Monday, July 18, 2016
Black Lives Matter Movement
Since everyone is avoiding the subject, I'm going to bring it up. We have all seen the news last week where police brutality and shootings have sparked a nation wide outrage that has led to many protest marches. People are tired of white officers shooting black people because "they thought they had a gun" or "my life was in danger." Some have even taken it into their own hands to shoot back and target police officers as revenge for what they have done. But this isn't the answer, more violence against each other will just result in more killings and riots. What I wanted to discuss was how could we as a nation prevent these police shootings on people of color and work together to fix our racial issue here in America. How could we create and update our police force and justice system to protect everyone as an equal? All of these police officers who have shot these men were never given sentences to serve, they were given paid leave as the police department looked over the case. Even when there were clear evidence it was cold blood murder at the hands of these officers, still they got paid leave. How do we fix our system so the people are protected as equal to each other? Most importantly, how do we fix the major issue in our country, race. The crazy thing is there is only one race on Earth, the human race yet we human beings feel that we need to separate from each other because we feel superior over one another. Most police officers protect but there are that few that abuse their privilege and still believe in the old racial beliefs. We have to fix our system if we want to overcome everything that has happened in the last few weeks. We not only have to fix that, but we have to first overcome the racial barrier that is always avoided but is visibly there for everyone to see. We are all humans and therefore we are no better than the person next to us. We're one race, stop letting racial beliefs cloud that sight, because the day we can all let color stop bringing us down is the day we can take one step closer to having peace with one another.
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Evening Vincent, now I'm not saying that it's impossible however it will be quite challenging to change a system that, in the beginning, did not pay heed to minorities. In fact, it's actually ironic how America in it's own written word claims to be "the land of the free" and that "all men are created equal". Neil Postman said it best the "written statement would represent the "truth"" (Postman 21), but if one were to simply look over our justice system they would think otherwise. It's a shame our own nation couldn't even uphold to its truth. Besides how do you fix the system of it's injustice and racial ways when this very nation was embedded with racism. Look at it this way, to gain a habit a person has to repeatedly do the same action over time, and it sucks to say, but racism is America's bad habit. I'm afraid it won't go to far, perhaps die down but that's America's nature. Besides, there will always be those who can't get over a pigmentation in one's skin and not everyone will view the next person as simply a human. Ignorance seems to always find a way to cloud people's mind. Nonetheless, to give you one solution to being one step closer to fixing our system, we would have to start in our communities. By giving our local people the awareness and knowledge of the corrupt system, we in a sense wake them up to the harsh reality of the real world. Hence the activist group Black Lives Matter.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely agree with you Vincent, there are a lot of cruel and unjust phenomenons out there and together as a whole, we need to do something about it. Pretty soon things will escalate even more and the people will be in trouble. Like you said, we are all humans and therefore we are no better than the person next to us, and to me this is honestly true because why should ones life be more superior than another? As police officers, it is their job is to serve and protect, am i right? Don't get me wrong, I am all for getting rid of police brutality, and what comes with it, but the world is so crazy now, how could a police officer ever feel safe stepping out of their homes? These officers have familes as well and they'll do anything to protect them as much as these civilians will do. We are all the same on the inside and out. Don't let labels treat you as a different person. We are all amazing individuals. Can't anyone see that?
ReplyDeleteWith everything that has happened these past couple of weeks it's hard to see our system being fixed. Once racism stops, then maybe our system will be better. But like Sydairee said, racism will always be in America, so how can we take a step forward when people of color are being attacked? It's a shame that it is like this. People have to start realizing that what we look like on the outside has nothing to do with how we are in the inside. Many judge that if one person of a group does something then automatically everybody else is like them, and they are ruled negatively. This goes for blacks and policemen. Everybody needs to open their eyes and realize that attacking and judging people won't solve anything.
ReplyDeleteUh. I have to stop this thread right here. Please. We can talk about this, and we WILL talk about this, but not in this space. When we are together as a class, we will talk about this.
ReplyDeleteNathan, I am so sorry, but you are wrong. Racism exists, and I can prove it to you. And it is killing us. I am not silencing you and your point of view, however, I am not sure where you are getting your information.
Again, I need to stop this conversation right here, and we will talk about this later, face-to-face.
I look forward to further discussion in class...
DeleteThank you.
DeleteHello Nathan, I disagree with you. Racism is very much visible in the U.S. police force. It's not just about police killing black people. There's everyday racist acts that SOME police officers do. Police officers pull over coloured people for no reasoning, but let white people off the hook. Barack Obama has even stated hat he has been pulled over for no reason but for the colour of his skin. Black people are feared that their lives will be taken when they get pulled over, they don't feel safe around police officers who are meant to keep them safe. Also I disagree with the all lives matter movement. Black lives matter is a movement to bring attention to people that need it. Yes, all lives matter, but not all lives are being pulled over for no reason and being brutalized on the daily. Imagine if only one house was on fire but the firefighters had to water down all the houses because "all houses matter." All lives can't matter until black lives matter, or transgender lives matter, or gay lives matter too.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment, Jaymee.
ReplyDeleteEveryone, this thread has to stop; however, the conversation will go on, and it must go on, but not here in this space where I am unable to mediate or redirect or question.