Part 2: Being Informed and Entering the Conversation
This is the second part of a blog that you either love or hate at this point. This part will be due on SUNDAY, March 24th, 2019.
Go back and read some of the posts from Part 1.
Pick 2-3--you agree AND disagree with to begin a conversation. Copy and paste the part of the comment you want to respond to, set it off with italics, and respond respectfully.
Go back and read some of the posts from Part 1.
Pick 2-3--you agree AND disagree with to begin a conversation. Copy and paste the part of the comment you want to respond to, set it off with italics, and respond respectfully.
Gabbie Castantini wrote "When a black individual is killed, they often include their past criminal record (if any) to describe them. "
ReplyDeleteI wholeheartedly agree that whenever there is an African American who gets arrested the news always 100% puts past criminal records, even if it has absolutely nothing to do with what the topic is. If a white woman got arrested for the same crime there would be no mention of any criminal record. The white person is made out to look so innocent.
Kaitlyn Stollenwerk wrote "if you’re in any kind of law enforcement, being racist shouldn’t even be a thought. Policemen have one job and that is to protect all of us. "
I also agree with this one. You shouldn’t think people are doing something wrong just based on their skin color. Look at how many white drug addicts there are, yet in my experience, when seeing articles about people getting arrested for drugs the majority of the people are black. This indicates that someone must’ve racially profiled another person to get the arrest.
Daniel Ramirez wrote "I feel like just hiring people that are going to make decisions like those shouldn't have to do anything with the police force. "
I agree but disagree with this. I agree with the fact people who are gonna judge others based on skin color shouldn’t work in the police force, but when he says “hiring people… “ it is implying that the boss knows the officer is racist. That is what I disagree with. No one in an interview is going to blatantly say “Hi, I would like to be a police officer but by the way I am racist” so it isn't the police departments fault for hiring someone who is racist. What is there fault is how they deal with the situation like the shooting.
I TRIED TO PUT ITALICS BUT IT DIDN'T WORK
Gabbie Costantini: “Black victims deserve justice, and it could start by media representation.”
ReplyDeleteI agree with Gabbie. It tends to show that anytime an African American get arrested, somehow their past criminal records are shown. They use this to describe them, but if it’s a white victim, it’s a different story. A black person’s past records may not even have to do with anything of the current incident. Blacks deserve justice because they are just as human as anyone else and they shouldn’t be considered “targets”, while whites just sit here looking innocent. The media needs to realize this and potentially everything will start to settle down more because the media fires a lot up.
Sammi Chen: “They both were victims, but yet the reaction wasn't the same.”
I agree with Sammi that when either a black and white person are a victim in something, reactions from the public are all different. If a black person were to be killed, nobody would even pay attention and they would just blow it off. However, if a white person were to be killed, the public would go bonkers. This shouldn’t be the case and the reactions of the public should be the same for everyone. The skin color that a person is inside shouldn’t matter one bit. A killing is a killing, and although there’s different skin colors in the world, we are all human and should be viewed the same.
Malachi Shelly: “I understand both sides of the argument, however i still stand next to the officers that protect the community from threats, whether the threat is white, black, hispanic, asian.”
I would say I disagree with Malachi. I do believe that any officer tries their best to protect the community, however, whenever I read an “African American was shot dead by police officer” on the media there’s always one thing that is the same. Whenever this happens, the police officers always say the same thing, “they looked suspicious and harmful. I had to do what I had to do”. I would understand if that was said about one black person getting killed, but if every police officer says that, now their the ones that I want to question. There are so many more killings of blacks, even if their simply just walking on the sidewalk, like any other person does. Blacks are the ones getting targeted. I mentioned in my blog that if you’re in any kind of law enforcement, being racist shouldn’t even be a thought. Policemen have one job and that is to protect all of us, not shooting African Americans just because they may “look suspicious” and not having a valid reason for your shootings. I’m not saying you’re wrong and I respect where your opinion falls, even when you said it’s easier for you because you’re white, but I’m also white and I see where the cops go wrong when it comes to some incidents with African Americans.
