Friday, December 18, 2015
Law and Society Presentations
After watching several Law and Society Presentations I have come to have a better grasp of both the court system and the Bill of Rights. Not only has this section helped me become more aware of my surroundings, but it has also helped me have deeper insights on the Judicial System. I now know that when people are accused of a crime, they will do anything in their power to free themselves of their respective charges.
Rodney King
In my opinion the whole Rodney King case was blown way out of proportion and was a blatant abuse of police power. The video of the beating clearly illustrated that Rodney King was not a threat nor was he armed. Again and again we see events that occur like this where the law enforcement clearly abuses their powers against a minority for the wrong reason. When the officer stated that their training was militarized, that's when to me, I first believed that this was one hundred percent wrong.
Rodney King
The Rodney King case was the first time I really opened my eyes to racism. I never really thought much of racism living in such a safe and diverse community. Seeing the video of King getting beaten by the LAPD put me in shock. I could not believe seeing these humans hurt another human. Put aside all color and race cards, put aside he was running from the cops, put aside the LAPD was trained to beat until they comply. I could not believe my eyes watching these cops beat another human being. It made me open my eyes to all the racism and color wars we live in, in today's world.
Shots x 12
As we have been going through the different Ferguson volumes, many students have commented on how firing 12 rounds is excessive. every time someone mentions that and how the fact that 12 rounds were fired and how that specifically is excessive use of force I have a different view. Wilson could have fired 24 shots at Brown and if only 4 of those rounds did damage, as in the actual shooting, the force used would have been the same. In my opinion, the amount of rounds used is irrelevant, bnut, the number of damaging bullets in crucial. If Wilson's 12 rounds had all hit Brown, I would agree that such use of force is excessive. With only 4 shots hitting Brown, I do not find it strange that Wilson fired so many rounds. Wilson knew that pulling the trigger would bring him safety. Wilson didn't stop until he was safe. If safety had come after one bullet entry, he would have stopped then. It took 4 impacts and 12 rounds for Brown to reach safety. All in all, the use of 12 rounds is largely irrelevant seeing as only a third of the rounds did anything.
Edmodo 4&5: micro-agressions suck
So I read through a little BuzzFeed article on micro-aggression. Different people wrote on a piece of some sort of parchment and expressed minor racist comments they receive. Many of the comments didn't seem like they were intended to be racially insensitive, but, small things can have big impacts. Asking things like, "What are you" can make people feel dehumanized when you're just wondering if they're from China or Brazil. While intentions may be unclear, the results are. The repeated comments made to certain individuals cause them to feel lesser and their existence questioned as opposed to bolstered. Small things can add up and we should be conscious in the phrasing of our questions as to preserve the sanity and happiness of others.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/hnigatu/racial-microagressions-you-hear-on-a-daily-basis#.wa5VOQL1kd
Case Study Response: The Legal System is 7/10?
After reading, viewing, writing about, and hearing different case studies, I'd give our legal system a 7/10 - a %70. Let's start with the extremes. It's not a 0/10 because, well, if I was caught stealing bread, I'd probably get punished for stealing bread and not much else. the repercussions to my actions would be delivered by the court system. The system isn't perfect or 10/10 because certain people and crimes slip through.OJ and Von Bulow used monetary power to escape the consequences of their actions. I take another point off for simply not being equal. A system meant for all should treat everyone equally. Certain figures , such as police officers, have an easier time in court as they have societal authority and are simply treated better as people believe that officers are good. As Mr. Jack once said, "Just be a rich white police officer," and you'll be good for life. That leaves us at 8/10. Another point is deducted for excessive punishment at times. When the system is meant to deliver justice, it at times over-punishes individuals. In the San Francisco dog mauling, was life imprisonment really fair? Yes, the owner of the presa canarios should probably have not had animals that were trained as weapons, but, taking her life away over an accident? Hefty fines and sometime in prison would have been enough to teach her a lesson and stop her from being a menace to society. By imprisoning her indefinitely, she only becomes a burden to society as opposed to being a beneficiary. So that leaves us at 7/10. The legal system we have isn't perfect, it can really screw you over, but, it does kinda do the job for the most part. Improvement could definitely be made in equality and punishment. All in all, it's okay, but, not that great.
Rodney King: A Push Start For the Cause
The situation in which Rodney King was violently abused and unjustifiably punished allowed for social development in the United States. While what happened to King was immoral (on the officers part), it was a key moment for the progression of equal rights for all in America. The filming of the beating allowed for the exposure of police brutality. In the open, the topic could be discussed and altered to conform to the standards of society. Without the awful actions that had been taken out on King, equality in America today would be in a worse state. Rodney King's injustice allowed for the greater justice for all in the future by making the repair of social injustice possible.
Friday, December 11, 2015
Rodney King
What surprised me was that Rodney King incident happened at about the same time that OJ Simpson was famous. It was almost the wake up call that even though OJ was a bridge between the white and black communities that there was still racist actions being taken against ordinary people. The fact that a few cops beat up a black man because they thought he was on drugs and speeding was pretty silly. However what I admired was that Rodney King told the people to stop the riots and that it wasn't the way to get their revenge. I saw that as very brave because they're rioting for him however he told them to stop it.
The Problems With Witnesses
Before this year, I believed witness testimonies were the most reliable and important piece of evidence in a court case. My mindset was, well if they were there, they know exactly what happened. Therefore, they are the most reliable and most aware of everything that had happened. After sitting through over twenty presentations on the volumes of the Ferguson case, my opinion has changed completely. Although multiple witnesses were there, each person had a different perspective. They could have interpreted things differently, had an obstructed view, previous experiences that changed the way they felt about certain groups of people, or many other things that could have differentiated their testimonies. I also realized people are forgetful and can not remember every single detail from the incident. Listening to all the witnesses' testimonies made me frustrated because everyone was saying different things. Now whether they were lying, telling the truth, or mistakenly said what they THOUGHT they saw, it all must be taken into consideration. All the differing testimonies made it hard for me to choose one side over the other.
When Should Police Shoot to Kill?
My Perspective is clear on this issue: Police should only shoot to kill if they feel that the other person has a weapon on them that will kill the officer in the situation. But how do police know if the person has a weapon on them or not, especially if the suspects hands are not up, or if they are running towards the officer? This leaves room for a judgement in the moment, which could be different for each police officer, however. We see that it's a common theme in police and cop shows for suspects to be running from the detective, with the detective later pulling out their gun and killing them if they feel threatened. However, should this be a common place in real life? Is it ok for police shooting to kill if they feel threatened, or should they only shoot to injure the person (like leg, stomach are, etc)? What is appropriate for police in this case? Should police shoot to kill, in any case?
Heres an article that provides some perspective on this issue from the police department itself:
http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2014/12/shooting_to_kill_why_police_ar.html
Heres an article that provides some perspective on this issue from the police department itself:
http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2014/12/shooting_to_kill_why_police_ar.html
Columbus Day
https://www.facebook.com/storiesbycut/videos/522456597917232/
I had watched this video the other day and it kind of affected my way of thinking because i had never really viewed Columbus day as anything other than some holiday that no one really thinks about but after seeing how it Native Americans and how we celebrate it in front of them like its nothing is kind of messed up. A lot of the time in class we focus on Minority groups like Latinos and African Americans and after watching these i will keep Native Americans in the back of my mind as well.
A Badge, Uniform, and Race: It does not correlate
A former Oklahoma City Police Officer was convicted last night of raping and sexually victimizing eight women on his police beat in a minority, low-income neighborhood. Daniel Holtzclaw, who turned 29 Thursday, sobbed as the verdict was read out loud. Jurors convicted him on 18 counts involving eight of the 13 women who had openly accused him; the jury acquitted him on other 18 counts. Holtzclaw was found guilty on four counts of first-degree rape, one count of second-degree rape, six counts of sexual battery, four counts of forcible sodomy, and three counts of procuring lewd acts for which has led him to approximately 263 years of life in prison. It is believed that Holtzclaw used his race and higher authorative figure to reason his actions and according to the victims themselves, he made his "whiteness" very clear in order to ridicule and demean them for he used racial slurs and commanding words that made his racial background clear to his victims. He wanted them to know he was white and that his badge placed him among a privileged class to which these women did not and could not belong; it meant he could subjugate them with all manner of defilements with impunity. From my perspective, despite how unfortunate the situation is, it is incredibly relieving to see our jury strategically evaluate and find a justifiable verdict, NOT allowing for this man to get away with it simply because of his image. This case was also a winning situation in terms of bringing in woman empowerment and making it affirmative that women's lives matter. All too often, how much justice one recieves depends largely on the social strictures of wealth and race. In that regard, even a predator like Holtzclaw perhaps believed he was able to get away for the viscious acts that he committed. Based on his own words, he made it evident that he embraced some of his most unfortunate aspects of that privilege. He bought into and used that sense of supremacy to sexually violate his victims and the oath he swore to serve and protect them. What do you think based on this case? Do you believe Holtzclaw pursued these acts and thought he would get away with them based on the color of his skin and his job? Do you agree that this case was also celebratory in the way our jury processed it?
Rights with police
https://www.facebook.com/ajplusenglish/videos/649732598501584/
I saw this video the other day and it reminded me of the Ferguson case because it left me wondering what would have happened my Michael brown had done all these things, would he be dead today and i felt it useful to watch just in case I got into a bad situation.
Ferguson Trial Thoughts
In the beginning of the trail I thought for sure Daren Wilson was guilty, but my opinion was swayed due to the media and what I have seen on tv, but as we go on through these presentation I feel conflicted. Most of the witnesses that have been shared with us have been split in a way, half of them seeing Daren Wilson guilty the other thinking hes innocent. Based on the evidence that we have examined i believe that Michael Brown should have been arrested for his role in the tussle going down in the car but the fact that Daren Wilson shot the amount of times he did was reason enough to take this case to court. There is no reason you should be firing at a person in broad daylight 9 times, on top of this police officers are trained to shoot with some precision or accuracy so you could assume that he could shoot Michael Browns legs and leave his vital organs intact.
