Welcome to Poli 15 WEEK 1 READINGS On Education – bell hooks Family Values, Race, Feminism and Public Policy – TWILA L. PERRY (Santa Clara University) The Essential Social Fact of Race. "Exploring the Depths of White Racist Socialization," Tim Wise Name and describe four keys themes from one of the short clips above. In your description of the four themes use two quotes, or paraphrase ideas, from one of the readings listed above.
End your blog post with a critical thinking question. This question will guide the responses you get from other students. Be respectful, kind, and focused towards learning. Requirements for BLOG POSTS
81 Comments
Gordon Wang
9/24/2014 03:53:26 pm
Video: The Unequal Opportunity Race
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aemal dastagirzada
9/25/2014 08:06:49 am
I do believe that the concept of affirmative action helps society move forward, leveling the playing field is very important to making the "wrong" right. However, few societies want to be responsible for their wrong doings, they take pride in what they have done right but choose to ignore the modern day problems that take root in our past history. Like the subjection of minorities in education. The challenges that were set previously against minorities and the blunt discrimination of minorities are ample reason to support affirmative action. Modern day stats should not be ignored, it is clear that our poor communities have failing schools and our rich communities probably have more money to know what to do it. The low percentage of graduate from high school and transfer to college is not acceptable in our poor communities; the disproportionate number of students in colleges across America is a good indicator of who is getting a fair chance and who is left behind. I was at Cupertino city hall recently and the city manager told me that they have surplus money from the apple campus project and don't know what to do with this money, mean while East Palo Alto schools don't have the basic essential for their students, what is wrong with this picture? The exacerbating issue is a mere propaganda used by the opponents of affirmative action, these individuals are the same people who would love to have you work for free if legally possible, so they understand the power of legislative and they use it for their benefits.
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Dylan SanFilippo\
9/25/2014 09:16:07 am
I do believe that affirmative action helps. Specifically it helps the underprivileged to realize the potential that they already have. Everyone has skills and potential, but only the few understand how to utilize it. If someone was brought up under a household that told them that they were useless, then that person would be more likely to think that they had less to offer than someone who was always taught that they had great potential, and should pursue their passion.
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Nelson Chuang
9/25/2014 10:56:36 am
Affirmative action is a scapegoat for elites to demonstrate their understanding and willingness to help those perceived as less fortunate. It does not help society move forward in regards to racial equality because it allows those less qualified to enter institutions solely based on their racial background, not their competence.
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Niloufar Pirkhezri
9/27/2014 05:10:06 pm
When you mention privilege as a topic, it is a grey area for the times that we live in now, it would make sense if we were just getting out of the days when being a "privileged" individual was something to wear as a chip on your shoulder. But we live in the 21st century were there are so many types of programs out there to help support those that are under privileged, programs that are funded by the government and private investors that want to to help everyone in their community. So in reality it comes down to the individual to make that choice to use those programs to help themselves to a better life. Plus, with all of the ways to even find out about these almost unlimited programs, TV,newspapers, magazines, person to person, and the biggest one of them all, the world wide web. In the end being privileged is not so special now a days.
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Laura Pino-Flores
9/28/2014 12:07:03 pm
I believe the concept of affirmative action does help society move forward in issues of social/racial equality. Race continues to be a big issue in this country, and there are still people who are not accustomed to racial diversity in their communities despite the high number of people from other races living in the United States. Affirmative action brings in other races to the work force and schools and levels out the playing field by giving minorities a chance to prove themselves and brings in more diversity into these places.
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Cody
9/28/2014 03:59:57 pm
I definitely feel that in regards to helping people get higher educations and job opportunities affirmative action is helping make a difference. On the other hand I don't think it is really solving anything since is just a law put in place that employers have to obey. It's not helping us change how we think or go about treating others. Though I think affirmative action isn't a absolute solution, I do feel it has helped.
