Cory Booker Quotes
The drug war is causing crime. It is just chewing up young, Black men. And it is killing Newark.
Two decades earlier leading Black politicians, observing the differential deleterious effects of drug use on Blacks called for a massive Federal effort to diminish substance abuse. The War on Drugs responded and reduced the drug use in America somewhat. However, the unintended consequences—especially for Blacks—caused many Black politicians to call for an end or serious curtailing to the War on Drugs. The differential effect on Black males was dramatic. White drug dealing tended to occur in private offices and homes where black dealing takes place to a greater extent on the streets where the lower level dealers are much more likely to be caught. The differential penal;ties for possession or selling of powdered cocaine (preferred by whites) and crack cocaine (preferred by Blacks) caused many more Blacks to be jailed. With less access to the better attornies, the Bplacks tend to get longer sentences, even for the same crime. In addition, the drug of choice for most whites is alcohol which was made legal while the drugs of choice for Blacks are illegal. In many Black urban neighborhoods like Newark, the majority of young Black men arwere in jail for ddrug law violations. See {624056} for a concurring opinion.
Cory Booker, Mayor, Newark, NJ (Democrat), Quoted in Tom Moran, “Newark Mayor Blasts Drug War,” Newark Star Ledger, June 24, 2007
Sourced by: Eigen's Political and Historical Quotations
The vast majority of the million Blacks in prison have been sentenced for using or selling drugs.
Given that the Black population is less than 15 percent of the total, the odds against this occurring by chance is less than 100 million to one. The problem was then very hard to solve in that in most cases the cause was not anti-Black hostility. Rather it was that most police—including some Black police officers—were more fearful for Black males relative to white males and perceived themselves or the public in mortal danger much more often with Blacks than with whites in similar situations. Much of this was a historical societal bias and fear of Black males and much was the result of the disproportionate media depiction of violent Black males.
Black protests and demonstrations were emerging throughout the country after a white police officer shot to death an unarmed black teenager in Ferguson, MO. This argument was made by a number of police apologist whites who could not understand the ferocity and passion of the demonstrations, but Giuliani was the most prominent politician taking that viewpoint. See {642521} for the refutation and response.
The highway was planned to go through a poor neighborhood which had a high percentage of Black residents—all of whom would have to find other housing and move to make room for the highway. If the government plans a highway through a wealthy area, the cost to condemn and pay for the land will be much greater than if a poor neighborhood is acquired. For urban highways, the poor almost always bear a disproportionate share of the inconvenience while the major benefit inures to the wealthy and middle class. Abbot had been a labor organizer and a professional artist before he entered politics. The graphic is of his famous poster which by itself stopped the plans to build the highway very quickly.
There is a significant argument as to whether of not race should be used to try and predict the variables that will likely produce crimes. Some social scientists argue that virtually everything correlates with race {633357} and therefore the predictions are meaningless. Here, Kurtz argues that if you do not use race, since it does correlate with so much, then you might as well not try and determine the predictive factors of crime. Reality lies in the center, use race as one of the statistical variables but do not use it for profiling potential criminals and potential suspects unless there is observable and not deduced or inferred evidence of race in the crime.
- Born: April 27, 1969
- Nationality: American
- Profession: Politician
Cory Anthony Booker is an American politician, attorney, and author who has served as the junior United States Senator from New Jersey since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, Booker is the first African-American U.S. Senator from New Jersey. He was previously the 38th Mayor of Newark from 2006 to 2013. Before that time, Booker served on the Municipal Council of Newark for the Central Ward from 1998 to 2002.
