Monday, January 20, 2020

The Boy Next Door and the Psycho Killer: Producing Society’s Extremes E

The Boy Next Door and the Psycho Killer: Producing Society’s Extremes Two boys walk down the corridor of a friendly, residential, public high school. As they approach, the crowd slowly parts as its bystanders just stare at the boys. The boys walk with a certain aire about them, as their trench coats swing from side to side and their gloomy faces meet the eyes of the rest of the students. They are pointed at and called names such as fag or freak-- for they are members of the infamous trench coat mafia. These two boys can also be described as the murderers in the Columbine High School shootings. Somewhere across the country in another friendly, residential, public high school, a good looking boy of the same age walks down a similar hallway, and has a similar effect on the crowd. Instead of being laughed at or called a fag, this captain of the football team, Corey Johnson, gets a few " good job at the game yesterday" or hellos from people that have only heard of him and wished to actually know him personally, for he is notorious for being "cool". Rather t han being called a fag as walks down the hallway no one even suspects or even contemplates the fact that he is a homosexual. These individuals are alike in various aspects; age, sex, surroundings, and others, but yet have managed to be labeled and categorized so differently and so harshly. So what are the social conditions that have allowed such opposing figures to take shape in our culture? What is it that forces youth to be successful at being normal or unsuccessful and weird? The answer is the confining and forceful methods that our society has used to produce its norms. These two particular cases are just representations of many types of kids who are forced into two very dist... ...nes, ads, schools—the devastating effect is one that is constantly making deviants the outcast. These outcasts take on labels that usually have a negative connotation of a freak. Should these deviant groups stride to fit this "normal" expectation and assimilate into a culture that has rejected them or rather try to gain strength to add to their uniqueness? Each individual has a role on how he is perceived. This "role" is not control but rather a path that can be taken to control their position according to the norm. It is debatable if Corey Johnson’s face to the nation as an icon was an action to make the gay race seem more normal, or to show that there are exceptions to the rule within the gay name. No matter the standpoint or path a group in society chooses take, there will always be one outstanding central ground: With your norm, you’ve always got your deviant.

Sunday, January 12, 2020

Far from the madding crowd Essay

Roles of women in the Victorian times were very limited compared to now. They were expected to be house wives, and never expected to have an opinion or point of view. They were never in control of anything and everything was decided by men. They were usually expected to take care of everything in the house including looking after children. They were very much expected to be women whose life revolved around the domestic sphere of the home and family. However, this role was challenged by Queen Victoria In the novel ‘Far From the Madding Crowd’ you see Bathsheba and Fanny breaking the norms expected from women in Victorian times. Sometimes these norm-breaking actions would result in a sever consequence depending on how bad the norm-breaking was. However, sometimes these limits which exist were ignored, but no penalty was paid. In chapter 42 Bathsheba opens the coffin in which Fanny and her baby lay. Here you can see an example of a woman crossing the barrier of what was expected from her, but no penalty being paid. She is very insecure as weather to open the coffin or leave it closed. â€Å"If I could only look in upon you for one little minute I should know all† She finally does open the coffin and is slightly relieved that her tension and suspense has come to an end. â€Å"It was best to know the worst, and I know it now†. She is in a lot of pain, because she now knows that it was the women that Troy loved. She realises that it is his baby and is shocked when Troy says to her that he will never love her like he loved Fanny. Bathsheba also realises that Troy has slept with Fanny out of marriage, which was a very unacceptable action in Victorian times. She does not wish to pursue or debate with Troy about what he has done, because there are risks of other people finding out and this would bring shame to her self-image. The consequences of Troy’s actions would mean that people would look at them badly and want nothing to do with them. In a way, Fanny paid the price for a highly thought sinful act, and through death. Many Victorian readers would’ve been shocked at Bathsheba’s actions when she opens the coffin and also with Troy’s actions. Bathsheba is obviously troubled and disturbed; otherwise she would never have opened the coffin. You can see that she is showing her true emotions and in Victorian times women never showed their true emotions. Bathsheba’s actions for opening the coffin would not have been a very severe punishment but would be frowned upon by many Victorians. In chapter 13, the expected roles of women are transgressed when Bathsheba and Liddy play the game of the Bible and key. â€Å"Did you ever find out, miss, who you are going to marry by means of the Bible and key? † Many Victorian women would think it a very foolish game to play, therefore, not expected from women. This chapter is an example of a woman crossing the barrier of her expected role, but nothing happening and therefore no consequence. In chapter 11, fanny pays a visit to Troy; however, she travels a very long distance to do this. It was very unusual in Victorian times and nowadays that a woman should travel for miles and miles by foot to visit their loved ones. This wasn’t considered very lady-like, and was looked as desperate. It could also have been seen as chasing him around, therefore not being a proper Lady. To make matters worse, Troy dismisses her abruptly which shows a lot of disrespect for Fanny. But Fanny doesn’t acknowledge this and we can see that she is a weak character. â€Å"There was a tone in the woman which is not that of the wife, and there was a manner in the man which is rarely a husband†. Fanny’s actions may also have come down to her social class. Her ways of thinking may have also been completely different to that of an upper class. However, the boundaries of what was expected from women was the same throughout social class. But some may have broken these boundaries with no consequence. You can see now that if the boundaries are taken too far the consequences are drastic and sever. However, sometimes they are ignored or they are hidden. Fanny ignored these boundaries and paid the penalty. Bathsheba did step over the line, but never did ignore the extreme limitations. The women in the novel are defined by how they are seen to everyone else. Some Victorian women would not abide by the rules that were set for them, and some would, either out of fear of what would happen to them if they didn’t or they didn’t want to feel sinful.

