Good Cops And Bad Cops

Two police officers, Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu, were shot and killed by Ismaaiyl Brinsley in New York City. Social media posts from the killer suggest that the two murders were linked to the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner. Brinsley called it "revenge". Innocent people should not be murdered regardless of the community they belong to. NOT ALL COPS ARE BAD COPS, and these innocent officers should not have been killed simply because they are police officers. Officers are meant to protect and serve their communities therefore we should honor those who haven't committed any wrong doing. With that being said those corrupt police men who abuse their power and get away with it do need to see justice. We need reform not retribution. Patrick Lynch of the patrolmen's benevolence association said that "there is blood on the hands of those who incited violence in the streets under the guides of protests." You cannot blame the actions of one sick man who, earlier in the day also killed his girlfriend, on people who are protesting against the crimes done by police officers. Blood is not on the hands of the protesters but on the hands of Brinsley. All of the heated conversations and comments on this issue has caused a divide when there is a dire need for unity. People need to stop putting other people in categories. Yes there are corrupt officers but there are also officers who want to protect and serve their communities and they should be honored. Just the same as there are black criminals but not every black man is a criminal or dangerous. The ignorance needs to end. The actions of people like Brinsley who blame all cops for the wrongdoing of a few will hurt the fight for reform not make it easier. Needless to say there are trust issues between the African American community and police officers. Government officials need to make policy changes that will stop the abuse of power in the police community. African Americans need to continue to peacefully protest and make steps toward reform. People need to stop blaming the actions of one person on all of those people who are like them. Hopefully one day there will be some type of trust between the people of the community and those who are meant to serve them.

Michael Brown, Eric Garner, and the 'Other America'

The Other America

One black man is killed by a police officer or vigilantes in our country every 28 hours...

The reoccurring deaths of unarmed black men on the hands of white police officers have caused people to take action. Thousands have taken to the streets in recent weeks to protest the unjust decision to let police officers get away with murder. These peaceful protests are people's way of waking up a sleeping nation. American society is blind to hundreds even thousands of murders perpetrated in its name by agents of government. Is it all right that police kill hundreds of unarmed teens and young men every year without having to pay for their actions? Why is is that this nation does not give the same compassion to murder victims who are black and brown as it gives to other victims? In a speech by Dr. Martin Luther King he refers to the "other America". In one world people experience the opportunity of life liberty and the pursuit of happiness in all its dimensions. The "other America" (the one that black and brown people live in) experiences a daily ugliness that spoils the purest hopes of the young and old leaving only the fatigue of despair. One group in this country can expect institutions of law to bend in their favor while the other is swept up like rubbish by the hard unforgiving hand of the law. Ever since black men have stepped foot in this country they have been targets of wanton aggression. From lynchings and enslavement to being imprisoned and wrongfully murdered black men have always gotten the short end of the stick in this country. Race aside, police officers in this country should not be able to get away with murder. It is time that the American people take action and move in a direction towards equality and justice for all people regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, nationality, religion, sex and so forth. 

Wave of police incidents a growing trend, or coincidences?

Wave of Police incidents a growing trend or coincidences ?

On July 17 an unarmed black man, Eric Garner was killed by a white police officer in New York City. The man was killed when officers attempted to arrest him for suspicion of selling loose untaxed cigarettes. On August 9th another officer fatally shot an unarmed 18 year old boy, Michael Brown, in Ferguson, Missouri. A twelve year old boy named Tamir Rice was shot and killed by an officer because his pellet gun was mistaken for a real one. Then on November 24th it was announced that a grand jury had declined to indict officer Darren Wilson for the shooting of Michael Brown. Later a grand jury in Orangeburg County, South Carolina returned a murder indictment against a former police chief in the shooting of an unarmed man. All of these incidents have something in common. In each occurrence unarmed people, excel for the child with the pellet gun, had their lives taken by police officers. All officers involved were white and all of the deceased were black. These incidents have created a sort of racial tension in this country. But some question whether or not these incidents are a growing trend or series of coincidences creating buzz in new reports and social media. And yet, no firm statistics can say whether this spate of officer-involved deaths is a growing trend or simply a series of coincidences generating a deafening buzz in news reports and social media." We do not know the exact number of people who die in police custody so how are we to know if this is a problem that has been occurring and is now receiving more attention or if it is a growing trend. John O'Leary claimed that prosecutors are trying to make it racial with all the national issues going on at the same time the timing is perfect, but putting an officer in jail for 30 years for doing his job is wrong. But is it right to make murder legal if the murderer involved has a badge? There needs to be some sort of solution to this problem. Police officers need to learn how to do their jobs without taking the lives of young black men.

Black = Criminal

He Looks Like A Criminal

Black men are much more likely to be arrested for drug usage compared to white men although their usage is roughly the same. Racism is still very alive in this country and the aftermath of discrimination and racism is still affecting lives today. A survey reported that white Americans over estimated the proportion of some crimes committed by people of color as high as 20%-30%. Although crime is disproportionately high in minority neighborhoods it is not because of their race but because of the effects that poverty has on one's behavior. Of course someone is more likely to steal or sell drugs if they live in a neighborhood where there are poor schools and fewer job opportunities. These residential patterns are not in place simply because people want to live in poverty stricken neighborhoods. They are a result of years of discriminatory housing and employment systems. Can we expect someone to abide by laws when there are put in such a situation. To make matters worse police presence is disproportionately white relative to the local population. These people are put under circumstances that persuade them to commit crimes and are being punished by people who see them all as criminals. How is it that people get away with murder in this country and justify their crimes by saying that the black person they killed was going to hurt them. Associating black people with criminals has lead to the wrongful death of many young black men by white men. There needs to be action taken to bring more colored people into the police force and hold those who use racist stereotypes to justify their crimes accountable for their crimes.

