Most recent public comments by T'Keyah Andrews https://nowcomment.com/users/18882 https://nowcomment.com/documents/52798?scroll_to=505753 https://nowcomment.com/documents/52798?scroll_to=505753 To add to your argument Carolyn, I do also find it problematic that when talking about these racial issues that do exist on grounds the topics tend to be segregated in a sense as well. When events about race are brought up in the Black community we often times want to speak among black people about the issue. I find that this does absolutely no good. Racial history at UVa or racial history in general is not a black or white thing, it's both. And I think that the university and other groups at the university should strive to include people of different ethnic backgrounds because the problems will never be solved if we keep our thoughts, ideas, concerns, and outrage confined to our community. Black Monologues was such a great event because when I was in attendance the audience was not overwhelming black. There were many different races in attendance and because of that our message about the struggle of being black at the university was easily relayed to those in attendance. But I think that we should focus more on integration when it comes to discussions about racism. It can be hard because some people like being dominant and don't want to change anything but some people might want to learn more about how to make things fair, so we shouldn't shut out other communities with these issues. Mon, 04 Apr 2016 14:30:25 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/52798?scroll_to=505751 https://nowcomment.com/documents/52798?scroll_to=505751 I think that the power is vested in the fact that a substantial percentage of African Americans will face jail time more so than any other minority in America but also just seeing how the justice system works more against black people than any other race in general this is a fact see below: "Drug Sentencing Disparities About 14 million Whites and 2.6 million African Americans report using an illicit drug 5 times as many Whites are using drugs as African Americans, yet African Americans are sent to prison for drug offenses at 10 times the rate of Whites African Americans represent 12% of the total population of drug users, but 38% of those arrested for drug offenses, and 59% of those in state prison for a drug offense. African Americans serve virtually as much time in prison for a drug offense (58.7 months) as whites do for a violent offense (61.7 months). (Sentencing Project)" Here's a link as well http://www.prisonpolicy.org/graphs/raceinc.html To that effect I don't think that generalization is necessary. Different ethnicities in terms of incarceration are not victims of the system to the extent that black people are. And I do believe that the black race especially black men have been demonized. We cannot deny that colorblindness is an issue because this denies the inherent difficulties people of color will face in their life, but what we also cannot do is not acknowledge what being apart of the jail system does to people of color. It robs them of their citizenry. They cannot vote, cannot collect food stamps, and in most cases are less likely to attain a job, or decent one to that effect this is an extension of segregation. We cannot ignore this. Jail is a correctional facility, yet for blacks on a large scale who were already disadvantaged we are more disadvantaged than before when it comes to re-entry to society. With so many rules and regulations in terms of treatment for those who were incarcerated, what kind of life can we expect them to have when they are constantly being knocked down by institutions? Mon, 04 Apr 2016 20:33:56 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/52798?scroll_to=505739 https://nowcomment.com/documents/52798?scroll_to=505739 And here we go again with the power of the media as an example of how political aims are manifested through the medium. I can't count how many times the media blows something out of proportion or completely fails to cover issues that should be covered. We can only ask ourselves why Flint, Michigan is just now gaining the media's attention, or why other cities like Flint remain unacknowledged. But this is interesting simply because I remember as a young black child growing up and hearing about the war on drugs more specifically the crack epidemic, which wasn't really an epidemic until the media made the situation worse with constant coverage on the issue. This is yet one more example of how the media can be used as a tool to gain support for a cause/problem that might not even exist, but what are the ramifications for that, who should be punished? The reporters who took the information and ran with it without checking the facts, or the president and his administration who allowed an entire race of people to be negatively stereotyped and victimized because of their agendas. Mon, 04 Apr 2016 22:21:08 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/52798?scroll_to=505737 https://nowcomment.com/documents/52798?scroll_to=505737 I actually can't believe that this was even a statement for a president what a mass deception that exists within our political system. The fact that this statement is an actual admittance of a president is quite sad, and the fact that he thought that devising a plan without appearing to do so is part of the problem now. As mentioned in class our generation does not believe we live in a post racist society but on the