1.

Many patterns of inequality based on class exist in the United States today.
According to Mark R. Rank, the conventional wisdom associated with poverty is that it is
seen as an individual hindrance. Many Americans believe that impoverished people are
unmotivated or are not working to the best of his or her ability. Poverty is seen as
someone elses problem when in fact it is the exact opposite. According to the article
Rethinking American Poverty, Americas social structure sets people up for poverty.
Instead of trying to increase social mobility and move people out of poverty, the
government spends its funds on programs to keep the impoverished where they are.
These programs include food stamps and Medicaid. While these government-funded
programs are beneficial, it does not fix the problem associated with the high poverty rate
seen in America today.
This inequality based on class and poverty is currently increasing today in
American society. More and more low-paying jobs are being put forth, causing those
who are looking for jobs to make an unsustainable amount of money. The phrase the
rich become richer and the poor become poorer is an accurate description of todays
American economics. Unless the socioeconomic structure of America drastically
changes (which is unlikely considering Donald Trump is a possible candidate for the next
presidency, yikes!) the impoverished will not have the ability to move up the social
ladder and the top one percent will still possess forty-two percent of the countrys
financial wealth.
2d.
The statement justice is blind means that the criminal justice system sees no
race, class, or gender when convicting someone of a crime. The conventional wisdom
associated with that statement is true in the sense that criminals are punished for
wrongdoings. According to Tomaskovic-Devey and Warren, racial profiling proves that
the statement mentioned above is completely absurd. Racial minorities are targeted more
often in traffic stops than whites according to the article Explaining and Eliminating
Racial Profiling. As discussed in class, the recent attacks on young, black, males by
police officials are also becoming a huge issue based on race. According to Pager, author
of The Mark of a Criminal Record, black males can acquire the same credentials as
white males, not have a criminal record, and still be less likely to be hired by an employer
than white males with a criminal record. The statement justice is blind is horribly
flawed in many ways other than the ones explained above and have sociological evidence
to prove accordingly.