Zoot Suit retrieves for the American conscience an overlooked period of intense racism culminating in the Sleepy Lagoon murder trial and the riots that followed. Both plays try not only to set the record straight but also to discover a source of pride for Chicanos in a history that has been unjustly
Jefferson’s attorney was the reason that Jefferson lost his self-respect. Jefferson’s attorney is a symbol of racism. Defending Jefferson as a “hog” because he sees him as one, he assumes he is guilty because of his race, no second thoughts, and even though the lawyer is assigned as an attorney to help him, he doesn’t care about Jefferson either way. Whites saw African Americans as unintelligent, so the attorney defends Jefferson the way the whites see him. An example would be when the lawyer says, “He does not even know the size of his clothes or his shoes”, another example of the attorney seeing Jefferson as unintelligent was when he stated “Ask him to quote one passage from the constitution or Bill of Rights.” When the lawyer says, “What you see here is a thing that acts on command.” Shows that the lawyer doesn’t show any sign of respect he has for Jefferson what so ever.
Schlesinger points out that many came to view the unifying American melting pot phenomenon as an Anglocentric conspiracy to undermine and devalue other ethnicities. Although there was one glaring failure of American democracy; the racist exclusion of blacks from the promise of the American creed. Mr. Schlesinger goes on to enumerate the events which took place over the past half century which, from the springboard of the new creed of cultural pluralism, have brought America to what he sees as a dangerous era of multiculturalism with the potential to rend the nation . He begins with the culmination of World War II and its effect of confronting Americans with their own bigotry in light of the Germans' racially motivated atrocities toward the Jews. Soon thereafter came the collapse of white colonialism.
He continues, when Mexican authorities arrested the Nuevo Laredo smuggling conduit. Furthermore, he cites the high incidence of drug related murders in New York City of 1988. He suggests that ratcheting up law enforcement is counterproductive and markets, without exception, the black market, are self-correcting. He claims that the unsatisfied demand for illicit drugs will drive up the price then entice new dealers to the trade. And continues to close his argument with the beseech to be wary if when a mature market’s status quo is
He also brings up about how civil right leaders have the right to bash these black celebrities that are putting down their own race. They fought so hard to be free and have the same rights as a white person so he is confused on why they would bash their own race. He should have added more statistics and maybe where he got his facts. He says the homicide is on the rise for black woman and rape is often found with black girls primarily. Where did he get those statistics?
Racial Ideology, American Politics, and the Peculiar Role of the Social Sciences”; where he explains his research on the intersection of poverty, crime and race. Bobo contends the United States is faced with a sophisticated, elusive and enduring race problem. His use of two separate focus groups one being all white and the other being all black uncovered evidence to support just how complex the race problem in America is. Bobo contends the just saying that the race problem still endures is not to say that it remains fundamentally the same and essentially the same. Bobo asks how we can have milestone decisions like Brown V. Board, pass a civil rights act, a voting act, fair housing acts, and numerous acts of enforcement and amendments, including the pursuit of affirmative action policies and still continue to face a significant racial divide in America.
When a black person murders another black, it’s barely seen that the defendant receives capital punishment. It seems like the systems only really cares about white murder victims. Receiving capital punishment for being a murder is wrong, even a criminal deserves to live their life. They will just have to life their life in jail. Giving someone the death penalty is murder so, that’s like saying the prosecutor should be
Spartacus Howard Fast M.E. Sharpe Inc., New York (1993) 363 pages A Quest for Freedom Thesis Throughout Spartacus, Howard Fast depicts this heroic slave war, as a war for freedom, a war that could have caused the collapse of Rome’s economy and government. Even though the story takes place 2,000 years ago, it is very clear that this novel was written to relate to the reader of today. By the end of the book the reader slowly but surely ends up with a profound lesson in the dynamics of social change. Fast also makes the point that the true class foundation of ethics in his strong contrast between the preaching of decadent Roman ruling class and the basic Spartacan code.
A tough federal response smothered Klan terror in a wave of prosecutions. Martial law and the suspension of habeas corpus were necessary to remove the threat from South Carolina. In 1915 the Hollywood spectacular Birth of a Nation reframed historical events to give credence to the Klan’s conspiratorial interpretation.38 As the economic order changed, different visions of the future battled for power. Conspiracy was a prominent theme in the competition. Capitalists denounced radicals for scheming to overthrow the government and cited as proof events like the 1886 Haymarket Square bombing that left seven policemen dead.
They [the police] didn’t have to shoot him that much.’ ” (235). After Tom was convicted and sent to jail, Tom knew there was no chance of getting himself acquitted, so Tom attempted to flee the jail. The end result was Tom getting shot and killed. When Tom tried to escape the prison, he was warned by the officers but ultimately paid with his life. After Tom was dead, the cops continued to shoot Tom for their own gratification because he was simply a black man.