A Blind Society? Analyze Government Policy in Criminal Justice
The purpose of this paper is to introduce, discuss, and analyze the topic of government policy in criminal justice. Specifically it will answer the question: If we are interested in obtaining a "blind" society regarding human rights, why do we insist on asking a person's race, ethnicity, religion, sex and marital status on private and governmental forms. Should we? Why or why not? If we are indeed a society that is "blind" to the melting pot of races that settle our nation, then why indeed is it necessary to fill out our gender, race, and marital status on just about any form, survey, or government document we sign? America is not a blind society at all. Racial tensions have existed in this country from the first. In fact, American has a foundation in racial segregation and racism - first with the Native Americans, who we robbed of their land and consistently pushed West, and second with the African Americans, (and indentured servants) that the country imported by the thousands to do the dirty work of the farms and the factories. America has never been a blind society, and never will.Many Americans hope that someday American society can resist the urge to compartmentalize the citizens, and simply recognize each of us as
In conclusion, some Americans may hope for a blended society that is blind to the differences between us, but it seems that as a nation that has never been the case. Today, the government and surveyors are exceptionally interested in the race, sex, gender, and marital status of each and every one of us. The figures may give surveyors and census folks the data they need to figure out trends, population curves, and the data regarding the people of our nation, but they also draw lines between the people. As long as the media broadcasts data such as "Hispanics are now the largest minority in the nation, and the fastest growing minority," then there will be lines between us that the forms, the statistics, and the continual questions only help perpetuate. Americans who live and work together. However, there has always been a need by the government and other data collectors to know what race, gender, marital status, and religious beliefs each American carries around with them. Some of this data is certainly important in understanding the dynamics of the nation and how it affects governmental programs, shifting age differences, and other important considerations for future programs and generations. Unfortunately, there are many problems related to just how the government and other agencies collect sensitive data such as this, and thus, how it is analyzed and used. For decades, the American census simply noted race as "White, Black, or Other." This was not a viable sampling of the many races living in America, and gradually, the questions created were broader and gave a greater sampling of the racial mix that is America. Some sociologists find the government census data collected every ten years as invaluable; because it is a measurement their own smaller samplings are viable. Sociologist Snipp continues, "However, even more important is that federal surveys and especially the decennial census provide an important benchmark for checking the accuracy of smaller samples" (Snipp, 2003). While this data may help in understanding American society; where it has been and where it is headed, it is also highly controversial. That is
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Approximate Word count = 1447
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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