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Advanced Essay #3 Improving Police Brutality

Posted by Justin Siegel in English 3 · Block/Harmon · Y Band on

Introduction: My goal for this paper was to present an understanding of different causes for police brutality, and things that could be done to improve it. Throughout the process the main idea or argument of my paper had shifted a little bit. In the beginning I was planning to focus specifically on the causes of police brutality. Instead, I ended up focusing on the causes, as well as ways police had claimed they were improving, as well as ways that police could improve.​

Police Brutality is a controversial subject that is talked about often in America. Often times race, or being of a certain minority has a big impact on this. We hear about racial issues all the time that occur between Police Officers, and a citizen who couldn’t help the color of their skin, their sexual orientation, or the religion they practice. Police Brutality is not indeed inevitable though. Things can be done to fix  this, there could be better monitorization of the police officers. Technology also helps so that people can be held much more accountable. There have been certain acts of police brutality that have been caught and publicized. Shedding light on these issues, does everyone a huge justice. There are so many ways for fixing and/or improving police brutality . Activism is among the many important ways that issues like police brutality are resolved.

An example of activism that has been very important is the Black Lives Matter movement. According to an article from “Brookings.edu”, Black Lives matter protests as much more likely to happen in areas where police violence has been a significant issue. This shows that members of the community have tried to fight against issues with police in a nonviolent and civil manner.  Although members of the community have worked hard to try and improve police brutality issues, it is hard to know whether Police forces are working hard for this also.

A program that has been a great advocate for the improvement of the relationship between police and citizens is called “Campaign Zero”. Campaign Zero introduces numerous solutions to improve police brutality. It also provides a lot of facts about police that many people are unaware of. A small example of something their website mentions is that Police can prohibit people from recording them. This seems unreasonable, and unsensible.

In a section of Campaign Zero’s website called “Fair Police Contracts”, they talk about many corrupt policies that are in place to protect police officers.  Officers are given many privileges in the judicial system that citizens aren’t. Police officers can wait 48 hours after an incident without being interrogated, they can decide not to take a lie detector, and often times have a “statute of limitations” on complaints against them. This means that officers can’t be held accountable if an issue with them isn’t reported within 100 days of it happening.

Often times people would consider police brutality to be a result of things like racial profiling, and prejudice. Although this is true, police departments around the country are arguing they are trying to improve this. They claim that new policing techniques have allowed for an improved relationship between them and the community. According to Steve Erly from Yes Magazine, “More communities are now taking a closer look at what’s going on in their own police departments and whether it meets their needs, including on issues involving race and diversity,”. A major issue that we face here in Philadelphia is that Police officers are “Stopping and Frisking” people based on their appearance. In order to fix this, high-up law officials claim they are putting the proper policies in place in order to ensure patrol officers aren’t overstepping their boundaries.

In recent years, police have began to use new technology, and Body cams have become mainstream among police officers. Police officers often times feel that the Body cams provide them protection, and keep them safer. Other police officers don’t like the body cams, because they allow for constant watch and observation of them. In general it seems that police officers are held more accountable. There are some officers that will take advantage of the body cam, and use it as a method in order to intimidate members of the community in which they are interacting with. It seems that as time progresses, and the training in which police officers receive regulations will be much better.  Body cams will provide security for citizens rights when it comes to dealing with authorities. This will lead to a much more comfortable environment for both Police officers and citizens.

It seems that a negative connotation has been formed around police officers especially in minority neighborhoods. It also seems like the role of police in these neighborhoods is made into something it shouldn’t be. The technical role of an officer is to maintain safety, and public order. Sometimes it seems like police officers are taking advantage of the authority they are given. In general there is a lot of responsibility given to a police officer. Many police officers are phenomenal, and typically have ‘the people’s’ best interests in mind. Their are a few that could get distracted from that at times. Their job’s require them to be ethical and uphold the law. In certain communities they have a terrible time connecting with the community. Especially in high crime, and low income areas.

In conclusion, it can be determined that there are multiple reasons communities have a tough time forming a relationship with the police. Police are often times not held accountable in necessary ways. It seems as if the law doesn’t apply to them entirely. Police forces in different places, and cities around the country are taking different approaches to try and fix this. Certain major confrontations between the police, and people in society could have been avoided.

Works Cited

Williamson, Vanessa, and Vanessa Williamson. “New Data Show That Police Violence Predicts Black Lives Matter Protests.” Brookings, Brookings, 17 May 2018, www.brookings.edu/blog/fixgov/2018/05/17/new-data-show-that-police-violence-predicts-black-lives-matter-protests/.

“Solutions.” Campaign Zero, Wetheprotestors, www.joincampaignzero.org/solutions#oversight.


Advanced Essay #3

Posted by David Hammond in English 3 · Block/Harmon · Y Band on

There are many forms this illness can take, and it is irresponsible to suggest otherwise. There are many theories about what PTSD is and its effects on the people that suffer from it. However, some people in Eastern culture insist that this is not a viable diagnosis of the issue. Instead, they suggest that some peoples lives are simply worse than others, therefore it is their reality and not an extreme disorder. PTSD, however, is a real issue in all areas of the world, not simply a western invention to dramatize a situation. It eats away at a person, rips apart relationships, and can ruin lives when gone untreated. These all point towards a severe issue that demands immediate attention.

Many studies have been conducted about emotional trauma and the responses to these traumas. One of the most significant of these was done about implicit emotions that are not registered consciously. This study showed that we do not know about all of the damages our brain receives in high-stress situations. Psychologists Kirsten Ruys and Diedrick Stapel found in their study that “Humans do not need to be aware of the event that caused their mood or feelings in order to be affected by it… humans have evolved to respond quickly and unconsciously to stimuli, they should be able to react to an emotional event without full awareness.” With this new information, it can be concluded that trauma can be experienced without being fully comprehended. This would allow for surface level tests to come back inconclusive, leading people to believe there is no reason for a person to experience PTSD. However, this does not mean that a person doesn’t have PTSD, it simply means that the stressor is subconscious. This internal reaction could be fairly common in a culture where emotional expression is not very important, but it does not make the reaction any less valid or important than anywhere else in the world.

PTSD takes many forms and is caused by numerous factors. There are five specific types of PTSD widely accepted by the field of psychology, these include Victim-related trauma, Natural-disaster trauma, Survivor trauma, Perpetrator guilt, and PTSD not otherwise specified. All of these different sub-categories of the disorder are unique in their own ways and require different forms of treatment. One of the leading PTSD recovery facilities, Sunrise House, goes on to say, “People with PTSD might have some or all of the symptoms, but the PTSD they have might not be similar. Medical professionals believe these specific subtypes of PTSD impact people differently. Those subtypes need different treatments or therapies in order to get better.” These recovery centers recognize the causes of this disease and approach it accordingly. Places like Sunrise House’s purpose is to ensure that people there receive the treatment they deserve and serve to get people who have experienced extreme trauma back on their feet. Not only do countries in Eastern Culture deny the existence of PTSD but they deny the people suffering from it help. It’s estimated that 23% of people in Palestine suffer from some form of PTSD, however, due to the ignorance of people in positions of power, there is no way for them to get better. This seems more like government skirting responsibility than a made up disorder.

Recently the head of mental health for Palestine, Samah Jabr, has said that PTSD is a western concept. A large number of people in this country, whose psychological welfare Samah Jabr is supposed to be looking out for, are currently suffering from the illness she denies the existence of. Jabr was quoted saying, “A Palestinian in Gaza whose home was bombarded, the threat of having another bombardment is a very real one. It’s not imaginary… There is no ‘post’ because the trauma is repetitive and ongoing and continuous. I think we need to be authentic about our experiences and not to try to impose on ourselves experiences that are not ours.” The idea that there is no “post” in the situation she describes takes an extremely broad view. There may be a general threat in that area at the current time, but people are not under constant attack. If someone encounters a scenario, such as the one described, there is time before another similar experience would be had. Emotional trauma is registered very quickly after it is inflicted, causing the “post” part of PTSD to happen very quickly. People can start to suffer from PTSD as soon as they are away from what caused the trauma. Is it realistic to say that there is no way PTSD can be experienced if there is any possibility of that event occurring again? The answer is no, it isn’t.

PTSD is an illness that does not care what part of the world you are from. It creeps into the mind of anyone who has been through real trauma. It is not exclusive to one country or one demographic. It does not only affect a battered US veteran. PTSD is a real problem for countless people across a global population, and we can not continue to only serve people from one section of it. A greater effort must be put forward to address this problem and get help for the people who need it most.


Advanced Essay #3: The Unnecessity of Violence

Posted by Ruby Ginsburg in English 3 · Block/Harmon · Y Band on

My goal for this essay was to focus on a topic that is not always talked about when it comes to violence, which is its alternatives. My initial thought was to write about a specific type of violence we see, or how violence impacts lives, but I'm glad that I decided to challenge my initial thoughts, and find a more interesting idea, that I actually support. I am happy with the overall topic I chose to discuss, and the way I was able to connect my topic to a scene of memory from my past.

Violence, although not always necessary, has become a ubiquitous force in the United States. Police brutality and shootings have become a major issue in our society, and oftentimes, violence is used unnecessarily in these cases. Police officers commonly argue that violence is used out of defense, when in reality these officers were never the victims of these situations. It is not difficult to pinpoint the reason for why police officers feel the ability to commit these acts of violence. They are given guns to brandish as they please and with minimal consequence.

The issue of police shootings goes hand in hand with school shootings and other general gun violence. But the difference is that the role of a police officer in society is that of a protector, yet in these instances, they are doing quite the opposite. According to the Washington Post, there were 994 people shot and killed by police officers in 2015. Since then, there have been nearly 1000 shootings by police officers each year. Although some of these cases may truly be defensive and arguably “defensive,” there are other ways to calm a situation so that it does not escalate to death.

When I was young, I attended a Unitarian Universalist church. I was a reluctant attendant, but every so often I tried my best to listen to the sermon that was given to the congregation. On one particular day, I recall the cushion on top of the pew under me was no match for the hard wood of the pew itself. I sat next to my mother, gazing up at the colorful stained glass windows. The images in the glass depicted biblical scenes, even though this was not a Christian church, and I was never taught about the bible. For me, church was not a tool used to teach about religious beliefs, but more so about values. On this particular day, our minister spoke with sadness in his voice. As he paced up and down the stained red carpet aisle, his signature beige suit creasing as he walked. He was talking about a recent tragic event. People died. I didn’t know the weight of what that meant. But the point of the sermon was that violence is not necessary to win battles. Our minister took a moment and pointed to the place where Martin Luther King Jr. had stood and preached in our church. A golden plaque hung there, commemorating. He had preached about nonviolence, just as our minister reiterated to us decades later.

In New Haven, Connecticut, a police recruitment center teaches a nonviolent philosophy to its recruits, created by civil rights leader, Martin Luther King Jr. The philosophy has several principles that define it, the first being, “Nonviolence is a way of life for courageous people: It is a positive force confronting the forces of injustice, and utilizes the righteous indignation of the spiritual, emotional and intellectual capabilities of people was the vital force for change and reconciliation.” By saying that “nonviolence is a way of life for courageous people” implies that it is easier to use violence than nonviolence. This practice not only shows that there are alternatives to using violence, but it provides hope that people will see that violence is overused, especially by police officers. This concept of reconciliation through nonviolence is essential to moving in a positive, more fair, society, where police fill their designated role correctly.

Nonviolence doesn’t always work, but neither does violence. The true role of a police officer is to keep people safe, and by using violence unnecessarily, they violate the description of their role. Rather than being trained in how to operate a gun, police officers should be trained in nonviolent methods of communication and conflict resolution, so that the number of deaths from gun violence we see and hear about goes down to zero.


Advanced Essay #3- Light on the Shadow

Posted by Jayden Tull in English 3 · Block/Harmon · Y Band on

Violence. A word that has a negative history. Death, war, strife, anger, sadness, loss, brutality and many more are things that all can come from violence. But just because violence has negative associates doesn’t mean it is a negative thing. Look at this definition for violence, “Violence is the intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against oneself, another person, or against a group or community, which either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, maldevelopment, or deprivation.” (Violence in the Media and Entertainment, 2016).Violence is something that must be inflicted on someone but if you read that definition, the word evil or bad is not used. Does this mean not all violence is bad? Short answer, yes. Violence can be used in a positive way like to entertain or teach. It can also be used to get a positive outcome like arresting a murder. Violence is seen as a negative in the world but it is not always negative. As stated before, violence can be used to entertain. In the movie, Box Office, as of April 27th, 2019, Avengers Endgame is breaking records for the amount of money being made from people buying tickets. The movie is about superheroes who lost their friends in a war for magic stones by an alien titan and must fight to get their friends back. The movie is oozing with violence, but are people leaving that theatre traumatized? No, they are leaving entertained, and hopefully, they enjoyed those three hours. Another example is Boxing and MMA fighting. Those are sports where two people engage in hand to hand combat willingly. According to HBO, roughly 820,000 on average are watching a boxing match in person or live.”The most widely watched live bout on HBO of 2018, a middleweight title fight between Gennady Golovkin and Vanes Martirosyan, drew 1.3 million viewers.”( HBO Says It Is Leaving the Boxing Business-nytimes).People pay good money to see them fight and the fighters get paid good money to fight. People who watch fights are entertained. They have repurposed something negative and made it positive. Violence is also used to teach. One way to discipline a child when they were being naughty was with a good ole wack on the cheek or hand. Or in some cases, a butt whooping. Speaking from my own experience I know I am a better, more sensible person because I received the occasional spanking. Not only parents but teachers used this method as well, back in the day when kids would misbehave, it was normal for a teacher to wack a child with a ruler on the hand. I bet a lot of you teachers reading this still wish it was. Violence is even transferred to our children shows. Shows like Power Rangers or PJ Mask; These shows and many like them are made to teach children about friendship and morals. When the bad guys do bad things or put others in harm’s way, the hero’s fight to bring them to justice, even in cartoons that air on Disney junior. In shows like this, violence is used to show kids that if you do bad things you get disciplined; not groom them to be criminals. Acts that may be seen as brutal or cruel are usually not unprecedented, meaning there’s always a meaning behind it. Violence can happen for both good and bad reasons. One good reason is self-defense. There are many situations where self-defense is warranted like breaking and entering, robbery, bullying, protection of others and self; the list can go on. Although some of these issues can be “talked out” or worked out in a non-vicious way it is not certain and since we are a violent species we will naturally gravitate o the more ungoverned method. Humans often succumb to their primitive nature when riled up or follow instincts when scared and before we were civilized, we were like wild animals. According to research by Steven Stinker, ” bodies and brains have “direct signs of design for aggression,” and that men, in particular, bear the marks of “evolutionary history of violent male-male competition.” (black Slate, 2002, Steven Stinker); the things that usually got us to that state was wild animals. Usually, wild animals are vicious and dangerous so when you see one in its natural habitat, you need to be ready to defend yourself. You are in their world and in their world, it’s kill or be killed. Wanting to live warrants violence and it is those ideals and mindsets that transfers to today when we feel threatened and feel the need to defend. Violence is like Thanos, (WARNING AVENGERS ENDGAME JOKE!!!!!!)is inevitable. It’s apart of our everyday lives. The average adolescent has an 80% chance of witnessing violence on their phone or TV (Violence in the Media and Entertainment ). Violence can’t be deleted. Just like Sir Isaac Newton says:” for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.”. Where the there is good there is bad, where there is light there is dark, where there is sausage pizza there will be pineapple pizza, and where there is peace there will be violence. Instead of trying to take it out our society we should embrace it so that we may control it. Allow the light to shine over the shadow. “I would rather control the weapon then not have it so that our enemy can” (Jayden Tull 2019).

Sources: Gabbatiss, Josh. “Are Humans Inherently Violent?” Theperspective.com/, 21 Mar. 2019, www.theperspective.com/debates/living/humans-inherently-violent/.

Matthews, Wallace. “HBO Says It Is Leaving the Boxing Business.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 27 Sept. 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/09/27/sports/hbo-boxing.html.

“Violence in the Media and Entertainment (Position Paper).” AAFP Home, 19 Mar. 2019, www.aafp.org/about/policies/all/violence-media.html.

“Why Do People Deny Violent Media Effects?” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/get-psyched/201302/why-do-people-deny-violent-media-effects.

Advanced Essay #3: Groomed to be Violent

Posted by Micah Jack in English 3 · Block/Harmon · Y Band on

I was thinking about this assignment and it actually made me think about how prevalent violence is in everyday life. So I made my essay about this.

What if we lived in a society built on non-violence?

    Violence is everywhere in modern day America. Fortnite the biggest game in the world with, according to Shacknews, a trusted resource in the gaming community, over “200 million registered players,” is a game where the goal is to eliminate all the other players with an arsenal of weapons to be the last man standing. Violence is the mainstream.

One thing people say about Fortnite is that it’s “kid-friendly.” This is due to it’s cartoonish graphics and silly characters that the player can choose from. Kid friendly. Violence is so prevalent in America that a game where the player runs around finding and using different guns can be seen as “kid friendly.” All you have to do is get rid of the gore and replace the word kill with “eliminate” and suddenly violence is acceptable for all ages.

In American kids are groomed to be violent. The leader of our country even advocates for violence when he deems it necessary. In a speech Trump made in 2016 while in Cedar Roads, Iowa he told his supporters to “knock the crap out of them, would you? … I promise you I will pay for the legal fees,” in regards to protestors at his rallies, some who had been throwing tomatoes. All humans have a flight or fight response to certain circumstances. Yet in America the perception is that the fight response is for the strong and the flight response is for the weak.

If someone disrespects you, you fight them. Fight, fight, fight, over nothing. In 2015 nearly 6,000 african-americans were killed by other african-americans according to the Daily Wire. Violence doesn’t have any boundaries. In America people who look like each other, talk like each other will destroy each other over nothing. The weapon of choice many times being a gun.

The easiest way to carry out violence is with a gun. In America according to the Gun Violence Archive there have already been 10 incidents classified as “mass shootings” this month. In May. Six days. There are many different opinions on why gun violence has become such a problem in America. Some say that guns are too easily accessible. That if we had more protocols in place in regards to ownership less crazies would have access to guns.

Others say that mental health is the problem. That everyone has a right to a gun and the lack of help being provided to these people is the true problem.

These are two valid arguments but there’s a piece missing. America loves violence. In media, in our culture of not letting someone disrespect you, violence is everywhere. How can we expect some people not to take that to the ultimate extreme when it’s been all around of them from the time they were born.        

How would our culture change if it was rooted in non-violence? What if guns were looked at as a privilege to own and not a right? How can we truly get better at connecting with one another enough to put more value into the life of another human?

I think one thing we must do is put more effort into working on breaking down the “us vs them” barriers that divide Americans from Americans. We have too many instances of police killing young black men, the poor struggling against the rich, bigots degrading those they believe are below them. And yet they don’t mourn, because they feel no connection to those they have hurt. Anne Frank who wrote a diary during the Holocaust said that “we all live with the objective of being happy; our lives are all different and yet the same.”

Love must be preached in schools, in media more. Caring for one another has to be made more of a priority. As was highlighted before not only is there violence to the us vs them concepts that flow through America but there is also violence among those who look and talk the same. We have to fix this.

Imagine if American culture was infused with ideas like this. What if we valued our fellow man enough, to the point that violence would be looked down upon because it would result in the pain of our fellow man.

Violence is too big of a part in American society. It’s present in entertainment, American children get exposed to it as children, it’s even present in presidential rhetoric. No wonder why violence acts have become such a common occurrence in America. Violence is everywhere. To end this cycle of violence it it essential that we put more of an emphasis on caring for one another. Violence only tears us apart.




Works Cited

Bandler, Aaron, and Aaron Bandler. “7 Statistics You Need To Know About Black-On-Black Crime.” Daily Wire, The Daily Wire, 13 July 2016, www.dailywire.com/news/7441/7-statistics-you-need-know-about-black-black-crime-aaron-bandler.

Elworthy, Scilla. “Fighting with Nonviolence.” TED, www.ted.com/talks/scilla_elworthy_fighting_with_non_violence?language=en#t-314454.

“The Greatest Diversity Quotes.” Greatest, www.greatest-inspirational-quotes.com/diversity-quotes.html.

“Gun Violence Archive.” Gun Violence Archive, www.gunviolencearchive.org/reports/mass-shooting.

Hawkins, Josh. “How Many Players Does Fortnite Have?” Shacknews, Shacknews, 4 Mar. 2019, www.shacknews.com/article/110261/how-many-players-does-fortnite-have.
​

The Affect That Violence Has No Families and Veterans

Posted by Orlando Irizarry in English 3 · Block/Harmon · Y Band on

When listening to war stories and watching movies they always talk about the effects of warfare. How it affects the veteran and never about the families and how violence isn't always necessary. Which comes to the controversy of if violence is the best way to solve problems. What I wanted to get out in this paper was how war doesn't only affect veterans but also their families tying it into if violence is necessary and the damage it comes with. Something that I am very proud of is how I brought up a topic that is left in the dirt and have a light shined on to it. Hope you enjoy!

In the society that we live in, violent situations such as war, is a big controversy topic. Some agree it is needed to end conflict and some disagree because a lot of people lose their life to a bullet or much worse. Not only can violence kill somebody but destroy families. But if you go deeper into it you will come across many ways that it is more bad than good. For example, the person who you were before a war isn't who you are after. This is because they are put through many obstacles that will break that sympathetic human creating someone who is very cold. This can impact families who have to deal with a veteran who is mentally damaged with survivor's guilt or PTSD.

According to a study/article done by Guidhi “My faith in nonviolence” discusses how in many situations the law of love has answered more than the law of destruction. This means that the use of sympathy and communication problems were solved better than ones with violence. Guidhi states = “My daily experience, as of those who are working with me, is that every problem lends itself to solution if we are determined to make the law of truth and nonviolence the law of life. For truth and nonviolence are, to me, faces of the same coin.” In other words, violence cannot occur if situations were solved more consciously instead of quick action. The truth will set you free from many situations. This supports it because if families are more rooted they won't have to deal with a loss or the need of a father/mother figure. A family being rooted and together is very beneficial for many reasons; the kids will be secured and not always having to wonder where and when their Father/ Mother will be back or if they died. It's a lot to deal with at a very young age.  

Now for the people who will be life savers and believe violence is the only way world problems are solved will go into the veterans blindsided. The reason why they are blindsided in my opinion is because they do not know what they are gonna be put through; tests that destroy a individual creating somebody they were never meant to be. It sometimes can be a character trait gone or worse like PTSD or soldier’s guilt. When researching how veterans are affected by warfare I found a source written by  MAGGIE PUNIEWSKA “ Soldiers guilt” discusses what goes through a veterans head and how it may impact a family. “Some of these soldiers describe experiences in which they, or someone close to them, violated their moral code: hurting a civilian who turned out to be unarmed, shooting at a child wearing explosives, or losing trust in a commander who became more concerned with collecting decorative pins than protecting the safety of his troops. Others, she says, are haunted by their own inaction, traumatized by something they witnessed and failed to prevent.” In detail of what Maggie is trying to get across with this statement is majority of the time soldiers who seen situations that couldn't be prevented or their own inaction may trigger soldiers guilt. It may lead to that because they will blame themselves for something to the extent of becoming very depressed and on edge. This connects to my claim on how violence can destroy families because soldiers guilt is something that is connected to PTSD just a bit worse. Since it's similar to PTSD symptoms such as loss of interest or pleasure in activities, guilt, or loneliness. This may take a toll on the children's life because they need to be engaged with their parents to feel and know they are loved and not a burden. Loss in interest can cause a lot of issues in a relationship because they are too damaged to sometimes acknowledge they are still in a relationship.

In conclusion violence has had more of an affect on veterans and families than it has on the main problem`w. Violence affects veteran mental health causing them to feel guilty due to situations they had no control over; PTSD that can lead to suicide. Not only the veterans are impacted due to warfare but their families have to deal with this issue that will restart every single day. What I mean by this is that PTSD is something that need more attention and patience to deal with because the feel as if they are still under attack.  



Sources used:

https://msw.usc.edu/mswusc-blog/veteran-mental-health/

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/07/healing-a-wounded-sense-of-morality/396770/

Paper Article written by Guidhi  


Advanced Essay #3: Waging Wars

Posted by Jade Gilliam in English 3 · Block/Harmon · Y Band on

In this essay, I explored the mistreatment of black communities through the use of violence against black communities and the use of violence black communities use to retaliate. 
​

The enslavement of African-Americans ended in 1865 with the Civil War and the Emancipation Proclamation, but the violence brought on that group persists to this day. With the knowledge that the only reason that so many African Americans are in America today is that their ancestors were sold as objects still brings tension between citizens today. The freedom of enslaved people didn’t mean immediate equal treatment. The era of reconstruction and Jim Crow followed and began with hate groups such as the KKK emerged, spreading the belief of white supremacy. There are people still alive today who have been affected by the civil rights era; the segregation of white and black people has left scars in this country. The internalized frustration of being dehumanized and treated as less than for so long still exists in the minds of individuals. These frustrations in the past have led to extremist groups. The way the government has mistreated black people has led to a country in which the violence and an internal war within the US.

In 1972, a Philadelphia-based black liberation group called MOVE was formed by John Africa. He and his followers all took on the surname Africa; the deeply religious black nationalist group was involved in many violent occurrences in the city of Philadelphia. Their name derived from a quote from the founder, “Everything that’s alive moves. If it didn’t it would be stagnant, dead.” This belief has brought the group to remain active even today. The war between the Philadelphia police and MOVE began during a shoot out in [] leaving [] officers dead and left nine of the members convicted of murder. These members were sentenced to 100 years in prison and denied parole in 2008. The group relocated to a house in West Philadelphia where the end of the war would occur. In 1985, Wilson Goode, the first black mayor of Philadelphia would order for “military grade” weapons to be brought upon the MOVE house. The house was hit with two bombs resulting in 11 deaths of members of MOVE including 5 children. Before the bombing, the police were initially trying to arrest the MOVE members, reportedly saying over a loudspeaker, “Attention MOVE: This is America.” The layers of this statement begin brought to mind the 2017 released song This is America, a song whose imagery brings to attention the injustice that has taken place in black communities

The bombing gave Philadelphia a new name: “The City that Bombed Itself.” The escalation perfectly captures the war between the black citizens of America and the government. The group was formed out of frustration of inequality. Through years of mistreatment the black communities will eventually manifest itself with retaliation. When fighting back, MOVE was drastic and refused to play by anyone's rules but their own, and with that brought the coming of the escalation. The bombing burned down homes across the the predominantly black neighborhood, showing that the government of Philadelphia was more concerned about eliminating the denial of their power than black citizen’s lives and wellbeing. They were more concerned with the power they possessed and the threat that MOVE was to that, then the displacement of hundreds of families and the lives of five children.

In the past and even in recent years, the lack of care for black lives the justice system and government of the US has shown has been jarring. This created unrest and violent riots. In 1992, when three Los Angeles cops were acquitted after the assault of Rodney King, infamous riots erupted throughout LA. Another instance of this occurred in 2014, with the death of Michael Brown, which led to unrest in ferguson. Both cases had video evidence of the violence brought upon the people, however the deaths and assaults were seen through a lens of necessary force. The lack of justice brought to the loss of black lives is a direct contradiction with ethics upheld  in US society. When people die, someone is held responsible, and the lack of action to convict shows that black people are viewed as unworthy of justice. The notion that innocent until proven guilty doesn’t seem to apply when a black life is lost.

The internal war of America has been waged on black citizens that haven’t been equally been treated or considered. The way in which black life is viewed is disposable. Until the government and justice system truly sees the average black citizen as equal to every other person, the war will persist. Essentially causing frustration and acts of violence across the US. The government is meant to advocate for all, but have fallen flat when it comes to black communities.

Work Cited

https://www.npr.org/2017/04/26/524744989/when-la-erupted-in-anger-a-look-back-at-the-rodney-king-riots

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/08/13/us/ferguson-missouri-town-under-siege-after-police-shooting.html

https://www.thoughtco.com/move-philadelphia-bombing-4175986

Violence and Social Media

Posted by Madelyn Malloy in English 3 · Block/Harmon · Y Band on

INTRO: My paper discusses the idea that violence is spread throughout social media and how impacts people. One of the topics I explored were videos being spread on social media causing awareness to violence in general. It opens our eyes to the hard truths of the world and will maybe make an impact on us to make a difference.

