Introduction
Violence against persons of colour is a persistent issue that has existed for centuries in the United States. It is profoundly ingrained in the evolution of American culture, whether it is motivated by a desire and need for control, to uphold an illegal system of oppression, or to uphold a cultural image of one’s own superiority. Researchers are today challenged with understanding why race matters the way it always has, with outcomes that continue to undermine the core concepts of freedom, equality, and democracy. Over time, models, justifications, and resistance to this violence have changed. An increasing amount of data suggests that systematic racism in policing is the cause of the disproportionate number of deaths caused by the police. This shows that in the US, the impact of lethal police violence is a pressing public health concern.
Main Thesis of Authors
“Killing Fields: Explaining Police Violence against Persons of Color” by Jones (2017) sets police violence against people of colour in a historical perspective and makes the case that historical patterns are being followed by the present homicide wave. In the article, the causes and effects of police aggression are explained sociologically for greater comprehension. The descriptions of the causes and effects of police violence are the key features of the pieces in this collection (KF 874). The article’s main argument for why racial stereotypes and their behavioural effects are to blame for police violence is that these effects extend beyond the direct victims to communities of colour.
“The racialization of crime and punishment: Criminal justice, colour-blind racism, and the political economy of the prison industrial complex” by Brewer and Nancy (2008) present the issue from the positions of social justice, racial history, and the perceptions of racial pedagogies. The essay evaluates a number of macro systems linked to policing, economic exclusion, and political emancipation. Regarding the theoretical framework, the writers examine the racist and classicist roots of injustice using critical racial theory. The article links a number of topics, including the history of US law, criminal justice, and the political economics of the criminal justice system, as part of its study (RCP 627). The writers concentrate on the interplay between micro and macrosystemic injustice, as well as the contribution of prisoners to the promotion of resistance to these injustices.
Arguments of the Authors
The article “The Killing Fields: Explaining Police Violence Against Coloreds” by Jones (2017) provides strong facts that might raise public awareness of police officer intolerance and inequity. The main points of the author’s arguments focused on the role that the media and the so-called “Gorilla effect” play in the aggravation of racial prejudice (KF 883). Additionally, the media’s influence has a particularly damaging impact since it contributes to the development of animosity toward black people. Dehumanizing black people and associating them with monkeys—a practice known as the “Gorilla Effect” in the Jones article—is another defining aspect of the media’s conduct (KF 885). This occurrence suggests that individuals of colour are no longer considered to be part of the human race.
“The racialization of crime and punishment: Criminal justice, colour-blind racism, and the political economy of the prison industrial complex.” Brewer and Nancy (2008) offer a substantial analysis of the interconnectedness of the issue with prevalent social issues such as justice, law, and criminal justice. The key driver and the connection between macro and micro factors in relation to racial-driven violence is a highly developed concept and development of racism. Within the authors’ analysis, racism is understood as a system of opportunity structuring and value assignment based on phenotypes that unfairly disadvantage some people and groups and weakens the cohesiveness of the entire community by wasting human resources (RCP 633). According to this framework, racism has many effects since it not only hurts those it affects but helps others. In the context of violence, this implies that certain young people are more likely to become victims than others because of privilege and birthplace advantages. The authors contend that considering the connection between historical discrimination and institutional racism is necessary before considering police brutality (RCP 636). These arguments essentially reflect on the importance of the analysis conducted.
Evaluation
The paper by Jones is an important piece of study that advances the discussion on the subject of prejudice towards persons of race. The author brings up the subject of law enforcement officials’ prejudice and discrimination against black individuals. It should be mentioned that this issue has a long history in American culture and is still a pressing one today. Jones notes that gaining tolerance and equality for people of colour remains a challenging issue in spite of many efforts. The article has a substantial quantity of statistical information on people who have experienced police brutality. The key flaw of the article can be discovered in the comparison of the European and American systems (Draper). While the issue is less prevalent in Europe, the difference between the systems is not substantial. European prejudices are also apparent and recognizable, causing regular troubles in different European countries.
The Brewer and Nancy article also presents a valuable contribution to the scholarly debate on the issue. The junction of numerous macro and micro aspects, taking into consideration diverse historical and social repercussions, is the article’s strength. The examination of social justice makes a significant contribution to the global scientific debate on this subject. Regarding the formal critique of reasoning, the logic of the author’s argument is flawless. However, it is dubious about placing so much emphasis on forming a coalition to accomplish social justice. This question’s final consequences may show its futility. It is also important that the study has credibility and significance because it is based on other important scientific publications.
While both of the articles presented valuable arguments and reasoning, the Jones article is more convincing because of its excessive use of statistics and thesis strength. Brewer and Nancy’s article attempted to intersect different perspectives to analyze macro and micro factors, but the scope of the aspects was too multilayered. That is why I am more inclined to side with the arguments of the Jones article. Within this issue, I find it more important to analyze contemporary repercussions such as the media’s detrimental effect and the “Gorilla Effect”. This will allow incorporating aspects such as historical intersections and political economics but essentially focus on the current state of affairs.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the issue covered in these articles concerned law enforcement personnel’s bigotry, prejudice, and discrimination towards racial minorities. The articles made the case that particular actions have an impact on how prejudice spreads among police personnel. The argument about the value of tolerance and equality in all spheres of society is brought to light in both essays, which is beneficial. The authors stress that gender and ethnicity cannot be used to predict homicide.
Works Cited
Brewer, Rose M., and Nancy A. Heitzeg. “The racialization of crime and punishment: Criminal justice, colour-blind racism, and the political economy of the prison industrial complex.” American Behavioral Scientist, vol. 51, no. 5, 2008, 625–644. Web.
Draper, Martin, Lopez-Zegarra, Nancy, Maldonado, Carlos, Martinez, Melissa, Torres, Audrey, and Tsang, Matthew. “Killing Fields: Explaining Police Violence against Persons of Color.” [PowerPoint Presentation]. n.d.
Jones, James M. “Killing fields: Explaining police violence against persons of colour.” Journal of Social Issues, vol. 73, no. 4, 2017, 872–883. Web.