Congress claims that it is working on a bill to reform law enforcement. Trump claimed that he will sign an executive order today addressing the problem. I admit that I am a “man of little faith.” I seriously doubt that congress or our white supremacist president will have the courage to seriously address centuries old problems in America.

The truth you will never, never hear from a politician, the legitimate press, or the television “news,” is that there is no justice in the United States unless you are wealthy.

The attitude of our nation’s justice system is moronic and out of touch with reality. The way the system is designed today, law enforcement and the courts believe that the wealthy are of more value, are more intelligent, and are the only Americans worthy of a “second chance” when they commit a crime. If you are a minority, living in poverty, or struggle at the low-income level, you are not worthy of respect from law enforcement and when committing a crime must receive the maximum punishment and are not qualified for rehabilitation.

To the uninformed the current protests are all about the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and other black Americans at the hands of law enforcement. It is much more than that, and the culmination of centuries of unfair and unequal treatment in America.

There are two Americas: one for whites and one for blacks and other poor Americans.

Beginning with law enforcement, it is an undeniable fact that the relationship between white Americans and law enforcement and black Americans and law enforcement are entirely different.

White Americans are taught to respect the police, and for the most part their encounters with a law enforcement officer are nothing more than an uncomfortable experience. For decades, black parents have been forced to teach their children how to act around law enforcement in fear for their lives. Not a single black man or woman is allowed to stand up for their Constitutional rights in the presence of an officer of the law.

Contrary to what those in authority claim, racism within the ranks of law enforcement is common.

When a white person, especially those with a substantial income, appear before a judge in a court of law, they are treated with respect. When it becomes time for sentencing, they frequently receive probation instead of time in prison, and are required to pay a fine or restitution.

When black Americans appear in court, it is often apparent that the judge believes they are guilty before the trial begins. Most black men and women cannot afford more than an overworked public defender as their attorney. If convicted, the maximum sentence is often imposed; there is no mercy, no understanding, and no compassion.

Our entire penal system is a failure. America has less than five percent of the world’s population and 25 percent of all men and women incarcerated in the world. Our country’s recidivism rate is the highest in the world. The percentage of blacks in our prisons is greatly disproportionate to their population percentages in America.

Lastly, I would be committing an egregious disservice to black America if I excluded the reality of income inequality. Once again, a disproportionate number of black men, women, and children struggle to survive below the poverty line. As long as I can remember, about 65 years, right-wing politicians have ignored a single fact: poverty is responsible for most non-violent crimes including theft, drug trafficking, and simple fraud.

I wrote about the large number of black men and women in our prisons. The average income of all prisoners prior to their convictions is under $20,000. The average income of all Americans, black and white, defines the disparity in lifestyles. For every dollar a white man earns, the average for black Americans is just 59 cents.

Much of this is due to the fact that government not only allowed factories to move to foreign nations, it offered them tax incentives to do so. Tens of thousands of black Americans lost good paying jobs and are now forced to work for minimum wage in our nation’s largest cities.

Will congress or Trump address all of these issues? I doubt it. Republicans continue to believe that at $7.25 an hour, the current minimum wage, this is acceptable as a “living wage.”

Op-ed by James Turnage

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