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shannon caset
9/28/2014 04:48:52 pm
Affirmative action in concert with many other programs can be effective. Like any effort to change long standing policies Affirmative action is useless with education and training
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shannon caset
9/28/2014 04:48:52 pm
Affirmative action in concert with many other programs can be effective. Like any effort to change long standing policies Affirmative action is useless with education and training
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So Chun Kiu Ryan
9/25/2014 07:43:11 am
Video: “The Unequal Opportunity Race”
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Dylan SanFilippo
9/25/2014 03:09:58 pm
It seems to me that many of the black people have embraced their stereotypes in a way. A former black teacher of mine had a personal saying of his own, and that saying was, “Own your stereotype!” I can’t even think of any single people group that is more successful in the drug trafficking business than the blacks. There are thousands of brilliant entrepreneurial individuals managing the trafficking of certain goods throughout America. The false belief that blacks are below the rest of society has opened up a whole new market for the black society to fill, and they seem to be filling it quite well. All this success however goes undocumented and unappreciated. Blacks as a race in America actually average more money than the statistics say they do because drug lords don’t document their earnings or report them to the IRS, and with all the money they earn from their hard work, they are free to buy whatever they want, and live happier, more comfortable lives!
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Laura Pino-Flores
9/28/2014 12:37:44 pm
I do not think colored people ever really have advantages. When it comes to the professional world they are highly disadvantaged because of attached stereotypes and discrimination. Colored people for the most part have to work extra hard to accomplish what caucasians accomplish. Colored people face many hardships that caucasians would never even think of because it is a privilege they have. Yes colored people have overcome many things such as slavery and the civil rights movement but I do not think overcoming these things were a privilege.
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jennifer
9/28/2014 05:09:09 pm
I think what your question hits at is the intersectionality of a persons lived reality. a person of color is not just defined by this one identity but occupies other identities at the same time, and they will benefit from those identities and be disadvantaged within them. A person is not just black and therefore disadvantaged rather their socioeconomic status can play a bigger role in the manner they experience themselves then their race.
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Dylan SanFilippo
9/25/2014 08:54:37 am
Contrary to what some would consider to be a popular belief that blacks are not hard working, but lazy, there have been people who see that black people are not only able, but actually willing to work.
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Aemal Dastagirzada
9/25/2014 09:26:22 am
Dylan the simple answer is propaganda, the brain washing of our communities and the lack of us understanding each other brings about these kinds of misconception about other members of the community. like you said, black people are some of the hardest working people in here, the challenges they face on daily basis and overcoming them is amazing, their entrepreneurial spirit is unmatched, however, the constant beat down from larger population has taken its toll. again systematic discrimination is the source of these problems. every weapon has been used against the black communities, weapon, drugs etc. as a famous black activist once said, "crack did what 300 years of slavery couldn't do, undermine the family values of black communities with intention of destroying it." I truly believe that most communities wouldn't be able to survive the blows that black communities has taken but still standing.
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Nelson Chuang
9/25/2014 11:23:03 am
Although I agree with the racial gap in America and how it has created tremendous hardship for many people of color, I would have to disagree that people of color are ready to enter the work-force as equal as the caucasian population solely based on their hardships. I understand hardships can condition someone physically and definitely mentally but when it comes down to work-force, their fields of expertise are mismatched. Needing to drug deal or rob others to make ends meet creates an extremely hostile working environment with constant fears of authority and guilt while having a white-collar job may have complications with authority with little or no guilt conditions makes the comparison invalid due to mismatching of occupations.
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Niloufar Pirkhezri
9/27/2014 06:17:35 pm
The "Work-Force" is not a being that decides what individual fits here or there. It is not about being equal with another race. In my opinion the video presentation was not about "blacks", "whites", or even "brown" or the way people are being treated in the work-force, or schooling. In the end we live in a modern day an age, were it is up to that individual person to take advantage of those opportunities around them (government help,outside aid...etc). You can not say that anyone out there does not have a choice to better their own life. In the end everyone has a choice. The one thing holding many people back is that they do not know they have choices as an individual. To answer your question, There is not an answer. The question is irrelevant in many way's, unless your question is purely based on the few black individuals that are dealing drugs on the streets to survive. When you do that, then you are basing your facts that a black individual who has learned to exploit the weakness of another to their own benefit (selling a product and making a profit). Then yes those few black individuals that are drug dealers can compete in this work-force that is only "blacks and whites" . But your asking if the black community as a whole is ready to be equal with the "white" population then your question has a flaw and any answer will be the wrong answer.
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Jason Do
9/28/2014 03:53:06 pm
The question you are asking does not make sense. African Americans have always been equals to the white population. Every human is equal to another, with some exceptions, when it comes to ability to do work. If you take a black person and a white person and train them both equally to, let's say, wash dishes, you will almost certainly get the same amount of work from both of them. The color of your skin does not determine how able bodied you are. black people do not have to endure hardships and toils to better themselves and reach the same level as white people. The problem lies in unequal opportunities for people of color due to discrimination. If one person receives less training for a job than another, wouldn't you expect the first to perform poorly?