After the last presentations presented this week, my point of view of what I believe went down, changed. From what I presented, I took bias for what was given to me. Some of the presentations were similar to what my witnesses had seen. Although there were some slight differences. What made my way of thinking changed when the doctors and officers examined. From what observed, I personally believed that both Wilson and Michael are both slightly equally guilty for what happened. Michael brown should have not took off that fast, running away like if he was hiding something. Its been said that when being confronted by enforcement officials, it better to stay calm and cooperate, somethings Michael did not do. Wilson had given false statements that his face and neck were red because Michael had punched him, when really those marks were from his medication. Overall, this incident is really had to understand.
Team Names in Sports
In the last couple years there have been a lot of discussion about the Washington Redskin's team name and whether they should change it or not. The Redskins have stated that they will not change their name, but people are calling for them to change their name. The San Francisco Chronicle does not use the team name when talking about the team because they feel that "Redskins" is a racist and degrading term towards Native Americans. It is a term that has been used to degrade Native Americans through history. I find it very interesting that so many people are taking offense to this issue because a lot of Native American high schools mascot is a "redskin". It seems that a lot of the Native American does not mind the name staying with the team, but some are taking offense to it. Also if you look at the Cleveland Indians in the MLB, their logo is of a native american man that is clearly a disrepectful stereotype. So many people are taking offense to the name that the Washington Redskins should change their name to a name that will not take offense to it. We took over the Native Americans land and forced them into little reservations to live with themselves and they still have to deal with the football name being named after a racist nickname given to Native Americans centuries ago. Dan Snyder, the owner of Redskins, can easily change the name and stop taking heat for something that should not be very important to him, but is very important to others.
Racism?
https://www.facebook.com/photographyisnotacrime/videos/986539058035846/
In class we focus on a lot of crimes where the African American community was the victim but the other day i saw this video where a whit person was the victim and i haven't really seen that before so i wanted to share it with you guys. I do not believe he should have been shot based on the video because he didn't pose much of a threat.
In class we focus on a lot of crimes where the African American community was the victim but the other day i saw this video where a whit person was the victim and i haven't really seen that before so i wanted to share it with you guys. I do not believe he should have been shot based on the video because he didn't pose much of a threat.
Police Brutality?
https://www.facebook.com/countercurrentnews/videos/596539767157474/
After watching this video it made me question what police officers have been taught on police procedures. In class we have seen some police brutality occur and for the most part they say that it is the way they are taught to handle a situation. After watching this it makes me think maybe on top of putting responsibility on the officers we should also rework police procedure.
After watching this video it made me question what police officers have been taught on police procedures. In class we have seen some police brutality occur and for the most part they say that it is the way they are taught to handle a situation. After watching this it makes me think maybe on top of putting responsibility on the officers we should also rework police procedure.
Fanduel and Draftkings
Throughout this football season the new thing to do is play in the daily fantasy football leagues. In these leagues you put in money and if you win then you get money. Some states are arguing that it is totally okay and not illegal gambling, but today rule against Draftkings and Fanduel. The lawyers for the two fantasy football companies argued that their clients could not have violated gambling statuses because they were taking in entry fee and not wagers. Now that Draftkings and Fanduel are not allowed in the state of New York, it should be interesting to see if other states follow New York's lead. It is interesting because Fanduel's main headquarters is in New York City so they are allowed to still operate their national businesses from their New York headquarters, but they cannot do business with anyone inside the state. In New York alone 600,000 people have played in daily fantasy leagues having put up more than 200 million dollars in 2015 alone.
Ferguson Trial: My Final Verdict
After hearing all the evidence and testimonies from the Ferguson trial, I think I have finally come to a conclusion. When we initially began this project I had my mind set that Darren Wilson was guilty, no doubt. As we examined more evidence and heard more testimonies, my opinion changed almost on a daily basis. Based off of some eyewitness statements, Darren Wilson did nothing wrong. Then there are eyewitness statements that accuse Officer Wilson of brutally murdering Michael Brown. So with the information that our class has collected I believe that the jury did not get it right. I think Darren Wilson should have gone on trial. Although I do not believe he should be charged with first degree murder, I do think he should face some time in prison for his actions. I understand most of Darren Wilson's actions, based off my own impulses. If someone was charging at me who previously proved himself to be a threat, I would have shot him as well. I do believe that Michael Brown's wounds were excessive, I believe the initial shots to impair Brown were necessary and justified. The final shots which ultimately killed Brown were not just because Brown was already impaired and no longer a threat. Besides that, I can imagine why Wilson fired those final shots, in that situation most people would not be thinking very clearly. It is a basic flight or fight response, if someone is charging towards you and you have the option to subdue them, most of us would shoot too. I also believe the officer that cleared Officer Wilson prematurely should have some responsibility in this situation too. Police officers are put in these situations every day and need to be prepared to think on the spot and make rational decisions quickly. His quick and rash decision could be a result of him being allowed on duty too early. In the end, I believe Darren Wilson should be held responsible for his actions.
Outlawing High School Football
Two Minnesota doctors believe football should be outlawed in high school due to the immense danger it puts the players in. Every game, players are at risk of serious injury that could be potentially fatal. This year alone, seven high school players have died as a result of head injuries, some even dying on the field. Although doctors realize it is unrealistic to outlaw high school football, they urge parents, coaches and players to understand the risks and consequences. They insist players wear all protective gear correctly and constantly while playing. Concussions can be difficult to diagnose on your own due to the common delayed symptoms such as nausea, confusion, and headache among others. This controversy over concussions and player safety leaves me questioning whether the game is really worth the possible fatal consequences.
Public Opinion's Toll on a Jury
With technology rapidly evolving and information becoming much more accesible to the public, Jurors often look to the internet and news to learn more about the case they are assigned to. This poses problems within a courthouse. Public opinion can greatly differ from what evidence suggests, which can persuade a jury to make wrong decisions. This means judges and lawyers can no longer be completely confident in a number of people on a jury and their decisions on a final verdict. What use is a legal system where a verdict can be easily flawed and persuaded by public opinion? It is tough to restrict the internet and information about cases from jurors, therefore I do not see and clear solution to this issue, and believe cases will continue to be flawed by public opinion.
Helicopter Parenting
After working as the Stanford Dean of all incoming freshman, Julie Lythcott-Haims is urging parents to step back and relax. She sees students all year long struggle immensely because they are incapable of taking care of themselves. The former educator and now author blames the parents. She believes they are 'over-parenting', shielding their children from all negativity and reality. Ensuring that they never fail and intervening in every aspect of their life. This growing parenting trend "robs them of the chance to learn who they are, what they love and how to navigate the world". Even though these parents are only attempting to help their children succeed, they are ultimately holding their children back. Directly caring for college freshman, Julie sees the impact of helicopter parenting, "They're breathless, they're brittle, they're old before their time." Lythcott-Haims urges parents to relax and allow their children to enjoy life and succeed on their own, but with their support.
Ferguson Verdict
Throughout all of the Ferguson presentations, it is clear why a verdict of not guilty was reached. It seems that every witness and testimony provides slightly different evidence which is inconsistant with the previous and following witnesses. Even if there is compelling evidence that supports the suspect being guilty, if that evidence remains inconsistant with seperate sources, it is tough for a jury to find the suspect guilty. Evidence needs to be consistant in order to convict someone. As we saw in the Ferguson case, and the O.J. Simpson case, evidence provided was very inconsistant among witnesses, therefore the legal system could not find Officer Wilson and O.J. Simpson guilty of murder.
Thursday, December 10, 2015
Mass Shootings
In class we talked a lot about mass shootings. All of the ones we talked about were very disturbing, but I think the fact that Adam Lanza decided to kill first graders was the worst for me. One of the mass shootings we really did not talk about was the one at Virginia Tech. The attack ended up being the deadliest shooting incident by a single gunman in U.S. history. The shooter, Seung-Hui Cho, was born in South Korea and moved to the United States when he was a kid. In middle school he was diagnosed with selective mutism as well as major depressive disorder. Cho enrolled in writing classes at Virginia Tech where he wrote absurdly violent writings and teachers were scared of him. Other students were also scared of him because he would talk to girls on instant messenger, saying creepy things forcing campus police make sure he did not go and try to talk to the girls. He was clearly not a stable person and everyone around him felt very uncomfortable. Then he killed 32 people and wounded 17. It seems clear that he showed signs that he was capable of doing this looking back on it. When you look back at Colombine you can also say that somebody should have known it was going to happen and stopped it. I think with all of these cases the people who commit these terrible crimes are obviously not stable and showed signs that they were capable of doing serious harm. Although all of these three examples, are the people who fit the stereotype of what the typical mass shooter is like, what if somebody that also fits this stereotype gets labeled a "mass murder" who is not? I think to make a judgement and say that somebody is going to be a mass murderer is a very extreme judgement and you do not want to be wrong.
Michael Brown and Rodney King
I noticed that Michael and Rodney case are very similar. Both cases raise the question of police brutality towards their race. In the Rodney King Case, there was confusion as to whether or not the police had use more than enough force. While some police officer said it was the guideline and protocol, other said that it went out of hand. In the Ferguson Case, the FTO said the police officers are taught to use as much force as they want to get the suspect to comply, but it can't be too much.
The blurry lines give the officers too much space to make mistakes. I think it would also make sense as to why the Grand Jury might have chose that there was not a case. Maybe in their eyes, Wilson wasn't the one in the wrong here. He was following protocols. It's the protocols that are wrong. But that is just my speculation. No one knows for sure exactly why they made that decision.
The blurry lines give the officers too much space to make mistakes. I think it would also make sense as to why the Grand Jury might have chose that there was not a case. Maybe in their eyes, Wilson wasn't the one in the wrong here. He was following protocols. It's the protocols that are wrong. But that is just my speculation. No one knows for sure exactly why they made that decision.
Trump Interview with Bill O'Reilly Regarding Muslim Ban
http://video.foxnews.com/v/4654433557001/donald-trump-outlines-his-muslim-strategy/?#sp=show-clips
Recently in an interview with Bill O'Reilly, Donald Trump outlined his plan to ensure our country's safety by banning Muslims from entering the US. He explains his intricate systems that will decide if the Muslim in question is a threat or not. Once approved, they will be allowed to enter the country. O'Reilly brings up the point that this proposed policy is already beginning to ruin many relationships with foreign countries. Muslim businessmen and women will no longer be able to travel to the US with ease. This will ruin many ties we have with international businesses. Not only with Muslims but with businesses and countries that realize how extreme and racist Trump's proposed idea is. This ban will not ensure this country's safety it will only have detrimental consequences.