Scandal In Gay Rights Movement May Hurt The Cause

Gay Does Not Mean Pedophile

Terrance Patrick Bean is the co-founder of the Human Rights Campaign, the world's largest, wealthiest, most powerful anti-Christian pro-homosexual organization. HRC was founded to push the homosexual political agenda and Bean is one of the most influential figures in gay right. It has come out that he has been arrested and charged with a felony for allegedly sodomizing a 15 year old boy. About two years ago 68 year old Larry Brinkin, another high profile gay rights activist,was arrested for possessing an distributing reams of child pornography. These scandals within the gay community will negatively effect the progression of their fight for equal rights. There is no doubt that what these men have done to these young boys is absolutely disgusting but should the whole gay community have to pay for the sick decisions of a few bad apples? These type of incidents have the power to sway people to be totally against this movement. People tend to over generalize and these kinds of stories leave a bad taste in people's mouths about gay people. Just because there are some sick people who target young innocent boys does not mean that all gay men deserve to pay the price. Those who do nothing wrong should not be punished for loving someone of the same sex. Just because there are some men who prey on children does not mean that other men who are homosexual should not have the same rights as others. I hope that one day we can move past all of the discrimination and inequality that is so prevalent in our society.

How Racism Stole Black Childhood

How Racism Stole Black Childhood

Young people make stupid decisions, but being young and irresponsible does not have the same consequences  for all people. When you are white wealthy and well connected you can get yourself out of almost any predicament. But when you are poor and black you are more likely to be arrested and cannot even afford a lawyer. These disadvantages have cause white people to get away with many crimes including those that were committed on the basis of racism. Black and white youth use marijuana at about the same rate but black youths are four times as likely to be arrested for it. Black men are usually associated with being criminals and in our society being a poor young black man is the equivalency of being guilty of something. For example, a young black unarmed teenager was gunned down by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, Immediately the authorities released a video of Brown allegedly robbing a store and reported he had marijuana in his system. No matter what crimes Brown had committed the authorities made it seem as if Brown was a criminal and deserved what came to him. These social stereotypes allow for young men like Michael Brown to be wrongfully punished just for being a black man. Meanwhile white youths who commit similar and in some cases worse crimes get a simple warning or maybe some community service. Why is it that we give our white youths a chance to redeem themselves after committing crimes but black youths are associated with criminals and get less  leniency when it comes to committing crimes. Would Michael Brown have been gunned down by the police officer if he were white? Or was it because the police officer saw a black man and automatically considered him a threat and a criminal and felt he had no other choice but to gun him down?

Corbett v Wolf

Every Vote Counts

On November 4, 2014 voters will take to the polls to vote for midterm elections. During mid term elections there is a low voter turn out. This means that an underdog could win the election simply because those people who show up to the polls are his supporters. This is exactly why President Obama campaigned for Tom Wolf and Governor Chris Christie campaigned for Tom Corbett. They endorsed the candidates campaigns to gain the support of their faithful followers and also to attract attention to the election and get voters to come out. During their speeches especially during Obama's they stressed the idea that people need to come to the polls and vote. A lot of people these days don't realize the importance of voting, especially for an election whose results would most directly impact them. I remember trying to convince someone to go out and vote in this election and they responded back to me I only vote in important elections like the president. I was so disappointed at their ignorance. Do people not realize that their governor more directly affects their daily lives than your president. This is exactly why communities are not being represented by their leaders. If people would actually come out and vote they could help change policies that affect them in their communities. Many people have issues with the way things are being run in their communities but do nothing to change these conditions. By showing up to the polls people can chose a leader that would represent them and be more proactive about issues that they care about. There needs to be some  type of change in the minds of people who do not show up to polls. We can only change policy if we change the way people think.

Urban Education

Educators Address Racial Inequality  by Erica Smith October 30, 2014.

Segregated schools have been outlawed but is there really racial equality in respects to the quality of an education? A symposium was held in St. Louis titled Michael Brown vs The Board of Education to discuss racial injustice in educational systems. The resources provided to Hispanic and African American students are inferior to others. “Black students in particular are four times more likely to have under certified or unprepared teachers.” Why is it that we are giving less to those students who need more? Most often teachers come from middle class white families from the suburbs. Putting them in a classroom with urban minorities causes a culture clash. These teachers do not have the experience to properly interact with let alone teach these students. Due to these differences teachers and students often do not see eye to eye and students are more likely to act out. This may be why “black and brown students are disproportionately sent to the principle office.” Cultural competency and sensitivity should be incorporated into professional development in order to help with this issue. Not only are minority students given less experienced teachers they are also given lower quality curriculum. Teachers tend to dumb down classes because they do not think that the students can handle it. Students who are advanced are bored due to this remediation. The parent of a child holds a great responsibility in respects to ensuring that the child is motivated and has the resources to succeed in school. The child also holds responsibility to go to learn, come to school and behave. With that being said it is the responsibility of the educators to create an environment in which students actually want to learn. All students deserve to have experienced teachers, learning materials, and advanced courses provided to them.All of these issues are going to be discussed at the symposium. The fact is that students at predominately African American and Hispanic schools do not receive the same quality of an education as a white child from the suburbs. This is a form of segregation and it is not right. I am sure that if nothing is done to help improve education in urban areas it will become an even more major issue of public policy.