Narineh D. 1. These days city of Baltimore have seen lots of protest and riots against police due to the death of Freddie Gray on April 12. The police arrested Gray because he started to run in the high crime area and he had knife with him. They dragged him into the police van and this caused the spinal injury which then he died at hospital. The incident happened in the West Baltimore known as Sandtown. 63% of Baltimore residents are African American and 97% of Sandtown has African American resident according to LA Times Newspaper. In this article, Scott Simon went to Sandtown and interviewed with some of the residents. The interviewees are not happy with their lives’ situation at this town, and most of them criticized police because of its brutality behavior towards the residents. The rate of crime and poverty in this area is very high. As it mentioned in the article there are plenty of gangs in the neighborhood. This is a social problem because as we can see in the town, which most of the residents is African American, the rate of poverty and crime is high. Why this is the case? Because still the racial discrimination exist in our society. This is one of the areas that we can observe all types of institutional discrimination such as educational, employment, health care, and discrimination in criminal justice system happening in those people’s everyday lives. The focus of this NPR article is on criminal justice system and how the police treat people based on their race. People who live in this area can’t leave because of poverty. They cannot afford to go to another place which they can live in peace and have normal life like other people. Racial profiling exists in this area and it is one of the causes that police become more suspicious on black people like Freddie Gray in this case. As Michelle Alexander argues “new Jim Crow” law still exist in our criminal justice system and black people are treated differently than the white people. According to the Spector and Kitue’s model, the issue of Freddie Gray became public issue. Therefore transformation process was happened. As we can see in the news some of the government official and even president spoke about this issue. Moreover, because the incident of black people dying by the police happened frequently during these months, they suggested that police should carry video camera on their clothes. This is Legitimization process. But people are not satisfied by the way that the government handled the issue. Therefore, they protest against the system. This is the conflict stage. Some of the people started to handle the situation in their hands by organizing organization like “blacks lives matter” and demanding justice in our society. This is the response stage.
Narineh D. 2. The interactionist would say that the racial discrimination in the system occurs because African American is more subject to poverty, unemployment, lack of education and inequality in the society. Inequality and institutional or individual discrimination cause that most of the African American learn culture of poverty from their neighborhood. They also learn that if they want to become successful in their lives, they have to be rappers or good athletes. If you are not one of those people, you become drug dealers and gang members which you can have income and support your family. As Abraham mentioned in the NPR article: “it's a drug infested neighborhood, so you're going to have that around here. The police don't want drugs in the area like some of the neighbors don't want drugs in the area, so they got to do their job.” Therefore, they have already accepted their lives’ situation and it seems normal for them. This kind of culture and belief starts in micro level and continue to grow in macro level. Sometimes they want to move from their position but these kinds of discriminations don’t allow them to move forward. For example, in the case of educational discrimination, their schools are the worse school in the country, lack of proper equipment or good teachers that can help them to improve their education. Or in housing system, segregation causes urban poverty among them because of white flight. In some places owners of the houses don’t rent their houses to the minorities group if the neighborhood is white people. Therefore, being white is privilege in our society. In our criminal justice, the system automatically targets minorities as criminals based on their skin color and background. As we can see in NPR article, people said that “the largest gang is the Baltimore city police.” Because they experience the brutality and cruelty of the police officers in their cities towards them. Therefore, they are victims of their races. For this reason, according to the interactionist perspective, the police and the minority group both learn their behavior according to the norms and culture which they live in and they act based on their beliefs and perceptions towards each other. Moreover, the history is also effects on their behavior. The thinking of white privilege and supremacy during the history and the dehumanization of African American also effects on the life of the people. Interactionalist also view that inequality happened because of the certain roles that people have in the society. For example, according their roles, police have more power and authority to control others people and this can cause inequality in the society. Therefore, race is social construct according to this perspective.
Narineh D. 3. I choose this article because it is hard for me to decide which group is right and which group is wrong. From the people’s point of view, the police behavior towards people is not acceptable. They act very brutally. People especially “black people” are human and have the right to be treated like other people in our society. From the police point of view, it is very hard to handle a situation when you are surrounded by the gangs and drugs dealers. They kind of afraid for their lives. The police should be ready for everything. Every day, they are in fight or flight situation and this causes that they become more anxious and stressed out in those situation. However, this is not excuse for what most of the police officers are doing towards the African American people. In my opinion, the whole training and hiring system of the police department is kind of wrong because they should train their officers to handle any kind of situation and not act based on their emotion or fear. I think one solution for this problem is increasing the requirements and training for the police officers. The system should require more hard training in very bad situation and see if the police officers can handle it. Therefore, they become more aware of their surrounding and act without any disruption. They also should train them how to communicate with the people. They need to improve their communicational skills because it plays big roles in how they can handle the situation. They need to know some cultural and norms of every ethnicity and racial group in our diverse society. Because sometimes just language causes harm for both groups. Like African American style of talking with the police officer is very different with white people. Therefore, the solution for reducing this kind of discrimination is the better training for the police officers.
1. Police brutality against racial minority has recently been strongly emphasized in the eye of media. We have heard of many cases such as Trayvon Martin, Mike Brown, and Eric Garner. Now, another name is striking headlines, Freddie Gray. Sandtown, West Baltimore, was where the 25-year-old was taken into custody by police and later identified as dead due to an apparent spinal injury. Police are suppose to protect the people. However, we are seeing a constant repetition of such brutality towards the racial minority. In a city that is already a high-crime area, the police are now seen as the biggest gang around. They are no longer seen as security, protection, and peace for its citizens, especially African Americans. They are facing institutional discrimination. They are unprivileged not being born white, not being able to attain the white privilege. One may question the force used against the victim as a sense of self defense. However, the community believes police should have the training and skill to handle these tough, dangerous, and risky situations in the proper way. At the end of the day, it is their profession. They shouldn't crack under pressure or act on reflexes in the moment. It is risky job and proper training is mandatory. Whether it be a black or white cop, police are out of control. They are repeatedly seen abusing their power and control, resulting in brutal deaths. There are appropriate ways to handle these cases. Death and inhumanity is not the answer. On April 12th, Freddie Gray was arrested in a neighborhood which is known for high rates of crime, violence, and gangs for the possession of a switchblade. In a neighborhood with such reputation, that switchblade was his form of safety and security. While he feared for his life on the streets, it was taken from him in the hands of the Baltimore city police.
2. A Functionalist would say law enforcement is a necessary institution for society to function properly. They would enforce assimilation so minority groups become apart of what is considered the dominant group, in a sense losing their identity. However, they would also want the dominant society, being the police, to assimilate into what is considered the minority. As mentioned earlier in class, Desegregation is effective if the dominate society takes a step off their high horse and joins the minority in the American image of the “melting pot” instead of vice versa. Once police are able to accept the fact that they are not better than another individual because they have a uniform on, they can justly perform their duty. This assimilation can create an equilibrium in society. They should not allow their personal prejudice to interfere with their job. Some individuals might blame their authoritarian personality for their prejudice. These types of police may believe they they are the authority and the citizens need to be obedient to them. They do not accept others who are not like them. Some of these police may even use the frustration theory as an excuse for there behaviors of acting out brutally. The minority groups are used as “scapegoats” for the real sources of these police officer’s misfortunes in their personal life. A functionalist would also believe in normative integration to solve the problem of racism within the police force. This would mean that we should all share mutual values and attitudes that will allow us to live together in peacefully. No need for riots, death, or brutality. A functionalist may may also believe that society can function smoothly with some social inequality.