Saturday, January 4, 2020

Locke s Theory Rejecting Free Will Essay - 1637 Words

In this essay I will argue against Locke’s theory rejecting free will. I will claim that in Locke’s â€Å"Of Power,† he ultimately provides evidence for a limit on liberty in respect to will, rather than the denial of liberty in respect to will altogether. I will provide evidence for my stance, by assessing Locke’s definitions for liberty, necessity, and will. I will also rationalize my thesis by assessing the legitimacy of their relationship in respect to Locke’s theory, and attempt to uncover answers to ambiguous questions in Locke’s doctrines. Locke states that it is folly to suggest that the will can have liberty, is faulty due to them both being powers. He states that powers can only be attributed to agents (people), and that it us improper to suggest that the power of will can have the power of freedom. Moreover, to Locke, the correct statement would be that a person is free to will. He states that an agent is limited in the liberty, to either do or forebear doing something, and accordingly, the power of the will, or the act of it (volition) has the same dual limitations; either willing to do something, or forbearing willing to do something. In answer the question of what determines the will, Locke states one’s actions are a result of pleasure (good) and pain (evil). Either one’s will attempts to seek pleasure, or eliminate pain (find a comparatively less painful power than the currently proposed pain). Accordingly he considers desire to be a form of pain, or unease.Show MoreRelatedJohn Locke And Jacques R ousseau1325 Words   |  6 PagesPhilosophy 5/4/2016 1. While both John Locke and Jacques Rousseau trusted that each ought to be free and that nobody ought to need to surrender his/her natural rights to a lord, both contrasted on what this situation ought to resemble. Locke had confidence in restricted, delegate government. However, Rousseau had faith in direct government by the general population. The contrasts between John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau need to do as much with dispositions as with frameworks. Both ofRead MoreLocke s Views On Human Understanding Is Not A Direct Attack With Descartes1951 Words   |  8 Pagesassociated with Descartes along with Locke are wide and varied, this does not exclude an opportunity of characteristics. In reality, I believe there are several points associated with agreement between Locke along with Descartes. Locke s Essay Concerning Human Understanding is not a direct attack with Descartes; in comparison, it is surely an account associated with epistemology which often, though not Cartesian, was influenced in part by Locke s reading of Descartes. Locke borrowed a lot of Descartes Read MoreCriminal Charges And Its Effect On The Man s Life And The Destruction Of His Property2517 Words   |  11 Pagesthat it is the legal responsibility of the state to strictly regulate, limit or prohibit the possession of firearms altogether lest it be in the hands of a militia, military, police or other authorized personnel. Philosophers Thomas Hobbes and John Locke, as well as revered Jewish thinkers Malbim and Maharal give different ethical and moral insights into the debate of individual versus societal rights. One of the most prolific philosophers during the Age of Enlightenment was Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679)Read MoreLiberalism Philosophy1839 Words   |  8 Pagesgovernment by law with the consent of the governed, and protection from arbitrary authority. - advocates limited government, constitutionalism, rule of law, due process, individual liberties including freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and free markets Slide 2 Liberalism started as a major doctrine and intellectual endeavour in response to the religious wars gripping Europe during the 16th and 17th centuries, up until the cold war †¢ Liberalism as a specifically named ideology beginsRead MoreSocial Contract Theory Thomas Hobbes2009 Words   |  9 Pagescontract theory, nearly as old as philosophy itself, is the view that person s moral and/or political obligations are dependent upon a contract or agreement among them to form the society in which they live. The Social Contract is largely associated with modern moral and political theory, and is given its first full exposition and defense by Thomas Hobbes in his piece, Leviathan. After Hobbes, John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau are the best known proponents of this influential theory, thoughRead MoreThe Key Ideas of the Enlightenment Essay1865 Words   |  8 Pagesmaking judgements about ethics, epistemology and reason, and for these two, that basis was to be found in the autonomous use of reason. The beginnings of questions about society emerged with new ideas about the social contract and political order (Locke, Rousseau and Hobbes) and initiated the liberal condition. Before such questionings, ‘society’, often called the ‘common-wealth’, was assumed to be either divine or naturally ordered so this is how the idea of ‘society’ as separated from church, theRead MoreIs There a Valid Test of Herzbergs Two-Factor Theory?3806 Words   |  16 PagesGreat Britain Is there a valid test of Herzbergs two-factor theory? GODFREY GARDNER Department of Behaviour in Organisations, University of Lancaster; on study ieavefrom the Department of Psychology, University of Melbourne There are several ways of stating Herzbergs two-factor theory of motivation and each version can be tested in various ways. Those who defend the theory argue that researchers who fail to find support for the theory have usually departed from the procedures used by HerzbergRead MoreBranches of Philosophy8343 Words   |  34 Pagesphilosophy [pic] [pic] John Locke Modern philosophy begins with the revival of skepticism and the rise of modern physical science. Philosophy in this period centers on the relation between experience and reality, the ultimate origin of knowledge, the nature of the mind and its relation to the body, the implications of the new natural sciences for free will and God, and the emergence of a secular basis for moral and political philosophy. Canonical figures include Hobbes, Descartes, Locke, Spinoza, Leibniz,Read MoreEssay on Sexuality/Textuality in Tristram Shandy8792 Words   |  36 PagesRice University Sexuality/Textuality in Tristram Shandy Author(s): Dennis W. Allen Reviewed work(s): Source: Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900, Vol. 25, No. 3, Restoration and Eighteenth Century (Summer, 1985), pp. 651-670 Published by: Rice University Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/450501 . Accessed: 16/12/2012 06:30 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/termsRead MoreDeveloping Effective Research Proposals49428 Words   |  198 Pagesthe pre-empirical stage 3.7.2 Questions before methods 3.7.3 Do I need hypotheses in my proposal? 3.8 Review concepts and questions Notes 4 Some Issues 4.1 The perspective behind the research 4.2 The role of theory 4.2.1 Description versus explanation 4.2.2 Theory verification versus theory generation 4.3 Pre-structured versus unfolding 4.4 The relevant literature 4.5 Quantitative, qualitative or both? 4.6 Review concepts and questions Notes 5 Methods 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Quantitative data, qualitative