Recently in an interview with Bill O'Reilly, Donald Trump outlined his plan to ensure our country's safety by banning Muslims from entering the US. He explains his intricate systems that will decide if the Muslim in question is a threat or not. Once approved, they will be allowed to enter the country. O'Reilly brings up the point that this proposed policy is already beginning to ruin many relationships with foreign countries. Muslim businessmen and women will no longer be able to travel to the US with ease. This will ruin many ties we have with international businesses. Not only with Muslims but with businesses and countries that realize how extreme and racist Trump's proposed idea is. This ban will not ensure this country's safety it will only have detrimental consequences.
Ferguson Volumes
After looking at all the evidence that was presented by everyone I could see why the Grand Jury decided to not indite Officer Darren Wilson in the shooting and killing of Michael Brown. It was because no one could give n accurate account of what had happened on that day. Every witnesses story differed in one way or another. From one witness saying that his hands were up to others saying they were halfway up to some even saying they were down the whole time. There simply was not enough evidence that could possibly put Officer Wilson behind bars. All the witnesses either had too many discrepancies in their stories or they had not seen what had happened fully. If one or two of the witnesses had seen what had happened fully then they might've had enough evidence to indite Officer Wilson.
Sex Change In Sports
A couple weeks ago I got in a debate on whether it would be okay if Caitlyn Jenner competed in golf tournaments as a female. I do not think that she is planning on entering any golf tournaments but it poses the hypothetical question, should she be allowed to compete as a female? Caster Semenya was a South African runner who won gold at the the 2009 World Championship for the Women's 800 meters. Following her victory she was subject to gender tests that proved she was intersex, and that caused an uproar. She was allowed to compete as a women despite these findings. Her situation is obviously a lot different than Jenner's because she was born that way and is still classified female. Jenner was a male athlete and considered one of the best athlete's on Earth after Bruce Jenner won the 1976 Olympic Gold medal for the decathalon. If she were to be able to compete as a female athlete, than that would open the floodgates for people to just get a sex change for sports reasons. Not sure how many athletes would do that, but if you allow Caitlyn Jenner to compete as a female than I think they would have a hard time not allowing an athlete in the prime of their career from having a sex change and competing in the opposite gender's sports. All in all it is just a hypothetical question, but definitely one that is more complicated and the implications going forward may impact other areas besides sports.
Trump running for president
I believe that Donald Trump running for president is the dumbest thing that I have ever seen in my entire life. All this man has done in his presidential campaign is bash different races and propose a ban on Muslim immigrants. That is the most ignorant thing that I have ever heard anyone say. I also thought it was hilarious when he tried to defend himself by saying he loved Mexico after he said that Mexico only offered its worse and that the US was their dumping ground. That the US was receiving only rapists and drug dealers. This man is basically saying that the US should only be home to white people and people are supporting this idea. It seems people are seeing a hero in some man that is trying to make the US worse.
Darren Wilson
I think that officers should have tools such as maces, batons, and tasers as mandatory equipment. I honestly have no idea if Darren Wilson, however, acted appropriately though. Taser guns themselves are not foolproof, and in a close encounter "few inches" situation it would probably be very hard to shoot a taser. The first deployment of the X-26 TASER, the most common variant, only yielded a 69 percent success rate. Mostly due to probes not hitting the target, hitting too close together, or hitting only one probe.
While I think the multiple shots against Michael were unnecessary after he was in the stage of just walking (most witnesses)/ potentially charging, towards Wilson, they were still justified since he followed protocol.
While I think the multiple shots against Michael were unnecessary after he was in the stage of just walking (most witnesses)/ potentially charging, towards Wilson, they were still justified since he followed protocol.
No matter how the protocol changes, shootings like this will happen because all it takes to allow deadly force is the officer's own judgment of his safety. It is really hard to create specific guidelines for what constitutes a threat to the officers safety so it is hard.
In a nutshell, I think that too many people jump to conclusions against Wilson or for Wilson. I personally think that situations like these can not be judged without hard, clear evidence for one side or the other.
http://www.tricitytribuneusa.com/tasers-not-always-100-percent-effective/
Trump's Banning of Muslims
Donald Trump, in my opinion, has been a complete joke from when he first announced he was running for President. From his remarks about Mexican immigrants being rapists and murders to his most recent announcement of banning Muslims from entering the borders of the United States has caused tons of controversy from the citizens of this country. What I don't understand is how he continues to have supporters despite his outrageous racial remarks, but I have seen that most of those supporters are racists themselves by the comments they add on videos on Facebook. I personally don't think banning an entire race/religious group from entering the United States will solve much, since that would be going against the First Amendment stated in the Constitution (the peoples freedom of religion). I think it is very discriminatory considering the fact that just because a group of terrorists claims themselves to a certain religion someone like Trump thinks its okay to ban the entire culture from the U.S. I feel like he completely disregards that mass shootings, in the past, have been committed by none other than white Americans. I really hope that the citizens of the U.S realize how pathetic this man is and don't make him our President. Even Republicans like Paul Ryan can't back up his statement of banning Muslims from the U.S.
Music and gun violence.
Incidents such as Bobby Schmurda's arrest for suspicion of gang violence and drug racketeering reminded me of how close some rap music can get to the subject matter.
Certain sub-genres of rap has always fascinated me with their intrinsic obsessions with violence, cash, and women. I always wondered why they rapped about something most of them do not do and would not do. I am not hating on them for not rapping about their actual experiences at all, I just find it fascinating how our culture loves these topics. I suppose it goes back to primal urges that allure so many, making this genre one of the largest in the industry.
From William Leonard Roberts the second, a former corrections officer who stepped into the rap game as Rick Ross, the name of an actual cocaine kingpin. To Slim Jesus, who openly stated he raps about guns, because everyone wants to hear that stuff.
It really is interesting how our culture likes these topics.
TL;DR: I'm not saying anything negative about these artists, just pointing out something interesting to me.
Certain sub-genres of rap has always fascinated me with their intrinsic obsessions with violence, cash, and women. I always wondered why they rapped about something most of them do not do and would not do. I am not hating on them for not rapping about their actual experiences at all, I just find it fascinating how our culture loves these topics. I suppose it goes back to primal urges that allure so many, making this genre one of the largest in the industry.
From William Leonard Roberts the second, a former corrections officer who stepped into the rap game as Rick Ross, the name of an actual cocaine kingpin. To Slim Jesus, who openly stated he raps about guns, because everyone wants to hear that stuff.
It really is interesting how our culture likes these topics.
TL;DR: I'm not saying anything negative about these artists, just pointing out something interesting to me.
El Chapo(and maybe the USA?) vs ISIS
Fox News Article
The above article is about an email El Chapo sent to the head of ISIS. In the email, El Chapo states that he plan to take down ISIS. The real reason he wants to take down ISIS is because they shot down one of his drug shipments. El Chapo's resentment doesn't come from all the other attacks ISIS has committed everywhere else in the world, it comes from one of his drug shipments being destroyed. He was very vulgar in his email ad it has led me to think of two things. One is going back to the little unit we had on the drug cartel in Miami with Griselda Blanco. I remember when people messed with her business, they definitely paid for it. So i cant help but think that El Chapo will be the same or even worse. Second, with El Chapo putting his strong hateful feelings towards ISIS out there for the public, I wonder if the US will enlist the help of the Sinaloa cartel to fight ISIS, if it came to that point. Part of me doesn't see it happening but part of me wishes it would because how funny and ironic would that be. This is obviously no laughing matter but the thought of a drug cartel teaming up with the United States of America to fight a terrorist group is just so weird to think about. What do you guys think?
The above article is about an email El Chapo sent to the head of ISIS. In the email, El Chapo states that he plan to take down ISIS. The real reason he wants to take down ISIS is because they shot down one of his drug shipments. El Chapo's resentment doesn't come from all the other attacks ISIS has committed everywhere else in the world, it comes from one of his drug shipments being destroyed. He was very vulgar in his email ad it has led me to think of two things. One is going back to the little unit we had on the drug cartel in Miami with Griselda Blanco. I remember when people messed with her business, they definitely paid for it. So i cant help but think that El Chapo will be the same or even worse. Second, with El Chapo putting his strong hateful feelings towards ISIS out there for the public, I wonder if the US will enlist the help of the Sinaloa cartel to fight ISIS, if it came to that point. Part of me doesn't see it happening but part of me wishes it would because how funny and ironic would that be. This is obviously no laughing matter but the thought of a drug cartel teaming up with the United States of America to fight a terrorist group is just so weird to think about. What do you guys think?
Narcissism
So is Kanye a narcissist?
Psychology today outlines the major factors of narcissism (These are official Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) requirements to be diagnosed as a narcissist:
1. Has a grandiose sense of self-importance.
Kanye definitely tick this box as he frequently lauds himself with praise both in his music and in the media.
"I still think I am the greatest."
"I am the number one human being in music. That means any person that's living or breathing is number two." 2. Is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love.
"Giving up for me is way harder than trying"
"I don't even listen to rap. My apartment is too nice to listen to rap in."
"I feel like I'm too busy writing history to read it."
I would say that Kanye ticks this one too. See above.
3. Believes that he or she is "special" and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate with, other special or high-status people (or institutions).
Going on stage and saying a Grammy should have gone to Beyonce rather than Taylor Swift. (evaluating the importance of his own opinion)
His child's name is Saint West.
Did Ye' want to name his kid after his very own godly/saintly success, or is he just celebrating the glorious-ness that is having a child?
I think it is probably a combination of both, as Kanye doesn't tick ALL the boxes on this list and probably isn't 100% narcissist.
4. Requires excessive admiration [regularly fishes for compliments, and is highly susceptible to flattery].
He has even been quoted saying that an awards show loses its credibility if he doesn't win an award.
5. Has a sense of entitlement.
same as above.