3. I believe police are out of control. They are acting out irrationally. This article didn't mention it, however video surveillance shows the vehicle that Freddie Gray was in make an unexpected stop. They have abused the use of their power as cops. They should have enough training to properly handle the situation without taking the lives of individuals, whether they we are black, white, male, female, gay, or straight. I chose to respond to this topic because of the constant repetition of such cases based off discrimination. I understand media is going to constantly cover these cases now that it is brought to the attention of people, but the theme behind it should not be overlooked. Lives are being taken from innocent young people. Police are abusing their force. They are discriminating against the minority group, when they are here to enforce equality and justice. I think police need harder training. Not everyone is fit to be a cop. Age should be considered. Mental ability and strength needs to be tested better. Training needs to be more solid. They need to be pushed to extensive limits in training, so when they do face the reality on the streets they don't act out irrationally or on instinct. We have to make sure these individuals are truly qualified for their position in service. They can not allow their inner racism to effect their career. When that uniform is put on, all personally preferences, beliefs, opinions, and all need to be put aside. Police need to work under one oath, serving the community justly.
Here we witness the issues going on in West Baltimore, from gang violence to police brutality and to the cruel killing of Freddie Gray. More and more issues rise between black men particularly and police officers throughout ghetto areas all around the states. A cycle of situations just like the one particularly alike Freddie Grays have been occurring from quite some time now, just as we look back to what happened to Trayvon Martin. The people realize this inequality and how differently blacks are treated by law enforcment officers. And according to Scott Simon the residents of West Baltimore are greatly concerned. This is a big social problem, because essentially people are noticing that there is a difference between how officers act against whites and blacks, and how black people are treated more harshly. Many people see this as racial issue. I believe the conflict theory is greatly linked to this issue, as the conflict theory explains that a powerful dominant group uses their power to overthrow anyone else lower than them. And the group that is being taken advantage of by the more dominant group slowly creates a class consciousness, everyone in the lower division acknowledges they are on the same level and later revolt against the higher power. In which this case, the black would boycott officers.
A conflict theorist would look at the problem as a whole, and come to recognize the two groups in the situation; the elite and those who fall under the elite. A conflict theorist would claim that every person who is under the law, should be on the same playing field. It would be mentioned by the conflict theorist that discrimination should not take place, and everyone should be looked at the same. At all times when looking at an issue there are essentially two sides when being looked at with the conflict theory. The conflict theorist would urge boycotts and try implementing Herbert Blumer's stages of a problem. People would petition, create groups and revolt against the opposing force. In this case the officers enforcing the laws would be the elite, those who are backed by the government versus the civilians in the West Baltimore region. At this point there are boycotts and riots in Baltimore, this would be a prime example of revolting with a class consciousness.
I believe that this issue should be taken care of as soon as possible because police are tending to feel more threatened occasionally and are paranoid in areas of higher crime. People tend to witness a lot of tragedies because of this. I commented on this topic because I feel as if it is a very often a reoccurring issue and I feel as if it should come to an end once in for all. Police officers should be very professional and most importantly focus on what they have learned in the field, rather acting unprofessionally and jumping the gun with violence to enforce any laws. Officers tend to be paranoid and worried about their life in high crime rated areas according to civilians in the West Baltimore area because of this they act in an unorganized disarray when confronted by someone or a situation.
Anthony E. 1. In recent years police altercations against minorities-mostly African American males-have been aired all over the media inferring that there was some type of brutality that took place. Despite the lack of evidence people assume they know or laws everyone usually takes a side. There has been many controversial police brutality cases stemming from New York with Eric Garner, Missouri with Mike Brown, and now in the news Freddie Gray in Baltimore. Freddie Gray was taken into custody by Baltimore police officers and was later pronounced dead due to a spinal injury. A majority of the African American community feels they are targeted by the police. Physical police altercations have been nothing but the norm in the media today which is unfortunate. In this particular area of Baltimore the police are no longer look at for security or even a simple helping hand when things go wrong. It seems as if people really use the police as the last resort for an emergency. With the lack of funding in high crime rated areas such as West Baltimore people only work with what available resources they have. These citizens do not always have the best schooling, housing, or mentoring programs. It is unfortunate that some people have to carry weapons illegally on themselves just to have a somewhat sense of security, but I feel that’s when a police officer who doesn't live in the areas that police in clash with the residents. The Broke Windows theory explains that if a building/house has one broken window it left unfixed more broken windows will eventually sprout up. Yes we can apply this to high crime and poor areas of cities with gangs and drug dealers walking around, but what about police departments? I love police officers and believe in what they do deserves respect, but just like any job there is always those few bad apples. Just as a rich CEO or firm on Wall Street gets policed by the SEC (which some were friends in college) how can you repair a broken window in a police department where men form bonds and brotherhoods. I feel unless we figure out how to police the police many incidents will still occur.
Ellen G. 1.Lately in the news we have been seeing many stories about the police taking advantage of their authority and power, especially against racial minorities, mainly African American males. The most recent incident was of Freddy Gray. Gray was a 25 year old African American male who was arrested by the Baltimore Police Department in Sandtown, West Baltimore. While being transported by the police, he fell into a coma from an injury he suffered to his spinal cord. Gray then passed away in the hospital. It is still unknown how he got this injury, but many are speculating that it was from unnecessary brutality caused by the officers. The social problem being addressed in this article is about police brutality and how they take advantage of their power and how nothing is being done to punish them. Racial profiling is also a big issue here. In this article, the residents of Sandtown explain what a rough neighborhood it is and how the police are out of control. Many residents claim to worry about their safety because of the police there instead of the criminals in the area. Many drug dealers and gangs reside in this area but ironically, the Baltimore police department is known to the residents as “the largest gang” in the city. We are often seeing victimization of entire racial minority groups by police and higher numbers of minority males being murdered and taken into custody. 2.Conflict theory always focuses on two groups that are in a “conflict” with each other, with one having more power and authority over the other one thats being oppressed. In this case, police officers having more power and are abusing it against civilians who are living in cities with high crime rates and violence. There is also conflict between the white citizens in communities who are the majority, and considered “innocent” and elite to the minorities(blacks,latinos, ex). The less powerful and minority groups are often looked down upon by the police officers and represented in a negative way in the criminal justice system. Police officers take advantage of the power they are given and exploit the less powerful individuals. A conflict theorist would encourage the less powerful to challenge the status quo and encourage change in social order and people to stand up against oppression and fight for their rights. 3.When people are starting to become scared of the law and individuals whose job is to protect us, it is a big problem.The community and government officials need to start taking adequate measures to ensure police misconduct isn’t taking place in communities. The police are supposed to be present to protect and serve citizens but instead are abusing their power and making people fear for their lives. Police officers these days take advantage of how much power they have over civilians. I believe a good solution would be regulating how much authority is given to them. I chose to comment on this issue because of an article I read earlier this year that really opened my eyes to the harsh reality we are living in, statistics showed that more than 300 people have been killed by police officers before an arrest, this year alone, and we are only in the month of May.Many deaths are occurring in our country because of the loose regulations and rules officers need to abide by. If there were stricter rules, and the protocol changed on how officers were to deal with certain cases and arrests, we wouldn’t be having this issue anymore.
