Envision a town hundreds of years ago located right beside a riverbank of freshwater. As a small, rural town, the townsfolk depend greatly on this river to drink, cook, wash and clean. One day, as the people go about their business, large bits of mud and gunk begin to come down the river, contaminating the lifeblood of the community and endangering the town’s way of life. Immediately, large groups from the town gather by the bank and in the river, working to remove the contaminant as it flows toward them. Some of the mud and gunk is removed, but much continues downstream, congregating along the banks in pools and causing even greater problems for the next town along the river. Suddenly, one man leaves the effort and sprints up the riverbank. Those in the midst of trying to stop the contaminant angrily yell after him, questioning why he has given up the effort. He responds as he runs, “I’m not giving up! I’m going to see where the contaminant is coming from!”
Why did I tell this story? Unfortunately, this story is analogous, in various ways, to the many social policies present in the United States and in North Carolina that are working to alleviate social problems. Almost all of the townsfolk paid attention to the contaminant coming down the river and harming their immediate way of life. Likewise, this country often sees only the immediacy of trying to expel harmful issues that are hurting our society. There is failure in today’s society to ask the key question that the man running up the riverbank asked: “Where are the problems affecting my society truly coming from?”
For this man, the question was one that emphasized how a contaminant got in his town’s water supply. For our society to go figuratively “up the riverbank,” similar questions need to be asked about the root causes and origins of the issues our society faces today. This means asking questions that lead to the heart of the matter. For example, why are poverty levels so high in the U.S.? The poverty rate in 2010 was the highest poverty rate since 1993, according to the National Poverty Center.
Why are the federal prisons facing significant capacity issues? The population of federal prisoners grew 14 percent between 2006 and 2012, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Consider the rampant use of illicit drugs in our culture, especially among the impoverished. Many other countries work to understand problems like this at their core, leading them to view drug addiction as a public health issue instead of a criminal issue. Instead of looking to deal with these problems appropriately during the last few decades, the U.S. has wasted enormous sums criminalizing non-violent drug offenders. This course of action leads to a disproportionate amount of convictions for drug possession in minority groups. Instead of attacking such issues at the root, these policies only further hurt communities. Advocacy groups such as The Sentencing Project report that 1 in 3 black men in the U.S. will be incarcerated at some point in their lives and that 1 in every 15 African-American children has a parent who is currently in either prison or jail. In this case, the political attempt to relieve the dangers of drug availability and use on the streets only deepens the cycle of poverty.
When it comes to the social woes of today’s culture, concentrating on treatment of the immediate symptoms has become a common model. There is a tendency to point fingers and, in turn, resources toward the exposed surface of many deeper social injustices. Sadly, this shortsightedness is often the result of failing to effectively identify and target the root causes of critical social concerns. This country and state will only continue to struggle until we go “up the river” by asking the right questions that lead to the root of the matter.
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