This article examines a very obvious situation that has been taking place for the past four months. The approach taken is needed and due to the publication date of the article the stance can be looked upon differently. The geography of fear is clearly cut through mass media's polarizing stances. However, the other obvious matter of fact is that police brutality is common in America; and is not particularly race related. We have all heard of cases in the suburbs involving police brutality, even in white dominated exurbs. Although the circumstances may be different, similar cases of civilian interactions with law enforcement come off as undetermined; but there is always some sort of causation.
The article examines both sides of the story and makes a few rash statements that can be assessed as fear of others. White fear of minorities is obvious in cases like Ferguson, but the fact that it is exaggerated throughout the media brings in the opinions of millions that are not completely justified. The trial for Darren Wilson's indiction is a decision based off an autopsy and the approach he took in the midst of a situation.
The fear that is seen throughout the St. Louis area is warranted through mass media and the attention that it is continually given. At one point in the article, a protester (white or black, it shouldn't matter) examined most white people's fear of the situation and quotes a white civilian from the area. "You might get killed or looted," opposing the thought of joining the protests. While the quote comes off as rash, this boils down to the attention that the situation was given and the unapproachable stigma that came along. One of my best friends studies at St. Louis University, when the upset protesters occupied their campus, he went and gave a listen to what was supposed to be a well-conducted discussion. All he could take from it was incoherent anger, and I know this is a second hand account but my friend truly wanted to hear something more than just a mass publicity stunt.
The approach that the black community took was assuming the innocence of Darren Wilson, while protesting angrily because they doubted his reason to shoot and kill a local man. If there was a well-voiced opinion in the mass of the situation that was willing to give any credit to the opposite possibility, then there would be something more to discuss.
For example, the young people who protest a possible unjust death have every right to, but when I walk past your protest on the night of Darren Wilson walking free, I expect to hear more than just mindless chants. I experienced a crowd of rowdy individuals next to the Civil War Memorial at the front of College Green yelling "Fuck this shit." You truly feel that is necessary to be voiced? I don't like to rant because there is something more behind the situation than just anger and that is the lack of a relationship between black and white. But whether you're black or white, approaching the situation just to be heard is no way to go about something if you are truly trying to gain something.
However, this shouldn't be a discussion based off inappropriate actions against. It is a sad reality that America lacks fundamental values of respect towards another race which ultimately undermines us completely. The understanding of racial fear is obvious but can never overcome due to the approaches we take. Yes, it is wrong that white people don't feel safe just because they are around a black community, but it is also wrong that the black community feels the need to terrorize an area as an attempt to get a point across.
Oppression of minorities remains a reality through many different devices, subconscious and conscious; but America is slowly coinciding with in itself as our population grows in diversity. Situations like Ferguson are set backs because they draw too much attention away from what else is going on in the world that should be more worrisome than an internal war that pulls masses of people apart from each other. To be a strong nation, whether we are well on our feet or not, we have to be for one another. It is always easier said than done, but a terrible display of functionality has been displayed for the past four months. The article gives both sides opinion and it is hard to not come off with blatant remarks regarding racism but the only reason why the article exists is because the issue is racial. There is no way to leave off this subject quietly because I have delved into an opinionated voice, but I do understand that this situation is like the ending of a bad argument, it will come back even worse the next time something else arrives.
Greater issues will affect our world and I hope we can trust one another when times get tough. Mistreatment of others will always be commonplace, no race included. White's are always going to be at the forefront as the face of mistreatment because of western expansion and the hardships that came with our history as a nation/hemisphere. There is a way to get past this and that is the realization that we all come from different circumstances, but these circumstances do not pre-destine our life. There is always going to be the argument between genetics and circumstance but we cannot dwell on an issue pertaining to a dead end debate. The genetic argument does not display "racial" genes and I want to make that clear, just as circumstance does not include a racial sense. There are daft individuals throughout the world and we cannot continually go back to the issue of race every time a certain person is affected by another certain person. It clearly defines the attitudes of the masses and it frustrates because there is no end in sight. All we can do is hope for a greater issue that brings us together, as common people, people that you have no need to hesitate towards, whether it's a minor thing or a life-death situation.