Eduardo G. 1. Police authority among some states and areas are overwhelming to the vast majority of minority groups, specifically talking about the controversial death of Freddie Gray on April 12 and the tough neighborhoods of Baltimore whose population is the black majority. I’d like to talk about the concept of racial profiling because this plays in a major role in why cops all of a sudden stop an individual at random. Well I wouldn’t say it’s all random, but in an area like Baltimore, I’d assume the authority (cops) target black people solely based on looks and assumptions that they’re either dangerous or carrying some type of drug on them, which is totally not the case most of the time. For example, Scott Simons was talking to Canara Davis and she said a good example of what happens in the hood that explains of what I’m referring to as racial profiling because she said “Like, if I’m walking down the street and a police officer see me and just because I ran, they stop me and pushed me up against a wall because they think I had drugs on me.” When she said ‘pushed’, I believe you don’t really need to push anyone against the wall unless they just went on a hardcore massacre or something that is dead serious, but pushing a black woman who a cop doesn’t even know if she has drugs or arms on her? Pretty absurd to me and so not necessary, I know cops need to take the precaution and everything, but that doesn’t mean a cop needs to take advantage of the situation nor their power. Abrams stated that, “They mess with people a lot. They really do. It ain’t just because of that boy got killed, either. They really do harass people sometime around here.” The Baltimore police department are harassing people here, they mess with a lot people. They’re overstepping their use of power, which isn’t good for their reputation and it angers a lot of the citizens, which is why they resort to a lot of violence because they’ve just had quite enough with police brutality. This leads me to putting to Spector’s and Kiutuse model in which stage one known as the transformation process in which a personal trouble turns out to be bigger leading to a public issue. For example, Grays arrest was just between him and the authority, but the police overdid it with the arrest and it caught the attention of many who were recording the incident, went online, and the police department got blasted on social media. Turning this internal problem in Baltimore into an external issue all over America. The Legitimization process can easily be defined with the Baltimore riots that took place and the devastation the city witnesses with a lot of violence and public property being destroyed. Wasn’t handled the right way at all and I can relate this to the LA riots of 1992 with Rodney King experiencing the same thing Gray did with his arrest. The conflict stage can be identified when Gray’s family attorney prosecuted all six cops involved with his arrest and death, they were all suspended from their jobs and were found guilty of Gray’s death. Finally good news had come and all of sudden many protesters celebrated a victory of justice and had peaceful protests. The people readjusted the formal response system and finally protested all together as one and peacefully. Stage four never reached because people found some comfort in justice that all six cops were found guilty, but if it were the opposite and they weren’t found guilty then all hell would have broken loose and the citizens would have taken it upon their own hands to find some kind of justice (work outside the system). This will always be a problem because you will always have cops regardless of what race they are that will stop people not because of any type of suspicion, but solely on race and ethnicity. A conflict theorist would notice those in power (cops) overuse it and abuse it against those who have no power at all (minorities), creating conflict for both groups.
Eduardo G. 2. A conflict theorist would analyze the incident as those in power who are cops abusing it towards African-Americans in Baltimore who have no power at all or influence over the police department there because of how poor the living conditions that are there and the high crime rate, drug selling rate, and the vast population where Freddie Gray passed away is African-Americans in the “hood”. Resources available to African-Americans in Baltimore are there, but in the interview that Scott Simons stated that, “Instead, there are a few corner stores where a clerk behind safety glass presses a buzzer to let people through a steel door into a dark shop where they can buy milk, chips, toilet tissue, cigarettes and beer.” There are not many stores available in the community and if there is, most of these stores consist of a locked door in which the clerk has to give permission to those who want to purchase. This is crazy because you have an overpopulated area with only a few local markets where you can buy basic necessities because of the poverty level as well. Cops and other people who are well above the poverty line don’t have to worry about having attainability for basic resources like I mentioned. Another thing a conflict theorist would notice that not everyone is equally protected under the law, meaning that everybody is in the playing field, but not everyone plays fair with everyone and I relate this with the mistreatment of African-Americans by the police department pretty much anywhere in America, especially if the vast majority of citizens are black to begin with. A conflict theorist would also argue who benefits from all this, well it’s clear that African-Americans don’t benefit at all from attaining power because they have no type of prestige, meanwhile the police department benefits from all the power that is given to them, specifically those cops who think they can go around doing what they want to whoever they want and assume nothing is going to happen to them because they’re the authority in the situation and have this feeling of being an invisible person who can’t be brought down. There is always going to be conflict between these two groups because cops abuse their power over minorities groups and in response to this abuse, the minority group take many forms in trying to get back at the police department like violent protests, throwing objects at cops, and insults. I wouldn’t say this is the right to go about issues like these, but this is what a conflict theorist would notice. Lastly, I believe that a conflict theorist would encourage people to fight and believe for what they think is right for everyone, not just their personal interest, but for everyone’s interest that can have a positive impact among all citizens. With cops having more power attainment from those who have little to none, then there will always be some type conflict between the authority and the citizens.
Anthony E. 2. An Interactionist would conclude that the racial tension that occurs between the police and minorities are a cause of the environments they live in. For the minorities (African Americans) living in West Baltimore are dealt with hardships almost every day: lack of funding for schools and hospitals, lack of health care, after school programs, and even jobs for the citizens to obtain. For the police officers who patrol these areas I can guarantee they don’t live in West Baltimore. As unfortunate as it may sound they do not understand that you have to sometimes sell drugs to buy food and pay the rent of your apartment. They don’t understand that when you are walking around the neighborhood that sometimes you may have to carry a gun or a knife. That the gang someone is in is actually protecting themselves from other gangs in different areas waiting to do harm. These are the norms that many African Americans do face living in these areas that people outside these areas cannot comprehend.
In this NPR Article, a neighborhood in West Baltimore is examined and questioned regarding the recent death of Freddie Gray, and general involvement of police in the area. Freddie Gray was a twenty-five year old African-American male that was arrested after running from police with a legal knife in his pocket. Afterwards, he was thrown into a van where he sustained traumatic injuries to his spinal cord and was denied medical care for an upwards of thirty minutes. By the time Freddie was acknowledged and taken to a trauma center it was far too late and he passed away shortly after arriving. The six officers involved in the arrest and “Nickel Ride” were charged with different variations of homicide and await trial. This article goes on to explain how the citizens within the West Baltimore area feel regarding the recent death of Gray, and the police activity in the area.
A Conflict-Theorist would view this as a source of power inequality between the police and the citizens of Baltimore, and even greater, around the United States. This perspective would identify with the greater African-American minority tagging them as the “have-nots” while the police are viewed as the “haves.” Around the United States there is a great inequality among particularly the African-American community and members of the police force. The conflict theorist looks at how the police force abuses its power and how the minority group is left defenseless against these different violent acts committed. The conflict theorist would inspire protest until something changes within this great power struggle. Currently this problem lies within the conflict stage according to Spector and Kituse’s model of a social problem. These minority groups have gained much attention and are now beginning to impact the media.
I believe that charging the six officers with different counts of manslaughter and assault was the right thing to do in this case of Freddie Gray’s death. Although I don’t believe the officers will ever be sentenced to prison time, I believe that this is a step in the right direction in accountability. While many officers are good natured and law followers, there are a number that exploit their power over others. This is a clear message that these violent acts will no longer be tolerated. I believe there needs to be a large increase nationally of first person cameras, so that officers may further be held accountable for their actions. Dashboard cameras don’t do enough. Over the past years there has been a growing number of protests after the increasing amount of deaths to unarmed citizens, primarily of African-American descent. In my eyes, if these inequalities were not recognized more on a national level, protests would become larger, more violent, and would create an uproar that may never cease. Although these conflicts are nowhere close to over, this is a step in the right direction with the criminal charges placed on the six police officers in the Freddie Gray case.
3. I honestly think the media thrives on issues such as the police and minorities. You can turn on the news and almost be guaranteed to see this on your television. I also think there is more to it than just racism. Like I have stated before there is so much financial neglect in these areas people can only work with so much till they implode from within. I commented on this topic because I want to become a police officer and live in a family of law enforcement. When I see headlines on the news about police altercations with minorities I feel for both sides. In these situations it is very unfortunate if someone dies especially someone who is in the hands of the police. I believe police officers are humans to. They make mistakes just like the rest of us, but when someone dies while being in custody the perpetrator should face criminal charges. Also to the people who say police officers should not be so jumpy and paranoid and get proper training for that go on a couple ride a longs in crime invested areas then describe how you felt. I think the West Baltimore needs more police involvement. Not so much patrolling the areas, but reaching out to the community. A lot of the police officers should do some of their shopping errands while on the job. I think that would allow people to see they are just as human as everybody else, and that they are not just some contracted workers enforcing laws in their areas. I feel it will reduce tensions and allow officers to even chat and even be a mentor to some of the youth in that area.