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Caitlyn Nurnberg
9/25/2014 09:12:03 am
Video: The Unequal Opportunity Race
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Aemal Dastagirzada
9/25/2014 09:12:46 am
Video: Unequal Opportunity Race
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Aemal Dastagirzada
9/25/2014 09:31:29 am
I wanted to share a quote from Rumi with you guys.
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Hakwoo Kim
9/26/2014 04:26:10 am
Hi Aemal! I do think that we need to challenge both systematic racism individual racism. I'm not white, but if white people try to understand what hardships minorities go through and acknowledge their privilege, even that would make a difference. A lot of conflict, I believe, come from denial and refusal to acknowledge others, rather than fully listening and understanding others.
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Shilpa Krishna
9/25/2014 10:16:01 am
Video: The Racial Wealth Gap in America
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Judy Chen
9/26/2014 05:54:47 pm
I think that a huge part of why racism still exists current day is largely due to social construct. Back when racism was even more prominent, any individual who was constantly exposed to an environment where the people they interacted with were racist would subconsciously be taking in all these subliminal messages, whether they personally felt that way or not, which was exemplified in Tim Wise's article about his grandmother. Racism and stereotyping are passed down from generations, which is why unfortunately, even today in 2014, it still continues to impact society in such a negative and significant way.
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Jeana Lindsley
9/28/2014 02:17:06 pm
I think one reason why racism still exists is because many people don’t realize thier actions and beliefs are racist. Many people have deeply rooted beliefs, it’s just how they were raised. Just because we change policy doesn’t mean we change beliefs. To help improve this situation the older generations with extreamly deep rooted beliefs need to die off and we need to start teaching children from a young age that racism is wrong and discredit racial stereotypes. That way those children will grow up and teach those same ideas to thier children, so on and so on, essentially weeding out those to stubborn accept change.
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jennifer melgarjeo
9/28/2014 06:07:18 pm
Shilpa Krishna, I thought your interpretation of the article by Bonilla-Silva was on point.
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Niloufar Pirkhezri
9/25/2014 10:26:36 am
Video: The unequal opportunity race
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Gordon Wang
9/27/2014 03:45:34 pm
Is it really that easy for people to simply stop categorizing people though? Social and cultural segregation can clearly be seen in almost every aspect of American life. How can people be expected to simply not see things like race and gender when every aspect of their lives emphasizes these aspects whether intentionally or not. Although this seems like a bit of a bleak outlook, all I'm trying to say it's not as easy as simply saying ok everyone let's be colorblind now and fixing society in this manner.
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Vanessa Fernandez
9/28/2014 05:39:21 am
Wouldn't it be nice if people just saw each other as people and not for their stereotypes? Unfortunately not everyone has caught on to this mentality and I think it has a lot to do with our generation gap. Many older generations who grew up in a very different world have a hard time grasping these "new" ways of thinking. I'm hoping, that as new generations replace these old ones were able to move forward as a society and improve how we view/treat people.
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Dominic Allred
9/28/2014 06:30:29 am
It is not that easy. To merely change the way people the think about race, class, gender, etc. would be to change how our brain works. Our brain is made to put things into categories (or boxes) so it is easier to refer to something and react to things faster. However, we can work towards changing media perceptions of race, class, gender, etc to change our understanding of these categories. The way media presents these topics to us, causes us to think in racist, sexist, and classicist manner. Most of us will have to consciously make our understanding of race, class, and gender change and work towards making our reactions to each a subconscious action.
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Karla O'Connor
9/28/2014 01:20:24 pm
Tim Wise's quote that you have stated is really important to think about. Race is not an essential category, but when race becomes a social reality; this astonishes me. All it takes is a group of people with ingrained values toward a certain group, and with this can create meaning, mostly stereotypical and ignorant resulting in discrimination. Because society has learned to categorize people, in order to deconstruct this kind of mentality is to deconstruct historical and social factors that come with it. It is not easy to change someone's thoughts once they have been given misinformation from the media, sometimes cultural or traditional values, and external factors that misinterpret race. In order to stop categorizing people, we must first look at historically bounded issues, and dig deep into these roots of the problem and start there.
