> As an African-Canadian, it appears to the rest of the world that you have two different justice systems, and the one for people of colour and allegations of “drugs” works completely differently than the one for white Americans.

As an American, and one who grew up among the poor, and criminal elements of society in the "racist" deep south, I do believe you read a bit too much sensationalized news leading you to a wrong conclusion.

However, you're right, there is a dual system. A system for the rich and a system for the poor.

Interesting. That’s a testable hypothesis. If after controlling for income there is a difference in sentencing between races, then that’s evidence to reject the hypothesis that there is no racial disparity.

I believe I once read something that makes me believe that we should indeed believe there is racial disparity but I can’t find it now. Pity.

> If after controlling for income there is a difference in sentencing between races, then that’s evidence to reject the hypothesis that there is no racial disparity.

Well, logically speaking, you can't draw that conclusion.

I implicitly meant for similar severity of crime. Different distribution of crimes is a different discussion.

Still testable, and I believe rejectable that race has no impact on sentencing.

I've always liked this map to show the composition of prisons. https://demographics.virginia.edu/DotMap/

As an aside: I'm a tall 30-something white male. I'm safe I'm not going to have the cops called on me with "$Action while black", and the assumption is that if I'm somewhere, I'm supposed to be there.

As it turns out, that system is also pretty racist toward rich black people as well.

> As it turns out, that system is also pretty racist toward rich black people as well.

Which is exactly why OJ is in prison for murder.

One anecdote does not a trend make.

>one for people of colour and allegations of “drugs” works completely differently than the one for white Americans.

This is far more about social class ($$$) than color. I'm not saying there aren't racial injustices at play, but I promise you that whites (and anyone else) without means are treated similarly when they get busted. Don't completely buy into the picture painted by the media.

I just wanted to make a kind of empty comment to say that I agree with you. Most of the replies to your comment say you're distorting the picture, and that it's only about wealth inequalities. However, even wealthy people of color experience these injustices, they most often though just have enough money to pay their way free.

Americans want to believe that it’s about wealth disparity, because that allows moderates to believe that at some level, people are responsible for their own poverty, and if poverty is something people have control over, then they bear personal responsibility for being too poor to afford justice.

Compound that with people disingenuousy promoting this narrative for their own political reasons, such as wanting to promote the idea that the inhumanly high incarceration rates are evidence of an inherent criminality, laziness, or both on the part of people of colour, and you get an oft-repeated explanation that should not be accepted without evidence.

It might feel like it ought to be true, but it’s not.