Kim Shaw wrote "although more black people are being shot, harmed, and killed by police constantly, and receive almost zero sympathy when it comes to white people, it took a single white woman to be killed for other whites to come to conclusion that ‘there needs to be a change’ and ‘this can’t go on any longer’... when in reality it’s been going on all along but they could only sympathize with their own race"
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with this because there is no doubt about it that whenever a black person is shot and killed, they almost receive no type of attention that needs to be brought forward, but when a white women is shot, the public demands a change. It is not fair to the blacks that have lost their lives to receive no type of sympathy just because of their skin color. Change needs to happen regardless of color.
Kaitlyn Stollenwerk wrote "I consider this valuable because if you’re in any kind of law enforcement, being racist shouldn’t even be a thought. "
I agree with this because when you are protecting people, you don't get to chose who you want to protect just based on color, but rather it is your job to protect everybody in that community. You rather were the one that chose to do this job knowing that when somebody needs help, you go and help them regardless of the color of their skin. You can't refuse to help somebody because of the way that they look.
Malachi Shelley wrote "I understand both sides of the arguement, however i still stand next to the officers that protect the community from threats, whether the threat is white, black, hispanic, asian. It doesn't matter."
I disagree with this because a police officer shouldn't shoot an innocent person just because of their skin color. They aren't the ones that get to decide whether or not they can take somebody lives just because they "seemed suspicious." In most cases, blacks are the most that often get targeted and killed because they looked suspicious to an officer, however if a white person was on the street, what are the chances that they are going to get gunned down and shot? Probably none because their skin color isn't the kind that seems "suspicious" to officers. Officers are here to protect all people, not just the ones that they decide they want to protect. We are all people regardless of how we look.
Malachi said, "Outcomes for police shootings are different based on who the cop is, the victim is, and what happens."
ReplyDeleteI agree with this because most “cop shooting civilian” cases are white cops shooting black civilians. And most of the time, because they’re white and a majority, they won’t be given a hard sentence or even found guilty. If it was a minority cop who shot a white person, per say, they would most likely be automatically found guilty compared to a white cop who would most likely not even be sentenced fairly.
Gabe said, “I have a major issue with this because people are trying to act differently because of the people they are surrounded by.”
I disagree with this because I don’t have an issue with acting differently among different people. Some people do it survive in society. Others do it because that’s just the way that they are. I think Gabe might have meant people acting “fake”. There’s definitely a difference between fake love and code switching.
Kim Shaw wrote: “If more are aware, more can prevent, educate, and create at least an ounce of emotion for the black community.”
ReplyDeleteI agree with this 100%. Being white comes with lots of privileges. When I walk down the street, cops don’t pay attention to me at all. If I were to get pulled over, cops wouldn’t pull their guns out when I reached into my pocket to grab my license. White privilege is VERY MUCH a real thing, and white people need to start bringing awareness to the problems the black community faces. Educating people that many police officers subconsciously take part in racial profiling can bring awareness to the increase in fatal shootings by cops in the black community.
Malachi Shelley wrote:
“Outcomes for police shootings are different based on who the cop is, the victim is, and what happens.”
While this could be true, it shouldn’t be. All cops should approach suspects the same, no matter what the person looks like, acts like, etc. I would disagree with this because African Americans have the highest percentage of police shootings, and it is only increasing. Statistics show that police officers are more likely to pull over a black individual than a white individual, even if they are doing the same crime. Yes, people say “not all cops are racist”, but racial profiling has been a reoccurring issue in American history.
Gabbie wrote “Black victims deserve justice, and it could start by media representation. Instead of them being known for which crimes they’re committed, they should be known as a victim of police brutality, and people should know their name.”
ReplyDeleteI agree with this completely African Americans do deserve justice because of all the causations and the misjudgments they go through just because they are black. Gabbie also talk about the media and how blacks are being misportrayed. And this is true, people post things on the internet about blacks breaking the law and it being funny. But imagine the blacks out there, how they feel and how they think of the act.
Kayla Faisst said “The fact was that he was not proven guilty was what made it clear to me that something did not add up. How could a police officer get away with firing a gun 12 times, 6 of which directly shot him in the front of his body. According to Dorian Johnson, who was with Michael at the time, Brown turned around with his hands raised after being shot at his back. His hands were raised when he was shot multiple times until he fell to the ground- yet there are no charges or penalties against anybody. “
I agree with how does that even happen. 12 times, 12 TIMES, that is just outrageous and just suspicious because (i don't know what happened later on) how is this officer is not being trialed or how has he not lost his job. I think one bullet can kill someone or at least keep him alive for you could have talk to him and find out what happened. He also put his hands up, and someone was there as well to see this action. Outrageous how those are the people that are “trying to protect us”.
