Plessy Vs Ferguson

     Plessy versus Ferguson is one of the most discussed court cases in all of history. This is mainly because it established the "separate but equal" mantra that we all know too well. Today, I'm going to explain how Ferguson had the stronger argument, even though I do not agree with the ruling.

    First off, a big thing that helped their case was that Plessy was fully aware that he was breaking the law. This served for the purpose of allowing the prosecutors to say that allowing him to get away with this would let others think it is okay for them to do it too. Since most white people were scared of black people, they were completely fine with the law. To support the religious side of the court, Ferguson provided that God made them separate races for a reason. They believe that God separated blacks and whites from the beginning, and disobeying that would be a sin. 

    Plessy does state that the law gives black people a "badge of inferiority" that even their kids have to live with.  Ferguson says that the state had worked very hard to integrate black people into everyday society. The prosecution continued to state that the law does not show inferiority, but then continues to state that blacks have allowed themselves to be seen as inferior, which seems to contradict each other. 

    Since many whites agree with this Louisiana law, they believe that segregation does not equal to unlawful discrimination. Ferguson presumes that the law is a necessity for society to be balanced and to work correctly. Black people are given the same amenities as their white counterparts; therefore, the separation should be allowed. They state that black rights are not being taken away, for they can still vote and serve on a jury, so Plessy should just take the repercussions and move on with his life. 

Plessy versus Ferguson, one of the most influential court cases ever for America, was not morally correct, but Ferguson did have stronger evidence and more support for their side than Plessy. In the end, Plessy was forced to pay a $25 fine for a law that the broke. This law was eventually spread all throughout America and changed it forever.