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Veronica Romo
9/25/2014 12:19:04 pm
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Judy Chen
9/25/2014 12:20:57 pm
Video: The Unequal Opportunities Race
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So Chun Kiu Ryan
9/27/2014 06:12:10 am
I do see the possibility of race equality in the future. One of the reasons why racism was so prominent is that people in the past were uneducated about racism. They hence failed to recognize racism, denied the harm racism brings and even refused to change its dreadful condition. They thought that being racist is a socially,morally acceptable behaviour.
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Gordon Wang
9/27/2014 04:05:48 pm
Although perhaps as a whole generations are becoming more and more colorblind (arguable), you do have to consider the idea of the old boys club though as mentioned in the un-equality race video. Despite the general increase in awareness and acceptance of social issues, various positions of power and authority are typically replaced by people of similar thoughts and opinions that are hard to influence indirectly (private sector for example).
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veronica romo
9/28/2014 11:29:36 am
optimistically, I would like to think that this generation of ours which will eventually come into power will be the start of some important social changes which to most of us seem long over-due. however, realistically I wonder if because California, especially in the bay area we are so much more diverse and accepting than many other societies, we may be giving ourselves false hope by expecting others world-wide to share these same radical beliefs. I believe the battle has just begun and we have the power to be the initiators and then hopefully enough of the other states especially in the south, will follow suit not for the sole purpose of power but because it is righteous.
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Caitlyn Nurnberg
9/28/2014 02:59:35 pm
Although it seems that younger generation is much more open minded that the previous ones, I think you have to think about the people in positions of power, and that the people who will most likely succeed them are going to be like them in thought and appearance. Hopefully we will break more barriers in time, especially when our generation and the one after us replaces the current people in power.
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Karla O'Connor
9/25/2014 01:25:19 pm
Video: the Unequal Opportunity Race
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So Chun Kiu Ryan
9/27/2014 06:49:04 am
Funding public schools is undoubtedly one of solutions to better schooling. It provides more opportunities for students and hence make them more capable to succeed and get out of the vicious cycle. However, in my opinion, as part of community, eliminating discrimination at schools should be our first mission that it is the root reason of poor schooling. Bell Hook mentioned in the article that "black" is expected not to learn. Black people learning is seen as challenging white’s authority. With such discriminating mindset, teachers can still be unwilling to teach and educate black students the right knowledge and attitude even the school has unlimited resources. Students would still be suffering from poor schooling. We have to ensure colored students would receive decent education quality first in order to end this cycle. Financial resources couldn’t help the problem alone.
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Caitlyn Nurnberg
9/28/2014 03:05:12 pm
Better funding for public schools would without a doubt help students achieve more academically. Unfortunately the money that goes into public schools is based on the taxes paid in the neighborhood or city the school resides in. The domino effect would then occur if taxes were raised in these areas, therefore sending more moneys to the schools, and benefiting everyone involved, but the problem would be people not wanting their taxes raised and resistance to paying more money in general.
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Jason Do
9/28/2014 03:43:35 pm
While more funding to public schools would certainly be an important and necessary step in the right direction towards helping minorities succeed, it alone would not be enough. Racial inequality is a long standing and complex issue ingrained in our society over centuries and as such would require an equally complex and major solution. Change will not happen over night, and it will take a combination of many different actions and policies to even begin creating any noticeable change, but education is a good start.
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Dominic Allred
9/25/2014 01:34:33 pm
In the Racial Inequality in the Criminal Justice video the general idea is that there is an unequal representation of minority groups in the prison population in relation to the population of those minority groups in the US. A simple fact can put this in perspective as stated in the video; one in four young black males will be incarcerated. In addition more statistics in the video reveals that 64% of the US population is white while the prison population representation is only 31% compared to the Blacks making up on 14% of the US population and Hispanics making up 16% of the US populations, while the prison population is 36% Black and 24% Hispanic. There is clearly and overrepresentation of minority groups in the prison population. The reason for this is that the enforcement of laws and the prosecution process does not happen equally and racial inequality in the justice system is ignored because most people are not affected by it. The article “Exploring the Depths of White Racist Socialization” by Tim Wise explores some of the concepts related to why the prison population has an overrepresentation of minority groups. Wise states, “No one is innocent. No one is unaffected by the daily socialization to which we are all subjected specifically with regard to the way we are taught to think about persons of color in this society: their behaviors, lifestyles, intelligence, beauty, and so on.”. This quote by Wise forces white-America and the general population to realizes that we are product of generations of racial socialization and that it is okay for the prison population to over represent minorities. We have been made to believe that certain races act certain ways (the typical black men are criminal’s mindset) and because of that it is appropriate for those people to be treated differently (in relation to unequal enforcement of laws). A startling yet very true thing Wise says is, “Fact is “nigger” is still the first word on most white people’s minds when they see a black man being taken off to jail on the evening news.” This comes back to the mindset that Black individuals in the US are assumed to be criminals and that is why there is overrepresentation of Black people in the prison population. From the perspective Wise is writing from he is talking about Black people; this not to say that his concepts are not applicable to the other minorities that are overrepresented in the prison population.
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veronica romo
9/28/2014 02:11:39 pm
i believe in order to change our generational beliefs and stereotypes we must push for further education on the subject. it's ridiculous that we are not faced with these brutal inequalities surrounding us until we reach a college level. education is key to overcoming the oppression minorities are faced with. also, to help reduce the over-all population of minorities in prison, i believe that decriminalizing immigration laws (since we're all immigrants) and minor drug offenses would help to eliminate some of the prejudices associated with police officers and racial profiling. instead offering rehabilitation options and information on becoming a citizen would tremendously reduce some of the over-crowding within our prisons.
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Jason Do
9/25/2014 02:16:36 pm
Four key themes I picked up while watching the video about Racial Inequality in the Criminal Justice system are racial inequality, public perception, unequal enforcement of the law, and political incentives for representation.
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Sharon Serper
9/25/2014 02:23:03 pm
In the video, “The Unequal Opportunity Race,” privilege, underemployment, lack of opportunity and racial profiling are central themes. These ideas relate closely to the article entitled, "Family Values, Race, Feminism, and Public Policy" by Twila L. Perry.
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9/25/2014 02:27:22 pm
Video: The Unequal Opportunity Race
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Tiffany Le
9/25/2014 02:41:59 pm
Video/Article: The Racial Wealth Gap in America/Family Values
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Shilpa Krishna
9/28/2014 07:27:46 am
I personally think any possible solutions that can be implemented to close the wealth gap in the United States must begin with not allowing racial and political inequality to become more established. By this I mean that racial and political inequality should not empower decisions. Not having valid reasoning behind segregating people of color and allowing society to ignore the fact that many deserving people aren’t being treated right is unjust and must be put to an end. Before any thing else can occur, people must come to the simple realization that the policies in this nation are not equally distributed amongst the various classes of individuals.
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Alexander Salah
9/25/2014 02:52:21 pm
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Jeana Lindsley
9/28/2014 02:45:44 pm
Time wise, it will definitly something more like generations to get a majority to break out of the stereotypyical thought process. Currently, it is almost instinctual for us. Even for those who are socially aware of issues such as racial profiling, will find themselves subconciously judging others. I think it will take generations and generations of teaching children to be openminded concerning preconcieved stereotypes and then hopefully we as a nation will see some change. It is a shame that our generation will not be around to see such change and I can only hope that my grandchildren will be able to grow up in a nation without racial stereotypes.
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Dakota
9/25/2014 03:02:22 pm
Racial Inequality in the Criminal Justice System
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Alexander Salah
9/26/2014 11:35:00 am
I think the biggest problem with the criminal justice system is harsh and unrealistic sentencing for minor crimes, courtesy of the courts. Due to exceeding societal pressures, it’s no surprise that the United States has the largest percentage of its general population incarcerated. If we changed our system of sentencing to something that moderately resembled the European systems, then our jails would be less populated. This is a utopian ideal due to the fact that the prison system is a business that is very profitable to the state and private corporations.
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cody caropepe
9/28/2014 08:06:31 am
The way wealth can effect how you are treated is a huge problem. I think if we had to fix one of the many problems we are facing in our criminal justice system this would be the one I would focus on the most. if people with money don't learn to take responsibility for their actions then we are going to continue in a huge never ending spiral. although there are many different problems that need to be brought to attention, this is one that stood out the most.