Kaitlyn said “I consider this valuable because if you’re in any kind of law enforcement, being racist shouldn’t even be a thought.”
This is so true, you should honestly hit the road and find something else. You also have a gun, so who knows the amount of damage they are capable. They are of course going against the race that they dislike. Bias in the decisions they make like sentences being like 30 years or the race they are favorable for a slap on the wrist. Law enforcement has a say in EVERYTHING and for a racist to have the ability is just unacceptable.
vivek kolli wrote:
ReplyDelete"Ever since I was a little kid, I was somewhat of a master code-switcher. I realized at a young age, that I had to communicate in different ways to relate to different people. This became prominent to me in middle school, when I made different friends. I talked to them about different things in different ways, based on my surroundings. I didn't know what it was called, but I did it throughout my years, and I'm guilty of still doing it a little today, but I don't think it's a bad thing. Code-switching seems to have a negative connotation, but it has helped me navigate social obstacles throughout my life and I probably wouldn't be the same person today without it."
my response: I agree entirely that code-switching has an unfairly negative connotation. Code-switching is a fancy way to say matching the mood of your surroundings and that is completely natural. The fact that code switching occurs at such a young age only further proves that point. Everyone code switches and that's because it's necessary. I'm not going to act the same around everyone because every person I'm around is different. Sometimes it's just necessary in life to adapt.
Emily Tunney wrote:
"When I saw the title and began to read the article, I thought I'd be reading all this hate a black man would be getting for protecting his community or doing his job but he would simple be getting the hate for it because of their skin tones. But reading it more I soon learned that the women was apparently calling 911, and then just gets shot. How does something like that just happen? It doesn't. there clearly needed to be a reason behind this shooting. I've learned that switching the roes around in this kind of situation can get just as much media attention then if it were to of happened the other way around. I'd share that everyone's story should be heard, because of the messed up story of wrong kind of message could be spread."
I agree with Emily that this shouldn't have happened. I also responded to the article and the audacity the author has to act as if the backlash on this police officer wasn't deserved is astonishing. Regardless of skin color, this case should've been more widely discussed. I'm not entirely sure on what your last statement means but if you're trying to say all sides should be heard then In entirely agree. Overall we can both agree that is shooting was wrong and that the media should fairly cover all stories.
Gabbie Costantini wrote:
"I loved these articles because it brought attention to the VERY different media representations when a black individual is killed versus a white individual. When a black individual is killed, they often include their past criminal record (if any) to describe them. For example, they will say, “Caughman, who has 11 prior arrests walked for about a block after the stabbing...” for a black man, while when a white woman is shot by a cop, they will name the article, “Woman calls 911, shot dead by Minneapolis officer.” Both are victims, but are portrayed by the media differently."
I completely disagree with Gabbie. The importance of including a persons criminal background is vital is understanding the situation. Knowing that a women was shot--who has no criminal background--and was reporting a possible rape SHOULD garner a different response to that of a male with previous arrest history and was being placed under arrest is just common sense. Maybe not in the case of Timothy Caughman, but that case is dissimilar in all regards to the shooting of Mrs. Damond. Overall, I cannot say that I believe the media is or ever was impartial. All I can say is that you cannot compare shootings and that the difference in response was for difference in circumstance.
Seth Boyle - "I do not believe people code-switch when around someone of the different race, to do so is kind of racist in itself. These people who perform the code-switching claims they have to because they will not be accepted, so they force themselves to act more like the other race."
ReplyDeleteI disagree with this statement because I don't believe code-switching is a bad thing. The way you describe code-switching as "racist" gives it a negative connotation, and I believe code-switching isn't as bad as you describe it.
Angel Cassanova - "I disagree about what W.E.B Dubois said, “He wouldn’t bleach his Negro blood in a flood of white Americanism… He simply wishes to make it possible for a man to be both a Negro and an American.” He’s implying that a black man didn’t try to act white around people, but they wished to become both as a person."
