How Much of a Problem is Racist Police Brutality?

http://mic.com/articles/96452/one-troubling-statistic-shows-just-how-racist-america-s-police-brutality-problem-is#.jcd9P6qlW

     Statistics show that white police officers kill 2 black people every week in the United States.  That's around 100 deaths a year, a quarter of the 400 reported deaths by police officers each year.  In America, black people are "disproportionately more likely to be killed by the police".  These numbers are obviously an issue and need to be addressed.  What do you think could be done to help lower the number of black deaths by white police officers?

    The statistics above are definitely eye-opening, but what's even more shocking is the amount of allegations towards white police officers regarding the use of excessive and deadly force towards black people are ruled justified.  "The Urban Institute estimates that white-on-black homicides in states with Stand Your Ground laws are 354% more likely to be ruled justifiable than white-on-white ones."  354%.   If you Google any case of police brutality where a black person was either beaten or killed by a white police officer, it can almost be guaranteed the officer will not be held responsible for the crime. Why do you think this number is so high?  What does racism have to do with the outcomes of the trials?  What, if anything, can be done to help solve the issue of racist police brutality?  

Racism: Is It a Bigger Problem Now?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/08/05/americans-say-racism-is-a-bigger-problem-today-than-at-any-point-in-the-past-20-years/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/why-racism-still-flourishes/2015/06/26/d0e1f2e4-1b6e-11e5-ab92-c75ae6ab94b5_story.html

For years there has been racial tension between blacks and whites. The thought now is that it's even worse now than it was twenty years ago which is pretty concerning to a lot of people. Instead of moving past the color of our skin, more problems were only created. The color of peoples skin is still a clear issue in America and there are plenty of reasons for why it's still an issue. It's not like there's only one racism between whites and blacks but also people such as Hispanics, Asians, etc. We only really know of what we hear on the news and it's mainly dealing with issues between whites and blacks.

There has to be something else leading for these random outbursts of racism. What could they be? Is there hope for there not to be cases of racism in America? What could be some key factors in which racism between blacks and whites could be stopped?

Police Brutality & Role of Race

Police Brutality & Role of Race

• http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/07/opinions/arnold-police-shootings/
• http://takingnote.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/09/04/the-real-story-of-race-and-police-killings/
• http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/p/police_brutality_and_misconduct/index.html
• http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_29070325/denver-police-union-files-lawsuit-over-body-camera

     As we progress through the 21st century, we are discovering cures and answers to questions that have been plaguing mankind for centuries. We can cure diseases that killed many before, we can go space and back with ease, and we can create objects out of nothing with 3D Printing. Although as we learn why Mars is devoid of life, we continue to experience some social problems that seem incurable. Anyone who has turned on the news in the past year, and even longer, they will see cases of race violence between whites and blacks. Even more so, law enforcement has become entangled in multiple incidents of brutality and violent handling of suspects. It would seem in a world where you can be cured of severe illnesses, that for some people, those meant to protect you are your deadliest enemies. 

     Many people have seen these incidents, and in most cases, the camera recording showing the struggle and aftermath. As someone who wishes to pursue a career in law enforcement, and also come from a long line of police officers at all levels of the law,it would appear that I would have some biases in this matter. Although, I can say truthfully that in many cases, I am disgusted and disturbed by the actions on the part of the officer on scene. Likewise, many people in the minority population of America are calling race as the major motivator for these incidents. From the statistics, presented in all three of the first articles, African Americans are indeed at larger risk for violent handling. This is the second major point of discussion; whether to blame the racist officer or the thug black kid. These two sides are the splitting line in almost all the discussions on the issue, and it would appear there is little room allowed for another party's point of view. 

     Anyone who reads into these incidents, looks through the reports and articles, comes out with more questions than answers. It seems that the articles both inform and inflate people's opinions, and thus deepen the argument. Therefore, I pose some questions to you, now infected with the same virus, following these readings. What do you think of these incidents, who seems to be the aggressor mostly? Is there any side present other than the police's or suspect's? What steps should be taken to curb this issue, should body cams (like those in the fourth article) be implemented? Finally, if this problem persists, do you think that people other than African Americans could become victims? 