Eduardo G. 3. I believe the incident that took place in Baltimore with Freddie Gray was uncalled for and the police should have taken precautions on how to deal with the arrest properly and professionally at all times. I find it sad that some of the Baltimore natives fear for their lives and are hesitant to call the cops for help, worrying that if they do call them, would they make the situation worse and witness death in front of them or take it upon themselves to solve the problem on their own. It’s a tough call with all the incidents that include the police and that worries people a lot whether they’ll witness some type of police brutality themselves. I chose to write on this issue because my research paper is based on incidents like Grays death and I strongly believe that the way these arrests are handled across America are wrong and should a be dealt with professionally, with non-excessive force being used on people who don’t show any signs of violence, or even having possession of a recreational drug like marijuana. I also chose to comment on this topic because the death of African-Americans due to over excessive police brutality is becoming more of a trend these past few months and is receiving a lot of attention from the media and citizens across America who are pissed off on how police handle situations. It’s interesting hearing different opinions from different people, but the common I usually hear is that cops are prejudice and racist, which is not true. Cops have the hardest job ever because they have to approach situations in a certain matter where they don’t ruin their own reputation and still satisfy the people in a successful arrest or else all hell breaks loose and the attack begins on how cops manage the situation, whether in a professional manner or resort to violence. This is all interesting and is the main reason I chose to comment on this specific trending topic. A solution that I would propose is to be really strict on the police department on how they train their cops in handling certain situations. I know it sounds easy to do, but harder to execute, but it all starts within the individual. Change begins with the individual himself/herself, that’s all there is to it, but you’ll always have cops who are corrupt and will always abuse their authority because they believe they are almighty. It sucks that police get bad reputation because of actions by other cops, media portrays them the wrong way, and then the public feels like they’re just there to hurt people. There are good cops out who do their job professionally and correctly, and there always will be.
1. I agree that police brutality directed towards minority groups is an issue. However, I feel there’s a bigger issue, which pertains to the impression minority groups get as a result of the media. The media succeeds in transforming public defender’s image into the exact opposite of what they stand for. They aren’t always at fault for their actions, and it’s because of the media that they appear untrustworthy. One comment I completely disagree with has to do with how police seem to no longer offer protection, security and peace for its citizens. This comment is ignorant, and at fault for it generalizes most of law enforcement. Law enforcement only truly exists to ensure the public feels secure, is offered protection and above all is able to live in peace. I chose to comment on this entry for police brutality is an issue that I believe needs to be changed. I wish to pursue a career in law enforcement and go onto to hold a leadership position in which I may be able to instill positive changes towards the policies that directly affect the topic of proper use of force. I have already expressed my discontent with the issue and feel it is a public issue for it is the system that is corrupt. The victims are often at fault in the eyes of the law, but the victims unfortunately bare the burdens of the environment in which they live. High crime rates lead to necessary means of survival, and those means are not justified by the law leading to victims being viewed as such for they use illegal means to provide themselves with protection.
2. A conflict theorist would argue decisions made by our criminal justice system are designed to be discriminatory. They are created to sanction offenders on the basis of their minority group or subordinate group membership. Law enforcement in this case is the bourgeoisie and the minority groups who are burdened by being the criminals are the proletariat. Law enforcement sets the rules which disadvantage minority groups struggle to abide by in the form of the law, which creates this never ending rift between the two groups. A conflict theorist would argue problems emerge when particular groups are disadvantaged more than others. This would explain why people of color are more disadvantaged in comparison with their white counterparts.
3. The proposed solution was in direct reference to better training, and the position only being available for highly qualified individuals. I firmly believe in higher standards of training and employment for such positions as a feasible and great solution for combatting this problem. If I were to present a solution to the problem I would argue it would have to start from the leadership. As stated earlier, a personal goal of mine is to hold a position of leadership in which I may be able to bring change from the inside. There is a chain of command in the police system instated primarily for accountability and leadership among other officers. Leaders influence policies and policies often times relate to how a department operates. If one department succeeds in achieving a standard that could work in theory with other departments, then this could turn out to be the ultimate solution that could end police brutality. In regards to this specific issue, the leadership should instill higher standards in justifying a situation in which deadly force can and should be used. The rest would be instilled by the training officers receive which needs to be a bit more intensive.
After reading this I agree that police brutality is an ongoing problem within the African American community. The article as well as Connor pointed out that African Americans in their own town fear coming across the police out of the possibility of getting arrested or hurt for no reason (other than stereotypes). The reason I agree with this notion is because across the nation African American men are dying at the hands of police officers. I can totally understand why the African American community of West Baltimore views police officers as a threat rather than as a form of help. Because Freddie Gray just recently died and the police officers were charged with homicide; it’s easy to see why West Baltimore views the police as a gang within itself. The part that really stood out to me is how despite these officers being charged the city is still uncomfortable with the police presence. African Americans are still doing their best to avoid the police which to me is such an unfair way to live. African Americans should not have to worry about being targeted based on racist stereotypes yet unfortunately this is still going on in West Baltimore. This is a problem because it creates this idea that African Americans are criminals and they deserve to be questioned/targeted by police regardless of the proper reasoning. It also tries to justify why police react so violently. This is something that needs to change very quickly; police officers need to be trained to work with the community and not against it because if not many more African American men will lose their lives. I commented on this peer’s entry because I liked what he had to say and it was nice to come across someone with the same opinion as mine.
A functionalist would argue that what has happened was necessary because it serves to protect the city of West Baltimore. By police officers shooting and killing Freddie Gray they have shown the city of West Baltimore the consequences that stem from running away from the police when questioned by them. This helps to lower the crime rate/involvement of individuals of West Baltimore who wish to cause some type of havoc in the city. The community of West Baltimore understands that they must obey the police and not act defiantly. So the function of the police officers in this case are to maintain order in West Baltimore while the community must follow their lead.
The person I responded to didn’t really propose a solution (just realized this) so it’s tough to say if I would agree or disagree. I’d like to think I would agree just because I agreed with what he responded with in the first question. My proposed solution would be that police officers need to take some type of racism and sensitivity classes. I think they need to endure long hours of training in both of these issues and then should be tested on it to make sure they actually understand what was presented to them. These police officers need to be able to solve issues without the use of a gun or other excessive force/violence. They need to recognize that their system is flawed and mostly based on inaccurate (or outdated) stereotypes that help to continue racism. Most importantly these police officers must have empathy for all people they come across (including “criminals”) and treat each case with sensitivity/professionalism. They cannot allow their own biases to override the rights of fellow citizens. By doing this I believe people will be more open to police officers especially minorities.
In response to Narineh D. I agree with much of your response and commend your uses and references to Kitsuse and Spectre's social construct theory as it relates to the occurrence in Baltimore and it's development along with the use of Interactionalist learned values, beliefs and patterns to decipher the behavior on both sides. I chose to respond to this topic because the issue is perhaps pivotal in determining whether this country will continue on the course of progress or loose the mantle thereof and fall into stagnation and decline where civil rights, equality, freedom, progressiveness and all other "American" Ideals are concerned. What stood out to me about this response is it's thoroughness and the fact that underpinning the entire writing is a feeling and yet not an actual reference to the conflict perspective pervading the situation. The police, whether in awareness or unawareness, tend to serve as the hand of the social-political elite and their historic abuse and undermining of the empowerment and progress of the minorities in inner-cities and places like Baltimore are all pretty well documented... The Civil Right's movement saw the CIA introducing and distributing cocaine and other drugs in the inner cities to being with, admittedly with the goal of destabilizing the movements originating and gaining momentum therein which were serving to threaten the status quo and privileges of the numerical minority of the Machiavellian white elite. This pattern continues to this day. I agree with the solutions presented and furthermore feel that community outreach and integration of the police into such communities could serve to break the spell of the separateness felt by both groups. For, in reality, they are equally exploited and equally oppressed and thus belong to the same group of what Marx would refer to as the proletariat, the police just manipulated enough to think they don't. Also, these programs have shown promising results in communities and countries where they have been practiced and I believe would lead to the rekindling of Human Empathy within both groups which, for the police, far from disrupting their ideal function of keeping the peace in a community, would discourage blatant abuse and encourage discernment and accountability where use of excessive force and other interventions are concerned...
19 comments:
Narineh D.