Friday, December 27, 2019

Book Report On Football Fantasy Baseball - 1386 Words

Warren’s Finest Football League Warren, MI Created By: Jacob Dikowski E-mail: WarrenFFL@yahoo.com Football Fantasy Leagues Information about Football Fantasy Leagues For People That Have Always Wondered How It Works Dear Sports Fanatic: This is your information packet about my league which is called â€Å"Warren’s Finest Football League†. Many People would say that owning a fantasy football team makes NFL a whole lot more entertaining. Not all fantasy leagues are the same though, there is many different types of leagues for people to join. Warren’s Finest Football has many unique ways of playing that sets us apart from other football games, some of which are described below: †¢ In Warren’s Finest Football your players earn†¦show more content†¦Trust me you want to be the winner every season to use those rights to your advantage. Especially if you have good draft picks it is common to brag about that. A draft board such as the one below in the picture is how teams should look after the draft is finished. It allows the other team to see who their up against that upcoming week. Overall fantasy football is something worth trying because it adds excitement to your life in a way and forces you to watch and really learn the game of football. †¢ There is never a transaction fee it just makes the football games that much better. What Exactly Is Fantasy Football? Have you ever dreamed of what it would be like to own your own professional fantasy squad? Fantasy sports are a way to live out that dream. To make things easier, all illusion games are fundamentally the same, real number athletes and their real-living performances are used to generate full head for fantasy teams in fantasy conferences. For example, in a traditional fantasy league there is a set number of team owners. There is a set of rules that determine everything from team roster size, to scoring method, to strength of schedule. You and your fellow team owners are all in full control of your team. Then throughout the time of year, you will set your draft based on how well you think your participant will perform. The statistics your players generate in their real games are collected, and fantasy points are awarded based

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Essay on Hamlet - The Struggle Between Mother and Son

