Monday, June 1, 2015
Foner Said It!
So, in one of the Foner readings (pages 861-866) he addresses The Spread of Imprisonment more specifically pages 862-863) and what was up with that. In 1992 the "case" with Rodney King (Rodney King was beat by a police officer and a by-stander got it on tape) Foner talks about, reminds me of a number civil situations that are happening everyday with the injustice minorities must face everyday. We have the Trayvon Martin and Zimmerman "case", the Brelo "case", the Baltimore Riots, and many other instances where we see things like the Rodney King "case". This issue makes me think and wonder, again, if we really progressed at all when speaking civil-y within the states..? I mean, we kinda progressed "politically", but why does that matter if a minority goes somewhere social and is harmed because wherever that minority went, say a grocery store, politics aren't really encouraged as much as they should be. Now what if you were that minority, how would you deal with such a thing? This leads me to a few questions of: can we solve this civil conflicts? If so, how? If not, how come? Can/May our generation make a difference when talking abut civil matters? Comment below and tell me any solutions you have or anything you thing involving social injustices, issues or whatever... I'm curious!
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I agree that politics should be encouraged because maybe if people thought about them more positively and just more in general, then people would come up with better ideas that will actually solve the civil conflicts we face today. Whether we agree with the political conversation or not, I think that it is important for America to have these conversations in order to actually start the momentum positive change. To what extent do you believe politics should be encouraged? How do you believe politics can be practiced and difficult issues can be addressed in a more peaceful and constructive way?
ReplyDeleteI believe that civil progression and political progression go hand in hand. However, I believe the issues of civil rights are not considered the priority in the government. We are more concerned with the threat of ISIS. This goes back to one of the journals we talked about," What is America's role in the world?" America is more concerned over sees than in the civil unjust that is occurring in places like Missouri. Until Civil rights becomes a priority in our government. We cannot progress to our full potential in areas that concern politics and civil rights.
ReplyDeleteTo answer both of your questions, yes and yes. We can solve civil conflicts; the potential is always existent and BEGINS with our generation because we are the next to be here the longest and execute those differences that may be foreseen. The ability to change is here, but the most clear solution is not. I agree with you when you point out that political progression in regards to civil rights almost seems impossible when oppression against these people is still very prevalent. It's unfortunately due to how much those forms of oppression were integrated into our society in our nation's past to an extent where people don't even recognize it anymore. It hardly becomes a matter of politics in so many cases- there is so much profiling, othering, stereotyping, and more, and people think that because we've had some extent of "political progression" that is has no connection. This is simply not the case. It's the same form of oppression that has existed in the past and continues to exist today. The problem at hand is destroying those mindsets, both conscious and unconscious, and further pushing for more progression.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Annie. We always have the potentical to make a change. We are the generation known for creativity, power, and numbers. We can take a stand to make this world a better place politically and socially. I think we can make a difference in the civil aspect of America because it takes one stone to cause ripples and using that theory we can cause change. The only thing that holds us back, is our lack of ability to rid ourselves of racism, sexism, and a multitude of other things that make us dislike the minorities in these groups.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the points Annie and Keerthena made, but I would also like to agree with Chloe's comment how political improvement is key to social progress. I understand that improving equality in politics does not necessarily immediately promote social change, but in the instance of situations such as the fight for gay rights and gay marriage, which I believe relates a lot to the social injustices that Sophia mentioned, the improvement of discriminatory policies could lead to the chance for social progress and the development of equality.
ReplyDeleteWe should also be careful in the way in which we portray civil rights groups in popular media. The Baltimore riots, for example, started off as a peaceful protest for civil rights. After a while, a large group of people decided to take advantage of the protests and start a riot. These people were not protesting, they were just causing trouble. This actually lead to half of the city trying to protect people from the rioters. There are many pictures depicting citizens handing out water to police and even a picture of a police wall being guarded by another wall of civilians who wanted to protect the police. The riots were less of a protest and more of an end to protesting.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to whether we have grown, I personally believe that many people now have rights and in that respect, we have grown. In the 1800's and even 1900's, African Americans never had the right to be treated as a citizen in this nation. Now, however, they are allowed to go to school and pursue their dreams, which I find to be a great positive impact on our society. At the same time, the racial cases our society is dealing with tell us clearly that no matter how much society grows, there will always be ignorant people who don't progress with society. Unfortunately, it is these people who bring about the social downfall in our nation.
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