Butler’s argument was based on statistics that revealed how the American criminal justice system systematically oppresses African Americans
Butler’s argument was based on statistics that revealed how the American criminal justice system systematically oppresses African Americans. For instance, Butler observes that 56% of African Americans living in Baltimore, Maryland, aged 18 to 35 were in probation, parole, imprisoned, or awaiting trial. Furthermore, two-thirds of African Americans living in California aged 18 to 35 had been arrested at least once. The statistics Butler highlighted in 1995 were still evident a decade later. According to Harrison and Beck (2006), African Americans make up half the prison population in the United States, despite constituting thirteen percent of the U.S population. Moreover, Harrison and Beck (2006) observe that African Americans receive sentences that are, on average, 6 months longer than those of their white counterparts for the same crime. These underscore how racial profiling by predominantly white police officers affects African Americans. The sources used to inform my opinion include Paul Butler’s original article and two peer-reviewed articles. Butler’s article is credible because it is a primary source of information. The article by Collins-Chobanian is a credible source because it is a scholarly article that has been peer-reviewed and published in a reputable journal. Finally, Harrison and Beck’s article is credible because it is from the government’s Bureau of Justice Statistics. I do not recognize any discrepancy in the information provided to me because it is all based on verifiable data. The information presented in all three articles is based on statistics rather than personal opinion. One might argue that Butler is biased because he is African American. However, I do not think he is biased because he used irrefutable statistics on African American incarceration data to make his argument