6. Is inter-personally exploitative.
No, as far as the media has communicated, Kanye does not tick this box. He does respect his mentors (such as Jay Z) and appreciates their help. He has been known to collaborate with artists to help them out.
7. Lacks empathy: is unwilling [or, I would add, unable] to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others.
No, see above. Helped artists. Has some empowering quotes.
HOWEVER, “[AIDS is] a man-made disease. [It was] placed in Africa just like crack was placed in the black community to break up the Black Panthers.”
8. Is often envious of others or believes that others are envious of him or her.
No clear evidence. He likens his resistance to haters and critics as the indifference of a robot. 9. Shows arrogant, haughty [rude and abusive] behaviors or attitudes.
Yes. Just yes.
Conclusion:
Kanye is not a narcissist. He just likes attention.
Psychology today outlines the major factors of narcissism (These are official Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) requirements to be diagnosed as a narcissist:
1. Has a grandiose sense of self-importance.
Kanye definitely tick this box as he frequently lauds himself with praise both in his music and in the media.
"I still think I am the greatest."
"I am the number one human being in music. That means any person that's living or breathing is number two." 2. Is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love.
"Giving up for me is way harder than trying"
"I don't even listen to rap. My apartment is too nice to listen to rap in."
"I feel like I'm too busy writing history to read it."
I would say that Kanye ticks this one too. See above.
3. Believes that he or she is "special" and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate with, other special or high-status people (or institutions).
Going on stage and saying a Grammy should have gone to Beyonce rather than Taylor Swift. (evaluating the importance of his own opinion)
His child's name is Saint West.
Did Ye' want to name his kid after his very own godly/saintly success, or is he just celebrating the glorious-ness that is having a child?
I think it is probably a combination of both, as Kanye doesn't tick ALL the boxes on this list and probably isn't 100% narcissist.
4. Requires excessive admiration [regularly fishes for compliments, and is highly susceptible to flattery].
He has even been quoted saying that an awards show loses its credibility if he doesn't win an award.
5. Has a sense of entitlement.
same as above.
6. Is inter-personally exploitative.
No, as far as the media has communicated, Kanye does not tick this box. He does respect his mentors (such as Jay Z) and appreciates their help. He has been known to collaborate with artists to help them out.
7. Lacks empathy: is unwilling [or, I would add, unable] to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others.
No, see above. Helped artists. Has some empowering quotes.
HOWEVER, “[AIDS is] a man-made disease. [It was] placed in Africa just like crack was placed in the black community to break up the Black Panthers.”
8. Is often envious of others or believes that others are envious of him or her.
No clear evidence. He likens his resistance to haters and critics as the indifference of a robot. 9. Shows arrogant, haughty [rude and abusive] behaviors or attitudes.
Yes. Just yes.
Conclusion:
Kanye is not a narcissist. He just likes attention.
Throwback: part 2
Thinking about the documentary on human behavior we watched a while back, the incident that caught my attention the most was the McDonald's one. I thought it was rather weird how the manager and her fiance followed the procedure. I get that they thought the man on the phone was an "officer" but why wouldn't they have taken a step back and think "would an officer really call McDonald's to conduct a search over the phone?". I don't understand the mentality they had. Why would you ever think that an officer would call you to conduct a search? Why wouldn't you take a step back and think that maybe she shouldn't perform oral sex on you. But then I think, it probably all happened in a very short time frame and the manager and fiance probably really believed this con artist because he is most likely very persuasive. Another question that comes up in my brain is why would the man pretending to be the officer want the woman to perform oral sex on the fiance? What does he get out of it? Unless he saw it happen, I don't believe he got any sexual pleasures from it. I would like to know more about why he does these things and what he gets out of it.
Throwback to Earlier This Semester: part 1
I remember earlier int he semester during one of the Edmodo article assignments, there was a section o the whole ask.fm suicides and I started thinking about how cyber bullying occurs. I think a big reason why cyber bullying occurs is because people our age now and days care so much about what other people think about them. People want to know what other people think. And social media is a great way to put things out there. Social media is the perfect platform to be exposed for a variety of things. And when people get exposed, they cling onto it and want to know more. They want to know if whatever was revealed about them, is what other people really think about them. For example, if person A goes on Facebook and says person B is a slut, but person A has never done anything sexual ever, then person A will want to know if that's how other people view her. Then person C and D and E all pitch in and agree with the notion that person A is a slut. Now person A doesn't know what to do because everyone thinks they are a slut but they really aren't. I think this is the main reason why cyber bullying happens because the victim gets sucked into believing a string of lies. I think it also has to do with a person's self esteem. How they view themselves is critical because if they don't think much of themselves then they are going to let the hateful comments get to them.
Trump Calls For Ban of all Muslims in America
Donald Trump is running for president and is currently in first place in the Republican polls. Trump is known for his outrageous statements and blunt racism. At first I thought what he was saying was a joke and that nobody would actually respect him as a real candidate or take him seriously. Somehow people are buying what he is saying and he is the Republican presidential front-runner. Donald Trump is no longer a laughing mater, he has a legitimate chance of becoming the president of our country during the next election. Donald Trump stating that he wants to ban all Muslims from the United States of America is not a joke. Some famous Americans that people look at as role models are Muslim. Muhammad Ali probably the most known boxer of all-time and arguably the greatest is Muslim. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the all-time leader in points scored in the NBA and most MVP awards in NBA history is Muslim. They both are very critical of Donald Trump. Speaking about ISIS Muhammad Ali said, "True Muslims know that the ruthless violence of so called Islamic Jihadists goes against the very tenets of our religion". Blaming an entire religion for the bad actions by an extremist groups that tries to justify their action by hiding behind religion is not what America should do, but Trump is doing that. Banning an entire religion from our country, or building a wall is not what we should do, because these issues are deep and there is no easy solution. It is not so cut and dry because if there was an easy solution I believe that we would have already figured it out and acted on it.
Police: Trained to Kill
At the end of Patrick's presentation, I really got to thinking about the training of the police and the question Ms. B posed to Bailey. The way I interpreted the information Patrick presented today, led me to believe that the Ferguson Police Department was trained to kill. Patrick kept bringing up the fact that the FTO was training Officer Wilson to achieve compliance in any way possibly from a potential suspect. When Patrick kept reiterating that point, it really pushed my buttons because how could a police department preach something like this? Yes I understand that the officers life might be in danger in some cases but I believe there are other ways to achieve compliance then beating or killing someone. I think in training, instead of teaching the officers to shoot for the central nervous system, shoot for somewhere where the bullet will hurt the suspect and do enough damage to immobilize him rather than aiming for a place that could result in paralysis or death. There needs to be a change in the way police are trained because so far from this case and the Rodney King case, it appears as though the police are trained to kill. If there are already two known police departments where they are trained to use force until someone complies, then imagine how many more police departments could be practicing the same thing? There needs to be a real change in the way police officers are trained because that's where it all starts.
Gun Violence
Given all the hype surrounding the mass shootings that have happened recently, I cant help but think back to when we did a little unit on gun violence. There are a lot of factors that go into why or how these situations happen. I think the most important people in these situations is the bystanders. All the people who knew about the plans, who knew about the mental illness, who knew the suspect couldn't be trusted, are the ones to be blamed, to a certain extent. I think that since the had the knowledge about what the perpetrator was going to do, they have some of the biggest blame. They could have prevented the whole thing from happening and saved some lives.They had the potential power to help save lives. I think if people paid closer attention to the people who are going through a lot of issues and tried to lend a helping hand, a lot of things would be different in the world. But there has to be some one courageous enough to step up and say something. I think we would all like to think that we would be that person who stands up for whats "right", but if you really think about it, I don't see it happening. I know for myself, I would hope to think that I would be *that* person, but in all honesty I don't think I would be.
Terrorism Today
On Tuesday, December 8th, Taliban released a video to President Obama claiming that US troops would not be safe in Afghanistan. Hours later there were attacks in Kandahar, the second largest city in the country, at a surrounding school and market bazaar. Ultimately, fifty people died, including thirty-eight civilians, two policeman, and ten Afghan soldiers. Another thirty-five people were wounded and nine terrorists were killed. The Taliban quickly claimed responsibility for these attacks. Taliban soldiers entered the bazaar with machine guns and quickly began to shoot everyone in their path.
According to global terrorism expert, Amy Zalman, Ph.D, terrorists' acts are motivated by two things: social and political injustice and the belief that violence effective. The question we face today is how do we stop it? From the recent San Bernadino massacre, we know that it is not just the large well-known terrorist groups we have to worry about, there are individuals all over the world capable of these attacks. These terrorists are so dissatisfied with a political situation that they believe violence will somehow resolve the problem. Recently, Dalai Lama spoke about terrorism following the Paris attacks. "Humans have created this problem, and now we are asking God to solve it, it is illogical. God would say, solve it yourself because you created it in the first place."
According to global terrorism expert, Amy Zalman, Ph.D, terrorists' acts are motivated by two things: social and political injustice and the belief that violence effective. The question we face today is how do we stop it? From the recent San Bernadino massacre, we know that it is not just the large well-known terrorist groups we have to worry about, there are individuals all over the world capable of these attacks. These terrorists are so dissatisfied with a political situation that they believe violence will somehow resolve the problem. Recently, Dalai Lama spoke about terrorism following the Paris attacks. "Humans have created this problem, and now we are asking God to solve it, it is illogical. God would say, solve it yourself because you created it in the first place."
Ferguson Police Department
Today in class, a topic was brought up that when there is an increase for police in a certain area, most of those police will rush through their training and will not absorb or learn absolutely everything that needs to be learned. However, that really is not the case in Ferguson. There was never a demand for more security in a place that is being terrorized BY THE POLICE! On that note, why would you hire and train more officers but not have enough funding to give them the weapons and protection to do their job properly and SAFELY, BOTH for the police and the civilian. Growing up I always thought that gunning someone down was always the last resort, but the protocol being implied in the Ferguson Police Department says otherwise. The protocol for force is that an officer must first use a tazer, then a maze, followed by a baton and lastly, the gun. If that is the protocol then why would they even make bringing a tazer or a maze OPTIONAL?
