A revolutionary moment has happened in our country’s history! On October 6th, President Joe Biden announced that he would pardon Americans that were charged with minor marijuana charges. Many who are enthusiastic about this pardon say that this is a huge achievement for the many Americans who are people of color, especially Black Americans, who are more often charged.
It is also a big step forward for us as a nation, progressing and moving toward ending a form of systemic racism as well as over-policing in certain communities. Biden’s executive pardon serves as a shift from the War on Drugs first put forth by President Nixon in the 1970s, which involved prosecuting mainly Black Americans for possession of certain drugs and marijuana. More than 50 years later, there is now something major being done to challenge this and it’s considered a huge victory for those advocating against arresting POC for crimes like drug possession and concentrating the police force within these communities.
While this is a big step towards improvement, it shouldn’t just stop here. Systemic racism is still prevalent in our nation and we need to keep voting and spreading awareness about important issues like this. Thanks to efforts put forth to have these people liberated at last, many Americans can now go home and continue to live their lives.
Of course, there are also those that were imprisoned and cannot move on so simply, and we need to help those that are now put in this situation. For example, many employers choose not to hire someone who has been charged with this type of crime. This leads to increased rates of unemployment, homelessness, and lack of education in minority communities that are very vulnerable. With this same kind of enthusiasm, we can help improve on issues like these as well and make a difference in other peoples’ lives.