In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, it appears that something is amiss in the State of Denmark as the protagonist, Hamlet, is approached by the ghost of the deceased King Hamlet. During this encounter, Hamlet discovers vital information about the king’s brother, Claudius, who married the king’s widow, Queen Gertrude. With this information kept in mind, the Ghost advises Hamlet to kill King Claudius, while protecting his mother, in order for the old King Hamlet to escape purgatory. Nonetheless, throughout the play Hamlet’s vendetta is continuously prolonged due to the Oedipus Complex created by Sigmund Freud which states, â€Å"in the young male, the Oedipus conflict stems from his natural love for his mother, which progressively may become sexual.†¦show more content†¦In order to verify that Claudius was in fact the one to murder his father, Hamlet assembles a plan. When a group of actors come to the castle to perform, Hamlet requests that they perf orm The Murder of Gonzago which mirrors what has taken place in Denmark with King Hamlet and King Claudius. The player agrees to perform the play and Hamlet states, â€Å"Well hat tomorrow night. You could for a need study a speech / of some dozen or sixteen lines which I could set down and insert / int, could you not (2.2 491-93). By adding his own lines to the performance, Hamlet intensifies the actions of the play in order to confirm what the Ghost had told him. Hamlet states, â€Å"the play’s the thing / Wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the king† (3.1 556-7). As expected, the King storms off during the play which, in turn, proves the King is guilty of his brother’s murder. After Hamlet had confirmed Claudius to be the killer, one would expect Hamlet to kill Claudius immediately, however, this action is prolonged till the end of the play. Following the King’s action in response to the play, Hamlet has the perfect opportunity to avenge his father’s death yet he chooses not to which is the first act of delaying his goal. King Claudius storms off into a room in the castle where he says, â€Å"Of those effects for which I did the murder, My crown, mine own ambition and my queen. May one be pardon’d and retain the’ offense? (3.3 54-6). While Hamlet is watchingShow MoreRelatedOedipus Complex in Hamlet Essay805 Words   |  4 PagesOedipus Complex in Hamlet In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Hamlet’s personality can be explained by the Oedipus Complex. Throughout the play there are many times where he proves that he has Oedipus Complex. Oedipus Complex was not around at the time that that Hamlet was written. It just shows that Shakespeare saw the same personality complex’ as Freud. Freud first named the Oedipus Complex Theory in his book , An Interpretation of Dreams, in 1899. Freud states The child takes both of its parents,Read MoreInterpretation of Conflict within Hamlet1684 Words   |  7 Pagesreasons. Within Act 3, Scene 4 of Hamlet, Shakespeare provides little direction by which the scene should be interpreted, but the play, taken in its entirety, proposes a certain way in which Hamlet and Gertrude express their emotions. This has led to distinctive cinematic interpretations of this scene, all in which portray the storyline in a unique way. Kenneth Branagh’s version of the closet scene provides a more realis tic portrayal of the conflict between Hamlet and Gertrude than the Gregory DovanRead MoreSeeking Reveng in William Shakespeares Hamlet1018 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"Hamlet,† is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare about a prince seeking revenge. Although this play was written around the sixteen hundreds, its main character is still relatable to people of this era through emotional issues, relationship issues, and internal conflicts. These categories will be further discussed starting first with a biography of the author, a plot summary, a discussion of how Hamlet relates to people of this time period, and a summary of a critical review of Hamlet. ThoughRead MoreHamlet Tragedy Of