1. These days city of Baltimore have seen lots of protest and riots against police due to the death of Freddie Gray on April 12. The police arrested Gray because he started to run in the high crime area and he had knife with him. They dragged him into the police van and this caused the spinal injury which then he died at hospital. The incident happened in the West Baltimore known as Sandtown. 63% of Baltimore residents are African American and 97% of Sandtown has African American resident according to LA Times Newspaper. In this article, Scott Simon went to Sandtown and interviewed with some of the residents. The interviewees are not happy with their lives’ situation at this town, and most of them criticized police because of its brutality behavior towards the residents. The rate of crime and poverty in this area is very high. As it mentioned in the article there are plenty of gangs in the neighborhood. This is a social problem because as we can see in the town, which most of the residents is African American, the rate of poverty and crime is high. Why this is the case? Because still the racial discrimination exist in our society. This is one of the areas that we can observe all types of institutional discrimination such as educational, employment, health care, and discrimination in criminal justice system happening in those people’s everyday lives. The focus of this NPR article is on criminal justice system and how the police treat people based on their race. People who live in this area can’t leave because of poverty. They cannot afford to go to another place which they can live in peace and have normal life like other people. Racial profiling exists in this area and it is one of the causes that police become more suspicious on black people like Freddie Gray in this case. As Michelle Alexander argues “new Jim Crow” law still exist in our criminal justice system and black people are treated differently than the white people. According to the Spector and Kitue’s model, the issue of Freddie Gray became public issue. Therefore transformation process was happened. As we can see in the news some of the government official and even president spoke about this issue. Moreover, because the incident of black people dying by the police happened frequently during these months, they suggested that police should carry video camera on their clothes. This is Legitimization process. But people are not satisfied by the way that the government handled the issue. Therefore, they protest against the system. This is the conflict stage. Some of the people started to handle the situation in their hands by organizing organization like “blacks lives matter” and demanding justice in our society. This is the response stage.
Narineh D.
2. The interactionist would say that the racial discrimination in the system occurs because African American is more subject to poverty, unemployment, lack of education and inequality in the society. Inequality and institutional or individual discrimination cause that most of the African American learn culture of poverty from their neighborhood. They also learn that if they want to become successful in their lives, they have to be rappers or good athletes. If you are not one of those people, you become drug dealers and gang members which you can have income and support your family. As Abraham mentioned in the NPR article: “it's a drug infested neighborhood, so you're going to have that around here. The police don't want drugs in the area like some of the neighbors don't want drugs in the area, so they got to do their job.” Therefore, they have already accepted their lives’ situation and it seems normal for them. This kind of culture and belief starts in micro level and continue to grow in macro level. Sometimes they want to move from their position but these kinds of discriminations don’t allow them to move forward. For example, in the case of educational discrimination, their schools are the worse school in the country, lack of proper equipment or good teachers that can help them to improve their education. Or in housing system, segregation causes urban poverty among them because of white flight. In some places owners of the houses don’t rent their houses to the minorities group if the neighborhood is white people. Therefore, being white is privilege in our society. In our criminal justice, the system automatically targets minorities as criminals based on their skin color and background. As we can see in NPR article, people said that “the largest gang is the Baltimore city police.” Because they experience the brutality and cruelty of the police officers in their cities towards them. Therefore, they are victims of their races. For this reason, according to the interactionist perspective, the police and the minority group both learn their behavior according to the norms and culture which they live in and they act based on their beliefs and perceptions towards each other. Moreover, the history is also effects on their behavior. The thinking of white privilege and supremacy during the history and the dehumanization of African American also effects on the life of the people. Interactionalist also view that inequality happened because of the certain roles that people have in the society. For example, according their roles, police have more power and authority to control others people and this can cause inequality in the society. Therefore, race is social construct according to this perspective.
Narineh D.
3. I choose this article because it is hard for me to decide which group is right and which group is wrong. From the people’s point of view, the police behavior towards people is not acceptable. They act very brutally. People especially “black people” are human and have the right to be treated like other people in our society. From the police point of view, it is very hard to handle a situation when you are surrounded by the gangs and drugs dealers. They kind of afraid for their lives. The police should be ready for everything. Every day, they are in fight or flight situation and this causes that they become more anxious and stressed out in those situation. However, this is not excuse for what most of the police officers are doing towards the African American people. In my opinion, the whole training and hiring system of the police department is kind of wrong because they should train their officers to handle any kind of situation and not act based on their emotion or fear. I think one solution for this problem is increasing the requirements and training for the police officers. The system should require more hard training in very bad situation and see if the police officers can handle it. Therefore, they become more aware of their surrounding and act without any disruption. They also should train them how to communicate with the people. They need to improve their communicational skills because it plays big roles in how they can handle the situation. They need to know some cultural and norms of every ethnicity and racial group in our diverse society. Because sometimes just language causes harm for both groups. Like African American style of talking with the police officer is very different with white people. Therefore, the solution for reducing this kind of discrimination is the better training for the police officers.
Erlin K.
1. Police brutality against racial minority has recently been strongly emphasized in the eye of media. We have heard of many cases such as Trayvon Martin, Mike Brown, and Eric Garner. Now, another name is striking headlines, Freddie Gray. Sandtown, West Baltimore, was where the 25-year-old was taken into custody by police and later identified as dead due to an apparent spinal injury. Police are suppose to protect the people. However, we are seeing a constant repetition of such brutality towards the racial minority. In a city that is already a high-crime area, the police are now seen as the biggest gang around. They are no longer seen as security, protection, and peace for its citizens, especially African Americans. They are facing institutional discrimination. They are unprivileged not being born white, not being able to attain the white privilege. One may question the force used against the victim as a sense of self defense. However, the community believes police should have the training and skill to handle these tough, dangerous, and risky situations in the proper way. At the end of the day, it is their profession. They shouldn't crack under pressure or act on reflexes in the moment. It is risky job and proper training is mandatory. Whether it be a black or white cop, police are out of control. They are repeatedly seen abusing their power and control, resulting in brutal deaths. There are appropriate ways to handle these cases. Death and inhumanity is not the answer. On April 12th, Freddie Gray was arrested in a neighborhood which is known for high rates of crime, violence, and gangs for the possession of a switchblade. In a neighborhood with such reputation, that switchblade was his form of safety and security. While he feared for his life on the streets, it was taken from him in the hands of the Baltimore city police.
Erlin K.
2. A Functionalist would say law enforcement is a necessary institution for society to function properly. They would enforce assimilation so minority groups become apart of what is considered the dominant group, in a sense losing their identity. However, they would also want the dominant society, being the police, to assimilate into what is considered the minority. As mentioned earlier in class, Desegregation is effective if the dominate society takes a step off their high horse and joins the minority in the American image of the “melting pot” instead of vice versa. Once police are able to accept the fact that they are not better than another individual because they have a uniform on, they can justly perform their duty. This assimilation can create an equilibrium in society. They should not allow their personal prejudice to interfere with their job. Some individuals might blame their authoritarian personality for their prejudice. These types of police may believe they they are the authority and the citizens need to be obedient to them. They do not accept others who are not like them. Some of these police may even use the frustration theory as an excuse for there behaviors of acting out brutally. The minority groups are used as “scapegoats” for the real sources of these police officer’s misfortunes in their personal life. A functionalist would also believe in normative integration to solve the problem of racism within the police force. This would mean that we should all share mutual values and attitudes that will allow us to live together in peacefully. No need for riots, death, or brutality. A functionalist may may also believe that society can function smoothly with some social inequality.
3. I believe police are out of control. They are acting out irrationally. This article didn't mention it, however video surveillance shows the vehicle that Freddie Gray was in make an unexpected stop. They have abused the use of their power as cops. They should have enough training to properly handle the situation without taking the lives of individuals, whether they we are black, white, male, female, gay, or straight. I chose to respond to this topic because of the constant repetition of such cases based off discrimination. I understand media is going to constantly cover these cases now that it is brought to the attention of people, but the theme behind it should not be overlooked. Lives are being taken from innocent young people. Police are abusing their force. They are discriminating against the minority group, when they are here to enforce equality and justice. I think police need harder training. Not everyone is fit to be a cop. Age should be considered. Mental ability and strength needs to be tested better. Training needs to be more solid. They need to be pushed to extensive limits in training, so when they do face the reality on the streets they don't act out irrationally or on instinct. We have to make sure these individuals are truly qualified for their position in service. They can not allow their inner racism to effect their career. When that uniform is put on, all personally preferences, beliefs, opinions, and all need to be put aside. Police need to work under one oath, serving the community justly.
