma, discrimination and social exclusion may befall you for no reason other than you were once caught with drugs."

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Michelle Alexander says calling herself a criminal to friends starts an interesting exchange

Many of us, even Obama, commit small crimes, but still think we're good citizens, she says

Stigma, social exclusion attach simply because you were once caught with drugs, she says

Writer: Copping to our crimes gives us more sympathy for the convicted and disenfranchised
Source:  CNN

 Peace, Hope and Love, Barbara