other hand they also don't believe in the government deliberately putting laws in place in order to keep black people disadvantaged. And yet here we are with a statement in which a president admits to allowing this. And we are still dealing with these issues today, yet some people choose to be blind to the problem. But the better question to ask would be are they really a non-believer in the systemic racism that sets many minorities back, or do they enjoy the privilege and not want to relinquish their power? I guess this is my question because in the wire we see how such institutions work against black people and we see all of those in politics, the police, and the education system acknowledge it, but still there isn't a change. They all say there's nothing they can do but is that really the case? Mon, 04 Apr 2016 20:52:37 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49881?scroll_to=481891 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49881?scroll_to=481891 I admire Carcetti's desire to want to do better for the Baltimore schools, but I feel bad for the guy. There's simply just too much for him to do and not enough money I definitely think that the community organization should get a large portion of the money, maybe 20%, but at the same time Baltimore is such a rough city that the police department needs money as well, to keep those like Chris and Snoop from shooting up everyone for silly reasons like "they said Marlow was a punk." I think that the way to make a city great is by investing money in the security of citizens and investing in education, so that children can actually use the system for social mobility. The Wire does a good job of bringing up the important issues that can arise when it comes to allocating government funds. I think that it's a lot harder than what anyone intended. And I think Carcetti notices this when it comes down to the police department not getting paid at all. Mon, 29 Feb 2016 16:50:27 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49881?scroll_to=481018 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49881?scroll_to=481018 I do think that the realities of media coverage is something that should truly be looked into as we see in the last season of The Wire, we see the female sun reporter in the first episode really upset that her story didn't make it to the front page of the newspaper, in which a co-worker jokingly says wrong zip code and because the victims were black. It's the harsh reality of media that those who live in a disadvantaged area will hardly ever have their stories heard. This example also extends to the homeless murder albeit fake, no one took it seriously until Carcetti and The Sun reporter received a "call from the murderer" and they made a big deal about it. In which case I think that these examples show that the media coverage plays a big role in which cases are treated with urgency or if these situations are brought to the light. Tue, 01 Mar 2016 13:47:58 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49881?scroll_to=481016 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49881?scroll_to=481016 This brings up a very good point in my opinion. Often times we can accept violence and gruesome content on the movie screen, but I think that seeing live footage or real content that may be like that of a Quentin Tarantino film can be helpful. This makes us regular citizens understand the extent to which these people have been exposed to such explicit content, but in their daily lives. I mean you really have to think about it to understand it. We watch from the comfort of our own homes, or in a movie theater with our lovely popcorn and soda and after 1hr and 45 minutes it's over for us, whereas there is no over for someone who lives in this environment. It can happen anytime throughout the day sometimes more than once in a day, and at all hours of the night as well. Could you imagine being inside a Kill Bill film for 24 hours constantly having to witness death over and over again? Then multiply that by weeks, months, years that's a tough reality. Sun, 03 Apr 2016 16:06:17 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49881?scroll_to=481010 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49881?scroll_to=481010 While it is strange for them to play in the middle of such a devastating situation, it isn't all that devastating because it has become a normalized event. This reminds me of the shoot out that Omar and his crew did when his friend died in the street. The kids were reenacting the shoot out minutes later while the police and crime scene were investigating the area. Bunk witnessed the kids switching roles and fantasizing that they were Omar, like he was a hero of some sort. The same can be said about the many murders and shoot outs that occur within the show on a general basis. They seemed to just come with the territory most of the kids just let these events occur without any regard to how depressing they were. I truly do think that this is so devastating to think that kids can lose the ability to sympathize with death and victims. Tue, 01 Mar 2016 22:56:47 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49882?scroll_to=480909 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49882?scroll_to=480909 I think this may be one of the more realistic images that The Wire brought to me. I grew up in the suburbs of Texas, so my view on inner city issues especially up north were limited. I think that in this way the wire does a great