Akhiles P.
Here we witness the issues going on in West Baltimore, from gang violence to police brutality and to the cruel killing of Freddie Gray. More and more issues rise between black men particularly and police officers throughout ghetto areas all around the states. A cycle of situations just like the one particularly alike Freddie Grays have been occurring from quite some time now, just as we look back to what happened to Trayvon Martin. The people realize this inequality and how differently blacks are treated by law enforcment officers. And according to Scott Simon the residents of West Baltimore are greatly concerned. This is a big social problem, because essentially people are noticing that there is a difference between how officers act against whites and blacks, and how black people are treated more harshly. Many people see this as racial issue. I believe the conflict theory is greatly linked to this issue, as the conflict theory explains that a powerful dominant group uses their power to overthrow anyone else lower than them. And the group that is being taken advantage of by the more dominant group slowly creates a class consciousness, everyone in the lower division acknowledges they are on the same level and later revolt against the higher power. In which this case, the black would boycott officers.
A conflict theorist would look at the problem as a whole, and come to recognize the two groups in the situation; the elite and those who fall under the elite. A conflict theorist would claim that every person who is under the law, should be on the same playing field. It would be mentioned by the conflict theorist that discrimination should not take place, and everyone should be looked at the same. At all times when looking at an issue there are essentially two sides when being looked at with the conflict theory. The conflict theorist would urge boycotts and try implementing Herbert Blumer's stages of a problem. People would petition, create groups and revolt against the opposing force. In this case the officers enforcing the laws would be the elite, those who are backed by the government versus the civilians in the West Baltimore region. At this point there are boycotts and riots in Baltimore, this would be a prime example of revolting with a class consciousness.
I believe that this issue should be taken care of as soon as possible because police are tending to feel more threatened occasionally and are paranoid in areas of higher crime. People tend to witness a lot of tragedies because of this. I commented on this topic because I feel as if it is a very often a reoccurring issue and I feel as if it should come to an end once in for all. Police officers should be very professional and most importantly focus on what they have learned in the field, rather acting unprofessionally and jumping the gun with violence to enforce any laws. Officers tend to be paranoid and worried about their life in high crime rated areas according to civilians in the West Baltimore area because of this they act in an unorganized disarray when confronted by someone or a situation.
Anthony E.
1. In recent years police altercations against minorities-mostly African American males-have been aired all over the media inferring that there was some type of brutality that took place. Despite the lack of evidence people assume they know or laws everyone usually takes a side. There has been many controversial police brutality cases stemming from New York with Eric Garner, Missouri with Mike Brown, and now in the news Freddie Gray in Baltimore. Freddie Gray was taken into custody by Baltimore police officers and was later pronounced dead due to a spinal injury. A majority of the African American community feels they are targeted by the police. Physical police altercations have been nothing but the norm in the media today which is unfortunate. In this particular area of Baltimore the police are no longer look at for security or even a simple helping hand when things go wrong. It seems as if people really use the police as the last resort for an emergency. With the lack of funding in high crime rated areas such as West Baltimore people only work with what available resources they have. These citizens do not always have the best schooling, housing, or mentoring programs. It is unfortunate that some people have to carry weapons illegally on themselves just to have a somewhat sense of security, but I feel that’s when a police officer who doesn't live in the areas that police in clash with the residents. The Broke Windows theory explains that if a building/house has one broken window it left unfixed more broken windows will eventually sprout up. Yes we can apply this to high crime and poor areas of cities with gangs and drug dealers walking around, but what about police departments? I love police officers and believe in what they do deserves respect, but just like any job there is always those few bad apples. Just as a rich CEO or firm on Wall Street gets policed by the SEC (which some were friends in college) how can you repair a broken window in a police department where men form bonds and brotherhoods. I feel unless we figure out how to police the police many incidents will still occur.
Ellen G.
1.Lately in the news we have been seeing many stories about the police taking advantage of their authority and power, especially against racial minorities, mainly African American males. The most recent incident was of Freddy Gray. Gray was a 25 year old African American male who was arrested by the Baltimore Police Department in Sandtown, West Baltimore. While being transported by the police, he fell into a coma from an injury he suffered to his spinal cord. Gray then passed away in the hospital. It is still unknown how he got this injury, but many are speculating that it was from unnecessary brutality caused by the officers. The social problem being addressed in this article is about police brutality and how they take advantage of their power and how nothing is being done to punish them. Racial profiling is also a big issue here. In this article, the residents of Sandtown explain what a rough neighborhood it is and how the police are out of control. Many residents claim to worry about their safety because of the police there instead of the criminals in the area. Many drug dealers and gangs reside in this area but ironically, the Baltimore police department is known to the residents as “the largest gang” in the city. We are often seeing victimization of entire racial minority groups by police and higher numbers of minority males being murdered and taken into custody.
2.Conflict theory always focuses on two groups that are in a “conflict” with each other, with one having more power and authority over the other one thats being oppressed. In this case, police officers having more power and are abusing it against civilians who are living in cities with high crime rates and violence. There is also conflict between the white citizens in communities who are the majority, and considered “innocent” and elite to the minorities(blacks,latinos, ex). The less powerful and minority groups are often looked down upon by the police officers and represented in a negative way in the criminal justice system. Police officers take advantage of the power they are given and exploit the less powerful individuals. A conflict theorist would encourage the less powerful to challenge the status quo and encourage change in social order and people to stand up against oppression and fight for their rights.
3.When people are starting to become scared of the law and individuals whose job is to protect us, it is a big problem.The community and government officials need to start taking adequate measures to ensure police misconduct isn’t taking place in communities. The police are supposed to be present to protect and serve citizens but instead are abusing their power and making people fear for their lives. Police officers these days take advantage of how much power they have over civilians. I believe a good solution would be regulating how much authority is given to them. I chose to comment on this issue because of an article I read earlier this year that really opened my eyes to the harsh reality we are living in, statistics showed that more than 300 people have been killed by police officers before an arrest, this year alone, and we are only in the month of May.Many deaths are occurring in our country because of the loose regulations and rules officers need to abide by. If there were stricter rules, and the protocol changed on how officers were to deal with certain cases and arrests, we wouldn’t be having this issue anymore.
Eduardo G.
