...its citizens and also aims to lower crime altogether. In attempting to achieve all of this, however, the criminal justice system has jailed innocent people for crimes they did not commit, ruthlessly torn families apart, and failed to effectively decrease crime in America. The system is broken and it has been for some time. I would love to say that once I gain some success in my professional life, I will work tirelessly to bring about reform to ensure future generations have use of a justice system that is completely intact and without corruption. However, I don’t think that will happen. Sometimes, small battles are won but they have no impact on the war against a failing justice system that seems to be a lost cause. In the movie American Violet, Dee Roberts somewhat won her case against district attorney Calvin Beckett. In the end, the extreme racism of Calvin Beckett was shown, however not to the full public, and Dee’s record was swiped clean. Did she really win if she never did anything wrong in the first place? Also, Calvin Beckett went on to continue being the district attorney in that town. Where is the justice in that? What Dee Roberts had the strength to do was nothing short of amazing, but did it really help much? I don’t think so. I could talk to numerous people and fight daily for a change in the justice system, however I think the input would greatly out-weigh the output. Fighting a justice system that, while not all bad, has proven constantly to be a...
Words: 626 - Pages: 3
...“American Violet” Critical Analysis Ashley ReBarker SOCI 3025 Dr. Sitawa Kimuna The “American Violet” sparks up a lot of issues that we see today in our society. These issues are very important as they deal with equality among our citizens but they may often be overlooked. The issue I am going to discuss in this critical analysis is Racial Prejudice in the Criminal Justice System. Racial prejudice happens every day and may never completely end, but one would think that it would not take place in a professional, uniform place such as the Criminal Justice System. After watching this movie, I have been taken back by the actions of the people in charge of this system. The 14th Amendment states that “ no state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; no shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws” (U.S Constitution). The individuals in this film were not treated equally compared to the whites in this town and this was the result of racial prejudice. Dee, the main character of the movie, is a mom to four kids in a small town in Texas. The movie starts out with the SWAT team/policemen raiding the “projects” where Dee lives. At this time Dee is at work at a local café where they eventually find her at and arrest right on the spot. Not once do they tell her what she is being arrested...
Words: 1812 - Pages: 8
...“Just because you don’t understand something doesn’t mean it’s nonsense,” - Lemony Snicket. The fiction novel, A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Bad Beginning, was written by Lemony Snicket. We follow the three Baudelaire children, or, as of recently, the Baudelaire orphans. The eldest child is Violet Baudelaire, she is inventive, inquisitive, and protective. Her hair is brown, she has a purple ribbon tied into her hair, and has pleasant facial features. The next child is Klaus Baudelaire, he is intelligent, curious, and confrontational. He sports glasses, is intelligent looking, and has pleasant facial features. The youngest orphan is Sunny Baudelaire, she knows only a few words, likes to gnaw on objects, and is very loud. She...
Words: 276 - Pages: 2
...The Baudelaire’s lives were just miserable. Their lives had become even more miserable when they went to Prufrock Preparatory School. Violet Baudelaire was the oldest, Klaus Baudelaire was the second oldest, then there was Sunny Baudelaire who was merely an infant. These children’s parents had been in a terrible fire at their home Due to the events, that had happened the children were place with a horrible person. Count Olaf was the Baudelaire’s first guardian, after he was caught trying to get the Baudelaire fortune. Guardian after guardian Count Olaf was there in disguise. The setting of this story is at Prufrock Preparatory School. Lemony Snicket described as “The school was made up of many buildings, all made of smooth gray stone, they...
Words: 602 - Pages: 3
...Genna Cahill English Composition 1001 Essay 2 Microtheme 5 After reading Rachel Adams’s chapter “Sideshow Cinema”, I have gained a new perspective on Tod Browning’s film Freaks. Adams suggests that there may be a fine line between monster and victim regarding the normal people, such as Cleopatra and Hercules, and the freaks, such as Hans and the conjoined Hilton twins. “After establishing Hans as a sympathetic character who suffers unwarranted abuse, the spectacle of Cleo’s body, mutilated at the hands of the freaks, leaves the viewer unsure about who is the victim and who aggressor,” Adams describes (77). Up until the point of Cleo’s revelation as the “chicken-woman”, the normal-looking people leave us to feel more sympathy for the freaks based on the treatment of them. Majority of the film, we see Cleo, Hercules, and their normal friends treat the freaks as inferiors, teasing them subtly to their faces and more so behind their backs. Therefore, in this sense, the normal people can be seen as monsters and the freaks as victims. The effect of the camera also gives us more sympathy for the freaks. The settings in which these people are placed affect the way we see them. For example, Hans is often placed next to larger objects, especially in Cleo’s wagon, and this makes him, in proportion, look much, much smaller than he actually is. This is true when we are looking at Cleopatra from his point of view as well. Compared to Hans, she seems a lot taller, and we can understand...
