Unleashing police to do war on Americans initiated the violence, causing dealers to begin to arm themselves and become increasingly violent against the cops and everyone else. The war mindset has permeated the way inner-city people think. During their entire lifetimes, they have seen violence as normal and act it out with their dogs, their music, personal relationships, and their children. Enlisting minority Americans to work as drug warriors makes them enemies of others. Families are broken by the drug war.
Prison is accepted as a normal part of life for many young minorities like military service.
The thinking that infliction of pain is the best way to teach people has seeped into the values of too many people. The culture of punishment has developed with and sustains the drug war. Even when it comes to the issue of crack vs. powder cocaine sentencing, most blacks will say that crack is so much worse, it deserves tougher sentences. They view crack users and dealers as traitors to their people. Belief in neighborhood block watches seems to be growing, even after volunteers have been killed on the streets.