Crime Quote by Michelle Alexander
““Criminals, it turns out, are the one social group in America we have permission to hate. In 'colorblind' America, criminals are the new whipping boys. They are entitled to no respect and little moral concern. Like the 'coloreds' in the years following emancipation, criminals today are deemed a characterless and purposeless people, deserving of our collective scorn and contempt. When we say someone was 'treated like a criminal,' what we mean to say is that he or she was treated as less than human, like a shameful creature. Hundreds of years ago, our nation put those considered less than human in shackles; less than one hundred years ago, we relegated them to the other side of town; today we put them in a cage. Once released, they find that a heavy and cruel hand has been laid upon them.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The New Jim Crow, Michelle Alexander, 2010
The quote argues that society dehumanizes criminals, treating them as a group worthy of contempt, similar to past racial oppression.
In simple terms: Society treats criminals as less than human, echoing historic racism.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and challenge dehumanizing attitudes toward criminals.
Themes
justice
human rights
racism
social perception
Mood
critical
reflective
concerned
Type
social commentary
political
analytical
When to use this quote
- criminal justice reform
- public policy
- education
- media representation
Key Concepts
dehumanization
systemic oppression
social control
Questions to Reflect On
- How does language shape our view of criminals?
- What steps can reduce societal contempt?
A Different Perspective
Dehumanizing language can reinforce punitive policies and hinder rehabilitation.
![“Eventually [black men] are arrested, whether they've committed any serious crime or not, and branded criminals or felons for life. Upon release, they're ushered into a parallel social universe in which the civil and human rights supposedly won during the Civil Rights Movement no longer apply to…” quote by Michelle Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b57/michelle-alexander-750_arrested_eventually-black-men-are-arrested-whethe_348081.jpg)
![“[T]he slave went free; stood a brief moment in the sun; then moved back again toward slavery. —W.E.B Du Bois, Black Reconstruction in America For” quote by Michelle Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/fdb/michelle-alexander-750_slavery_t-he-slave-went-free-stood-a-brief-momen_96485.jpg)
