Racism in America

In the clip from "Katie" that we watched on racism in America, Travis Smiley said that racism is an "intractable" issue in American society that people are afraid to talk about. While his discussion of the issue did not include much tangible support or suggestions on how to open a dialogue about racism, he made some valid points.  The fact that many people deny that racism is an issue demonstrates that racism is so ingrained in society that people do not notice it.  Many of the traditions and institutions in society are rooted in prejudice.

An Associated Press poll taken in 2012 reported that 51% of Americans hold "explicit anti-black attitudes," a statistic that is up 3% since 2008 (CNN). This CNN article also argues that racial ideas affect the way landlords treat tenants, teachers treat students, and police treat people.  Race is so difficult to talk about because people are afraid of their own prejudices.  Every person wants to deny that he or she has some falsely-held beliefs about other races. The fact is, many people hold prejudices that they don't even realize.  Desensitization to racial slurs, ignorance about cultural traditions, irrational fear of race differences, income gaps among races, and affirmative action are all examples of how racism (and even reverse racism) infiltrates society.

If, as Mr. Smiley says, racism is an intractable issue, I believe it is time to begin the dialogue among the races on how to solve this issue. A conversation about race is difficult because not everyone is understanding.  When people are honest with themselves and open to change, a meaningful dialogue about race could occur.   Mr. Smiley failed to present ways to open a dialogue about race in America.  While I agree with him that race is a serious issue, I disagree with the way he presented the issue to Katie Couric.  His conversation with Katie Couric could have provided a model for how people should conduct conversations about race.  Their conversation was one-sided.  A legitimate and honest conversation about race involves hearing the perspectives from all sides of the issue.

Luckily, young people are more respectful of race differences than older people.  There is a song in the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical "South Pacific" that says that prejudice must be carefully taught.  I believe this is true.  Prejudiced views would not exist unless parents and society passed them along to their children.  For the intractable issue of racism to be rooted out of society, people of all races must make a conscious effort to live accepting, open, and honest lives.  It is not easy to question one's beliefs and viewpoints, but it is healthy and important to evaluate views and consider why we hold those views.  The conversation on race must not be a one-way conversation.  Blacks, whites, and people of all other races must communicate their feelings about prejudice and listen to opposing viewpoints.

 I don't know the extent of racism in America and I don't know how to fix the problem, but I do believe there is an issue and that change begins with each person. Everyone must be conscious of prejudice and make an effort to evaluate his or her own actions and determine if they are fair and just.  The realization of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s dream depends on every person being willing to change his or her attitudes about race.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/01/opinion/brazile-race-sununu/

Dead Man Walking

Before watching Dead Man Walking, I did not know much about the death penalty in America.  Sister Helen's interactions with Matt gave a face and a name to victims of the death penalty. Prior to seeing the film, I was more or less indifferent to the death penalty.  I didn't like the idea of government-sanctioned killing, but I understood that the death penalty might provide solace for victims' families.  I also thought that the death penalty was less expensive than feeding and clothing a convict in prison for life.  I believed that lethal injection was tested and proven to be a humane means of execution.  

In watching Dead Man Walking and in my research after the film, I found that a death row execution is incredibly expensive.  In 2003, a Kansas legislative audit found that a death penalty case, from its beginning through execution, costs $1.26 million, while a non-death penalty case, from its beginning through the end of incarceration, costs $700,000. Most of the cost of a death penalty case are incurred before a conviction, when the prosecution decides to pursue the death penalty.  

Lethal injection, the commonly accepted method of execution, often involves a three-drug protocol.  The first drug is an anesthetic and the second drug is a paralytic.  These two drugs make the death easier for witnesses.  It is not clear whether the first two drugs provide any comfort for the people being executed.  The third drug in the protocol is the heart-stopping agent.  When executions are unsuccessful or the convicts' bodies do  not react to the first two drugs, lethal injection can cause violent writhing, shouts, and convulsion.  Many drug addicts executed by lethal injection suffer because it is hard for the administering physicians to find viable veins.  I think the administration of the first two drugs in the three-drug protocol is for the benefit of witnesses and executioners, not the convicts themselves. 