I disagree with this statement because W.E.B Dubois's statement makes sense. Dubois argues that black people didn't want to convert completely to one side or the other, but they wanted a balanced mix between the two cultures.
Kaitlyn Stollenwerk - "Policemen have one job and that is to protect all of us, not shooting African Americans just because they may “look suspicious” and not having a valid reason for your shootings. I feel passionate about this topic because nobody should be living scared of policemen and think that they are a target, when cops should be making us feel safe and content."
I agree with this statement because our police force should be a symbol of hope, not fear. The cops should start making logical decisions and realize that people's lives are in their hands.
I disagree with Malachi when he said “However, being a cop is scary. You never know what kind of situation you are going to walk into.” I agree with the fact that being a cop is a scary job but I don’t think that should be an excuse for an officer to shoot at an innocent. When you sign up to be a police officer you have to sign up knowing there's a possibility that you might be put in a bad situation. You give an oath to protect people, so how are you supposed to do that if you’re scared. I think if you are a police officer and you’re so scared that you might shoot an innocent than you shouldn’t be an officer.
ReplyDeleteI also disagree with Alex when she said “if a white woman wears cornrows in the workplace it’s okay.” This statement I couldn't disagree with more because people are quick to get offended by cultural appropriation which is exactly what would happen if a white women walked in with cornrows. I think way less people would care if a black women went into work with cornrows then a white women.
Eric Weeks: “if you dont code switch it proves you are really you.” The reason I disagree with this statement is because you can still be you and code switch. People are complicated and everyone has different sides, not letting some people see one side of you is okay. For example at school I wouldn’t talk to someone who is Caucasian the same way than someone who is Latino(a). I don’t feel/behave the same way. You don’t have to be best friends with everyone.
ReplyDeleteGabe: “I have a major issue with this because people are trying to act differently because of the people they are surrounded by. Now, evidently when you are with friends and when you are with family it is a whole different story, but this is not the case.”
Okay so I don’t agree with what Gabe said either, however I understand his point of view. Respectfully, people act differently because that’s sometimes what a person has to do to survive. And it’s not that a person isn’t being real, again, there are different sides to people. I also feel that acting differently towards your family and friends is also a form of code switching. Code switching shouldn’t be such a catastrophe. When a person experiences cultural shock, like moving to another school, they must adapt to how the school is being ran, different people, schedule, classes etc.. Human beings revolve around adaptation and new surroundings. Therefore you sometimes gotta do what you gotta do.
Vivek: “I've seen people change, "Americanizing" themselves to adapt to the unique culture in this country.”
I relate to this. Ever since I moved here my prime goal was to get rid of my accent completely, so I could fit in with the other kids. I learned how to read in English by myself within the first six months that I moved here. I could speak perfect English by eight grade, but my accent was still there. That stupid accent, it wasn’t as noticeable as it was in 6th grade. But I had to get rid of it and by freshman year, I did. I was in complete culture shock when I first moved here, I wish y’all knew how many crickets there are in Texas. That’s the first thing I see when I first got off that plane— about a hundred crickets right outside the airport. It was awful. However it’s not that I forgot about my culture, it’s just that I had to learn how to survive in school. I was picked on a lot because English wasn’t my first language and the schools here aren’t the same. In Dominican Republic I could get in a fight and no one would care, here I beat someone up and I’ll get suspended. So I just had to take it since I was the minority, I didn’t know how to communicate properly. That obviously isn’t the case now but for my first couple of years it was my reality.
Alex Estrada-
ReplyDelete“One thing I found valuable is how minorities feel like they can’t be themselves in a professional environment without being discriminated against.”
I agree with this because it’s very common for minorities to feel out of place around certain people, causing them to code switch to find a balance in the uncomfortableness.
Malachi Shelley-
“I understand both sides of the arguement, however i still stand next to the officers that protect the community from threats, whether the threat is white, black, hispanic, asian. It doesn't matter.”
I disagree with this because it kind of strays away from the point that non-white people are the ones getting the most discrimination and violence. I also disagree with the “it doesn’t matter part” in the most respectful way, it does matter and is the whole reason this topic is even relevant, because it matters.
