Blog 4 “It Feels like being on Death Row.”

On Thursday, May 10, 2018, Counterpunch published an article called “It Feels like being on Death Row.” According to the author, racism is a system of racial discrimination and prejudice that is constantly happening to the African American community. The deaths of Trayvon Martin, Stephon Clarks, Eric Carner, and Sandra Bland are few examples of current events that have lead the author to believe every African American are considered to be on death row. In order to get his message across, he was able to write a few words about each individual and how racisms placed a big role in each case.

This article was intended to let Americans know that racism still exists in today’s society. This fact may be an inconvenient truth for some, but for millions of Americans it is an ever-present, inescapable aspect of their reality. Most people do not realize how much racism goes on in our daily life, and if they do realize it, they do not care enough to do anything about it. Even though the world has progressed greatly in the last couple of decades, both socially and technologically, racism, hatred and prejudice still exist today, deeply embedded in old-fashioned, narrow-minded traditions and values. Based on current events that are happening to the black community, Racism is a case of misplaced hate’ and ignorance, being not only discriminatory, but also seemingly foolish with disregard of all human common sense. Why does racism still exist in today’s world? The authors say, “The white racist logic goes like this. He is Black and therefore guilty. To be Black in America, according to white racist logic, which is undergirded by white myth-making, is to be born guilty, violent, criminal, dangerous. “As terrible as he might sound, I do believe what he is saying is correct.

 He also makes a good statement when he talks about the deaths of several African Americans. In Stephen Clark's case (shot 41 times when he reached and grabbed his wallet), he states “What is it about a Black man or Black teenager holding an innocuous object such that, generally speaking, white police officers see weapons? Even toy guns and wallets become real guns in the hands of young Black man.”

In conclusion, life, liberty and pursuit of happiness are unalienable right given to all human beings. Not just white men. Pursuing happiness in life cannot be at the cost of hating others because of their race, color or sexual orientation.  it sad to see what America has become. Instead of moving forward, we’re just moving backwards. If the future generations continue to see this will we ever progress as a community? I don't believe we will, so in order to see change we first how to be the change.

https://www.counterpunch.org/2018/05/10/it-feels-like-being-on-death-row/