The state with the largest number of executions in the union is also the state where the majority of 7-12th graders have faced school suspension and/or expulsion at some point in their school careers.
Students with disabilities and students of color are disproportionately punished with expulsion and out of school suspension.
Similarly, America’s justice system is tainted with racism no matter where you look, but Texas in particular has a problem with racism influencing who is sentenced to death and who is not.
These problems are clearly related and represent the worst parts of our culture–authoritarianism, punitiveness, and inflexibility, all with a nice dollop of systemic racism.
Shit like this is why I could never bring myself to simply “agree to disagree” with hardcore conservatives. Conservatives promote and nurture callousness and (at best) refuse to acknowledge the perniciousness of racism. Conservative “ideals” kill people and ruin lives.
Acoustic! Kitty! 
majority of 7-12th graders have faced school suspension and/or expulsion at some point in their school careers
“Zero tolerance.”
You have to wonder whether this is what has worked for the rich folks to keep getting elected to power, which is the biggest hardon they have, A used to be scared population that isn’t too bright.
It may not even be a concious thought for them any more, just the way things have always been.
A lot of it is classic divide and conquer- they play the race card to mollify poor, bigoted whites (“You’re being ground under, but at least you’ve got it better than those darkies!”) .
Actual Tories would be a step up from the current lunatic scum.