Black Rage Confronts the Law

Book excerpt: Harris, creator of the black rage defense, traces its origin. Emphasizing that the black rage defense must be enlisted responsibly and selectively, he skillfully distinguishes between applying an environmental defense and simply blaming society in the abstract for individual crimes. He also addresses the possibilities of a white rage defense and the more recent phenomenon of cultural defenses. He illustrates how a person's environment can and does affect his or her life and actions. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR