Discussion

Discussion

[Author’s Name]

[Institutional Affiliation(s)]

Discussion

Response 1

Discrimination is a term that can be described as the prejudicial treatment of people based on gender, race, ethnicity, religion and, etc. Racism begins in the US in the colonial era when white Americans were given several privileges and rights as compared to the Black Americans. Despite several efforts, racism persists in the US. In recent years it has been observed that many Americans were killed by law enforcement officials. Although the people who were killed were neither criminals nor they were armed with weapons. In the video "Why do US COPS Keep Killing Black Men," the presenter highlighted that more than 1126 people in the US were killed by US law enforcement officials (Lartey & Rinvolucri, 2016).

Another issue that was pointed out in the video was that there is no proper record of the number of people killed by law enforcement officials. The video also pointed out that among the people killed by law enforcement officials, black people were twice in number as compared to the people who were white. Thus, there is a need to revise policies so that police officers can be held accountable for their actions as well.

Response 2

Maps are the symbolic depiction that facilitates in emphasizing relationships between space elements that include regions, objects, and themes. In the video "The Power of Map," the presenter also explained the importance of maps (Sinyangwe, 2018). According to the presenter, maps not only tell the directions but are also used in presenting the importance of a specific place. For instance, maps can give information regarding any historic place or even several common places such as shopping malls, restaurants, etc. In the video, the presenter also highlighted that maps can be of several types and can be used for different purposes. For instance, maps can be used to point out the areas where most of the vandalism occurred in recent years or the areas that have a severe traffic jam. Maps also aid in educating people by facilitating them in providing information regarding a specific place. As maps can reveal information regarding a country, state, or a manmade place, it also facilitates in inspiring people to visit a specific place. People can use a map to plan their next vacation and can also know about the climatic condition of a place.

Response 3

In the video "Unarmed Black Male" by the BBC, the incident of a white police officer killing a black teen was presented (BBC, 2018). The video highlighted that in the past as well many people who were neither criminals nor possessed any deadly weapons were killed by law enforcement officials just because they were black. However, the case presented in the video was the first case ever in which a police officer was held accountable for his actions. In the video, a case of William Chapman, who was suspected of shoplifting at a local store. The owner of the store called the police and then Officer Steven arrived in response to the call. After an argument officer, Steven killed William. It was Steven's second fatal shooting of an unarmed man. The incident raised several questions as it was not the first time an unarmed black person was killed by law enforcement officials. During the hearing of a case, Officer Steven denied all the allegations as according to him a first-degree murder is the murder which is meditated. So he did not plan to kill William he should be charged with first degree murder. Despite all the justifications, the court charged Officer Steven with first-degree murder.

Response 4

In the video "Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats & Rhymes," the presenter explained how manhood is represented in the Hip-Hop culture (Challenging Media, 2006). According to the presenter, the depiction of guns and violence in Hip-Hop music videos is influencing the minds of vulnerable teens. According to the presenter, the Hip-Hop music videos highlight that a real man is always dominant as he has the power to suppress others and a real man creates his own rules and regulations. According to the presenter, the violence is perpetuated in not only music videos but in movies, video games and even in the sports culture. The idea of masculinity that is shown in movies and music videos is that a real male must be aggressive. According to the presenter, the violence depicted in Hip-Hop culture is the reason that American society is hyper-aggressive and supports violence. Also, American society idealizes many rappers and musicians that promote violence in their music videos due to which teens are becoming more and more violent and aggressive. Another important thing that was highlighted in the video was the objectification of women in music videos. According to the presenter, women are objectified and are considered worthless in Hip-Hop culture. Thus, there is a need to spread awareness among young people that masculinity is respecting others rather than being aggressive.

Response 5

In the documentary "13," the filmmaker Ava DuVernay highlighted the injustice that most of the black people in the US prison and judicial system (DuVernay, 2016). According to the author, the prison system in the US is the continuation of slavery. In the video, it was shown that even today the American society is in denial of the freedom of African Americans and still considers them slaves. The documentary highlighted the poor prison conditions. According to the filmmaker, Ava, the incarceration system in the US is worse than slavery. Although slavery was abolished in 1865 by the 13th amendment, yet still many African Americans are unable to enjoy freedom. The documentary highlighted that most of the prisons are filled disproportionately with African Americans, which is alarming. In the documentary, a case was presented in which a black teenage boy named Kalief was in prison for nearly three years for the crime he did not commit and was not even granted bail. This story provides evidence that discrimination based on color is still prevailing in our society.

Questions

Why Officer Steven though that Wiliam will attack him?

Why Officer Steven did not use pepper spray on William?

Why the Owner of the local store thought that William is the shoplifter?

Is it true that a real man must dominate others?

Why women are objectified in Hip-Hop music videos?

Why American society is considered as an aggressive society?

Why are the flaws of the US judicial system?

Why there are more Black people in prison as compared to white people?

What steps are required to combat racism against Black people?

References

BBC. (2018). The Documentary Podcast - Unarmed Black Male - BBC Sounds. BBC. Retrieved 12 November 2019, from https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p04rjwvm

ChallengingMedia. (2006). Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats & Rhymes. Youtube.com. Retrieved 12 November 2019, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjxjZe3RhIo

DuVernay, A. (2016). 13TH. Youtube.com. Retrieved 12 November 2019, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6IXQbXPO3I

Lartey, J., Green, L., Mathieu-Léger, L., & Rinvolucri, B. (2016). US police killed 1,136 people in 2015. Will 2016 be any different? – video. the Guardian. Retrieved 12 November 2019, from https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/video/2015/dec/30/us-police-killed-1103-people-this-year-will-2016-be-any-different-video

Sinyangwe, S. (2018). Mapping Police Violence. Retrieved 12 November 2019, from https://mappingpoliceviolence.org/