1. Police authority among some states and areas are overwhelming to the vast majority of minority groups, specifically talking about the controversial death of Freddie Gray on April 12 and the tough neighborhoods of Baltimore whose population is the black majority. I’d like to talk about the concept of racial profiling because this plays in a major role in why cops all of a sudden stop an individual at random. Well I wouldn’t say it’s all random, but in an area like Baltimore, I’d assume the authority (cops) target black people solely based on looks and assumptions that they’re either dangerous or carrying some type of drug on them, which is totally not the case most of the time. For example, Scott Simons was talking to Canara Davis and she said a good example of what happens in the hood that explains of what I’m referring to as racial profiling because she said “Like, if I’m walking down the street and a police officer see me and just because I ran, they stop me and pushed me up against a wall because they think I had drugs on me.” When she said ‘pushed’, I believe you don’t really need to push anyone against the wall unless they just went on a hardcore massacre or something that is dead serious, but pushing a black woman who a cop doesn’t even know if she has drugs or arms on her? Pretty absurd to me and so not necessary, I know cops need to take the precaution and everything, but that doesn’t mean a cop needs to take advantage of the situation nor their power. Abrams stated that, “They mess with people a lot. They really do. It ain’t just because of that boy got killed, either. They really do harass people sometime around here.” The Baltimore police department are harassing people here, they mess with a lot people. They’re overstepping their use of power, which isn’t good for their reputation and it angers a lot of the citizens, which is why they resort to a lot of violence because they’ve just had quite enough with police brutality. This leads me to putting to Spector’s and Kiutuse model in which stage one known as the transformation process in which a personal trouble turns out to be bigger leading to a public issue. For example, Grays arrest was just between him and the authority, but the police overdid it with the arrest and it caught the attention of many who were recording the incident, went online, and the police department got blasted on social media. Turning this internal problem in Baltimore into an external issue all over America. The Legitimization process can easily be defined with the Baltimore riots that took place and the devastation the city witnesses with a lot of violence and public property being destroyed. Wasn’t handled the right way at all and I can relate this to the LA riots of 1992 with Rodney King experiencing the same thing Gray did with his arrest. The conflict stage can be identified when Gray’s family attorney prosecuted all six cops involved with his arrest and death, they were all suspended from their jobs and were found guilty of Gray’s death. Finally good news had come and all of sudden many protesters celebrated a victory of justice and had peaceful protests. The people readjusted the formal response system and finally protested all together as one and peacefully. Stage four never reached because people found some comfort in justice that all six cops were found guilty, but if it were the opposite and they weren’t found guilty then all hell would have broken loose and the citizens would have taken it upon their own hands to find some kind of justice (work outside the system). This will always be a problem because you will always have cops regardless of what race they are that will stop people not because of any type of suspicion, but solely on race and ethnicity. A conflict theorist would notice those in power (cops) overuse it and abuse it against those who have no power at all (minorities), creating conflict for both groups.
Eduardo G.
2. A conflict theorist would analyze the incident as those in power who are cops abusing it towards African-Americans in Baltimore who have no power at all or influence over the police department there because of how poor the living conditions that are there and the high crime rate, drug selling rate, and the vast population where Freddie Gray passed away is African-Americans in the “hood”. Resources available to African-Americans in Baltimore are there, but in the interview that Scott Simons stated that, “Instead, there are a few corner stores where a clerk behind safety glass presses a buzzer to let people through a steel door into a dark shop where they can buy milk, chips, toilet tissue, cigarettes and beer.” There are not many stores available in the community and if there is, most of these stores consist of a locked door in which the clerk has to give permission to those who want to purchase. This is crazy because you have an overpopulated area with only a few local markets where you can buy basic necessities because of the poverty level as well. Cops and other people who are well above the poverty line don’t have to worry about having attainability for basic resources like I mentioned. Another thing a conflict theorist would notice that not everyone is equally protected under the law, meaning that everybody is in the playing field, but not everyone plays fair with everyone and I relate this with the mistreatment of African-Americans by the police department pretty much anywhere in America, especially if the vast majority of citizens are black to begin with. A conflict theorist would also argue who benefits from all this, well it’s clear that African-Americans don’t benefit at all from attaining power because they have no type of prestige, meanwhile the police department benefits from all the power that is given to them, specifically those cops who think they can go around doing what they want to whoever they want and assume nothing is going to happen to them because they’re the authority in the situation and have this feeling of being an invisible person who can’t be brought down. There is always going to be conflict between these two groups because cops abuse their power over minorities groups and in response to this abuse, the minority group take many forms in trying to get back at the police department like violent protests, throwing objects at cops, and insults. I wouldn’t say this is the right to go about issues like these, but this is what a conflict theorist would notice. Lastly, I believe that a conflict theorist would encourage people to fight and believe for what they think is right for everyone, not just their personal interest, but for everyone’s interest that can have a positive impact among all citizens. With cops having more power attainment from those who have little to none, then there will always be some type conflict between the authority and the citizens.
Anthony E.
2. An Interactionist would conclude that the racial tension that occurs between the police and minorities are a cause of the environments they live in. For the minorities (African Americans) living in West Baltimore are dealt with hardships almost every day: lack of funding for schools and hospitals, lack of health care, after school programs, and even jobs for the citizens to obtain. For the police officers who patrol these areas I can guarantee they don’t live in West Baltimore. As unfortunate as it may sound they do not understand that you have to sometimes sell drugs to buy food and pay the rent of your apartment. They don’t understand that when you are walking around the neighborhood that sometimes you may have to carry a gun or a knife. That the gang someone is in is actually protecting themselves from other gangs in different areas waiting to do harm. These are the norms that many African Americans do face living in these areas that people outside these areas cannot comprehend.
In this NPR Article, a neighborhood in West Baltimore is examined and questioned regarding the recent death of Freddie Gray, and general involvement of police in the area. Freddie Gray was a twenty-five year old African-American male that was arrested after running from police with a legal knife in his pocket. Afterwards, he was thrown into a van where he sustained traumatic injuries to his spinal cord and was denied medical care for an upwards of thirty minutes. By the time Freddie was acknowledged and taken to a trauma center it was far too late and he passed away shortly after arriving. The six officers involved in the arrest and “Nickel Ride” were charged with different variations of homicide and await trial. This article goes on to explain how the citizens within the West Baltimore area feel regarding the recent death of Gray, and the police activity in the area.
A Conflict-Theorist would view this as a source of power inequality between the police and the citizens of Baltimore, and even greater, around the United States. This perspective would identify with the greater African-American minority tagging them as the “have-nots” while the police are viewed as the “haves.” Around the United States there is a great inequality among particularly the African-American community and members of the police force. The conflict theorist looks at how the police force abuses its power and how the minority group is left defenseless against these different violent acts committed. The conflict theorist would inspire protest until something changes within this great power struggle. Currently this problem lies within the conflict stage according to Spector and Kituse’s model of a social problem. These minority groups have gained much attention and are now beginning to impact the media.
I believe that charging the six officers with different counts of manslaughter and assault was the right thing to do in this case of Freddie Gray’s death. Although I don’t believe the officers will ever be sentenced to prison time, I believe that this is a step in the right direction in accountability. While many officers are good natured and law followers, there are a number that exploit their power over others. This is a clear message that these violent acts will no longer be tolerated. I believe there needs to be a large increase nationally of first person cameras, so that officers may further be held accountable for their actions. Dashboard cameras don’t do enough. Over the past years there has been a growing number of protests after the increasing amount of deaths to unarmed citizens, primarily of African-American descent. In my eyes, if these inequalities were not recognized more on a national level, protests would become larger, more violent, and would create an uproar that may never cease. Although these conflicts are nowhere close to over, this is a step in the right direction with the criminal charges placed on the six police officers in the Freddie Gray case.
Post made at 12:20 P.M, May 4th = Connor Sobczak
P.S - Sorry!
Anthony E.
3. I honestly think the media thrives on issues such as the police and minorities. You can turn on the news and almost be guaranteed to see this on your television. I also think there is more to it than just racism. Like I have stated before there is so much financial neglect in these areas people can only work with so much till they implode from within. I commented on this topic because I want to become a police officer and live in a family of law enforcement. When I see headlines on the news about police altercations with minorities I feel for both sides. In these situations it is very unfortunate if someone dies especially someone who is in the hands of the police. I believe police officers are humans to. They make mistakes just like the rest of us, but when someone dies while being in custody the perpetrator should face criminal charges. Also to the people who say police officers should not be so jumpy and paranoid and get proper training for that go on a couple ride a longs in crime invested areas then describe how you felt. I think the West Baltimore needs more police involvement. Not so much patrolling the areas, but reaching out to the community. A lot of the police officers should do some of their shopping errands while on the job. I think that would allow people to see they are just as human as everybody else, and that they are not just some contracted workers enforcing laws in their areas. I feel it will reduce tensions and allow officers to even chat and even be a mentor to some of the youth in that area.
Eduardo G.