Article here: http://qz.com/284383/i-am-darren-wilson-st-louis-and-the-geography-of-fear/
The article examines both sides of the story and makes a few rash statements that can be assessed as fear of others. White fear of minorities is obvious in cases like Ferguson, but the fact that it is exaggerated throughout the media brings in the opinions of millions that are not completely justified. The trial for Darren Wilson's indiction is a decision based off an autopsy and the approach he took in the midst of a situation.
The fear that is seen throughout the St. Louis area is warranted through mass media and the attention that it is continually given. At one point in the article, a protester (white or black, it shouldn't matter) examined most white people's fear of the situation and quotes a white civilian from the area. "You might get killed or looted," opposing the thought of joining the protests. While the quote comes off as rash, this boils down to the attention that the situation was given and the unapproachable stigma that came along. One of my best friends studies at St. Louis University, when the upset protesters occupied their campus, he went and gave a listen to what was supposed to be a well-conducted discussion. All he could take from it was incoherent anger, and I know this is a second hand account but my friend truly wanted to hear something more than just a mass publicity stunt.
The approach that the black community took was assuming the innocence of Darren Wilson, while protesting angrily because they doubted his reason to shoot and kill a local man. If there was a well-voiced opinion in the mass of the situation that was willing to give any credit to the opposite possibility, then there would be something more to discuss.
For example, the young people who protest a possible unjust death have every right to, but when I walk past your protest on the night of Darren Wilson walking free, I expect to hear more than just mindless chants. I experienced a crowd of rowdy individuals next to the Civil War Memorial at the front of College Green yelling "Fuck this shit." You truly feel that is necessary to be voiced? I don't like to rant because there is something more behind the situation than just anger and that is the lack of a relationship between black and white. But whether you're black or white, approaching the situation just to be heard is no way to go about something if you are truly trying to gain something.
However, this shouldn't be a discussion based off inappropriate actions against. It is a sad reality that America lacks fundamental values of respect towards another race which ultimately undermines us completely. The understanding of racial fear is obvious but can never overcome due to the approaches we take. Yes, it is wrong that white people don't feel safe just because they are around a black community, but it is also wrong that the black community feels the need to terrorize an area as an attempt to get a point across.
Oppression of minorities remains a reality through many different devices, subconscious and conscious; but America is slowly coinciding with in itself as our population grows in diversity. Situations like Ferguson are set backs because they draw too much attention away from what else is going on in the world that should be more worrisome than an internal war that pulls masses of people apart from each other. To be a strong nation, whether we are well on our feet or not, we have to be for one another. It is always easier said than done, but a terrible display of functionality has been displayed for the past four months. The article gives both sides opinion and it is hard to not come off with blatant remarks regarding racism but the only reason why the article exists is because the issue is racial. There is no way to leave off this subject quietly because I have delved into an opinionated voice, but I do understand that this situation is like the ending of a bad argument, it will come back even worse the next time something else arrives.
Greater issues will affect our world and I hope we can trust one another when times get tough. Mistreatment of others will always be commonplace, no race included. White's are always going to be at the forefront as the face of mistreatment because of western expansion and the hardships that came with our history as a nation/hemisphere. There is a way to get past this and that is the realization that we all come from different circumstances, but these circumstances do not pre-destine our life. There is always going to be the argument between genetics and circumstance but we cannot dwell on an issue pertaining to a dead end debate. The genetic argument does not display "racial" genes and I want to make that clear, just as circumstance does not include a racial sense. There are daft individuals throughout the world and we cannot continually go back to the issue of race every time a certain person is affected by another certain person. It clearly defines the attitudes of the masses and it frustrates because there is no end in sight. All we can do is hope for a greater issue that brings us together, as common people, people that you have no need to hesitate towards, whether it's a minor thing or a life-death situation.
Article here: http://qz.com/284383/i-am-darren-wilson-st-louis-and-the-geography-of-fear/
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