Alex King

UWRT 1202

Professor Steele

February 2nd, 2017

Criminality Essay

What is being a criminal? Is it determined by your state, by your government, by your

family, or even your community? The idea that a certain group of people create the laws that

everyone must follow creates a complication between right and wrong. Not everyone will share

the same ideas and morals, and by everyone being subjugated to standards implemented by a

single group of lawmakers it allows for people to be discriminated against. This issue is

becoming more and more seen throughout the U.S. and with that are separating the American

people. It is impossible to represent and create laws for everyone without criminalizing at least

one group of people.

One group of people who have been segregated against for hundreds of years are African

Americans. Racism has been a very common problem throughout history, especially for African

Americans. It is common when segregation occurs that prosecution occurs. This prosecution has

lead to the creation of jails to imprison criminals. It at a time became the social norm for

African Americans to be theifs, to be rapists, to be criminals. This view of the African American

community spurred hatred and abuse. Just laws were put in place with unjust motives. This is

also seen in MLKs, A Letter to Birmingham Jail. In this he depicts the use of laws put in place to

subjugate African Americans. With the power given to the law makers it is easy to subjugate a

group of people when it is beneficial for them to stay on top. This really pushes the idea that laws
are not always put in place through good motives, but more so to benefit and keep those who

have power in charge.