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Brandon Morin
9/28/2014 01:33:08 pm
I think the word justice needs to be taken out of the current title of the system that decides the fates for so many people who become incarcerated. The biggest problem in my opinion is that the "Justice System" doesn't seek justice. We're supposed to be innocent until proven guilty, however the reality is most of the time you're guilty until proven innocent. Election years and conviction rates are viewed more important than seeking justice. Corners get cut and in many cases there are doubts surrounding cases but that is too often overlooked and true justice is not sought. Fifty words or fifteen hundred words aren't enough to really answer this question. Money, votes, politics, conviction rates, and winning elections are what matter to the people that run the so called "justice system" and in my eyes that is a huge conflict of interest and justice is not the end result.
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Tiffany Le
9/28/2014 03:10:42 pm
The most problematic issue in the criminal justice system is that cops use their power not to serve and protect the people, but to keep people in line. In fact, many police officers feel as if they're above the law, and that they can hurt innocent people without being held accountable for their actions. No one should be immune from the laws that our country supposedly upholds.
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Nicole Cheng
9/25/2014 03:39:08 pm
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Laura Pino-Flores
9/25/2014 03:47:42 pm
Video: The Unequal Opportunity Race
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Alexander Salah
9/26/2014 11:44:16 am
I’m not sure if I fully understand your question but ill give it a try. I think what makes different races besides whites have more privilege than others is the societal pressures that are put on that race to perform adequately. I am middle eastern and there is a lot of pressure in my family for my cousins and siblings to all grow up to become engineers, lawyers, or doctors, and if we fail to do so then we are not good enough by the standards of our own group. (Ethnocentric) Its not that different races have more privilege then others, but the people pushing them to succeed and do well.
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Sharon Serper
9/28/2014 06:23:11 am
I agree with Alexander. Many immigrant families come to the United States hoping to create a better life for their children, and push their kids to excel in school and other areas. The family values and expectations create a precedent for the younger members of the family, often forcing them to work hard towards succeeding and being able to provide privileges for their own children. Moreover, I personally don’t see the distinctions between the “different races” you are talking about too clearly. Of course there are stereotypes and associations made, but the privilege gap isn’t always completely defined.
Cody caropepe
9/25/2014 04:20:08 pm
(Exploring the depths of white rasict socialization ) Tim wise.
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Dakota
9/28/2014 06:55:44 am
I think it's crazy how unequal we are as a society. Certain groups of people suffer so much degradation based on how we "think" they are. Judging people as "groups" is wrong. After all, we are all individuals and should be treated as such instead of simply saying "these people do this, they do that."
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Vanessa Fernandez
9/25/2014 04:21:11 pm
Video: The Racial Wealth Gap in America
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Judy Chen
9/26/2014 05:15:33 pm
Regarding your discussion question, I feel like the only hope our generation currently has in terms of eliminating unequal opportunities between people of and not off color is to believe that future generations may become more open minded. At this point, all generations above our own are so caught in their habitual ways of thinking when it comes to race, like the "status quo" of the United States we talked about during the last class discussion. People who have a position of power in modern day American society are all unfortunately so set with subconscious racism due to their social construct. If our generation remains open minded and equality advocating, we can hope that the next upcoming generation will have the same mannerism and mentality, and with that hopefully racism can truly diminish overtime.
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Karla
9/28/2014 02:18:14 pm
I really like your response because you are hopeful of the upcoming generation. We as citizens are responsible in advocating open mindedness toward ourselves and others, especially if we are going to have kids. The household and family values are what kids are exposed to, as well as the educational system and outside forces, therefore it is imperative that we teach the next generation about these key issues in society and how to deal with them. I truly believe that racism can diminish slowly, as long as teachers, the community, and citizens come together in thinking more critically and to get people more involved toward these societal issues.
Tiffany Le
9/28/2014 03:08:29 pm
First, we need to address the white supremacy issue in America. Even though laws that support segregation aren't around now, the idea that white people are the better race is ingrained in American culture. Then, we need to understand that everybody is a human being like you and me. We also need to consider that people come from different backgrounds (ex: cultures, regions of the world), so it is highly suggested to learn or gain a general understanding about different cultures. We also need to teach our children the value of treating people the way you would want to be treated, so the next generation will be more acceptable of diversity. Mind you, we might not see this during our lifetime, but change begins within you.