Ferguson Presentations
In the Ferguson grand jury presentations, most people are presenting on eyewitnesses that witnessed the shooting of Michael Brown. It seems that all of the eyewitnesses have different accounts of what happened at the scene. After reading my volume I thought that there should have been a trial without a doubt. Also, the first couple presentations I watched I could not believe that there was not a trial. As the presentations went on though, I realized that all of the "eyewitnesses" were completely different stories. These different stories are the reason that they did not have a trial in my opinion. Obviously people could have different perspectives on what happened at the scene of the crime based on their viewpoint or if they had witnessed the entire event. The problem with the different eyewitnesses though were that their stories contradicted each others'. I think that one of the contributors to this issue is the scene after the shooting with a huge crowd in the street giving their view on the story. The police officers stories were all very similar making it seem that they were more reliable sources because all of their stories were along the same lines as one another. Most of the eyewitnesses that testified in the grand jury were also African-American. As we learned in the documentary we watched in the beginning of the school year, in Ferguson the police Department and African-American residents were not on the best terms. This caused most of the eyewitnesses to have biases towards Officer Wilson. With all of the media coverage and people having different stories probably made each eyewitness question what they saw and thus having too many inconsistencies in the story. If the grand jury did not have so many people testify and ask what they saw I think that there would have been a greater chance of a trial.
Public vs. Jury
In the OJ Simpson case it was clear that the public thought that OJ should have been found guilty, but was not found guilty. The public was convinced that he was a murderer based on what they had seen with the car chase and based on how OJ handled the situation after the death of Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman. But inside the courtroom the prosecutors floundered and had a terrible attempt at trying to prove that OJ Simpson was indeed the person that killed Brown and Goldman. The prosecutors tried to use the glove that they found at the scene as evidence. They gave the glove to OJ Simpson and let him try it on himself and it did not fit. Instead of trying to explain why it did not fit the prosecutors instead dropped the idea completely. The prosecutors also did not bring up the car chase, which I think is the most important evidence proving OJ is guilty. Due to the terrible efforts by the prosecuting team, the jury had to make the decision based on what was presented in the court and not by outside influence. The public and the jury had such different perspective on the cases because the public was not in the courtroom during the trial and they were presented evidence that the jurors were not presented leading them to believe that OJ was guilty.
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
Thoughts on Rodney King
The whole idea of the beating of Rodney King troubles me. I thought it would be an easy case for the judge in determining all of the police officers guilty. King looked like he would get the justice he deserved, but somehow the case went the other way for King. The case was moved to Ventura County where there is a high percentage caucasian population. This put King at a disadvantage and I was surprised when I saw this happen. It's legal to do so, but it is obvious that the intention of the move was to give the policemen an advantage. This made the jury have more white people in it, and potentially these white jurors had a bias towards the police officers because King was African-American.
Thoughts on OJ Simpson Case
I believe it is widely agreed upon that Simpson should be guilty. But the case was handled so poorly by the prosecution that OJ was able to get away. Money was a key factor in this case because OJ was able to buy himself the best defense team he could possibly get. OJ's defense team made the prosecution look like a bunch of high schoolers doing mock trial. What also hurt the defense's case was the testimony by Officer Fuhrman who was rather racist.
Race is still here
So, as I was looking through my news feed this video came up.
https://www.facebook.com/officialtamiromanfanpage/videos/992718400787009/?autoplay_reason=all_page_organic_allowed&video_container_type=0&app_id=350685531728
I thought that what came out of Angela Box's mouth was completely absurd. She was arguing that the police officers actions were excessive but that he shouldn't have lost his job. That him flipping this female student, grabbing her by the neck and then dragging her across the ground because she was was on her phone being "disruptive" was almost like a cover up of the "root causes of all this, the disrespect of teachers, this black lives matter movement, this perpetual chip on your shoulder against everybody that is not like yourself". Like what, what the fuck are you talking about. First of all I never heard anybody mention anything about race or this being a problem because she was a black girl. Second of all where did that black lives matter movement come in? This was strictly a matter of an officer not taking the right procedures and being excessive in force on this little girl, no one had mentioned race, yet she brought it up. But I find it funny that she brought race up because I feel like if this was a white student everybody would be flipping out, and I actually believe that if it was a white student it would be the opposite way, it would probably be Angela arguing that the cop was excessive and they made the right call by terminating him. But I digress, community activist Quanell X begins by agreeing that a disruptive student does restrain other students from learning and that there should be a way to handle a disruptive student but certainly not in the manner this police officer did, which ironically would be a person you would think would have a decent character and conduct. But some seriousness aside I really want you guys to look at how Angela reacts when Quanell says "white boys" she takes it like she just got called a bitch. When he brings up the fact that shootings like the columbine, sandy hook and other shootings were what most people would say a typical white male or "white boys", its just so priceless how she reacts. She turns so defensive when this serious issue comes up that its not just colored people shooting at each other but that theirs white people doing massive rampage shootings. The way Quanell handles Angela (at minute 2:30) is just classic and I love how she reacts to when they continue to argue about the issue of race and how theirs this stigma for a race as a whole when its not that simple. I could keep going off about this but I really want to know what some of you guys think on this matter and would appreciate it if someone comments.
https://www.facebook.com/officialtamiromanfanpage/videos/992718400787009/?autoplay_reason=all_page_organic_allowed&video_container_type=0&app_id=350685531728
I thought that what came out of Angela Box's mouth was completely absurd. She was arguing that the police officers actions were excessive but that he shouldn't have lost his job. That him flipping this female student, grabbing her by the neck and then dragging her across the ground because she was was on her phone being "disruptive" was almost like a cover up of the "root causes of all this, the disrespect of teachers, this black lives matter movement, this perpetual chip on your shoulder against everybody that is not like yourself". Like what, what the fuck are you talking about. First of all I never heard anybody mention anything about race or this being a problem because she was a black girl. Second of all where did that black lives matter movement come in? This was strictly a matter of an officer not taking the right procedures and being excessive in force on this little girl, no one had mentioned race, yet she brought it up. But I find it funny that she brought race up because I feel like if this was a white student everybody would be flipping out, and I actually believe that if it was a white student it would be the opposite way, it would probably be Angela arguing that the cop was excessive and they made the right call by terminating him. But I digress, community activist Quanell X begins by agreeing that a disruptive student does restrain other students from learning and that there should be a way to handle a disruptive student but certainly not in the manner this police officer did, which ironically would be a person you would think would have a decent character and conduct. But some seriousness aside I really want you guys to look at how Angela reacts when Quanell says "white boys" she takes it like she just got called a bitch. When he brings up the fact that shootings like the columbine, sandy hook and other shootings were what most people would say a typical white male or "white boys", its just so priceless how she reacts. She turns so defensive when this serious issue comes up that its not just colored people shooting at each other but that theirs white people doing massive rampage shootings. The way Quanell handles Angela (at minute 2:30) is just classic and I love how she reacts to when they continue to argue about the issue of race and how theirs this stigma for a race as a whole when its not that simple. I could keep going off about this but I really want to know what some of you guys think on this matter and would appreciate it if someone comments.
Ferguson Volumes
After sitting through so many different volumes from the Ferguson incident and hearing the same stories over and over again that all seemed to have a slightly different outcome, it is evident why a trial did not occur. Even within my own volume, where I had DNA evidence, it was proven why their couldn't be a trial or have enough evidence against Wilson. Everything every witness seemed to say constantly contradicted things previously said, which could make the jury very confused and frustrated. Within my volume with the DNA evidence, there were so many "but's" and "it is inconclusive" that didn't either prove Wilson of wrong-doing or Brown of not being a threat. The DNA results said that Wilson's DNA was not on any of Brown's clothing, but then there is the factor that they don't swab areas with blood and that they do not retest after they test the sample once, therefore there could definitely be errors. I think overall their is too many people saying too many different things and since Brown is dead we would never be able to know the full story or be able to give Wilson a fair trial if he was sent to a trial.
Being White Hurts Christian McCaffrey's Heisman Chances
Christian McCaffrey, the running back for the Stanford football team, is arguably the best at his position in all of college football. He broke Barry Sanders record for all purpose yards in a single season, a record that stood for twenty eight years. McCaffrey is a Heisman finalist who most believe should undoubtedly win, but there is potentially one problem, he is white. In recent years, the running back position has been dominantly African American, such as Alabama's running back, Derrick Henry, who is also a Heisman contender, who, by stats, did not have as good of a season as Mccaffrey. Would Mccafrey be more hyped up, and his chances at winning the Heisman be better if he was African American?
A recent article on the Breitbart states, "Even though McCaffrey was the best, he would receive more hype and attention if he were not a white running back". In 2009, Stanford's lead white running back Toby Gerheart was the runner up for the Heisman Trophy to Alabama's African American running back Mark Ingram even though, by the numbers, the trophy should have gone to the Stanford running back. People hold stereotypes very closely and tend to keep them irreversible. In college football and the NFL, the running back position has been mostly African American and people have come to the conclusion that African American athletes are better at this position than white athletes, which is obviously not true, but should hurt McCaffrey's chances at winning the Heisman trophy. Once again, society's stereotypes have played a role in deciding the fate of an athlete. Stereotypes will continue to be formed and built upon, and I do not see them leaving our society any time soon. All we can do is try to break them, just like Stanford running back, Christian McCaffrey, has done.
A recent article on the Breitbart states, "Even though McCaffrey was the best, he would receive more hype and attention if he were not a white running back". In 2009, Stanford's lead white running back Toby Gerheart was the runner up for the Heisman Trophy to Alabama's African American running back Mark Ingram even though, by the numbers, the trophy should have gone to the Stanford running back. People hold stereotypes very closely and tend to keep them irreversible. In college football and the NFL, the running back position has been mostly African American and people have come to the conclusion that African American athletes are better at this position than white athletes, which is obviously not true, but should hurt McCaffrey's chances at winning the Heisman trophy. Once again, society's stereotypes have played a role in deciding the fate of an athlete. Stereotypes will continue to be formed and built upon, and I do not see them leaving our society any time soon. All we can do is try to break them, just like Stanford running back, Christian McCaffrey, has done.
