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AshleySimpsonFirstPaper 5 - 01 Apr 2010 - Main.RonMazor
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| | | Thank you for your input on my paper. I think with respect to your argument that the position I took is not a very hard position to advance, I disagree. I found it very difficult to determine what I believed concerning this issue as it's never been a question that has been presented to me before. Coming from a prosecutor background and studying the criminal justice system here at Columbia has left me very conflicted as to whether or not it would be meaningful for me as a minority to work in such an environment. My background tells me that prosecutors are the good guys; that cops are the good guys. These are the individuals who seek justice through their work. I have also seen this drive for justice through the work of the Federal Defender's office. On the other-hand, my studies highlight the imperfections of the justice system that go beyond the intentions of the prosecutors, especially with regards to its effect on minorities. While I do not believe that the justice system should be totally scrapped, this is an important inquiry for me (as I believe it should be for all minorities considering a similar career path) and this essay served as a jumping point for my self-discovery. My goal in law school is to find direction and through my studies of the problems with the criminal justice system, I am still conflicted as to whether or not becoming a prosecutor is the right direction for my career. I think playing it safe would be to ignore this question. However, I understand now that it failed to generate the completely new ideas that you sought through this learning experience. I'm not sure how to change this essay and if there is no means through the next writing assignment to do so, I'll come to office hours for more direction.
Lastly, I am driven to succeed and I hope that that drive continues.
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Hey Ashley,
Having read your paper, I think I understand what Eben is getting at. Your paper puts forward an argument clearly and persuasively, and it succeeds as a piece of writing. What it doesn't capture, however, is you.
The underlying question that your paper raises for the reader is, given that the justice system disproportionally impacts minorities in harmful ways, why do you want to be involved in this work? Adding minority representation to law enforcement might eliminate racists from positions of power, but it does nothing to reduce the impact of systematic or social injustice. An African-American AUSA is still pushing forward the same destructive drug prosecutions and advocating for the same destructive mandatory sentencing guidelines with the same disparate impact--why do you want to be the person pulling the lever?
Now it might be that you feel that personal criminal responsibility generally supersedes the underlying impact of social and economic injustice. It might be that you feel that impoverishment or a history of discrimination is neither excuse nor justification for committing an armed robbery or attempting a rape or generally flouting the law. Alternatively, you might truly believe in the value of the laws you want to enforce: a true crusader against drugs, to use the above example. Or perhaps you feel that crime, at its most basic level, is solely about a victimizer and a victim--no matter their respective racial backgrounds.
I understand the motivation to help challenge the marred perception of law enforcement becoming involved and doing your job professionally and well--taking the power out of the hands of those that would abuse it. Yet the question you leave open is how you intend to reconcile yourself to the more subtle, yet still dangerous, problem of affecting peoples' lives, often in a racially disproportionate manner, due to systems outside of your control. You may have a solid rationale for defending such a choice. You may find that being part of such a system doesn't quite sit well with you, such that you need to reconsider your position. Either way, therein lies an interesting and provocative question that your essay hints at but ultimately skirts.
--Main.RonMazor - 1 Apr 2010 |
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