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Jeana Lindsley
9/25/2014 04:30:01 pm
Video: Racial Inequality in the Criminal Justice System
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Shannon Casey
9/25/2014 04:48:59 pm
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Dakota
9/28/2014 07:03:28 am
People need to know that we are more privileged than most. There is likely always going to be someone with a tougher life path and less options. For example, going to school to receive an education is a privilege that many overlook. Countless people throughout the world (including the US) either can't afford school or aren't able to for various reasons.
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Shilpa Krishna
9/28/2014 07:33:45 am
Individuals can remain aware of their privilege by looking at the basic things that they have in abundance and in better quality compared to others whom are less fortunate. I think that everyone should engage in some type of social service in their communities and volunteer in places where they can view a large group of “different” people. Being able to recognize that there are much less fortunate people in this world is the greatest thing one can do. It will not only allow them to remain aware of their privilege, but it will also promote a sense of awareness to be grateful within them.
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Sharon Serper
9/28/2014 12:10:17 pm
Ultimately, I don’t think inequality between the privileged and less privileged will ever end. There will always be people with more power, and money, therefore more control and privilege. On a smaller scale, we can work towards we can be made more aware of our privileges by doing community service. This is a way each of us can become engaged in our communities and work towards recognizing the privileges which set us apart from others.
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Brandon Morin
9/28/2014 01:23:28 pm
I think a big key is to embrace who we are as individuals regardless of what group we fall into and remain grateful for what we have and the opportunities we are afforded even if we fall into a less fortunate category. We need to be aware of our surroundings and open our minds so that we can be empathetic to the people around us. We need to take responsibility for our actions and think about what we do in our day to day lives understanding that we are living in the real world and there can be repercussions for not remaining aware of the way we carry ourselves and the way we interact with the individuals around us.
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Procrastinator (Alejandro Soria)
9/25/2014 05:12:17 pm
Video: Structural Discrimination: The Unequal Opportunity Race
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jennifer melgarejo
9/25/2014 08:28:10 pm
Article: The Essential Social Fact of Race- Eduardo Bonilla-Silva
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Dominic Allred
9/28/2014 06:12:07 am
As you stated in the first sentence of your critical question "race and class overlap" showing that a line cannot be drawn between the two. Classicism relies on racism in our capitalist economy; as a country the white-elitists have relied on the labor of minority groups to gain wealth and continue to do so. This leads to the racist nature of a capitalist economy (along with numerous tax loop holes, and tax write offs that are not attainable by minorities or people of lower socioeconomic standing) because there has to be people who do the work for minimal pay; the working poor (classicism). To change the current state of inequality and inequity caused by classicism and racism there has to be a redistribution of wealth creating more opportunities for people of a lower classes. Also a change in the tax code the prevents big businesses from being treated like a person and eliminates loop holes in addition to reconsidering what a write off really is. Lastly taxes should be used to improve communities instead of giving subsidies to big businesses.
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Hakwoo Kim
9/25/2014 11:07:37 pm
Systematic disenfranchisement.
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Nelson Chuang
9/26/2014 04:35:00 pm
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Nicole Cheng
9/28/2014 03:35:35 pm
I feel like it starts with self; while you can't always control the environment, your actions are always your choice; individuals can help decrease racism by not contributing to it-- To be mindful of the issues relative to each culture, and your own; to see how socialized pressures are influencing you, and if those actions are aligned with the person you want to be. There are so many societal pressures telling you how to be. But when people love themselves, the need to focus on self, overcompensate-- or act insincere to themselves dissipate, allowing focus on others.
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Vanessa Fernandez
9/28/2014 05:09:02 am
I think that everyone who is taking this class has already taken an important step towards eliminating racism. A majority of people are not aware or exposed to the current events going on in the world. This may be caused by a lack of interest or socialization. The media plays a big part of this lack of knowledge as well. How many news reports are telling the whole story? Exactly how much of the truth has been filtered out in effort to keep things under control? We need to go beyond what we hear in the news and inform ourselves about the real racism that is happening around us today.
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Nicole Cheng
9/28/2014 11:26:14 am
♥♥ I agree~ I feel like the first step to resolving problems is to understand it's roots, symptoms, and it's existence.
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shannon casey
9/28/2014 02:07:39 pm
I'm curious what news sources classmates are using to find information that is the least tainted by corporation media and best journalistic quality?
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Bojana Cvijic
12/2/2014 05:36:23 pm
Video: the unequal opportunity race
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