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Why Separate Train Cars were a Bad Idea 

Let’s break this down. Homer Plessey who was a citizen, taxpayer, and working guy gets kicked out of a train car because of his race. He looks white; He acts like any other passenger. But Louisiana says nope, separate cars and why, because he was 1/8th African American. 

The 14th Amendment says citizens are protected by both the U.S. and their state. So why is Louisiana ignoring that? Louisiana’s culture is mixed. African Americans and French families have been intermarrying for generations. Diversity is baked in however this law doesn’t reflect that it tries to erase it and push the will of white supremacy. 

Also, how is this supposed to work? Are train workers supposed to inspect every passenger’s racial background?  Are they supposed to do a blood test for every single passenger that tries to board the train? That's not only ridiculous but costly and time consuming.

From a religious angle, it’s offensive. Genesis says we’re all God’s children. Segregation goes against Christian teachings. It’s spiritual hypocrisy. Economically? A nightmare. Railroads have to double everything cars, staff, costs. It’s wasteful at best, even the companies didn’t want it. Northern states skipped this nonsense and thrived but, Louisiana’s law did this not only hurting the railroads but also scares off investors that didn't want to have this imagine on their background.

And think of the damage to kids? Huge and life changing; It teaches Black children they’re inferior and that even if a law bans something people will find loopholes, this could cause a bigger distrust in the government.  

Justice Harlan nailed it: “Our Constitution is color-blind.” If segregation starts with trains, where does it stop? That's the question, where would it stop? Would we basically just bring back slavery if nothing was done to stop this? 

Now, the state says it’s about peace and order. They claim the law is neutral, that it applies to both races. But let’s be real; It’s rooted in the legacy of slavery. These laws are part of a system that keep black people from owning land and gaining independence. It’s control, dressed up as policy. The state says it’s protecting white workers and avoiding racial tension. But that’s just fear talking. Bottom line; This law isn’t about safety, it's about giving white people more power all over again.

Ai disclosure, I used Co-pilot to use my notes to make a blog post; however I edited so that it better reflected my ideas and the things that I wanted to say in the blog post. I made sure that I also used a format that would make it in a college freshman style.