“So if it’s artificial, LET IT BE! ”

I get it, the world is unjust and unfair and white supremacy and patriarchy and homophobia and the rest of dominator culture is a total and complete bummer. I agree and I’m with you. 

You lose me when your facts actually work to disprove your point. I mean if you are going to speak truth to power then you gotta actually speak TRUTH! 

This happens every once in a while when some white defendant,  or a Chinese American in the case of Peter Liang [murderer and disgraced former NYPD officer],gets off or gets an insanely light sentence. The obvious racial disparities in punishment enrage those who are committed to racial justice and a handy meme is one manifestation of that rage.

But my outrage finds comfort in FACTS, in comparisons that are based on FACTS. So for example the maximum punishment attached to a crime is not the same as what a judge actually determines a sentence to be. Case in point: Brock the Rapist faced a maximum of 14 years in prison. So if we are to compare like things, as in the maximum terms attached to each defendant’s conviction, the above image actually doesn’t prove injustice but rather proportionality in sentences. 

Now there is injustice. In the case of Jasmine Abdullah, the FACT that she was prosecuted is the beginning of the injustice. The FACT that the Black woman District Attorney in Los Angeles County, Jackie Lacy, had her office advocate for the full sentence for a crime that twists the history of lynching on its historical head is another injustice. The judge disagreed with the DA, and sentenced Jasmine to 90 days, with credit for 18 already served. Thank goodness for small miracles. 

There are plenty of factual comparisons to make the case that injustice exists. Start with the FACT that both Jasmine & Brock the Rapist will be serving their sentences in county jails. This is outrageous to me because of the violent and savage nature of the crime of Brock the Rapist in comparison to the actual conduct that led to Jasmine’s charge. 

See that’s how one can compare like things to make a broader point. No need to make ish up, or rely on hyperbole to show your outrage. The real is fucked up enough. 

*Racial disparities in sentencing affect both Black & Latino defendants. However I have yet to see a meme that advocates for fairer treatment of Latinos in the criminal justice system with so many false equivalencies. 

Image created by: Brave New Films