Cause and Effect Monster EssayAfrican-American men born in the United States in 2001 have a one-in-three chance of being incarcerated at some point in their lives, according to Department of Justice statistics . An even greater number will have criminal records and will face a variety of collateral consequences resulting from those criminal records. As Michelle Alexander wrote: “An extraordinary percentage of black men in the United States are legally barred from voting today, just as they have been for much of American history. They are also subject to legalized discrimination in employment, housing, education, public benefits, and jury service, just as their parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents once were,” as gathered by thinkprogress.com. The misconception in today's community is that all races are now "equal." Racial tension is the main reason he is in the situation he is in. This is one of the themes that Walter Dean Myers is trying to convey in his book Monster. It's also one of the prevalent reasons why Steve ended up in the situation he was in. There are many reasons why Steve is in the position he is in, the first cause of a chain reaction being his age, sixteen. Now, you may be wondering how Steve's age is a factor in his court appearance. Well, it is commonly accepted that your age influences the people you date. For example, a sixteen-year-old teenager will not date a group of sixty-year-old men. No. They will date people in their own age group. Steve does this; he associates with the wrong people and ultimately pays the price. He certainly said he was "acquainted" with Mr. Cruz, James King and Bobo Evans. (......middle of paper......the jury would see no difference between me and all the bad people who take the stand." (p. 116) Note that all the "bad people" who take the stand he is African American. However it will most likely make the jury believe that all blacks are equal. This racial bond was probably detrimental to his chances of "getting off" and will make everything more difficult important on the jury's decision in some sense had any effect on the jury's verdict. When you put them all together and gave them to the jury, Steve's result was the right one. He wasn't charged with anything and he got off totally free he had practically nothing on his part, but in the end, many factors positively influenced the jury's verdict..