Problem:
How do i respond to Every time I believe I understand something in regards to how our law makers and enforcers handle things I feel as if I'm proven wrong again and again. When I first heard of the crack epidemic that plagued the 80s when I was younger I would picture shady, trench coat wearing individuals in alleys all over the place approaching unsuspecting passerby in the middle of the night with drugs in hand ready to snag a new customer or two though I obviously feel ridiculous for thinking such a thing now but the reality of the epidemic still feels just as ridiculous as those old thoughts mostly impart to how people actually ended up seeing/addressing the epidemic. The law focused on criminalizing the issue, focusing hard on gang related aspects leading people to view the problem not as the sickness it was and instead as an infection against them. The media also played a heavy part in how the epidemic was scene, sensationalizing crimes and incidents that revolved around crack and pushing harmful racial narratives and doubling down on stereotypes making those view it as a primarily African American issue.