The Mother And Son1137 Words   |  5 PagesHamlet-Tragedy of the Mother and Son William Shakespeare is a writer of tragedies—the tragedies within common everyday relationships. Of these various relationships, Shakespeare reveals his interest in the relationship between the mother and son within Hamlet. The mother: Queen Gertrude, and the son: Prince Hamlet is unique within the play because Hamlet’s relationship with his mother is rare in the sense that Gertrude is one of two women within Hamlet. And like the other woman, Gertrude is submergedRead MoreHamlet As The Tragic Hero Of The Play Hamlet 1314 Words   |  6 PagesIn order to better understand Hamlet one must first asses, and define man. According to webster dictionary a man is a male often having the qualities associated with bravery,script or toughness(site webster dictionary www.define a man.com here). We know the male figure is known to exhibit distinctive male traits such as strength, dignity, courage and be a provider and supporter. As seen in Hamlet one must understand the male fig ure to better understand Hamlet and why the male behave in such waysRead MoreAn Analysis of How Fear of the Unknown Affects Characters in Hamlet1357 Words   |  5 PagesAnalysis of How Fear of the Unknown Affects Characters in Hamlet Hamlets famous To be or not to be soliloquy in Act 3, Scene 1 provides the context for several of the characters actions. It is a soliloquy about fearing the unknown that lies waiting on the other side of the grave (are we punished and/or rewarded according to our actions on earth?) and as Hamlet reasons, Conscience does make cowards of us all (3.1.2). In other words, Hamlet feels that he is unable to act because of the hauntingRead MoreEssay On The Tragedy Of Hamlet1122 Words   |  5 Pages31}. This task from the ghost of Hamlet’s father becomes Hamlet’s main struggle throughout the course of the play The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark by William Shakespeare. This play takes place mostly in the royal castle of Denmark in the late middle ages. The play follows Hamlet in his quest to determine the truthfulness of the ghost and to avenge the death of his father. In the play, major characters include Hamlet, Claudius, Gertrude, Laertes, Polonius, and Ophelia. Claudius is the KingRead MoreHamlet, By William Shakespeare1178 Words   |  5 PagesWilliam Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, the protagonist suffers from struggles with major characters, especially with the women in his life. While reading the play Hamlet, Hamlet appears to be a disillusioned man. Throughout the play, Shakespeare has only casted two females: Gertrude and Ophelia. Gertrude is defined to be incestuous, naà ¯ve and cold-hearted. On the other side, Ophelia is characterized to be ignorant, innocent and fearful. After the quick marriage of his mother and evil uncle, Hamlet’s viewsRead MoreThe Troubled Relationship Between Gertrude and Hamlet1700 Words   |  7 Pages The Troubled Relationship Between Gertrude and Hamlet In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Claudius murders his brother, the King of Denmark, and subsequently usurps the Danish throne. Shattering the purity of the royal family, he allures Queen Gertrude into an incestuous wedding so hastily that â€Å"The funeral baked meats / Did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables† (I.ii.180-1). Lost in this sullied household is Prince Hamlet, shrouded in the black of mourning, who condemns his mother’s quick, lustfulRead MoreCritical Analysis Of Othello1461 Words   |  6 Pagescharacters struggles with internal conflicts that are imperative to the way he or she thinks, their personal beliefs and motives. The personal struggle these characters are face upon is conveyed through distinct creative usages of literary language. Often characters decisions are motivated on their egotistical and entitled desires, which happens to lead them into a world of self-destruction. Shakespearean readers can see the prevalent custom of this theory thr ough a memorable conversation between Iago