Words: 527 - Pages: 3
...my opinion. There is always this underlying metaphor or meaning that isn’t recognizable from first glance. In Jazz I feel that there are two things that are the major overtones of the novel. The first is the different affects and types of desires and the other would be the comparisons that can be made back to jazz music. First I want to touch on her concepts of desire. Morrison is theorizing the nature of desire; particularly African American females desire (Cannon, 235). The desires of the two main characters in the novel are what give the story its flare and captivity of the reader. The first example would be the husband Joe. He gets caught up in a love triangle with his wife Violet and mistress eighteen year old Dorcas. First was his going and seeking out Dorcas and having found that sexual desire he yearned for he then kills her to “keep the feeling going” (Cannon, 235). This is what brings Violet’s emotions to light. With her finding out about her husband’s disloyalty drives her into an instant state of anger and depression. Initially Violet only understands sexual desire and that becomes confusing upon the finding of her husband’s doings. Now that everything is in the open her sexual desires then start to manifest into jealous rage. Her first outburst of this jealous rage is when she shows up to Dorcas’ funeral and starts slashing the dead girl’s face in an effort to ease the emotional stress that ensued. Added on top of that they now both go into a state of depression or...
Words: 853 - Pages: 4
...Equality for African Americans in America is extremely lacking. Because of police brutality, older generations and people in power that neglect people who are not. As a result, equality is continuing to lack in America and we still have significant progress to make. An example of a police brutality case in 2016 is in Genesee County the case involves William Jennings. According to court records, on the night of the arrest, Jennings was pulled over during an investigation that indicated “he had been in a fight at a Flint bar, fired gun shots in an effort to threaten a neighbor and had smoked crack cocaine (Baldas, Tresa)”. “They attacked him in the jail. Then they handcuffed him and continued to assault him, smashing his face into the wall,...
Words: 838 - Pages: 4
...differences in culture and work ethic between Americans and Japanese. It shows how each group handles conflict in the work place, as well as at home. The main characters and leaders are faced with dilemmas and have to figure out how to work as a team to keep the automobile manufacturing plant up and running smoothly. According to Western Washington University (2011), there are many different sociological differences between the Japanese and Americans. Most importantly, the views of conflict and conflict resolution differ greatly. In the United States, conflict is seen as something that is inevitable, or bound to happen, whereas in Japan, conflict is considered dangerous to all relationships and should be diffused before it begins or avoided at all costs (Western Washington University, 2011). This fact along plays a major roll in the struggles between the Americans and the Japanese at the automobile manufacturing plant in Gung Ho. The American workers almost seemed as though they were looking for conflict to solve, but the Japanese executives were quick to avoid it at any cost possible. Culture also plays a major roll in determining how the characters approached and completed tasks presented to them. In the movie, a few of the American and Japanese main characters argue about their differences in spending time with family. The Japanese say that their job is their life; it is most important so they can provide for their families. For the Americans, they preferred to spend as much time...
Words: 1484 - Pages: 6
...(High-Context & Low-Context Culture Styles. (n.d.)). According to Edward Hall, these cultures prefer group harmony and consensus to individual achievement. They focus more on a speaker’s tone of voice, facial expression, gestures, posture, etc. than the actual words said. Travel effect stated four reasons why American workers chose not to use their vacation time. The first reason was the dread of returning from a vacation to piles of work, followed by the belief that no one will be able to step in and do their job for them while they're gone, not being able to afford going on vacation and lastly the fear of being seen as replaceable. “Indians are more efficient. Americans believe in more action and fewer words.” (SocialPC. (n.d.)). As previously stated, there are many differences between American and Indian work culture. Americans tend to be more relaxed work wise, while Indians tend to be extremely hard working. Due to their hard work, Indians quickly learned to adapt to new cultures and are very successful in other countries. Many of the differences between American and Indian culture arise from the fact that Indian cultures are based around their religions. Americans tend to be more individualistic and live life at their own will while Indians tend to rely more on the values of religion and family. Reference Chapter 1 Lecture: High-Context & Low-Context Culture Styles. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.marin.edu/buscom/index_files/Page605.htm Goudreau, J. (2013)...
Words: 303 - Pages: 2
...stories transcend time and please because the themes in both of these while different can be seen in the world around us today. Eudora Welty’s “A Worn Path” is a journey about race and the obstacles the old lady has to overcome in order to help her grandson whom swallowed lye a few years back and occasionally gets sick so Phoenix Jackson has to travel through the woods into town to get him medicine. The time of year that this particular journey takes place is significant because it is at Christmas, which in literature is symbolic of rebirth and/or change for the better. This may also represent the idea that slavery is over and while there still may be some obstacles to overcome life is only going to get better from now on for the African American race. The story is suggestive of the poverty that Phoenix Jackson lives...
