Instigator / Pro
0
1500
rating
1
debates
0.0%
won
Topic
#4207

The justice system is not racist

Status
Finished

The debate is finished. The distribution of the voting points and the winner are presented below.

Winner & statistics
Winner
0
4

After 4 votes and with 4 points ahead, the winner is...

Barney
Parameters
Publication date
Last updated date
Type
Standard
Number of rounds
4
Time for argument
Two hours
Max argument characters
10,000
Voting period
One week
Point system
Winner selection
Voting system
Open
Contender / Con
4
1815
rating
50
debates
100.0%
won
Description

This debate is over whether or not the justice system is actually racist

Round 1
Pro
#1
Forfeited
Con
#2
Preamble:
I shall use evidence to prove that the justice system has racial bias in sentencing against African Americans compared to whites, and is therefore racist.

Were it not racist, then equal sentences for equal crimes would be the standard.


1. Terrorism:
I offer this simple Modus Ponens (“mode of affirming”) syllogism:
  • P1: If white people committing violent acts of terrorism is legally tolerated, then the system is racist.
  • P2: White men are not legally punished for committing violent terrorism against African Americans.
  • C1: Therefore, the justice system is racist!

P1
Speaks for itself.

P2
Over the course of two days, white terrorists burnt down 35 city blocks driving 9000 people into homelessness, and further murdered 300 people plus injured 800 more. Because they were whites targeting African Americans, they were not punished. Not one white person was arrested, and yet the police arrested African Americans for their barbarian neighbors deciding to murder them due to their skin color [1].

P3
Speaks for itself.


2. Rape:
I offer this simple Modus Tollens (“mode of taking”) syllogism:
  • P1: If not racist, then African American offenders are given the same sentences for rape as white offenders.
  • P2: African American men are punished worse than whites.
  • C1: Therefore, the justice system is not non-racist!

P1
Speaks for itself.

P2 
African American men are put to death for raping white women, whereas white men are not put to death for raping African American women [2].

P3
Speaks for itself.


3. Averages:
It may be argued that those extremes do not speak of the averages. So let’s review the averages.

Whites even with a greater number of conventions, face less incarcerations and time in prison when incarcerated. Even with very similar rates of drug sales, African Americans are >8x more likely to be charged as drug dealers for selling said drugs. The list goes on [3]…


Sources:
  1. https://daily.jstor.org/the-devastation-of-black-wall-street/
  2. https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/policy-issues/race/race-rape-and-the-death-penalty
  3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5614457/
Round 2
Pro
#3
Forfeited
Con
#4
Extend.

And please correct P3 to C1, for the first two major contentions.
Round 3
Pro
#5
Forfeited
Con
#6
Extend.

Due to the timing of this, I’ll most likely be missing next round.
Round 4
Pro
#7
Forfeited
Con
#8
Vote con!