President Abraham Lincoln, in his "Second Inaugural Address" (March 4, 1865), attempts to push the blame on the Southern states for starting the Civil War, but also tries to show how both the North and the South share the blame for continuing the war. He does this by taking a very detached stance, but appeals to pathos and religion, explaining the causes of the war (thus holding the South accountable for its actions), talking about how the war could have been prevented, and the irony of a country torn apart but still praying to one God, who is now punishing them all for the war. His purpose is essentially to remind the nation of its stupidity in starting the war, and showing them that God is not helping their war effort but rather, is punishing them for the war, in order to show how the war has reached a point of no return. His tone is rather caustic and terse, yet hopeful because his audience is the nation, and he ultimately wants the nation to achieve peace.
I thought this was an incredibly well-written speech on Lincoln's part. He hits the nail right on the head, and the apparent "shade" he's throwing to the South is spot-on. One of my favorite lines is, "It may seem strange that any men should dare to ask a just God's assistance in wringing their bread from the sweat of other men's faces, but let us judge not, that we be not judged." Lincoln was in an incredibly tough position-it's impossible to imagine what it would be like to have an entire nation divided over an issue that could have been prevented. He knows that his First Inaugural Address didn't seem to stop the impending war, even though he references it. Instead, he invokes religion because it appears to be the one thing the nation seems to agree on. I found the fact that he twists the idea of praying to a God who is now exacting punishment an interesting method, as it is "classic Lincoln." I also liked how his message in the end was short, sweet, and to the point. He knows that long speeches aren't the way to go anymore, because no one listens. As a result, it's best to lay it all out on the field (pun intended), and the country can make its own decisions. Lincoln has his opinions, but this is a speech for the people. They need to decide the course of action that the country will take.
Sunday, November 15, 2015
Monday, November 2, 2015
Blog 5: Racism-A National Discussion From Both Ends
Roxane Gay, in her Op-Ed entitled, "Where are Black Children Safe? (October 29, 2015)," examines the lives of black youth in society, and asserts that being an African-American youth in the modern world is impossible, as they face injustices and brutality every day and are held to an unfair standard. Gay develops her position by using an appeal to pathos, giving examples, such as the recent case of Ben Fields attacking a teen in a South Carolina, statistics to explain school discipline towards African-American youths, evocations of previous stories of police brutality, including Eric Garner and Walter Scott, comparisons to Michel Foucault's idea of a panopticon, and a call to action. Gay's purpose is to bring in instances of racism towards black youths in order to wake up America and reconsider their attitudes towards the African-American community. Her audience is intended to reach all across the spectrum of society, as she believes this is a national issue that warrants the entire country's attention.
Quite frankly, I was very upset with Gay's article. Although I believe and know that racism is still an issue, I think that the term is being applied to every scenario that arises. When I watched the video of Ben Fields throwing the young girl across the classroom, the first thought that crossed my mind wasn't that she was black. I was appalled that this had happened to a student, whatever their race. In my opinion, Gay, and many involved in the "Black Lives Matter" movement are looking for instances that they can label as blatant racism, ignoring whether or not the action was racially motivated or not. As a result, it is almost as if they are diluting the concept of racism, relating it to every issue before giving it much thought.
A few weeks ago, I watched "Fox News Sunday," and one of the aspects they dealt with was the recent surge in cop killings. After watching it, I further realized that the relentless propaganda war raged on police officers leads to a complete misrepresentation of defense and an avoidance of realizing the true nature of an increase in crime. The people serious in the “Black Lives Matter” movement are missing an opportunity for dialogue and bridging the gap between the two communities of the people and the police force. They have to investigate the facts that black on black crime is still extremely prevalent and is far more deadly than police misconduct. Yet, the media never fails to link instances of police misconduct into a national narrative, spurring a response without a solid basis. However, what isn’t shown are the dangers the police officers face on a daily basis because this is overshadowed by the few counts of police misconduct. For example, this year, in Philadelphia, police managed to remove 2000 guns off the streets without one shot being fired by a police officer. But, of course, no one talks about this kind of thing. The media likes to present one type of story, typically one with an emotional background, and instigates an irreparable picture. People find it easier to sympathize with the painting of the oppressed, and that is what Gay is trying to accomplish.
Yes, there are double standards for African-Americans. Yes, racism is an issue that needs to be dealt with. But it needs to come from both sides. And not everything can be deemed racist before investigating it. We don't know what the student was doing before the video began its recording. She wasn't complying with orders and was resisting a police officer. That we do know. Although this doesn't excuse Fields's actions, and he has since been fired from his job, the African-American community needs to look internally at themselves as well. The police and our defense force are looking out for our best interests. The "Black Lives Matter" movement needs to examine its current standing, and find a way to approach their interests in a way that acknowledges all sides to the story.
Link to the article: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/30/opinion/where-are-black-children-safe.html
Quite frankly, I was very upset with Gay's article. Although I believe and know that racism is still an issue, I think that the term is being applied to every scenario that arises. When I watched the video of Ben Fields throwing the young girl across the classroom, the first thought that crossed my mind wasn't that she was black. I was appalled that this had happened to a student, whatever their race. In my opinion, Gay, and many involved in the "Black Lives Matter" movement are looking for instances that they can label as blatant racism, ignoring whether or not the action was racially motivated or not. As a result, it is almost as if they are diluting the concept of racism, relating it to every issue before giving it much thought.
A few weeks ago, I watched "Fox News Sunday," and one of the aspects they dealt with was the recent surge in cop killings. After watching it, I further realized that the relentless propaganda war raged on police officers leads to a complete misrepresentation of defense and an avoidance of realizing the true nature of an increase in crime. The people serious in the “Black Lives Matter” movement are missing an opportunity for dialogue and bridging the gap between the two communities of the people and the police force. They have to investigate the facts that black on black crime is still extremely prevalent and is far more deadly than police misconduct. Yet, the media never fails to link instances of police misconduct into a national narrative, spurring a response without a solid basis. However, what isn’t shown are the dangers the police officers face on a daily basis because this is overshadowed by the few counts of police misconduct. For example, this year, in Philadelphia, police managed to remove 2000 guns off the streets without one shot being fired by a police officer. But, of course, no one talks about this kind of thing. The media likes to present one type of story, typically one with an emotional background, and instigates an irreparable picture. People find it easier to sympathize with the painting of the oppressed, and that is what Gay is trying to accomplish.
Yes, there are double standards for African-Americans. Yes, racism is an issue that needs to be dealt with. But it needs to come from both sides. And not everything can be deemed racist before investigating it. We don't know what the student was doing before the video began its recording. She wasn't complying with orders and was resisting a police officer. That we do know. Although this doesn't excuse Fields's actions, and he has since been fired from his job, the African-American community needs to look internally at themselves as well. The police and our defense force are looking out for our best interests. The "Black Lives Matter" movement needs to examine its current standing, and find a way to approach their interests in a way that acknowledges all sides to the story.
Link to the article: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/30/opinion/where-are-black-children-safe.html
The video of Ben Fields throwing the female student across the room.
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