job of showing the everyday lives of people who grow up in these devastating environments. How can one hope for a better future when all there is or all you know is negative. When forces work against you, it's no surprise that most of these children end up the way that they do. They simply can't help it their environment calls for it. So in addition to the environment being dangerous both criminally and moralistically; it also is dangerous to ones health, what more can you expect from the people who live in these conditions it's truly impossible to see the hope in such an environment. Sun, 28 Feb 2016 15:32:50 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49882?scroll_to=480907 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49882?scroll_to=480907 It only seems strange that a city is worried about upholding a certain appearance and not the well being of their citizens. We don't really see the appearance of Baltimore really being a big issue, but in The Wire we do see how the paper, police, and political departments neglect the concerns and safety of citizens in the roughest parts of the city, it's as if they don't matter. But even as a larger issue we see this happening in more cities with the rise of gentrification. We see a hint of it occur in season 2 when Nick Sobatka and his girlfriend are looking in a neighborhood that used to be affordable, but now has been renovated and marketed to those who would pay top dollar for the property. So even the places that were somewhat accessible to locals has now been changed in a way that kicks locals out. Mon, 29 Feb 2016 16:31:37 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49882?scroll_to=480906 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49882?scroll_to=480906 And if we look at the examples from the last season we see how Randy and Namond turned out differently. In the beginning Randy was positive and quick to find a way to avoid conflict and violence. He seems to have a more positive outlook on life because of his foster mom who pays attention to him and his well being. Whereas in the case of Namond his father is in jail and his mother enforces him to engage in drug dealing as a means to provide for the family. Interestingly enough we see how Namond has since moved from west Baltimore and became more interested in education, and performing at a higher level with his new guardians. Whereas in Randy's case as a child in the system in a group home he's had to harden himself and became a lot more resilient because he stayed in a negative environment. All the positive thinking in the world can only do so much if you're surroundings don't support you. Sun, 28 Feb 2016 15:49:26 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49882?scroll_to=480904 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49882?scroll_to=480904 And we see this trend continued at the end of the 5th season when Dukie ultimately realizes he has nowhere to go, and ends up living with the dope fiends. I believe he really wanted to go to school but the lack of a support system can make it nearly impossible. Especially when the "social promotion" or whatever occurred and bumped Dukie up to high school. He dropped out because he knew no one would care or give him the attention and support he needed like Prezbo. In the end Dukie, promises Prezbo he will get his GED, but it's apparent that he has slipped into the drug addict lifestyle. Sat, 27 Feb 2016 16:21:19 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49884?scroll_to=480744 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49884?scroll_to=480744 I definitely don't think that the younger kids have a really bad reaction to death I think they are desensitized to the reality of death. It's always just sort of glazed over like "oh he's dead...well what's happening with the re-up" I think that caring is a sign of weakness so at an early age kids just learn to get over it. One of the biggest turns is when Kenard shoots Omar, I mean this is a little 9-10 year old who kills the biggest baddest thug on the block, and he seems unaffected shocked by his ability but not sad. The only real case of sadness is in season 5 when Chris, Snoop, and Michael hit up the family and only one little boy is left as a witness. We see Kima struggling to get a statement from him but we also see that he is deeply affected, which is probably the only case of a kid taking death hard. But did you see in season 4 when the girl was slashed in the face the kids came back to school the next day and acted as if nothing had happened only Prezbo was really concerned everyone else just accepted the situation and moved on, they build up a tolerance to it because it's apart of their everyday life. Fri, 26 Feb 2016 21:56:48 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49884?scroll_to=480743 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49884?scroll_to=480743 While I do believe that Bubs is the exception I think that what makes Bubs situation different is the fact that he is a drug addict, he's directly dependent on the dealers for his fix and the police for his safety. Sure he changes in the end but for some reason he's in the game yet him being a snitch is not a huge factor because everyone writes him off. I think that the Barksdale/Marlow crew would never even think that a person like Bubs would have the audacity to betray them. I think that Bubs wouldn't be considered a traitor because even though he's a part of the game he was always third