Author: Sarah Fuchs

“Black Lives Matter” is a slogan that has been surfaced and has made its way into the limelight. The purpose of this movement is quite controversial, but it claims to be focusing on the injustices of blacks in the legal system. There are a plethora of question surrounding this movement. Some of the most important include: Is black lives matter a valid slogan? What does black lives matter mean? Who is black lives matter trying to protect?

As with everything controversial, there are multiple sides, opinions, and facts. Jack Hunter claims that the real questions: “Why are African-Americans targeted and incarcerated at a disproportionate rate compared with any other racial group? Why are they more often the victims of police brutality?” According to him, the slogan is not about the lack of importance of other lives, but rather that the legal system and greater society view black lives as less important than everyone else. In opposition, Derryck Green states that black lives matter is only inclusive to black lives that were taken by white police officers. Green strongly suggests that the emphasis on these “rare, alleged cases of police brutality” is taking focus away from the high abortion rate for black women, illegitimacy, black children stuck in underperforming schools, and black unemployment.

The wealth gap between whites and minorities was astounding to me. It boggles my mind that the median household of a white family is 13 times more than a black family. How? Why? How is this possible? More importantly, is this stemming from racial prejudice or is there a larger bigger picture question? Professor Joe R. Feagin claims the socioeconomic differences can be traced back to whites being given land grants, loans, and government assistance more than blacks. On the other hand, Walter E. Williams, a black conservative, rejected the notion of modern day institutional racism. Williams claims that government assistance of single mothers “has done what slavery and Jim Crow could not have done: destroy the black family and create a high rate of illegitimacy and family breakdown.” Williams further explains that he believes the poverty in black communities stems from a lack of values and children growing up without a male authority figure.

The bottom line is, regardless of whose reasoning you believe, whether it’s Hunter or Green Feagin or Williams, it is extremely important to realize that there is a huge problem here. There are black communities are struck by poor schools, poverty, shootings, and crime. While I do not fully agree with Green, he makes a very valid point in discussing a plethora of issues that are not addressed by black lives matter that should be. The real question here is what is the greater society going to do to help them get away from this?

Each chapter in the CQ Reader opens my eyes to topics and ideas I would have never been exposed to otherwise. Gang violence is something I have not had much exposure to beyond what I see on TV. From reading this chapter, it appears that what was once controlled is now becoming a serious issue. Gang violence is picking up again, but in an entirely different and worse form. Gangs are expanding their territories from the typical crimes of drug trafficking to smaller crimes such as credit card fraud and prostitution that allow them to go without being detected by law enforcement. This is a very scary thought for the future of gangs as they move to crimes that are less detectable.

How do we control gangs? Combating gangs is a difficult and never ending task. There are multiple methods that are used in trying to reduce gang violence. While imposing gang injunctions clears the street and may appear as one step in the right direction, it does not ultimately eradicate the issue. Lawrence Rosenthal discusses the positive effect that injunctions have on gangs. When police are present, there is less activity. By forcing the gangs indoors, they are less vulnerable to stop-and-frisk which would prevent them from carrying drugs and guns. Also, they are less violent to participants and bystanders. In opposition, Caitlin Sanderson delved into the the technical and legal aspects of injunctions. She discusses how injunctions are issued against the entire gang causing all members to be included. This would mean that someone hanging out with friends or family on the street can be arrested, which is a serious issue.

There are alternative ways to combat gangs and Sanderson mentions some of them. She recommends “after-school programs, job training, and early intervention.” I agree with Sanderson’s suggestions. I believe that knowledge and mentorship are powerful. If we can get these young men the proper mentors to help guide them and show them the proper way to live, we can expose them to a different way of life. Obviously this is easier said than done. Gang intervention is another component; one I have some difficulty with. I think it is a great thought, but not necessarily something that can easily turn into a reality. Wes McBride, a gang investigator said, “I’m not really big on gang intervention because I’m not sure what an ex-gang member is.” I think McBride makes an excellent point. What really is an ex-gang member? All in all, opening up community centers, education and mentorship programs for young boys to go to to allow them to have a chance in this very crazy world.

Disclaimer: I truly believe that I will never understand what racial profiling is. Since I will not experience it myself, I will never be able to fully comprehend how it effects others who do experience it on a daily basis. As with everything in life, it is difficult to wrap our minds around things that we will not experience first hand.

Reading through this chapter in the CQ reader, I could not stop gasping aloud. I was raised in a very conservative household, and this chapter truly opened my eyes to points of view and information that I had not been previously exposed to. Reading “Black Lives Matter: A Growing Movement”, I was shocked by the way in which these black men were treated. I do not understand how it was necessary for police to shoot Laquan McDonald 16 times. It absolutely boggles my mind.

We live in a country that prides itself on safety and security, meanwhile there is a portion of our population that does not feel safe. It is a scary thought that there are people in this country who do not have someone to call when they feel that they are in harms way. Furthermore, the people they are supposed to call to help them are the very people they fear will hurt them.

I appreciated the At Issue section of this chapter which discussed the question: “Is racial profiling by police a serious problem in the United Stated?” Both sides of this argument were strong and enlightening. Parker discussed how African-Americans and Latinos are more likely to be stopped than whites and the laws surrounding this reality. He concluded with a very powerful quote, “The idea of basing law enforcement on actions rather than on race, ethnicity or religion is long overdue.” In 2017, our society should be very past discriminating based upon race, ethnicity and religion. Mac Donald, on the other hand, had some strong arguments as well. She made a very interesting point regarding the shooting per capita rate in Brownville versus Bay Ridge. It makes sense that in areas with higher rate of gangs and violence there would be more police officers, which would lead to more action and ultimately unfortunately more shootings. She claims proactive policing is what keeps areas safer.

Both Parker and Mac Donald made excellent points. When it comes to issues such as racial profiling, I do not have an answer. I simply just have questions. How can we protect our citizens without causing any physical or emotional harm to them? How can we live in a society where community members do not feel that they are being protected by those that are supposed to be protecting them? Lastly, what methods and techniques can our police officers use to keep our greater communities safe while allowing community members to feel safe as well?