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Advancement of Electronic Health Records †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Advancement of Electronic Health Records. Answer: Introduction The Commonwealth Government of Australia has been able to launch My Health Records for properly analysing the secured online summary for the individual health information. It includes the key information of the design for the records so that a proper integration can be done though using the local clinical systems. They are able to drive by the needs for a better Health industry that continues to process the reforms and drive to the inefficiencies into the healthcare systems. My Health Record will be able to record the different changes and the updates which are done by the patient (Kraan, Piggott, van der Vegt Wisse, 2015). The objectives are to focus on enhancing the efficiency of the health care system with supporting the evolution of new system that will help in handling the control of own records. If the record is not maintained properly, then the organisations of the health care cannot know about the different areas which they need to work on for improving their performance (Denaxas et al., 2017). The critical analysis is about how the organisations get a proper feedback from the patients in order to get an improvement in the areas where the different people are facing the problems. The records are managed with the areas that include the improvement in time. Technological Problems The database functionalities could be also issues which occur with redundancy in data and the duplicity mainly due to the flat configuration setup of the system. Hence, if no one other than the patients make the changes in the record, then it cannot be modified by any other person. If the authorisation is not given to anyone, other than the patients, then only they can modify it with accurate feedback. If it does not happen then, any outsiders can change it which could lead to the inaccuracy of data (Urech et al., 2015). The interruption is another possible which is by the outsiders where the full authorisation is also not given to the patients. Here, the outsiders can easily modify it with feeding wrong information to the patient. This will not help in improving the problems effectively. The communication medium is a major problem for handling the successful integration of the system. The major lack in the current system includes the problem of communication which comes with the failure of the integration of system. The security threats are related to appropriate maintenance of the records and maintaining a manual record is also difficult as it is insecure to maintain and can be altered by any outside individual. The introduction is based on bringing the changes to the system which includes the quality of patients, safety and properly maintaining the records that could improve the quality of safety with properly tracking the safety issues. The patients can report about the threats of security at the time of surveillance and patient management safety through self-management warfarin. The patient care is enhanced if the records are properly managed in the organisation (Fildes et al., 2015). The proposed system can be helpful for the firm where: Access is done in a better manner. Health care information for the patient tends to remain online with recording the information of patient. The patient travels or move to the other place with easy access to the data. Safety can be improved and enhanced. If the patient travels and move to the other place, the data can be accessed, and the problems could be handled through directly reporting to the doctors through the application. The privacy of the records is also maintained and there is no possibility of the change in the health records by anonymous person. This can lead to the improve of the system efficiency with the proper handling of the technology. Here, the additional data can also be added by the patients, with emergency contact details and the personal health notes like the blood tests, etc. Conclusion Here, the benefits are about the patients suffering from different illness that are reported to the doctors about the emergency (Gellert, Ramirez Webster, 2015). Hence, one can take actions to the patient situation where much time is also not wasted in visiting the hospitals or taking appointments. The focus is on improving the experience of the people which is possible through continuity of care with My Health Record application which can maintain the different data patterns effectively and be updated, as and when needed. References Denaxas, S., Kunz, H., Smeeth, L., Gonzalez-Izquierdo, A., Boutselakis, H., Pikoula, M., Hemingway, H. (2017). Methods for enhancing the reproducibility of clinical epidemiology research in linked electronic health records: results and lessons learned from the CALIBER platform.International Journal for Population Data Science,1(1). Fildes, A., Charlton, J., Rudisill, C., Littlejohns, P., Prevost, A. T., Gulliford, M. C. (2015). Probability of an obese person attaining normal body weight: cohort study using electronic health records.American Journal of Public Health,105(9), e54-e59. Gellert, G. A., Ramirez, R., Webster, S. L. (2015). The rise of the medical scribe industry: implications for the advancement of electronic health records.Jama,313(13), 1315-1316. Kraan, C. W., Piggott, J. J. H., van der Vegt, F., Wisse, L. (2015). Personal Health Records: Solving barriers to enhance adoption.E-health strategies. Urech, T. H., Woodard, L. D., Virani, S. S., Dudley, R. A., Lutschg, M. Z., Petersen, L. A. (2015). Calculations of financial incentives for providers in a pay-for-performance program: Manual review versus data from structured fields in electronic health records.Medical care,53(10), 901.

