Crime Without Punishment In The Breakfast Club By Dr. Umar Johnson

In The Breakfast Club, Dr. Umar Johnson referred to a particular topic. He stated that when individuals break laws and do not receive a punishment, other people think doing the same thing is fine. Many cases over the recent five years are believed to be correct. Whether with blue collar criminals or even just common people committing these acts. The effects of crime without punishment are a sense of unlawfulness, a context that individuals got away with the crime they can also, and a sense of fear.

One effect of crime without punishment is a sense of unlawfulness. A particular case where this was a problem was George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin. George Zimmerman followed unarmed seventeen-year-old Trayvon Martin in the neighbor in which he was living in at the time. Without following

orders that the dispatcher had given to not follow Trayvon he did so anyway and at the rear door of the townhouse Trayvon lived in he was fatally shot by George Zimmerman. George Zimmerman was acquitted of all charges due to the " Stand Your Ground Law" that the state of Florida enforces. The " Stand Your Ground Law” permits the use of deadly force when someone reasonably feels he or she is at risk of great bodily harm in a confrontation.

Another effect of crime without punishment is the context that if someone else got away with it maybe they can too.

An effect following the murder of Trayvon Martin is the Freddie Gray case in Baltimore, Maryland. Freddie Gray was apprehended by police during a bike patrol on the day of April 12, 2015. When a very violent arrest left Freddie Gray unable to walk on his own. On the way to downtown Baltimore, Freddie was left with no seatbelt in the van which was transporting him. This caused him to be thrown around the van with no help of witnessing policeman. In this trial six officers were involved and so far only three were tried but none of these officers were convicted. Many crimes like this has happened hundreds of times throughout the United States and they almost always end up the same way with no justice for the victims and guilty men walking away with no punishment or consequences for their actions. Many families of the victims are left in debt from the hiring of lawyers and attorneys to receive no justice for their loved one. Nearly 1 in 3 black people killed by police in 2015 were identified as unarmed, though the actual number is likely higher due to

underreporting

A final effect of crimes without punishment is a state of fear in these cases they have been announced as a crime of hate by the African- American community. These Acts have caused protest and the movement know as the " Black Lives Matter" movement. The Black Lives Matter movement has made its way to try and stop and bring justice to victims of crimes often crimes committed by white police officers. Many Black Lives Matters supporters rioted throughout the United States, due to these many injustices. With officers often being acquitted of the charges filed against them this puts a sense of fear in the heart of the black community because the fact of the matter is how can individuals call upon the people who are supposed to protect and serve us when they are the ones killing us. Minorities are more concerned about crime and more skeptical about law enforcement’s efforts to control it. Blacks agree that changes in policies and procedures could be effective in reducing tensions between minorities and police and in limiting violence against civilians.

In conclusion many of these cases it only shows that until something is done its going to continue to happen. If it is not put to an end soon who knows how many more unarmed black men will be shot by the officers who are suppose to protect us. People need to stand together to end this by any means necessary because the effects of crime without punishment are a sense of unlawfulness, creates the context that if an individual got away with the crime maybe they can too, and creates a sense of fear.