string. Both the police and the dealers don't really see Bubs as a real player in the game. Fri, 26 Feb 2016 21:48:50 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49884?scroll_to=475225 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49884?scroll_to=475225 Yes these stickup's must be planned and executed well. And in most cases we think of stickup's in terms of the victim being innocent, but what happens in the case when we see stickup's executed by Omar throughout the wire. Omar and his crew have skits where they pretend to be innocents or regular people on the streets until their victims are at their most vulnerable and then they strike. But what makes Omar such a lovable character is the fact that the people that the people he sticks up are drug dealers. Can we really feel bad for them? Are they still victims? In which case Omar and his crew challenge the stereotypical view of having the drop on someone during a stickup. Omar and his crew are constantly evolving and coming up with creative new antics, people are still falling for it, he is the definition of being a cunning and stealthy stick up man. Thu, 25 Feb 2016 01:49:03 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49884?scroll_to=475220 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49884?scroll_to=475220 This change is best exemplified in season four where we see Namond, Duquan, Michael, and Randy's innocent fun and pranks turned into drug dealing, fighting, and eventually killing in a matter of one school year. In the summer we see the boys trying to stick to innocent fun more specifically with the Randy kid. He tries hard to stray away from the violence and illegal activity. While Normand wants to be like his dad and welcomes the drugs and violence associated with it. Michael however, is in the middle he neither acknowledges violence and drugs nor does he ignore it. Michael knows that drugs are realistic in his environment in the beginning, he didn't want to be apart of the game unless it was to pay his dues. But he falls for the power, and he becomes somewhat possessed by his power over others and it's quite strange how in the end Michael the boy who began in the middle but turns into a killer. Wed, 02 Mar 2016 12:33:13 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/46407?scroll_to=452899 https://nowcomment.com/documents/46407?scroll_to=452899 I find this to be one of the hardest tasks for television today. Very rarely do I find a show that can not just give you the binaries of a character by either demonizing them or romanticizing the character. In the wire I feel as if every character has had their shinning moment be they "good" or "bad" for instance when Herc and his partner were accused of taking the money, but later found it in the truck, but then later on take a band when they busted the main stash. Or Omar when he seeks revenge for the death of his partner, even when it occurred due to him robbing Barksdale in the first place. And the same happened when McNulty forged a few names on a paper when the wire was up because he wanted to use the information they had recorded. All of these instances show people in a good or bad light regardless of where they stand. Tue, 02 Feb 2016 18:46:54 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/46407?scroll_to=452898 https://nowcomment.com/documents/46407?scroll_to=452898 To be honest I didn't think that McNulty was working for himself I honestly think that he originally started it because he did care, however, once everyone began to see how deep the case actually went that's when everyone started saying things like "this is a career case." Regardless, I do agree that the American Dream does focus on self ambition etc, but one aspect that is missing is that there is a system to get there and striking out on your own seems to be scrutinized in the legal system partly because they all kind of work together both the police and lawyers. However, most times I felt as if the reason why people don't care is for selfish reasons like "having a good clearance percentage" or "trying to become a judge" and the many other examples shown throughout the first season. I think the chase for the American Dream is corrupt whether you're chasing it on the streets or from a desk. Tue, 02 Feb 2016 18:40:04 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/46407?scroll_to=452885 https://nowcomment.com/documents/46407?scroll_to=452885 Be that as it may, the code of the streets is certainly somewhat different from the code of the corporate world. Snitches on the streets end up dead, while snitches in the corporate world end up getting fired, demoted, on the outs, or some sort of work punishment that disconnects them socially. Whether the code seems exaggerated or not isn't of concern the real concern is how the code can be paralleled in the corporate and bureaucratic sectors. Wed, 03 Feb 2016 10:49:00 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/46407?scroll_to=452883 https://nowcomment.com/documents/46407?scroll_to=452883 I think this is what makes the show as close to authenticity as it can be the fact that Idris isn't even American on top of that. He has the most authentic accent on top of the fact that he isn't even from this country, truly an amazing actor to completely embody his characters. In addition to that, the entire cast does well to portray the accents and mannerisms in such a way that I feel as if these people aren't just characters. It's like reality. Wed, 03 Feb 2016 05:48:03 -0500