Social media can help and harm people in many ways. It could help by being the last resort piece of evidence for a trial and harm by putting someone behind bars or ruining their reputation. Violence is something that is broadcasted almost every night on the news and throughout social media. Has violence always been a part of our lives, or has it come to light with all the new technology we have? Social Media has been influencing us since it became worldwide. We have access to anything and everything through YouTube, Instagram and especially Twitter; showing us videos of good things and bad things. Which includes graphic videos of shootings and violence. These videos spread around large platforms are truly awful and horrendous, but it brings out the cold truth to our sensitive eyes. People who are and aren’t innocent are harmed almost every day. One hundred are shot and killed every day, and one hundred others have survived but are or were severely injured. Kianga Mwamba was an innocent bystander who saw another man getting assaulted. She then took out her camera and started filming it, but unfortunately, the police went after her as well, causing her to be in jail. In Witness Media Lab, an article wrote, “The story of Kianga Mwamba, however, forces us to ask, how does the truth come out? With all the videos that have flooded our news feeds and turned names of victims into hashtags of a social movement, how many videos have we not seen?”. This story justifies that social media can bring light to the ugly truths of this world; violence. Not only has violence been exposed to the world by the Internet, but it has also changed our perception of certain issues. People are killed every day for their race, or religion or even when they reached in their pocket for gum. When violence had light shed upon it, it also uncovered bigger problems such as racism, oppression, and even hatred for practicing religions. Social media uncovers the truths of the world and what really goes on behind closed cameras. Phillip White was an unarmed man who had been approached by policemen. An article reiterates the story stating, “Phillip White was unarmed when he was approached by Vineland, New Jersey, police officers. The encounter, caught on video by two anonymous bystanders, included officers attacking him with a canine while White appeared to be unconscious. After arresting him, officers took White to a hospital, where he was declared dead“ Violence is exposed throughout security cameras as well as racism for he was killed for no apparent reason except the color of his skin. Because of this, we now can recognize the issue of racism and white privilege throughout countless deaths similar to White’s. WIthout social media and the awareness of these issues, it would take us longer to recognize and try to make better of this issue. Video recordings are solid evidence to bring justice upon others who are not wronged and social media spreads that awareness through multiple platforms that we see every day. In an article written by Murat Mengu they write, “It is undoubtedly the human beings that have created social media and ensured its continuity. It is also the human beings who establish the social and ethical laws of the communication in social media.” This elaborates on the bigger idea of how others use social media for good or bad. We could spread awareness by reposting videos and pictures to show others the real world and start to bring justice to everyone who has been a victim of violence in general. Our usage depends on the message we want to spread. Mwamba had almost been saved from incarceration because she filmed that man getting beaten. White’s story had been spread onto the news and into our phones; close to a worldwide story for everyone to see. Social media helps spread awareness to violence, but it depends on how people perceive it; do we spread awareness or just watch it once and never see it again? We as a whole could make a difference by stripping the world and showing the messed up side of it to everyone. This will help people better understand that these events are real and people truly have evil motives to kill people. Throughout the Internet, the more violence is uncovered and spread, the more issues are uncovered as well which includes oppression. As humans, it is up to us how to take on certain situations. By these types of videos being shared around, we should help make a difference in the world by making others be aware of what happens in real life.

Advanced Essay #3: Trauma Troubles

Posted by Salvatori Camarote in English 3 · Block/Harmon · Y Band on

Introduction:

The purpose of this paper is to talk about what kind of issues people experience after suffering from a traumatic event.  As well as what people have done to cope or to recover from the trauma. Discussing accounts and events that have occured as well as statistics of people in the U.S. who suffered from PTSD.
Trauma Troubles
​

In March 2019, Sydney Aiello, a parkland shooting survivor committed suicide from survivors guilt. She said she didn’t feel safe anywhere, remembering the event that scarred her and left her feeling guilty. With the growing amounts of violent acts in the U.S. more people have started experiencing PTSD.  For some, recovering from these events is simple and doesn’t impact their everyday lives. However, many people are unable to recover from these violent experiences and it can stop them from having their desired futures.


In the book The Things They Carried, the author Tim O’Brien discusses things he and his fellow soldiers witnessed in Vietnam; He talked about some people weren’t able to recover from the experiences they witness. One man in particular was named in the book as Norman Bowker; on page 154, O’Brien discusses that Bowker committed suicide leaving no note or reasoning behind. Tim believes he did this because he was unable to save Kiowa, a fellow soldier from an attack. Throughout the chapter, Bowker brought up how “I let the guy go” (147) with the guilt deteriorating him. Bowker committed suicide because he was unable to recover from this experience. When he did talk about it seemed to allow him to breathe, as a way of recovery. however he was a quiet person who didn’t want to bother others, and so he held everything within himself bottling it all up until he snapped.


P.K. Phillips was a man who suffered from PTSD throughout his entire life facing multiple traumatic experiences. At age 17 he suffered from his first panic attack, and Phillips wasn’t diagnosed with PTSD until he was 35. Phillips said “I cannot express to you the enormous relief I felt when I discovered my condition was real and treatable. I felt safe for the first time in 32 years.” Although Phillips feels better he says there is no cure or final healing, but he's no longer at the mercy of his PTSD. Phillips started taking medication as well as behavioral therapy to cope with his PTSD; which is something that is available to most people. However, Phillips repeatedly stated for him there is no true or real cure.


According to PTSD United, 70% of adults in the U.S. have experienced at least one traumatic event in their life. Within that 70% of people 20% go on to develop PTSD, equivalent to about 24.4 million Americans. Those who are victims of PTSD can’t be truly cured in some cases, although they can receive treatment that can make things easier on them. These numbers will most likely continue to grow with the rising amount of violent events within the U.S. and most likely worldwide.


As with many things in the world, PTSD is growing and affecting more people, like  all those who’ve experienced or went to war, and those affected by the violent events that happen everyday. People who suffer from PTSD can get help, with medication or types of therapy. However, in some cases people are unable to recover. This trauma can lead them to drastic events including suicide. While it’s important to look at what types of treatment or effective for handling PTSD, it’s also important to look at what is causing the psychological trauma in the first place.


Work Cited


Bloom, Harold. Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried. Chelsea House, 2011.


