老美看美国： 种族主义的数学—秘密战争

文/他爹，翻译/他娘

（2012年1月17日）

在美国，种族紧张关系和不平等已有超过 200 年的历史，这是这个伟大国家的一个污点。我们为此进行过内战，60年代民权运动以后 40 多年的时间里发生过骚乱和抗议。我们创建了新的法律以反对种族主义，但是种族主依然存在。

对于我们创建的所有新法律以及地方和国家的政客们的华丽谈论而言，这个国家正在进行对黑人的秘密战争，这些事是不会在公共场合公开讨论的，但对于那些参与它的人来说，这仍是一场战争，一场利润丰厚的战争。

同样犯有贩毒罪，如果你是一个黑人，你坐牢的可能性就是白人的 10 倍。

关在监狱或从监狱假释的黑人男性比这个国家奴隶制时期的奴隶还要多。

美国男性监狱人口中40%是黑人男性组成，虽然它们只占美国总人口 （仅适用于男性) 的 7%。

美国去年在"私人监狱"上的开销是 740 亿美元。没错。企业拥有并经营这些监狱。把人关在监狱是可以赚很多钱的— — 因为监狱可以为私人拥有，但账单却由美国纳税人支付。

地方、 州和联邦政府可以使用执法检获的钱和财产 （汽车、 房子、 珠宝首饰等）来支付他们自己的预算。像这样的法律基本上就是给政府动力来夺取你的财产，他们通过将你定罪并把你送到监狱，以确保占有您的钱和财产。

如果你是一个黑人，被送进监狱，把你关在那里是符合政府利益的。因为现在你不能投票，你还能为那些公司创造利润，公司又反过来把钱捐给那些把你关进监狱的人。

在这个国家公司基本上是由白人男性拥有并管理的。有权有势的白人与政府里有权势的朋友通过提供资金和合同给那些私人监狱，私人监狱把经营获利又反过来捐给他们的竞选活动，如此循环往复保持着他们权势。

对毒品的战争并不只是针对多毒品的战争。这是一场针对美国黑人尤其是黑人男子的战争。把他们关在监狱里非常有利可图。

当一个黑人比一个白人坐牢的机会高10 倍，即使是完全一样的犯罪，这是不公平的。

如果美国要成为那"山上闪亮的城市"，它就必须照耀全部。如果“在上帝的護佑下，永不分割， 所有人永享自由和正義”意味着什么，那么对于我们作为这个国家的人，就必须认识到并警惕那些代表我们的政府在这个社会做错的事情。对诸如此类的滥权视而不见，不仅创建二等公民，而且分裂这个国家。那句“所有人享有的自由和正义”如果不包括每一个人，则这些漂亮的词语就没有任何意义。

解决这个问题很困难。当你把巨额利润（每年为监狱创收七百四十亿美元）与奴隶制及种族主义的历史和权力机构混合在一起时，而这基本上是一群在政府和企业机构的老牌白人构成的权利机构时，指望让他们来制定平等和公平的制度，几乎是不可能的。

历史告诉我们要改变社会和意见需要时间。在这种环境中，变化似乎很缓慢。不过，我相信我们作为一个民族可以前进和并改正对美国黑人的错误。放弃把人关在监狱的利润。把钱还给纳税人。当我们人民参与其中并问“为什么”情况会是这样，改变将会发生。当我们说“为什么不纠正它"时，改变就会实现。

        “有些人只看问题的表面，只会说“为什么?”我梦想从未有过的事情，并问“为什么不？”----罗伯特 · 肯尼迪

(译者后记：本文数据来自联邦调查局有关资料，作者为美国白人，能为其他族裔鸣不平，有如此胸怀，值得鼓励。根据村友提议，就亚裔在美国的地位，他也将做一些研究调查后，写点自己的感受)

（原文）

THE MATHEMATICS

OF

RACISM

THE SECRET WAR

By Tadie

Racial tensions and inequality has been a stain on this great country for over 200 years. We have fought a civil war over it, we have had riots and protests for 40 years during the civil rights movement of the 1960’s, and we have created new laws to fight the racism that still exists.

However, for all the new laws we create and for the flowery talk of politicians locally and nationally – there is a secret war going on against blacks in this country that remains hidden from public discussion, but it is a war and a very profitable war for those involved.

If you are a black man you are 10 times more likely to go to prison than a white man convicted of the same exact drug crime.

There are more black men in prison or on parole from prison than there ever was as slaves during the slavery period of this country.

40% of the United States male prison population is made up of black men – but they only represent 7% of the total U.S. population ( males only ).

The United States spent $74 billion last year on “private prisons”. That’s right, prisons that are owned and operated by corporations. There’s big money in keeping people in jail – because the prison may be privately owned but the bill is paid by the American tax payer.

Local, state, and federal  governments can use money and property ( cars, houses, jewelry, etc ) seized by law enforcement to pay for their own budgets. Basically, laws like this give the government the “incentive” to take your property and make sure they keep your money and property by convicting you and sending you to jail.

If you’re a black man and sent to jail it’s very much in the governments interest to keep you there because now you can’t vote, and you generate profits for the corporations who in turn donate money to the very people who put you in jail.

Corporations in this country are essentially owned by white men and managed by white men, Powerful white men with powerful friends in government who stay powerful with the money that is donated to their campaigns from the profits generated by the private prisons where the money and contracts are given out by the powerful in government.

The war on drugs is not so much a war on drugs as it is a war on black America and black men specifically. It’s very profitable to keep them in jail.

There is no fairness when a black man is 10 times more likely to go to prison than a white man even if the crimes are exactly the same.

If America is to be that “shining city on a hill” it must shine for all.  If “one nation, under God, with liberty and justice for all” is to mean anything then we as people of this country must be aware and vigilant of the wrongs done in society by those who represent us – the government. To turn a blind eye to abuses such as this not only creates second class citizens and divides this country but those wonderful words “with liberty and justice or all” mean nothing  at all if they do not really include everyone.

It’s a difficult problem to solve. When you mix huge profits ( $74 billion each year for prisons ) and a history of slavery and racism and a power structure that is basically a bunch of old white men in government and corporate structure that is basically a bunch of old white men as well – making the system equal and fair is not impossible, but it almost is.

History teaches us that societies and opinions take time to change. In this environment it seems to be a slow change. However, I am confident that we as a people can move forward and correct this wrong against black men in America, take the profit out of keeping them in jail, and give the tax payers their money back. It will move forward as we the people   get involved and ask the question of “why” are things this way – but will be completed when we say “why not correct it”.

        “ Some men see things as they are, and say “why”? I dream of things that never were

           And say why not?”   -    Robert F. Kennedy