The Anti-Drug Act of 1986 [the Act] was enacted for several reasons. One of the provisions of the law included imposing mandatory minimum sentences on people convicted of possessing a particular amount of crack and powder cocaine. Those convicted of possessing 5 grams of crack cocaine would face a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years in prison. Those convicted of possessing 500 grams of powder cocaine would receive the same mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years. This ultimately means that an individual would need to be in possession of 100 times the quantity of powder cocaine as crack cocaine to receive the same sentence. Congress justified this 100-to-1 sentencing disparity by emphasizing the serious social harms with which crack cocaine use was associated. Although crack and powder cocaine are the same chemical substance, crack is sold more cheaply on the street and can be smoked, causing a briefer and more intense intoxicating effect (Brown, 2004). In 1986, when the law was signed into law, there were twenty-one African American members of Congress. Of these twenty-one, eleven voted in favor of the law. However, as Kennedy mentions, we cannot understand the reasoning behind the votes because "a representative may be against certain parts of a bill but favor others enough to support the legislation as a whole" (Kennedy, 1997, p. 370). As Kennedy says, we fail to understand the reasoning behind voting for the law, but it is clear that before the vote, none of the African-American members of Congress said that the bill law was racist. However, before the law was even presented to Congress, the idea behind the crack epidemic was presented to them. Charles Rangel, an African American... middle of paper ... served much of Congress. bypassing standard procedures in its haste to legislate. But…nothing requires Congress to follow a specific path” (Kennedy, 1997, p. 374). Congress could pass legislation as quickly as it sees fit. He does not need to fully listen to each side's arguments before deciding whether or not to vote on the law. I think the ratio may be significantly high and perhaps could be reduced, but Congress did not act racist in passing the law. Rather, Congress was looking out for the well-being of African-American communities devastated by crack cocaine. Works Cited Kennedy, R. (1997). Race, crime and the law. New York: Vintage Books. Brown, D.K. (2004). Anti-Drug Abuse Act (1986). Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved November 30, 2010 from http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3407400021.html