Angel:
ReplyDeleteBit I believe, today at least, when you’re a minority and around majority of white people you tend to put on that “flood of white Americanism”. In other words you tend to act white or similar to them in order to fit in.
And
If you know how to code switch it can be an important tool to use.
- I agree with what Angel said because personally as a minority I feel that this is done as a way to fit in. I don’t think fitting in is the only concern either I feel like this is done as a way to be understood. There’s a stereotype lingering around that if you speak a certain way (slang, dropping g’s at the ends of certain words, etc), you’re uneducated, but if you speak with perfect articulation, you must be educated. With this mindset, it only makes sense that any minority would code switch in certain environments. I’ve caught myself doing it at times and it’s honestly just a habit you don’t even realize. It’s like around a certain group of people, after hearing the way they talk, you’re brain just turns a switch and everything that comes out your mouth sounds like the people you’re surrounded by. Just like Angel said, it can be an important tool to use.
Kim:
it took a single white woman to be killed for other whites to come to conclusion that ‘there needs to be a change’ and ‘this can’t go on any longer’... when in reality it’s been going on all along but they could only sympathize with their own race.
- I completely agree with Kim on this because how many more articles are we going to have to read about a white man getting off free on shooting someone or another crime? I’m not excusing what this officer did, killing a white women, but where was this energy when any other innocent black person was shot and killed. It’s getting exhausting seeing things like this and races going against each other and something needs to be done.
Gabe:
I have a major issue with this because people are trying to act differently because of the people they are surrounded by.
- I disagree with this. Yes, in a way people code switch because of the people around them, but it’s more about “survival”. I feel like survival is too serious of a word, but what I’m trying to say is, some people need to code switch in order to get through their day and sometimes just to survive in a work environment. My mom has to do this because she’s a Latina working with plenty of white people, mostly men, all day and is constantly having to code switch and maybe use bigger vocabulary or articulate differently around everyone just so she isn’t looked down at or so she can be on the same pedestal as everyone else.
Gabriel wrote about the negative effects of code-switching in society. I disagree with this statement because i believe bullying is essential for the society in which we live. If it were not for bullying, we would have people walking around today saying things that make no sense because other fear having to tell that person he is speaking in a way that is not correct. This fear of bullying and hurting people's feelings would cause a huge snowball effect that will lead us to a society that is always stating "facts" that are completely incorrect because they are never told they are wrong. The effects of bullying is essential to society and should not be feared as it is today.
ReplyDeleteVivek Kolli wrote how he was code-switching for years without having to read up on it to learn how to do it. this statement, I believe, everyone must agree on. It is a truth in human kind. People code-switch every day without having to think about it because people just want to be accepted every day in their lives by their peers.
Angel Casanova wrote about the act of code-switching around teachers to get laughs from the other students because he was a "class clown". He said teacher would ask if he would speak this way in front of his parents and he would always respond with a yes, even though he would know better than to speak this way. I agree with this statement because I was the same way, talking back to teachers and making fun of people to get laughs from my friends and always responding yes the the insufferable question posed by my teachers, "Would you speak this way towards your parents?" I knew I would never speak this way to my dad in fear of being beat, but I would always say yes, because by saying no you're admitting defeat to your teacher in front of all your friends. Even if you were not this student in class, I believe we've all met this student in a class that would behave in such a way just to inspire hatred in their teachers, just to get a laugh from their friends.
Alex said “Black women straighten their hair to look more professional, whereas if they were to wear cornrows to work they would be condemned for it. This is one of the things that I kind of feel passionately about and it comes back to the topic: if a white woman wears cornrows in the workplace it’s okay.”
ReplyDeleteI disagree with this statement because I feel like they would condemn the white woman just the same. Just because black women wear cornrows more often doesn’t mean other races wouldn’t be condemned the same.
Lyanni said “ I’ve noticed in a professional setting, my mom switches her vocabulary and starts speaking in a “professional” tone, while at home she’s more relaxed and comfortable and uses slang.
I agree with this statement personally because my mom does the exact same. I feel like this is an obvious switch for anyone with a job but I can tell when my mom’s English changes when she is talking to family or a friend but at work she talks more properly which is not a bad part of code switching in my opinion.
