#prop64

What is the greatest country in the world? Well, that is subjective and depending on who you ask the results will differ. Many people wouldn’t hesitate to say America is the greatest country. We are all entitled to our own opinion. That being said, all countries in the world have faults and ugly truths. As an African American, born and raised in America, my experiences brought me face-to-face with several ugly truths. Such is life though and what is more important is how, as an individual, you overcome and persevere through the ugly truths. There are really only two options. You can take the victim mentality and succumb to adversity or fight for your dreams and everything you deserve. Your psyche is the starting point to either road you decide to embark on.

Progress is usually an ongoing slow process. When you train your thought process to be positive and encouraging you will see progress in any avenue you navigate. Slow progress is better than no progress. Thanks to the many civil rights activists, America has seen progress albeit slow progress. Despite the progression America has seen, we still have a long way to go in several realms to achieve nationwide equality. One of these realms is criminal justice reform. It is no secret that criminal reform is one of the most daunting issues America must address. There is plenty statistical data supporting this thesis.

• African Americans are incarcerated at more than 5 times the rate of whites

• The incarceration rate for African American women is twice that if white women

• If African Americans and Hispanics were incarcerated at the same rates as whites, prison and jail populations would decline by almost 40%

• African Americans and Hispanics make up approximately 32% of the US population but they comprise 56% of all incarcerated people in 2015

This brings me to California’s proposition 64 marijuana legislation.

Prop64

• allows the legal recreational sale of marijuana in California

• Provides criminal reform

•San Francisco retroactively applied the new law which expunges marijuana felony convictions dating back to 1975

• Dismisses misdemeanors from criminal records as long as the person doesn't pose a threat to the public

• Gives priority access to become a licensed grower, distributor, or cannabis business operator to the felons that will have their records expunged

Proposition 64 is one of the most progressive criminal justice reforms in the country and is a much-needed start to progression on this front. In summation, I commend all past and present civil rights activists, those who have lost their lives to social injustice, and current lawmakers who continue to hope beyond the negative and to spawn the necessary conversations that lead to progressive actions to ensure America, at the least, remains in the conversation of being the greatest country in the world.

(For contributing factors to the above stats see www.naacp.org/criminal-justice-fact-sheet/)