Presidential Flaws

http://www.nytimes.com/video/nyregion/100000004019727/protesters-to-nbc-dump-trump.html

As the Presidential race heats up and starts to near exactly one year until a new President will be elected, there is a lot of issues each President is facing. No President seems to live in a love, hate relationship more than Donald Trump. Donald Trump may be leading the Republican field, but it is not without much controversy. Last weekend many people were protesting at the studio where the famous Saturday Night Live is held. They were enraged that Donald Trump was cohosting the show. They did not want a racist person being in charge of the show,

Donald Trump has brought with him a lot of experience and fire behind the idea of nationalism. However, he is not doing it in the right way. There are over 11.3 MILLION undocumented people living and working in America. Without them, much of what America stands for and produces would not be possible. This idea that Donald Trump gives saying we should 'build a wall' to keep out Mexicans is not only racist but unethical. This country is based off of the idea of immigration and acceptance. How can Donald Trump want to make America great again without keeping these two key factors of our country alive?

So here is the question...Should we accept Donald Trump's 'wall' idea, or be accepting as a country? Does it make sense to keep America exclusive? How can people support these ideas?

Will the legalization of gay marriage destroy America?

Recently, we have been able to witness one of the greatest steps forward in America in a long time. Gay marriage was finally legalized. As there were so much positive feedback on the new law that was passed to allow gays to now legally marry throughout the entire country, there were also countless debates going on saying how legalizing gay marriage is going to ruin our country. 

In the article linked to my post, the author gives a few reasons why legalizing gay marriage is going to "destroy America." These points include, "Same-sex marriage will cause an additional 900,000 abortions, The "homosexual experience" leads to "early death", Children of same-sex marriages are disadvantaged, and Same-sex marriage will hurt underprivileged women and children." Many of these arguments have been going on since even before gay marriage was legalized in America. The people creating these arguments believe that gay parents cannot care for their children and give them the same love and support as a home with heterosexual parents. 

Do you agree with these types of arguments these people have been making ever since gay marriage has been legalized? Do you have any real life examples that can prove these points wrong and show how gay marriage and gay parenting can be just as effective as heterosexual marriage and parenting? 

http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2015/04/opponents-same-sex-marriage-claim-science-their-side

Gender Equality In The Workplace: Will It Ever Be Equal?

  http://www.iwpr.org/initiatives/pay-equity-and-discrimination

In class we have discussed the topic of Gender Equality and the way it relates to the workforce. This article reinstates that women are only making 79 cents to every dollar a man makes. The same wage pace increase has been going on for over fifty years even though the jobs that men and women have today require more skill and precision. IWPR has projected by 2059 men and women will be getting paid equally, a dollar to dollar ratio no matter the occupation.  

Women have always been seen as the "lesser or weaker" sex. Even though most women go to work and work the same work week as men, they then have to come home and either cook dinner, take care of the kids or home, or do whatever it is to get ready for the next day, women still are viewed inferior to men. This is especially important for men and women who hold the same occupation. Why should a woman be paid 21 cents less than a man but have the same responsibilities and then have to put in more work when they get home? Now I'm not saying that this is true for every household but it is a common trait that is seen across the country. Regardless of what men and women do outside of their occupation, they should be paid equally and treated fairly no matter what they do.

Should men and women of the same occupation be paid differently like they are? Or should they be paid the same? Are women more likely to be discriminated against in a workplace of all men, instead of a mix of men and women? Why do you think it is projected to take 44 years for men and women to get paid the same amount for the same occupation? Or do you ever think men and women will get paid equally?

Racism: It Is Still an Issue

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kate-kenski/racism-is-not-isolated_b_8106230.html


Racism happens around us everyday. If you do not take part in it, you probably will not notice it. This is a major problem that presents itself today. So many people just think that racism does not occur that often, but it is still dominant in the country today. When people think of racist events, they usual recall the ones that they hear in the news. For example, the incident with the fraternity at the University of Oklahoma or the owner of the Los Angeles Clippers are events that stand out. What most of us do not realize is that racism occurs at schools and public places everyday. The author of this article discusses instances when her daughter, who was only five-years-old at the time, was discriminated against because of her skin color by other kids at her school. Things like this happen all the time and need to come to an end.

In order to put an end to this problem, we first need to focus on the roots. When a racist event occurs we tend to think about the event itself and not the bigger picture of how we can stop it in the future. We also have to stop just pushing the issues involving race aside and try to eliminate them the best we can. I fear that racism is going to stay a problem in this country. I think people of all races should have equal opportunities and should not be discriminated against or treated with disrespect.

Do you feel that racism is still strong in parts of the country? What do you think about how we deal with racism in the United States today? Do you think that it is possible to fully eliminate racism in the country?