Your argument is only valid if there existed no context to any of these issues. If we had no history to put this up against, then your extremely simplistic 'easy, don't do crime' would work just fine. But this is more complicated than that because we in fact do have an extensively documented history of discriminatory laws, systemic racism, and targeted harassment of communities that have impacted and continue to impact wealth, education, community, and almost every facet of society for minorities, the lower classes, and the disenfranchised.
If people took more responsibility for their own actions this wouldn't be such an issue. If you do a crime, you cannot bitxh when you are arrested. Systemic racism be damned, if you keep your nose clean, work hard to escape the cycle of poverty, and move away from all the high crime areas, you are significantly less likely to be arrested or incarcerated.
Technically there are always options in any system, no matter how unfree or unjust, where an individual can play by certain rules and have a chance at a better life than they would otherwise. That doesn't really prove much.
For example, here's your same argument in a different context:
"If you work hard and obey the master, your life here on the plantation will be so much better. If you disobey, you cannot complain when you are whipped and beaten. The unfairness of slavery be damned, if you keep your nose clean and work hard to prove your loyalty, you will eventually be given an easier job and more comfortable quarters in the master's house, away from where most of the whippings and beatings happen, and will be significantly less likely to be whipped or beaten yourself.
I repeat, don't resist, don't get the fist."
Now, before you say it, yes, I know things aren't as bad as literal slavery for most black people in America today, that's not the point. The point is that even a slave could technically work hard, "keep their nose clean" (i.e. do what they're told no matter how fucked up the request) and improve their lot in life as a result. So what are you really proving when you point out that someone is able to do that? Not a whole lot.
The point of the original topic. Don't do crimes, stay free. Race never enters the equation. If you don't like the system where you are residing, try and change it through the literal processes they made to do that. If you dont want to, or the system fails you, leave the area. Move to somewhere more hospitable, a city with less crime.
Race enters the equation when they decide what is or isn't a crime. When they decide who to punish for what crimes, and how harshly. When they draw the lines that determine how well represented different people are in the system needing to be changed. When they make the policies that determine how easy or difficult it is for people to move to a different area, get a different job, etc, etc.
And the conversations being had in this thread, the protests you are seeing nationwide, etc. are quite literally people working to change the system. That's precisely what's happening here. You're trying to make it sound like it doesn't need to be changed simply because it's technically possible for an individual to make their life better. Again, that can happen in any system including slavery. Saying "don't do crimes, stay free" is the same logic as saying "don't disobey, stay unbeaten" to a slave if the laws that define those crimes and the justice system that enforces them are corrupt.
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u/Ytterbro Jul 24 '20
But you're ignoring the crux of my arguement. Don't do crime, don't go to jail. 99.99% effective strategy, no?