Debate over "black personal responsibility" grows

I'm shocked at the callousness displayed in many of the comments for this Reuters article on black personal responsibility. As an educated middle-aged male white guy who abhors every form of drug use, I want to remind the others reading this article that the national policies for mandatory prison sentencing on non-violent, drug-related crimes have literally devastated the African American community, torn apart millions of families, and have done so in ways that are clearly discriminatory against African Americans.

What's the difference between possession of one ounce of pure cocaine and one ounce of crack cocaine? The latter is cut with baking soda to make it affordable. So why does crack possession guarantee prison time and cocaine doesn't? This sort of arbitrary policy favors the wealthy (white) and incarcerates people who should instead be in hospitals.

This is only the beginning.

Tens of millions of suburban white teenagers around the nation are pumping billions of dollars into an entertainment industry that paints African Americans in the worst light possible, as thugs and illiterate criminals, because it permits these white teenagers to live out their adolescent fantasies about black identity. But it also chokes out recognition of real black achievement and leaves inner city youth whose fathers are in prison for non-violent crimes, without solid role models.

We have a collective duty to carve these institutional cancers from our nation and to take responsibility for the role of the majority in creating this soul-crushing trap for nearly a quarter of our population. Electing Obama is not a "get out of guilt free" card.