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

RACE RELATIONS IN 1960S AMERICA Essays - Geography Of Michigan

RACE RELATIONS IN 1960S AMERICA In the sweltering summer of 1967, Detroit's predominantly African-American neighborhood of Virginia Park was a simmering cauldron of racial tension. About 60,000 low-income residents were crammed into the neighborhood's 460 acres, living mostly in small, sub-divided apartments. The Detroit Police Department, which had only about 50 African American officers at the time, was viewed as a white occupying army. Accusations of racial profiling and police brutality were commonplace among Detroit's black residents. The only other whites in Virginia Park commuted in from the suburbs to run the businesses on 12th Street, then commuted home to affluent enclaves outside Detroit. The entire city was in a state of economic and social strife: As the Motor City's famed automobile industry shed jobs and moved out of the city center, freeways and suburban amenities beckoned middle-class residents away, which further gutted Detroit's vitality and left behind vacant storefronts, widespread unemployment and impoverished despair. A similar scenario played out in metropolitan areas across America, where "white flight" reduced the tax base in formerly prosperous cities, causing urban blight, poverty and racial discord. In mid-July, 1967, the city of Newark, New Jersey , erupted in violence as black residents battled police following the beating of a black taxi driver, leaving 26 people dead. THE 12TH STREET SCENE At night, 12th Street in Detroit was a hotspot of inner-city nightlife, both legal and illegal. At the corner of 12th St. and Clairmount, William Scott operated a "blind pig" (an illegal after-hours club) on weekends out of the office of the United Community League for Civic Action, a civil rights group. The police vice squad often raided establishments like this on 12th St., and at 3:35 a.m. on Sunday morning, July 23, they moved against Scott's club. On that warm, humid night, the establishment was hosting a party for several veterans, including two servicemen recently returned from the Vietnam War , and the bar's patrons were reluctant to leave the air-conditioned club. Out in the street, a crowd began to gather as police waited for vehicles to take the 85 patrons away. An hour passed before the last person was taken away, and by then about 200 onlookers lined the street. A bottle crashed into the street. The remaining police ignored it, but then more bottles were thrown, including one through the window of a patrol car. The police fled as a small riot erupted. Within an hour, thousands of people had spilled out onto the street from nearby buildings. Looting began on 12th Street, and closed shops and businesses were ransacked. Around 6:30 a.m., the first fire broke out, and soon much of the street was ablaze. By midmorning, every policeman and fireman in Detroit was called to duty. On 12th Street, officers fought to control the unruly mob. Firemen were attacked as they tried to battle the flames.