Cyber Bullying
Cyber bullying is an interesting topic. There are many people who doubt it's validity as "real bullying" and many who think it is just as bad as face-to-face bullying and even worse. I personally don't think cyber bullying should even exist. Unlike face-to-face physical and verbal confrontations, cyber bullying can be ended at any moment. Having had friends that experienced very real physical bullying and having to physically confront someone myself, I just can't understand how people can be brought to suicide by something as easy to stop as cyber bullying. All the person has to do is either abandon social networking accounts or delete them. The key issue here is that cyber bullying is most common around younger, teenage users. Most teenagers feel a need to connect to people, to be part of any group no matter how painful. I noticed this stark transition from middle school to high school, where everyone was in a distinct group during lunch. This dependency makes it really hard for teenagers to give up social networking. I don't think that the challenge of willpower to delete an account that people face is enough for me to care about cyber bullying at all.
But the fact of the matter is as I said previously, teenagers are mentally weak to these sorts of things. Posts from the social site Ask.fm drove 7 teens to suicide. That is just how it is and I understand it is sad, but I still stand by what I said.
http://www.psychologicalscience.org/index.php/news/releases/social-acceptance-and-rejection-the-sweet-and-the-bitter.html
http://nobullying.com/stories-of-7-teen-suicides-because-of-ask-fm-bullying/
Mental Illness: Dehumanization and Stigma
Mental illness.
When you hear the word, does your mind automatically rush into a series of correlated words? Psychotic. Different. Weird. Odd. Standing out. Isolated. Lonely. Sad. Crazy. Problematic. Words that, unfortunately, hold so much power and authority over those who do actually suffer. In class, we've received a profound taste of mental illness when we interconnected the subject with the functioning of our American Legal System, as well. Andrea Yates, the story behind a mother who had been diagnosed with Post Partum Psychosis, had openly admitted to being the one held responsible for the death of all five of her children after a continous battle with the illness, itself. Sure, it was clear that there was some obvious rejection that was generated from other factors that made me truly think about the contrast between physical and mental illness. Typically, when something is broken or physically impaired, we are immediately taken to professional medical care to make sure all is well and further prevent physical damage to the human body. However, when we feel mentally "broken" and are unable to think or process healthy thoughts, not much attention or focus is brought on. Lack of knowing what to do, how to handle mental distortion, and how to treat it best is no longer surprising. And I get it. It's a complex subject. Often times, it takes one to truly understand mental illness after they have been faced it themselves or are close to someone that has or is. It's tough to genuinely understand what goes on inside the mind of someone with a mental disorder which is why it is important to always keep an honest mind. Let go of the labels. Let go of the stereotypes. Let go of the ignorance. Let go of ignorance and prejudice behind the media that often times is responsible for the continuation of this harmful stigma.
Andrea Yates, for example, is the exceptional example for this topic. Going from a happy and healthy mother of a loving and growing family of five to drowning her own children has made anyone who knows the story, mind-blown and in disgust of such a morally inhumane act. I understand as to why would have opposing perspectives based on the way this case was analyzed and concluded. I understand as to why some would look at the way she ended up not having to serve lifetime in jail and look at it in horrid. I understand the wrong, the sad, and how one would believe the our justice system was wrongful in allowing for Yates not to face much punishment for such a gruesome and "unreasonable" crime. I mean, seriously, killing your own children? Then again, mental disorder is nothing new to me. I understand Yates in the same level of knowing what it's like to be clouded by such distorted thoughts and behaviors. I understand the chains that restricted her from being herself again. The Andrea Yates that many got to know, from a television screen or media source, was not the person you thought it was. It was her disorder. It was her disease. That is mental illness. It is never a label or way of categorizing someone, it really truly is a serious illness that diminishes and destructs identity and makes it's way everywhere. It interferes with the people we love and cherish the most. It interferes with our jobs and responsibilities. It interferes with our passions and ambitions. It does not only interfere with our way of thinking but it literally obstructs us from running wholesome and healthy lives.
To dehumanize and look down at Yates for what she committed is easy but to understand and look at it from a different perspective is often hard. Yates' disorder did not make her any less of a person nor did it serve as an excuse to destroy her humanity and forget the fact that, yes, she was human too. She was devastatingly sick, whether it was visually evident or not, she had distorted thoughts, perceptions, and beliefs because of her illness. Open your mind and learn to look at things with retrospect rather than having tunnel-vision, it does much more good than harm and enhances the way our generation thinks at a much more pro-found and open way. Before judging or making assumptions based on what you see from the outside, educate yourself and learn about what may possibly go wrong on the inside.
When you hear the word, does your mind automatically rush into a series of correlated words? Psychotic. Different. Weird. Odd. Standing out. Isolated. Lonely. Sad. Crazy. Problematic. Words that, unfortunately, hold so much power and authority over those who do actually suffer. In class, we've received a profound taste of mental illness when we interconnected the subject with the functioning of our American Legal System, as well. Andrea Yates, the story behind a mother who had been diagnosed with Post Partum Psychosis, had openly admitted to being the one held responsible for the death of all five of her children after a continous battle with the illness, itself. Sure, it was clear that there was some obvious rejection that was generated from other factors that made me truly think about the contrast between physical and mental illness. Typically, when something is broken or physically impaired, we are immediately taken to professional medical care to make sure all is well and further prevent physical damage to the human body. However, when we feel mentally "broken" and are unable to think or process healthy thoughts, not much attention or focus is brought on. Lack of knowing what to do, how to handle mental distortion, and how to treat it best is no longer surprising. And I get it. It's a complex subject. Often times, it takes one to truly understand mental illness after they have been faced it themselves or are close to someone that has or is. It's tough to genuinely understand what goes on inside the mind of someone with a mental disorder which is why it is important to always keep an honest mind. Let go of the labels. Let go of the stereotypes. Let go of the ignorance. Let go of ignorance and prejudice behind the media that often times is responsible for the continuation of this harmful stigma.
Andrea Yates, for example, is the exceptional example for this topic. Going from a happy and healthy mother of a loving and growing family of five to drowning her own children has made anyone who knows the story, mind-blown and in disgust of such a morally inhumane act. I understand as to why would have opposing perspectives based on the way this case was analyzed and concluded. I understand as to why some would look at the way she ended up not having to serve lifetime in jail and look at it in horrid. I understand the wrong, the sad, and how one would believe the our justice system was wrongful in allowing for Yates not to face much punishment for such a gruesome and "unreasonable" crime. I mean, seriously, killing your own children? Then again, mental disorder is nothing new to me. I understand Yates in the same level of knowing what it's like to be clouded by such distorted thoughts and behaviors. I understand the chains that restricted her from being herself again. The Andrea Yates that many got to know, from a television screen or media source, was not the person you thought it was. It was her disorder. It was her disease. That is mental illness. It is never a label or way of categorizing someone, it really truly is a serious illness that diminishes and destructs identity and makes it's way everywhere. It interferes with the people we love and cherish the most. It interferes with our jobs and responsibilities. It interferes with our passions and ambitions. It does not only interfere with our way of thinking but it literally obstructs us from running wholesome and healthy lives.
To dehumanize and look down at Yates for what she committed is easy but to understand and look at it from a different perspective is often hard. Yates' disorder did not make her any less of a person nor did it serve as an excuse to destroy her humanity and forget the fact that, yes, she was human too. She was devastatingly sick, whether it was visually evident or not, she had distorted thoughts, perceptions, and beliefs because of her illness. Open your mind and learn to look at things with retrospect rather than having tunnel-vision, it does much more good than harm and enhances the way our generation thinks at a much more pro-found and open way. Before judging or making assumptions based on what you see from the outside, educate yourself and learn about what may possibly go wrong on the inside.
Colorado Planned Parenthood Shooting
On November 27, Robert Dear stormed a Planned Parenthood in Colorado Springs and shot three individuals and wounding nine others. The individuals killed included a police officer and two civilians. The shooter claimed he was attacking the clinic because he was "pro-life" yet he goes and takes the life of three innocent individuals. Although his motive is not clear, authorities believe the location of the attack clarifies the motive. This controversy has sparked a huge interest online, where users do not understand how an individual can claim to be pro-life yet plan out a massacre to this degree. Previous to this incident, Robert Dear had been suspected of being a peeping tom and was reported numerous times. In 1997, his wife reported Dear for domestic abuse but was never convicted. In 2003, he had another run in with the law when he was arrested and charged with two acts of animal cruelty. Dear goes on trial today, Wednesday, November 9th, and is expected to face three counts of first degree murder, possibly resulting in maximum security life sentence or the death penalty.
The Political Spectrum
About a few months or so ago, our class began to look at the political spectrum, as a brief overview of what humans define themselves as, and possibly where we fit into the classification. Even though this is a lesson lost in time, I began to dig and really find where I fit most within the political spectrum. Upon wanting to learn more, I took the Political Compass Test. Already politically literate, I wanted to find out where a critically acclaimed, online test would rank me based on my views. I knew I was liberal, but not quite sure how liberal. Upon taking the test, I noticed a small red dot appear on the bottom left hand side of the screen. The dot I noticed, was evidently, me. For anyone who does not know how the political compass is split up, it is a multi-quadrant system, based on economic and social views. The top right is classified as "authoritarian left". The top right is classified as "authoritarian right", and the same notion goes for the bottom section, but instead of "authoritarian", the word used is "libertarian". Looking unto further analysis, I realized I inhabited the bottom left corner of the "libertarian left" quadrant, meaning, that I would most likely follow in the steps of others before me (Daniel De Leon, Emma Goldman, Peter Kropotkin etc). I found this to be an apt representation of my views, for I was always an avid fan of Noam Chomsky (who is a self-described anarcho-syndicalist/libertarian socialist), and found comfort in the teachings of Kropotkin. As it stands, I fit into the order of libertarian socialist, which is an umbrella term referring to the ideals of council communism, and many varying anarchist ideals. I would urge all students to take this test, and see exactly where they are on the political spectrum, and see how they match up to some of the world's most renowned leaders. As was stated in class; "at some point, you'll have to take a stance on something".
Race, And What John Lennon Songs Have To Do With It.