“My Story of Survival: Battling PTSD.” Anxiety and Depression Association of America, ADAA, adaa.org/living-with-anxiety/personal-stories/my-story-survival-battling-ptsd.


“PTSD Statistics.” PTSD United, www.ptsdunited.org/ptsd-statistics-2/.


“Sydney Aiello, a Parkland School Shooting Survivor, Kills Herself.” NBCNews.com, NBCUniversal News Group, www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/survivor-parkland-school-shooting-sydney-aiello-kills-herself-n986266.


“What Can I Do to Recover from PTSD on My Own?” Screening 2 Supports, screening.mentalhealthamerica.net/content/what-can-i-do-recover-ptsd-my-own.

Advanced Essay #3 // Women in Military

Posted by Amira Gouri in English 3 · Block/Harmon · Y Band on

Amira Gouri

Mr. Block

English 3

Introduction:

My goal is for readers to learn more about women in the military. I focused on the pros and cons of having women in the military. I’m proud of my analysis because I picked really good quotes to support my statement.

 

Essay:

As of 2017, women make up 16 percent of the active-duty military. During World War I from 1914 to 1918, women didn’t have any role in the military, but they were working in other fields such as munitions factories and farming to replace men who had gone to fight in the war. They had a role in providing soldiers with military equipment including weapons. Women’ role increased as in during World War II, about 350,000 women had the ability to serve in the U.S. Armed Forces, both at home and abroad. Most of these women didn’t serve in combat because they were afraid of public opinion. To this day, the military is still mostly men. This made people wonder how women's roles in the military differ from men? And how women in the military are changing over the course of years.

Women representation in the military is small and it is slowly growing. Many female stories tend to be ignored in favor of legacies left by men who have shaped the statement of service to the country. Despite the disagreement, servicewomen are successfully creating new career paths for themselves and the next generation as they enter jobs that were once only for men.

Being a woman also means facing criticism from the men. According to the New York Times magazine titled, “40 Stories From Women About Life in the Military” an article about women's experience in the military. Here is a quote from the article, “In 2006, a male shipmate got into my barracks room and placed a camera in my bathroom and set it to record. I found it only after getting out of the shower. I took the camera to my male chief, whom I had known for only about a month. He assured me that he would get to the bottom of it. By lunchtime, the strange looks from everyone became obvious. Another shipmate told me that everyone in the company office had passed the camera around and saw the video of me naked, getting into and out of the shower.”. We can see many different views from women, some claim they enjoy their job and they are proud of what they are doing, while some claim to be experiencing hardships such as sexual assault, and discrimination due to being a woman. This quote clearly shows the hardship women experience at a job where there is a majority of men. We can clearly see how some men view women as sex objects to the point where a man had to place a camera into the woman's bathroom. Some women chose to change themselves in order to blend in with the men. They eliminate their feminine characteristics, and cut off their hair, just so they could be respected by the men.

Now not all women were treated as inferior or experienced bad moments such as sexually assaulted. In fact, some women actually enjoy their job because they are following their passion, and they like being a minority, so they could be role models for other women who wish to pursue that career.  According to the same source New York Times magazine titled, “40 Stories From Women About Life in the Military”, there are stories about women who showed pride. A quote states, “I am currently Mrs. Texas Galaxy. When I was a National Guard recruiter, I came across many young women who said they couldn’t join because they were too “girlie.” So I started to compete in beauty pageants again to prove that you can still be and feel beautiful and follow any career path you want.”. This quote is a good example of a woman breaking stereotypes since the military is often considered as a job for masculine men. But in this case, the woman decides to also join a beauty pageant to prove that you can still be too “girlie” but also join the military or any other job that is considered not appropriate for “girlie” girls. She’s proving that a woman can do whatever she wants, and the stereotypes followed by society shouldn’t be a barrier to following your dreams.

This issue matters because it’s followed by stereotypes. Gender stereotypes act as a barrier for girls to follow their certain dreams such as being in the military. Gender stereotypes are one of the root causes of discrimination, abuse, and violence in various areas which can lead to violations of a wide array of women and human rights. Female participants argued that they are treated really different compared to men. For instance, women had to work twice as hard as men to prove themselves. Also, most of the time men did not trust women’ opinions and ideas or value the quality of their work, particularly in male-dominated ratings or specialties. Although it seems hard and it may take time, women have to continue to fight for their rights including the equality of treatment as men to create more freedom, jobs, and opportunities for the next generation.

Sources (MLA format):

Katzenberg, Lauren. “40 Stories From Women About Life in the Military.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 8 Mar. 2019, www.nytimes.com/2019/03/08/magazine/women-military-stories.html.

“How Roles Have Changed for Women in the Military.” Norwich University Online, online.norwich.edu/academic-programs/resources/how-roles-have-changed-for-women-in-the-military.

McKay, Dawn Rosenberg. “Options for Women Who Want to Join the Military.” The Balance Careers, The Balance, 30 Apr. 2019, www.thebalancecareers.com/women-in-the-military-4177666.

“How Gender Stereotyping Affects the Enjoyment of Human Rights.” OHCHR, www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Women/WRGS/Pages/WrongfulGenderStereotyping.aspx.


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