Our discussion theme is based on Social Justice, or perhaps, Social Injustice of the media coverage.
Discussion Forum answer 5 questions and response to 6 students.
Our discussion theme is based on Social Justice, or perhaps, Social Injustice of the media coverage.
We need to remind everyone that our online discussion is not about you. There are many issues where we have to respectfully agree to disagree with opposing views, and the subject matter of our class includes all of the above. Remember, our discussion is designed to facilitate an academic setting for crucial conversations. May I remind everyone the three objectives of our discussion, which are: 1) To help increase your critical thinking skills, 2) To encourage you to “think outside the box” and 3) To help increase your problem-solving skills through life applications of contentious and realistic social issues, social taboos and crime.
We must begin by acknowledging many Police Officers who sacrifice their lives every day to protect the rest of us. Most of us go to work with a certain level of confidence that we will go home at the end of the day. But sadly, such assurance is not 100% guaranteed for Police Officers, who get killed in the line of duty. These are honest men and women who put their very-own lives on the line so that you and I can live in a peaceful society. For the 12 years I was a Probation Officer, I never came across a Police Officer who bragged about shooting private citizens. Honestly, I found the very opposite to be true as some officers bragged about never firing a shot for 25 years of being on the force. Today, if the truth is told, being a Police Officer is much tougher as some media coverage, for TV ratings and salacious “infotainment,” we call news, often report one side of the story in virtually all police shootings.
According to Open Society Foundation, an “Implicit bias occurs when someone consciously rejects stereotypes and supports anti-discrimination efforts but also holds negative associations in his/her mind unconsciously.” (Hayley Roberts, 2011).
The website below gives you more information about the report:
http://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/voices/implicit-bias-and-social-justice (Links to an external site.).
Our discussion this session is one of which most people would shy away from, but as you know in our class, we will speak to “the elephant in the room.” That “elephant,” this session, is “Police Violence and Minorities, or should we say, “Police Violence against Minorities.”
Based on the concepts described, answer the questions below
.Discussion Questions:
——You don’t have to answer every question below, but you do need to answer at least 5 questions. Basically, answer the ones that are most appealing to you.
1. It has been said that police shootings of several unarmed black men today are similar to what KKK was doing to black folks before the federal government took over the investigations through the FBI, and the passage of the Civil Right Laws. That is, in order to do something about these shootings, the federal government must take over. What are your thoughts about this statement?
2. Why do you think the media rarely report unarmed white men who are also shot and killed by the police?
3. How do you think America would react, legislatively or otherwise, if all the victims of police shootings of unarmed black men were an unarmed white women?
4. If you were a police officer or a person of another race other than black who adopted a young black or brown boy, how would you talk to your son who is a young black or brown boy about how the Police is killing unarmed men of color?
5. Why do you think virtually all of the victims of police shootings are black men?
6. We believe that 99.9% of Police Officers are good people; however, there is 0.1% of police officers who shoot black people first and ask questions later. Why do you think these few officers, after deadly shootings, are almost always acquitted by the Jury, or many cases never indicted by the Grand Jury?
7. Many social justice scholars have said that as Elijah Anderson’s book talked about the “Code of the streets” for gangs members, so too do some police officers have their own silent “code of the streets” pertaining to minorities, especially black men. What are your think about this statement?
8. Do you believe some police officers are emboldened to shoot black men as virtually nothing happens to most police officers who kill unarmed black man?
9. Many minority citizens complain that more than just killings of black men, it is the “over-kill” aspect of shots fired as if black men have become human target practice for some police officers. For example, in case of Stephon Clark, the police officers fired 20 rounds, perhaps a reason why some protesters carry a sign that says, “Stop KKKillng Us.” What are your thoughts about this statement?
10. Do you believe America silently perceive black and brown man as expandable people, which could be why some right-wing media describe the protesters as “those thugs/”
For some folks who may need it, here is further breakdown of how to participate on the discussion for the six days/dates (or more) required to earn full points for the class online discussion:
Day/Date 1: Answer some of the questions that I have presented to the class, preferably 1, 2 or 3 questions.
Day/Date 2: Read over your classmates’ comments and chime in on their postings or reply to classmates who may have commented on your postings.
Day/Date 3: Answer more of the questions that I have presented to the class.
Day/Date4: Read over your classmates’ comments and chime in on their postings or reply to others who may have commented on your postings.
Day/Date5: Answer more of the questions that I have presented or read over your classmates’ comments and chime in on their postings or reply to others who may have commented on your postings.
Day/Date 6: Read over your classmates’ comments and chime in on their postings or reply to others who may have commented on your postings.
Day/Date 7, 8, 9….etc. is optional: just repeat the above (Day/Date 6) by reading over your classmates’ comments and chime in on their postings or reply to classmates who may have commented on your postings.
Watch these short videos to get your thoughts going:
Understanding unconscious bias:
Family of unarmed black man shot 20 times demands justice
S.C. police officer charged in shooting death of black man
Police Brutally Beat Black Man For Jaywalking
Klan Leader Shoots At Black Man…Cops Don’t Budge
Chicago police release video of fatal teen shooting
Woman livestreams aftermath of fatal police shooting
Police officer shoots unarmed man while he is face-down on the ground
Image preview for”our discussion theme is based on Social Justice, or perhaps, Social Injustice of the media coverage. “
APA
583 words