After watching all the documentaries in Global about race and inequality in America, starting with the Watts Riots, and ending with O.J. Simpson, I began to wonder how race has changed, and how we view it today relative to how we used to view it. Upon wondering this, I stumbled across a Christmas song on the radio by John Lennon, simply and eloquently named "Happy Christmas". The lyrics within this song, go as follows; "Happy Christmas, for black and for white...For the yellow and red ones, let's stop all the fights." This came into perspective for me, because not only was this a song, so ahead of its time, preaching racial equality, outside of the confines of the American context, but it also was extremely anti-war, and very pro-peace in its denominations. So, what does this John Lennon song have to do with what we have learned in Global, about race? Perhaps, because, we have spent so much time looking at race, that we, as a school community, are very much closer to reaching a greater acceptance of cultural diversity and a love for our neighbors. We, as a whole, may be able to, at the end of the year, realize that, yes the justice system is flawed, and that race will always be an issue, and hell, that we may never escape that issue, but, we can also reflect on the idea, that at least this year, we can continue to celebrate, and accept, those around us. Maybe we can't all be John Lennon fans, but I think we can all try to be accepting. For once, maybe we should see race through John Lennon's glasses, for the good diversity brings, and the reasons behind a world diversity.
Insanity defenses
I wanted to know exactly how often such cases are successful, since in class I discovered that they are usually not. As it turns out less than one percent of cases nationwide raise the insanity defense. And success rate is somewhat steady at .26 percent. Furthermore I want to defend the insanity defense's validity to a certain extent. Many people become outraged when people are successfully defended by an insanity defense. I believe that if the accused is genuinely insane, then they need therapy and help but also should be always monitored and if their problem is hopeless, they should still go to prison or the equivalent for insane people. This is because if the accused is not sentenced to death which is pretty unlikely, then they would just go to prison. An insane person with other sane prisoners could lead to violent encounters or just a miserable existence for the insane.
http://occupytheory.org/insanity-plea-statistics/
http://occupytheory.org/insanity-plea-statistics/
Racial Divide Today
In a recent position paper, I wrote about how people accept injustices by seeing something that is unfair and accepting it by not saying anything. Not everyone accepts injustices throughout their day. In this video a woman explains how her sister in law, Kathleen, is commonly mistaken for a white woman, with her blue eyes and light skin tone even though she is black. Meanwhile, the other woman telling the story has a darker skin tone and is identified as black.
While at Safeway they are both checking out next to one another but they experience two completely different scenarios at the cash register. The cashier, a strawberry blonde white woman, was warm and kind to Kathleen while checking her out. Kathleen hands her a check and gets her groceries and waits for her sister in law. Although, when the darker skin toned woman checks her bags out next, she experiences a totally different reaction than Kathleen did. There is a difference immediately when the cashier doesn't even look her in the eyes and is very cold and rude. She then writes a check for her groceries but the cashier demands from her that she will need two identification cards. The cashier then pulls out the bad check book. She begins looking for her license in the bad checks, based only because she is black and her appearance.
Later, the sister in law walks over, who is identified as white, and says "excuse me, why are you doing this?" The cashier explains, "this our policy".
This is a situation where Kathleen, used her white privilege, even though she is half- white and half- black, to stick up for the underdog and point out the injustice. Kathleen walks in the world much differently because of her light skin tone than someone of her same race with a darker skin tone. Although, she uses this to her advantage to point out what is right and wrong.
OJ Murder Trial v. Armed Robbery Trial
While watching the follow up documentary on OJ, all I could notice was his emotional response to his conviction of armed robbery. While on trial for double murder, there was no emotional response. We never saw him shed a tear for his late wife. Whenever he was interviewed all he discussed was how this trial has negatively affected him, never once showing any emotions after his wife was brutally murdered. Throughout OJ Simpson's initial trial I was never sure whether I believed the defense or the prosecution. After seeing this great display of emotion throughout the armed robbery trial, I now believe that his lack of emotion during the trial for his murdered wife, is the most incriminating piece of evidence.
Brazil Mining Dam Burst- Huge Environmental Impact
On November 5, 2015 the two mining dams burst in Mariana, Minas Gerais State in Brazil. The mud in the dam went directly into River Doce, which thousands of people depend on for water. The river right now is still orange from the mud. It has been found by the U.N. that the mud is also toxic, but the companies are denying it stating.
About 60 million cubic meters (25,000 Olympic swimming pools) of mine waste went into the river and cut off a quarter of a million people drinking water supply. Thousands of fishes died due to the lack of oxygen in the water, but it could be much worse than that. The U.N. stated in their report that the water contained "high levels of toxic heavy metals and other toxic chemicals"
The companies are putting money into the effort to clean up the river, but they are not going to pay the damage. I find it highly disturbing that most people do not even know of this accident because it is not being broadcast. Thousands of people are losing their home, their job, and even their future. The toxicity of the mud is going to ruin its fertile land.
Below are pictures of the incident.
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/gallery/2015/nov/27/brazil-dam-burst-environmental-crisis-reaches-atlantic-in-pictures
To read more:
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-brazil-damburst-mud-idUSKBN0TE2O520151126
http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/nov/22/anger-rises-as-brazilian-mine-disaster-threatens-river-and-sea-with-toxic-mud
About 60 million cubic meters (25,000 Olympic swimming pools) of mine waste went into the river and cut off a quarter of a million people drinking water supply. Thousands of fishes died due to the lack of oxygen in the water, but it could be much worse than that. The U.N. stated in their report that the water contained "high levels of toxic heavy metals and other toxic chemicals"
The companies are putting money into the effort to clean up the river, but they are not going to pay the damage. I find it highly disturbing that most people do not even know of this accident because it is not being broadcast. Thousands of people are losing their home, their job, and even their future. The toxicity of the mud is going to ruin its fertile land.
Below are pictures of the incident.
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/gallery/2015/nov/27/brazil-dam-burst-environmental-crisis-reaches-atlantic-in-pictures
To read more:
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-brazil-damburst-mud-idUSKBN0TE2O520151126
http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/nov/22/anger-rises-as-brazilian-mine-disaster-threatens-river-and-sea-with-toxic-mud
How do we fight ISIS?
Last Sunday, President Obama addressed the couple from the San Bernardino shooting as "radical" and "Muslim" terrorists. Not disagreeing that the attackers were not terrorists, but I think that when he says Muslim terrorists, he is categorizing all muslims as terrorists, which we know is not the case. I think it is sad that a few peoples actions give the whole group a bad reputation, most of us can probably relate to this, but the Muslim/ISIS connection is to a whole new level. Donald Trump recently said that he wanted to ban all Muslims from entering the United States, the land of opportunity, banning people from entering because of their religion, but isn't one of the United States' main values? Freedom of religion? How do we separate bad people from the rest of the group, in any situation?
San Bernardino Weapons
Whenever a situation like this arises, all eyes turn to the guns sooner or later. I personally believe that the legality of assault guns used in shootings such as these is somewhat unjustified. I also believe in the second amendment, so I think that people should be able to have weapons that are not overly efficient in killing. On the flip side, I also have an argument for the legality of the guns used by the Bernardino shooters. When it comes down to it there is no substantial argument for "only kinda" limiting the power of these guns. People say that semi auto rifles are excessive compared to semi auto pistols. When it comes down to it, someone can kill someone easily with both weapons and pistols aren't "safer" just because they are smaller and visually less intimidating. Sure, the potential for more killed with a rifle might be higher, but who cares if the end result is the same- dead people.
While news in somewhat unclear, the shooters had two "assault-style" weapons, and unsuccessfully tried to convert them to fully automatic. They had 3000 rounds of ammunition, but they did not really have the capacity to really greatly exceed the capabilities of a pistol since their rifles were semi auto.
While news in somewhat unclear, the shooters had two "assault-style" weapons, and unsuccessfully tried to convert them to fully automatic. They had 3000 rounds of ammunition, but they did not really have the capacity to really greatly exceed the capabilities of a pistol since their rifles were semi auto.
Ferguson Presentation: Vol 4
Friday: 11/20
vol 4.
- hearing conducted by Ms. Whirley
- August 9, 2014 Dorian Johnson left the apartment with Big Mike (Michael Brown)
- they were getting rillos (cigarettes) and food for Mike's girlfriend
- Dorian didn't know that Mike did not have any money on him; they got to the store at 11:30
- Mike ask clerk for a box of rillos and then ask for single rillos; some fell over, he takes them
- Dorian stay back and left because he did not want to get involve
- the clerk tries to stop Mike, but Mike pushes the clerk out
- they were walking down West Florissant from Ferguson Market to Canfield, and Mike has the rillos in his hands
- dorian saw three police cars: one at florissant, one past canfield drive, and wilson's suv
- wilson said “to get the fuck on the sidewalk” because the two of them were walking in the middle of the road, and then preceded to grab Mike by the neck when he came close to the car
- wilson never said "stop" "halt" but "I'll shoot"
- Michael was 6'4 and 285lb and Wilson is 5'6 and a bit more than 120lb
Tuesday, December 8, 2015
Police Officers use Excessive Force on Homeless Man with ONE Leg
Okay. I am at a complete loss of words. Send in 4 police officers to detain a man who was waving around a STICK! Thank God no one got POKED from the STICK! This is ridiculous. From what I saw, that man had not resisted until the officers put pressure on his leg and caused him a great deal of pain. But did 4 officers really need to work together to detain that man? 4 officers on top of one man who needed a stick to walk properly, and a sore and infection on his leg. This is just not right. Those police officers deliberately harassed and humiliated that man. For ten minutes his pants were down exposing him to anybody around, clearly the police have no respect for anyone who does not wear a badge. It's so sad to see bystanders just watching helplessly taking videos because that is basically all they can do, record what happened, and hope that justice will be served.
Okay. I am at a complete loss of words. Send in 4 police officers to detain a man who was waving around a STICK! Thank God no one got POKED from the STICK! This is ridiculous. From what I saw, that man had not resisted until the officers put pressure on his leg and caused him a great deal of pain. But did 4 officers really need to work together to detain that man? 4 officers on top of one man who needed a stick to walk properly, and a sore and infection on his leg. This is just not right. Those police officers deliberately harassed and humiliated that man. For ten minutes his pants were down exposing him to anybody around, clearly the police have no respect for anyone who does not wear a badge. It's so sad to see bystanders just watching helplessly taking videos because that is basically all they can do, record what happened, and hope that justice will be served.