Vivek said “I learned about how code-switching can start at an extremely early age, and continue into someone's career”
I agree with the statement that code switching starts at an early age, and many of us are just used to it when we get older. We learned how to act with different people, which is definitely necessary because you wouldn’t act the same with an adult as you do with your best friends.
Malachi wrote “However, being a cop is scary. You never know what kind of situation you are going to walk into.” In the last few years I’ve heard a lot of people say this as an excuse for the cops who instantly shoot at a black person who seems “suspicious” like the Trayvon Martin case. Being a cop is scary and there is no doubt about that but when you become a cop you should know what you are sacrificing and you should know that you are going to come into situations when you have to think fast and think clearly before doing something. Saying being a cop is scary is no excuse for shooting at someone who is innocent or shooting a black person when if it was a white person you wouldn’t have done so.
ReplyDeleteGabe wrote, “If you think about it, code-switching can have a positive side to it in which people in a system become more productive from it such as in workplaces.” I have never heard of the term code-switching before but when Bunje explained it to the class I realized that I’ve been doing it without even realizing it. I agree with gabe when he said how it can have a positive side to it. Learning to code switch can help you feel comfortable in your surroundings. If I walked up to my boss in a job I may have in the future and spoke to him the way I speak to my friends it wouldn’t go well and I could probably get in trouble but that’s why code switching can be positive because it helps you learn how to act around certain groups of people. I think we all do it everyday without even realizing it.
Lyanni wrote, “I’ve noticed in a professional setting, my mom switches her vocabulary and starts speaking in a “professional” tone, while at home she’s more relaxed and comfortable and uses slang.” My mom is the exact same way, she has the tendency to change her tone and vocabulary with different people she’s around whether it’s in a professional setting or not. Sometimes it’s cringey and funny because I know that’s not how she sounds at all.
Alex wrote: “Black women all over the globe are told to tame their hair and tame their frizz, because it’s not okay. When really they should be embracing it because it is a part of who they are.”
ReplyDeleteI absolutely agree with this statement. I probably have the straightest hair ever, so what would I know about this, right? My little cousins are mixed and they have very curly hair. Whenever I babysit or visit them, their hair is almost always gelled down, tied back, or clipped up. I think their hair is beautiful the way it is. In my eyes, I believe you should embrace your hair without restraining it from coiling or gluing it down. Although it can get stuck in knots and twisted up, poofy was “how God intended”, you know? In other words, it’s natural, so let it do it’s thing. I like to say that the designs made by someones curly and frizzy hair is art, and nature is art. It’s beautiful, so let it flow.
Lyanni wrote: “I constantly get told that I sound like a white girl and I’m constantly getting called a gringa for it. The only issue I had with anything I read was, why is this even a thing?Why do minorities feel the need to code switch to fit in?”
I agree with Lyanni. Why is this a thing? It’s so weird that people have to change their pronunciation, slang, and tone when they speak to people of different races. Then, on top of that, their own actions are turned into negative stereotypes that don’t agree with their true intents. Maybe it’s due to the fact that people are diverse and their cultures are different. But then again, that shouldn’t be an issue. However, all of the European people from many cultures and ideologies had moved into America back in the old days without an issue. Here’s the reason why: they all had white skin. They couldn’t make a judgement on them based on their skin because it was their own. If someone looks just like you, you’ll probably think twice before profiling them. Nonetheless, there’s no excuse- the stereotyping of other races is just pure racism. Now, because of this, everyone is affected one way or another.
Malachi wrote: “I understand both sides of the argument, however i still stand next to the officers that protect the community from threats, whether the threat is white, black, hispanic, asian. It doesn't matter. “
I disagree with this statement. While I agree that police enforcement should be protecting us from any threat no matter the race, it has to be addressed that there are absolutely racist police officers out there who unfairly go after a certain race because they judge them based on their skin. There is most definitely an unfair amount of black people who are arrested compared to other races. I remember reading this story of a black teenage boy who was walking to or from a cosplay convention in a costume from his favorite show. He was minding his own business and he got arrested because he had fake props and looked suspicious. Mind you, this convention involved dressing up in costumes, and it was at night. It’s all about racial profiling, judging, and misinformation. There has to be another way to assure that police officers are acting under the law, not their own racist ideas.