I did not know that death row executions often involve the victims' families as witnesses.  This disturbed me, because people treat death as a spectacle, not a solemn occurrence. Overall, Dead Man Walking disturbed me and caused me to re-evaluate my feelings on the death penalty.  I am now wholeheartedly against the use of the death penalty because it disregards the human life and fights death with death.  

(Information from deathpenaltyinfo.org and amnestyusa.org)

Restorative Justice

The article about Connor McBride's crime and experience with restorative justice said that the restorative justice route is uncommon in homicide cases.  The traditional criminal justice system is vengeance-centered and disregards the convict as a person.  The justice system attempts to provide relief or restitution for the victims. In Ann and Connor's situation, Ann's parents understood that no punishment could bring their daughter back.  They also understood that a prison sentence would cause Connor's parents to lose their own son.

I think restorative justice is a mature and worthwhile alternative to the justice system, because it treats the criminal as a person and not a monster. For certain cases, restorative justice is unrealistic.  Brutal crimes, including heinous murder and rape, warrant prison sentences.  Some people are beyond the point of remorse and must be put in prison to prevent further harm to society.  On the other hand, some people's crimes are minor and do not require long prison sentences.  A thief, for example, might benefit more from a restorative justice program.  Often, short prison sentences make it difficult for criminals to find jobs after prison, thus contributing to a vicious cycle of crime.  Restorative justice has the potential to break this cycle.

Restorative justice is more in line with Catholic social teaching than the traditional justice system because it allows for forgiveness and healing instead of condemnation and vengeance.  Restorative justice provides hope that the guilty person may rise above his or her crimes and do good in the world.  The traditional justice system eliminates the possibility of good.  The article says that a person is more than his or her worst action.  Restorative justice allows for healing, understanding, and hope.

Hotel Rwanda

Paul's story in Hotel Rwanda gave a face and a personality to what we've learned about the Rwandan genocide.  My compassion as a viewer was challenged when Jack, the camera man, said "If people see this footage, they'll say, 'Oh, my God, that's horrible,' and then they'll go on eating their dinners."  Although I don't want to believe that this is true of people, myself included, I have to agree with Jack.  When issues are so distant, it is unbelievably easy to feel a pang of guilt and then continue on with our own lives.  What people see and hear on the news is hard to comprehend because they hear logistical details, not personal stories of loss and destruction.  It is difficult to feel compassion when the stories sound so calculated and matter-of-fact.

If I were a reporter covering an event like the Rwandan genocide, I would present personal stories to inspire people to act.  If someone like Paul were on the news speaking about the hardships he was facing and the help he needed, viewers would feel more compelled to help in some way. Showing the real human faces behind stories and events allows people to connect and feel compassion.

Social Justice Issues Today

Social justice issues in society today are widespread and affect people all around the world.

One pressing social issue is the poor and discriminatory education systems in the Middle East and many developing countries. Often, young girls are denied the education that their male counterparts receive.  Malala Yousafzai is an outstanding example of the social injustice over education that is happening in Pakistan.  Malala spoke out for her right to an education as a 16 year-old young woman. In response to Malala's courageous outspokenness for her own rights, the Taliban shot her in the head.  Now, the United Nations is recognizing Malala's cause and her call for education.

Another important social justice issue in the world today is continuing genocide.  One would hope that, in this day and age, there would be no senseless and widespread killing of people.  Unfortunately, brutal and widespread murders still plague society.  The most stunning example of genocide in the news today is the crisis in Syria.  Hundreds of thousands of innocent people have already been killed in Syria, and now the killing has grown even more heinous with the use of chemical weapons.  The group killing these people has disregarded the dignity of human life and resorted to offensive means of killing.  The U.S. and other countries are considering military involvement, but more violence may not be the way to bring about peace in Syria.

It is important to pray for education and peace and to summon the courage to stand up against the mistreatment of others.