As Samuel Clemens said, there are lies, damn lies, and statistics.

This 3 minute and 47 sec video can't begin to tell the full story.

One reason so many people in the US go to prison is because there are so many recidivists. You don't go to jail in the US unless you have committed a major felony crime or you are a repeat offender.

That's why those in prison for "mere" drug possession actually have a higher arrest rate for violent crimes than those in prison for burglary, robbery or even drug trafficking, according to innumerable studies, including one in the Journal of the American Statistical Association.

We now have more diversionary programs available than ever before. If you commit a theft crime, you get the opportunity to make recompense and/or attend a program. Same with DUI, take a 3 day class or get locked up for 3 days.

Another reason many black men get locked up is because they commit a lot of violent crimes. Violent crimes will almost always get your ass locked up.

I know a fellow in Oregon who used to be the prayer leader for the Seattle Seahaws, a white man, who to my knowledge has never committed a violent crime, yet he is a repeat offender on DUI driving laws. He was recently committed to prison for 3 years.

And as for these 'get tough on crime' laws...the last one passed in Ohio did just the opposite, making repeat felony thefts a misdemeanor. The lawyers in your local legislators know how to title a crime bill...most of which are an effort to save money, not fight crime.

Also, prison guard unions don't send people to prison, judges do.

As for fewer prisoners in China...they just shoot their offenders in the head...saves quite a bit on housing prisoners.

Making crack cocaine a stiffer penalty crime...well, crack is more addictive than cocaine. So why doesn't Al Sharpton get behind the decriminalization of crack cocaine? Probably not enough money in it.

If you want to make a point about people in the US being incarcerated compared to other countries, I'm going to need to see some numbers on the recidivism rates in those countries, not just some surface facts that don't tell the full story.

it's rather like some countries that don't count neonatal deaths unless the child has survived for 30 days...you can't compare that to numbers from countries that count neonatal deaths at 2 hours.

^rougy
Have you never heard of "Breakfast at Tiffany's"?
He also wrote another bestseller after "In Cold Blood" based on the same Nonfiction Novel concept called "Music for Chameleons"

I don't know what you're getting at with this crap about "in April in the morning". I would put him up there with Samuel Clemens.

Tags for this video have been changed from 'mark twain, samuel clemens, war, truth, god' to 'mark twain, samuel clemens, anti war, war, truth, god' - edited by calvados

Tags for this video have been changed from 'twain, samuel clemens, war, truth, god' to 'mark twain, samuel clemens, war, truth, god' - edited by calvados

Note: Speaking of Samuel Clemens, writing that last comment reminded me of him. I was about to write "all seem very obvious" there at the end, but then I remembered Mark Twain's words:

"Substitute 'damn' every time you're inclined to write 'very'; your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be."

Tags for this video have been changed from 'twain, war, truth, god' to 'twain, samuel clemens, war, truth, god' - edited by calvados