By Frank James IV
Twas a few weeks before Christmas and in Wisconsin a Doctor was about to go to prison. The Doctor had been convicted of conspiracy to distribute cocaine in Southeastern Wisconsin. Conspiracy to distribute can be punished with 10 years to life. To avoid this the doctor turned informant, got a few hours and time served while on supervision. Santa winked at the doctor and grinned because in this country jail time is for those who are black not white.
The previous paragraph may seem a bit comical but it is true. In 2011 Steven Armus plead guilty to conspiracy to distribute over 10 pounds of crack cocaine. This charge carries a 10 to life sentence by itself. Armus also had a possession with intent to deliver charge under his belt. Well a Christmas miracle happened and Armus only did a few hours in jail. Armus turned informant and was given time served while on supervision and basically that was it. Armus did have to sell his business and lose his license to practice medicine for two years but he is a free man. 
I am not a hater so I give kudos to Armus for getting off. Armus is valuable to the community as a lesson to the poor. For decades people have always felt African Americans received harsher penalties for drug offenses. Armus basically got off for a charge that would have had an African American doing at least five years. The only way an African American would get five years for that charge is if they turned in the head of a drug cartel.
There are several lessons to be learned from this one case. One is if you are going to inform then you shouldn’t go to jail. Armus’ case shows this in plain black and white. African Americans rarely get off scott free no matter what evidence they give to authorities. I’m not saying there are not cases where an African American has turned states evidence and gone free. I’m saying these cases are rare and extremely rare with African American males. Everyone has heard the stories of some poor fool caught with five or ten rocks getting a heavy dose of time. Armus was planning on moving pounds of crack, not powder. I’ll let that digest for a while. 
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There is one major lesson to be learned. African Americans are, and always will be the patsies in the American penal system. African Americans are the image people think of when they hear the word prison. African Americans are the face people see when they think of drug dealers. Drugs have ravished and tainted the next five generations of African Americans. When does it stop?
African Americans have to look at cases like Armus’ and become wiser. Many people blame the penal and judicial system for the misery in the African American community. The only way those two systems can affect you is if you place your self at their mercy. African Americans know that the law is biased, so why do they keep putting themselves in its hands?
There are few African Americans who will get the Armus treatment in court. This is just the plain truth. The question facing African Americans is simple. African Americans are you going to continue to lose or stop playing the game? Santa may just give you a gift if you wise up.