Words: 2399 - Pages: 10
...Brendan Lutz Dr. Jakubiak English 110 25 February 2011 Unit #2 Final Draft Not the Typical American Family Many of us love to just sit back and relax on weeknights, and just watch some TV. Popular shows of choice among families were sitcoms. These shows would portray different, unique types of families, and create their day to day lives into comedies. The types and class of families shown on sitcoms throughout the time of television has been widespread. Two shows in particular that I will discuss are “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”, and “The George Lopez Show”. Each show is based around one famous celebrity. “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” was centered around Will Smith, a famous rapper turned actor. “The George Lopez Show” was centered around George Lopez, a famous comedian. Each show was based around a specific ethnic group. “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” was solely around African Americans, and “The George Lopez Show” around Hispanic Americans. These sitcoms challenged the many sitcoms prior to its time, being about a family that was non-white. Skeptics felt these shows would not be popular due to the fact they do not appeal directly to the average American family. Skeptics were proven wrong, as each show ran for 6 seasons. “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” and “The George Lopez Show” both changed the perception of class and challenged the typical stereotypes that are normally associated with their respective race. The idea for a new show that would premiere on NBC in 1990 would...
Words: 1581 - Pages: 7
...What is the American Dream? When describing the American dream, there are endless possibilities. The beautiful thing about the American Dream is that it is different for every single person. One person’s dream may be to be an NFL superstar, making ten million dollars a year. Conversely, someone else’s dream can be making minimum wage just to ensure their family can eat. This alone is what makes America the greatest country in the world. Everyone can have a different dream, but they have every possibility to achieve it. Although, it is not a guarantee the person will achieve their dream, it is a guarantee they will have no unfair regulations stopping them. A neighbor of mine at home has a very sad story that led to his pursuit of the American dream. He was one of the highest regarded Medical Doctors in Egypt. He was making great money, and his family was very happy. Then his life was turned upside down when a family member of his was killed because of his religion. He was Christian, and some radical Egyptians hate Christians, so he had to move to America to keep his family safe. His story relates to a quote on page four, “The idea of the American dream has been attached to everything from religious freedom to a home in the suburbs” (Hochschild). Unfortunately his story does not end like the Hollywood motion pictures, but he is completely happy with his current life. He now lives in a two room apartment with his wife, and two daughters and he is working as a cab driver, and...
Words: 869 - Pages: 4
...English 1520 16 May 2013 American Education In the article “American the Illiterate” by Chris Hedges he argues about the growing concern on the American people. In the argument he states that Americans everyday are less and less dependent on their ability to read and write. He explains how society over all is more dependent on image based information. In his first couple of paragraphs he describes this growing epidemic. How literacy affects us as a country and as a nation over all. He brings evidence and proof about his argument from various different creditable sources. He explains that illiteracy is such a minor priority to most Americans that doing things like their taxes or electing a new president doesn’t require them to be experts in illiteracy. Bringing in emotional story and a good slogan with words like pro-life, hope, maverick, war on terror. The American people are easily manipulated and are reeled in to the fight between truth and lies. He explains that America is so blind when it comes to signing a contract, policy agreement, or a legal document. Most if not all the time they barley even start reading. It’s hard to admit but at the end even I agree with Hedges logic. Every time I download a new software or log into my bank account never have I set there and read the agreement start to end. Just the other day I was reading the fine print in my insurance contract and I was amazed at some of the things that we assume are covered like roadside assistance. I always...
Words: 964 - Pages: 4
...of slavery and eventually spread it among the nation. However, when the raid started not a lot of people were willing to join the rebellion so Brown led a small army of 18 men. Brown didn’t even know what is the next step and didn’t have any escape road, he literally led his men including his four sons to a death road. Brown’s main intent was to seize slaves for the rebellion, although he denied it. John Brown was seen as a terrorist and his violent actions led to the American Civil War. Even though his believes proclaimed a righteous intent his actions were not supporting such way of thinking. He killed lots of men and was going to keep doing so until all four million slaves are going to be freed. But that could not have happened because people couldn't set their minds and couldn't believe that white men is equal to black. This believe was counted as insane and John brown was considered as crazy and violent man. Although there were other rebellions against slavery before and after but none of them were so violet and cruel. John Brown chose the worst way to reach his goals and failed because he was unprepared for any actions against him. He was trapped and found guilty in every single court of the US later he was executed or exactly hanged. Therefore, John Brown...
Words: 862 - Pages: 4
...drank alcoholic beverages to recognize the destructive effects of alcohol on their lives and the lives of their family members.” This unquestionably did not make a steady impact on certain restraint advocates who viewed themselves as ethically better than the individuals who saw no issue with the moderate consumption of liquor. In spite of the fact that Lincoln was consistent in his morals, he was by the by a delicate politician. He understood that the constituents in the seventh region of Illinois, whom he represented in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1847 to 1849, and the citizens of Illinois whom he wanted to speak to as a U.S. senator were racially partial against African Americans, yet this did not prevent him from belligerence that slaves had the same sacred rights as white Americans. Dissimilar to Stephen Douglas, he didn't support with racists to win elections. Miller guides us astonishingly through Lincoln's open profession from 1854-1860, when he was occupied with “moral clarification" with the Declaration of Independence as his principle rule. Amid this period, and as president, Lincoln "would always oppose slavery strongly but within the law, under the Constitution, affirming the continuing bond of the Union." All through the late 1850s, Lincoln utilized his political aptitudes to shape the Republican Party of Illinois, keeping concentrated on the new party's characterizing goal of restriction to amplifying subjection in light of the fact that it was an ethical...
Words: 1227 - Pages: 5
