1.According to the reading, how did the war on drug in Tulia, Texas in 1999 ultimately lead to a charge against the “Officer of the Year” in the state of Texas, Thomas Coleman?
Thomas Coleman was awarded “Officer of the Year” in 1999 for his persistent effort to fight against the war on drugs in Tulia. He was able to arrest people that were committing crimes such as selling cocaine near school zones and personally selling an undercover officer drugs. Thomas was viewed as a hero in the eyes of law enforcement and the Attorney General of Tulia. However, several allegations in the case exposed the true identity of Thomas Coleman. The defendants had legitimate evidence that showed that they did not sell any drugs at the given times that Coleman stated in his allegations. For instance, a defendant was “more than 300 miles away in Oklahoma at the time Coleman alleged she was selling …show more content…
The symbolic interactionist perspective is human behaviors influenced by definitions and the meanings that society creates around us. The undercover officer, Tom Coleman along with the few Hispanics and whites that were associated with them. Tulsa community consists of 66.5% white, 39.6% Hispanic and 8.4% African American. The African American population is the lowest and yet the most targeted by Coleman. He based his arrests on identifying most African Americans as criminals. The society labels people has deviant, which showed how African Americans are being viewed this way. The majority of people who do drugs are white and the people in prison for drug related crimes are African Americans. African Americans get a longer prison sentence than white people. For instance, an individual received a 90-year sentence after being convicted of selling cocaine to Coleman.( ) If this were to be a white person, his prison sentence would be
Thomas Coleman was awarded “Officer of the Year” in 1999 for his persistent effort to fight against the war on drugs in Tulia. He was able to arrest people that were committing crimes such as selling cocaine near school zones and personally selling an undercover officer drugs. Thomas was viewed as a hero in the eyes of law enforcement and the Attorney General of Tulia. However, several allegations in the case exposed the true identity of Thomas Coleman. The defendants had legitimate evidence that showed that they did not sell any drugs at the given times that Coleman stated in his allegations. For instance, a defendant was “more than 300 miles away in Oklahoma at the time Coleman alleged she was selling …show more content…
The symbolic interactionist perspective is human behaviors influenced by definitions and the meanings that society creates around us. The undercover officer, Tom Coleman along with the few Hispanics and whites that were associated with them. Tulsa community consists of 66.5% white, 39.6% Hispanic and 8.4% African American. The African American population is the lowest and yet the most targeted by Coleman. He based his arrests on identifying most African Americans as criminals. The society labels people has deviant, which showed how African Americans are being viewed this way. The majority of people who do drugs are white and the people in prison for drug related crimes are African Americans. African Americans get a longer prison sentence than white people. For instance, an individual received a 90-year sentence after being convicted of selling cocaine to Coleman.( ) If this were to be a white person, his prison sentence would be