The Secret Table of the OJ Case: The Untold
"I am not black, I am OJ", the slogan OJ used to define himself was both bold and respected through a white race, but in the eyes of the blacks it appeared as if he was a trader. Growing up in the slums of San Francisco there was no question whether he was black, but as he rose to fame he left the group he had been apart of and now distinguished himself as just "OJ". It made sense what he was doing, trying to just be himself and avoid the racial slurs. I felt an interesting part of the documentary was when OJ transitioned from his black wife in college to his blonde haired, blue eyed wife later on in his career. Blacks and whites held so many controversial opinions on OJ, but when he divorced his first wife and married Nicole Brown, it appeared as a form of success and gain of superiority. Some would think that the black race would be pleased with this because Nicole and OJ promoted interracial marriage, but it was just the opposite. Some thought Nicole and OJ's marriage stood for equality and that blacks should be proud of this couple. But it was just the opposite, the black race felt that as OJ gained fame and popularity he was now better than them and didn't qualify for a black wife, but instead he deserved a white wife.
There are still many different views and opinions based on OJ and the way he went about racism and fame and how he handled it. Many people agree with OJ and many people are disgusted in how he identified himself.
Terrorism at a Glance: Media Filters
With the onslaught of terrorism erupting within the United States, it is imperative to understand, the United States perspective on the factor of fear, and their reaction to the many attacks that have been carried out. It seems interesting to realize, that most of the Western world, seems to realize the terror France has faced, but has for some reason forgotten about Beirut in Lebanon. I think this truly proves the idea of Western hypocrisy, of course attacks in Lebanon would not slip past media filters, France has always been a grateful ally of the United States. Lebanon, must feel forgotten in the wake of destruction, because as it seems, those that are defined as "under-developed countries" in the history books are being left on some newsman's desk. Lebanon is not the only location to be hit by sudden terrorist attacks, Kenya also has suffered major losses, a total of 147 students, whom had been massacred at a university by al-Shabaab militants, as police took hours to get to the scene. Why must we discriminate against what we choose to focus on? Why must we pray only for Paris, and not Kenya?; or Lebanon?; or any other country that has suffered egregious human rights losses? If we truly are a world diversity, then we should respect that diversity, and treat all countries with the same respect we have treated France. If you are praying for Paris, pray for the world as well; for Kenya, for Lebanon, and for many others that need their flags light up in the night sky, as many patrons respectfully did for France.
Neutrality in Society: Orenthal James Simpson
After we had watched the flurry of O.J. videos in Global recently, I began to think about what kind of place he had in society, during the onset of the civil rights movement. I think it is interesting to think, someone can capture so much attention, simply by not having a stance on anything. After that, I began to wonder, is that really such a bad idea? Should we really let certain facets of society, continuously divide us, as a human race? I am very much into politics, and am a member of the Youth Alliance for Justice, so taking a stance on something has always been something that I have cared about. However, now I began to see it through the eyes of a young black celebrity during the civil rights movement. It really paid off to be silent, because you would no longer be defined into a certain category. The Black Panthers were Maoists, Gandhi was a libertarian socialist, and the American Indian Movement had its backing by the Peace and Freedom Party. What was O.J.? Just a man, not an ideology. I do not think everyone needs to take a stance on everything, in order to be a prominent member of society. After all, the very basis of living your own life, should be, that you can enjoy it any way you see fit, and with enough amount of certainty that you can live it correctly. Perhaps O.J. was able to live his life without any way or want to delve into the realm of politics, but as I sit here, I still don't see that to be a very bad thing at all. After all, who is to say our own politicians in Washington mean what they say, anyway?
Bass Pro Shop
Over the weekend, my family and I went to the new bass pro shop in San Jose. It was very interesting going there after a lot of talk about mass shootings and gun control. We were walking around and there was a lot of different sections. There was a fishing section, an ATV section, a boat section, a food section, and most interestingly a hunting section. In the very back of the store there was a huge display of guns and arrows. It was frightening to see how easy it is to get a gun right by our community. There was a bunch of people looking at guns and trying to buy them. It really put a lot of things in perspective for me. The fact that I can hop on the freeway and go to the store and get a gun is so bizarre to me. It really makes me want some sort of gun purchasing laws in place because it looks so easy to buy a gun. Its a very weird environment to be in because I saw all the moms and dads looking at guns and they even exposed their small children to it! It was just so wild. If anyone else has been there recently or has any thoughts on this please let me know!
Race vs. The Police: An overflow of questions and thoughts
Well. It's 3 in the morning and my mom is going into labor soon so I decided what better way to keep me up late than the joyous act of taking advantage of my late night wandering mind and use our global class' blogger website as a method of letting all my thoughts go into good use...
First of all, one thought that came across my mind when reviewing all of the content given during second and third period global is the topic of racial oppression from higher authority figures. This topic, as controversial and complex as they can be, provide a vast amount of insight depending on one's personal perspective, morals, and values. It makes of good use for valuable lessons that enable you to get to know someone on a more enhanced level and who doesn't like getting into conversations covering our American Justice System and our society as a whole. The other night, I found myself engaging in a conversation with my boyfriend about the roles that race plays in the way our national police department works. We analyzed and touched base on the Ferguson case- Michael Brown and Officer Darren Wilson and the significant role they, themselves, played as key examples of how racism seemed to have had to play a part in the way things were evaluated at the end of the trial. From my perspective, I expressed my concern over what I had just learned within what I had gradually collected and learned about during the study of the volumes from the case itself from the profound information given from fellow classmates and their introductions to each and every eye-witness account during our presentations. Sure, my mind was introduced to much more valuable and useful information as to what really went on, who did what, and how everything unraveled between Brown and Wilson, however I still found the case having to be racially unfair to an extent in which the way Wilson approached the situation had to have been generalized as at least somewhat wrong and should have been given some type of assessment or trial rather than just letting Wilson go for such a forceful and, morally, inhumane method of attainment. As I rambled on about the many things we had learned in class which all appointed to my personal take on what I and many others believed in. As the yellow light turned red, he struck me with one statement that left my mind at a sudden blank, and it was the negative and oppressive ideology behind bringing matters such as race into the subject of police brutality and our society. Rather than bringing ethnicity or racial background into play, we should rather focus on the almost unethical, immoral, and forceful act committed by high authority figures. He made it important to remember that we are all human and that gender, sexual orientation, race, economic status, religion,etc. should no longer be brought up when situations like these happen for it only makes matters worse and rather promotes the concept of dehumanization rather than actually making any progression in the way we think and handle things. The solution is not to point our fingers at blaming it on these irrelevant influences and generalize it all on one factor. I paused and sat in silence as I actually seemed to have understand where he was coming from. It was a new perspective and something that I had never truly stopped and thought about. Now, not many people think and look at it this way. Some people gradually build up to these new and different thoughts and tend to agree with them simply because they are tired of, again, the act of dehumanization- not only seen in racial situations however often seen within gender oppression as well. As much as it is important to keep an open mind and build our progressive ideas by standing up for basic human rights by blaming it all on race, why not make a human thing? Why don't we put an end to pointing our fingers at who and what and where and learn to enhance our society by no longer focusing on the things that do not matter (like race, orientation, status, gender, and religion) and oppose against forceful tactics made by police. Humanity, as a whole, would make much more progression and benefit from learning to no longer putting names and labels. What do you think and do you believe the concept of dehumanization should also be put to an end?
First of all, one thought that came across my mind when reviewing all of the content given during second and third period global is the topic of racial oppression from higher authority figures. This topic, as controversial and complex as they can be, provide a vast amount of insight depending on one's personal perspective, morals, and values. It makes of good use for valuable lessons that enable you to get to know someone on a more enhanced level and who doesn't like getting into conversations covering our American Justice System and our society as a whole. The other night, I found myself engaging in a conversation with my boyfriend about the roles that race plays in the way our national police department works. We analyzed and touched base on the Ferguson case- Michael Brown and Officer Darren Wilson and the significant role they, themselves, played as key examples of how racism seemed to have had to play a part in the way things were evaluated at the end of the trial. From my perspective, I expressed my concern over what I had just learned within what I had gradually collected and learned about during the study of the volumes from the case itself from the profound information given from fellow classmates and their introductions to each and every eye-witness account during our presentations. Sure, my mind was introduced to much more valuable and useful information as to what really went on, who did what, and how everything unraveled between Brown and Wilson, however I still found the case having to be racially unfair to an extent in which the way Wilson approached the situation had to have been generalized as at least somewhat wrong and should have been given some type of assessment or trial rather than just letting Wilson go for such a forceful and, morally, inhumane method of attainment. As I rambled on about the many things we had learned in class which all appointed to my personal take on what I and many others believed in. As the yellow light turned red, he struck me with one statement that left my mind at a sudden blank, and it was the negative and oppressive ideology behind bringing matters such as race into the subject of police brutality and our society. Rather than bringing ethnicity or racial background into play, we should rather focus on the almost unethical, immoral, and forceful act committed by high authority figures. He made it important to remember that we are all human and that gender, sexual orientation, race, economic status, religion,etc. should no longer be brought up when situations like these happen for it only makes matters worse and rather promotes the concept of dehumanization rather than actually making any progression in the way we think and handle things. The solution is not to point our fingers at blaming it on these irrelevant influences and generalize it all on one factor. I paused and sat in silence as I actually seemed to have understand where he was coming from. It was a new perspective and something that I had never truly stopped and thought about. Now, not many people think and look at it this way. Some people gradually build up to these new and different thoughts and tend to agree with them simply because they are tired of, again, the act of dehumanization- not only seen in racial situations however often seen within gender oppression as well. As much as it is important to keep an open mind and build our progressive ideas by standing up for basic human rights by blaming it all on race, why not make a human thing? Why don't we put an end to pointing our fingers at who and what and where and learn to enhance our society by no longer focusing on the things that do not matter (like race, orientation, status, gender, and religion) and oppose against forceful tactics made by police. Humanity, as a whole, would make much more progression and benefit from learning to no longer putting names and labels. What do you think and do you believe the concept of dehumanization should also be put to an end?
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