3. I believe the incident that took place in Baltimore with Freddie Gray was uncalled for and the police should have taken precautions on how to deal with the arrest properly and professionally at all times. I find it sad that some of the Baltimore natives fear for their lives and are hesitant to call the cops for help, worrying that if they do call them, would they make the situation worse and witness death in front of them or take it upon themselves to solve the problem on their own. It’s a tough call with all the incidents that include the police and that worries people a lot whether they’ll witness some type of police brutality themselves. I chose to write on this issue because my research paper is based on incidents like Grays death and I strongly believe that the way these arrests are handled across America are wrong and should a be dealt with professionally, with non-excessive force being used on people who don’t show any signs of violence, or even having possession of a recreational drug like marijuana. I also chose to comment on this topic because the death of African-Americans due to over excessive police brutality is becoming more of a trend these past few months and is receiving a lot of attention from the media and citizens across America who are pissed off on how police handle situations. It’s interesting hearing different opinions from different people, but the common I usually hear is that cops are prejudice and racist, which is not true. Cops have the hardest job ever because they have to approach situations in a certain matter where they don’t ruin their own reputation and still satisfy the people in a successful arrest or else all hell breaks loose and the attack begins on how cops manage the situation, whether in a professional manner or resort to violence. This is all interesting and is the main reason I chose to comment on this specific trending topic. A solution that I would propose is to be really strict on the police department on how they train their cops in handling certain situations. I know it sounds easy to do, but harder to execute, but it all starts within the individual. Change begins with the individual himself/herself, that’s all there is to it, but you’ll always have cops who are corrupt and will always abuse their authority because they believe they are almighty. It sucks that police get bad reputation because of actions by other cops, media portrays them the wrong way, and then the public feels like they’re just there to hurt people. There are good cops out who do their job professionally and correctly, and there always will be.
Christopher S.
In response to Erlin K.
1. I agree that police brutality directed towards minority groups is an issue. However, I feel there’s a bigger issue, which pertains to the impression minority groups get as a result of the media. The media succeeds in transforming public defender’s image into the exact opposite of what they stand for. They aren’t always at fault for their actions, and it’s because of the media that they appear untrustworthy. One comment I completely disagree with has to do with how police seem to no longer offer protection, security and peace for its citizens. This comment is ignorant, and at fault for it generalizes most of law enforcement. Law enforcement only truly exists to ensure the public feels secure, is offered protection and above all is able to live in peace. I chose to comment on this entry for police brutality is an issue that I believe needs to be changed. I wish to pursue a career in law enforcement and go onto to hold a leadership position in which I may be able to instill positive changes towards the policies that directly affect the topic of proper use of force. I have already expressed my discontent with the issue and feel it is a public issue for it is the system that is corrupt. The victims are often at fault in the eyes of the law, but the victims unfortunately bare the burdens of the environment in which they live. High crime rates lead to necessary means of survival, and those means are not justified by the law leading to victims being viewed as such for they use illegal means to provide themselves with protection.
2. A conflict theorist would argue decisions made by our criminal justice system are designed to be discriminatory. They are created to sanction offenders on the basis of their minority group or subordinate group membership. Law enforcement in this case is the bourgeoisie and the minority groups who are burdened by being the criminals are the proletariat. Law enforcement sets the rules which disadvantage minority groups struggle to abide by in the form of the law, which creates this never ending rift between the two groups. A conflict theorist would argue problems emerge when particular groups are disadvantaged more than others. This would explain why people of color are more disadvantaged in comparison with their white counterparts.
Christopher S.
In response to Erlin K.
3. The proposed solution was in direct reference to better training, and the position only being available for highly qualified individuals. I firmly believe in higher standards of training and employment for such positions as a feasible and great solution for combatting this problem. If I were to present a solution to the problem I would argue it would have to start from the leadership. As stated earlier, a personal goal of mine is to hold a position of leadership in which I may be able to bring change from the inside. There is a chain of command in the police system instated primarily for accountability and leadership among other officers. Leaders influence policies and policies often times relate to how a department operates. If one department succeeds in achieving a standard that could work in theory with other departments, then this could turn out to be the ultimate solution that could end police brutality. In regards to this specific issue, the leadership should instill higher standards in justifying a situation in which deadly force can and should be used. The rest would be instilled by the training officers receive which needs to be a bit more intensive.
Christine Z.
In response to Connor S.
After reading this I agree that police brutality is an ongoing problem within the African American community. The article as well as Connor pointed out that African Americans in their own town fear coming across the police out of the possibility of getting arrested or hurt for no reason (other than stereotypes). The reason I agree with this notion is because across the nation African American men are dying at the hands of police officers. I can totally understand why the African American community of West Baltimore views police officers as a threat rather than as a form of help. Because Freddie Gray just recently died and the police officers were charged with homicide; it’s easy to see why West Baltimore views the police as a gang within itself. The part that really stood out to me is how despite these officers being charged the city is still uncomfortable with the police presence. African Americans are still doing their best to avoid the police which to me is such an unfair way to live. African Americans should not have to worry about being targeted based on racist stereotypes yet unfortunately this is still going on in West Baltimore. This is a problem because it creates this idea that African Americans are criminals and they deserve to be questioned/targeted by police regardless of the proper reasoning. It also tries to justify why police react so violently. This is something that needs to change very quickly; police officers need to be trained to work with the community and not against it because if not many more African American men will lose their lives. I commented on this peer’s entry because I liked what he had to say and it was nice to come across someone with the same opinion as mine.
A functionalist would argue that what has happened was necessary because it serves to protect the city of West Baltimore. By police officers shooting and killing Freddie Gray they have shown the city of West Baltimore the consequences that stem from running away from the police when questioned by them. This helps to lower the crime rate/involvement of individuals of West Baltimore who wish to cause some type of havoc in the city. The community of West Baltimore understands that they must obey the police and not act defiantly. So the function of the police officers in this case are to maintain order in West Baltimore while the community must follow their lead.
The person I responded to didn’t really propose a solution (just realized this) so it’s tough to say if I would agree or disagree. I’d like to think I would agree just because I agreed with what he responded with in the first question. My proposed solution would be that police officers need to take some type of racism and sensitivity classes. I think they need to endure long hours of training in both of these issues and then should be tested on it to make sure they actually understand what was presented to them. These police officers need to be able to solve issues without the use of a gun or other excessive force/violence. They need to recognize that their system is flawed and mostly based on inaccurate (or outdated) stereotypes that help to continue racism. Most importantly these police officers must have empathy for all people they come across (including “criminals”) and treat each case with sensitivity/professionalism. They cannot allow their own biases to override the rights of fellow citizens. By doing this I believe people will be more open to police officers especially minorities.
In response to Narineh D.
I agree with much of your response and commend your uses and references to Kitsuse and Spectre's social construct theory as it relates to the occurrence in Baltimore and it's development along with the use of Interactionalist learned values, beliefs and patterns to decipher the behavior on both sides. I chose to respond to this topic because the issue is perhaps pivotal in determining whether this country will continue on the course of progress or loose the mantle thereof and fall into stagnation and decline where civil rights, equality, freedom, progressiveness and all other "American" Ideals are concerned. What stood out to me about this response is it's thoroughness and the fact that underpinning the entire writing is a feeling and yet not an actual reference to the conflict perspective pervading the situation.
The police, whether in awareness or unawareness, tend to serve as the hand of the social-political elite and their historic abuse and undermining of the empowerment and progress of the minorities in inner-cities and places like Baltimore are all pretty well documented... The Civil Right's movement saw the CIA introducing and distributing cocaine and other drugs in the inner cities to being with, admittedly with the goal of destabilizing the movements originating and gaining momentum therein which were serving to threaten the status quo and privileges of the numerical minority of the Machiavellian white elite. This pattern continues to this day.
I agree with the solutions presented and furthermore feel that community outreach and integration of the police into such communities could serve to break the spell of the separateness felt by both groups. For, in reality, they are equally exploited and equally oppressed and thus belong to the same group of what Marx would refer to as the proletariat, the police just manipulated enough to think they don't. Also, these programs have shown promising results in communities and countries where they have been practiced and I believe would lead to the rekindling of Human Empathy within both groups which, for the police, far from disrupting their ideal function of keeping the peace in a community, would discourage blatant abuse and encourage discernment and accountability where use of excessive force and other interventions are concerned...
Armen G.
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