Most recent public comments by Lawrence Hook https://nowcomment.com/users/28232 https://nowcomment.com/documents/76206?scroll_to=740677 https://nowcomment.com/documents/76206?scroll_to=740677 That's a good point. The idea the racism still exists is a surprisingly controversial issue. I think one of the reasons for this--as has been mentioned in lecture and several readings--is that with legislation such as institutionalized housing discrimination, racism becomes part of societies structures. Here, the burden of racist ideas can fall from the attention of individuals and be stored in institutions. Sat, 22 Apr 2017 00:24:45 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/76206?scroll_to=737446 https://nowcomment.com/documents/76206?scroll_to=737446 I too found this paragraph frightening. However I think the historical context that Alexander provides in this piece would suggest that racism does not alone account for the situation that the US is currently in. There is a legacy of subjugation that exists and legacies are not easily overthrown. What I get from this piece is not that racism rules the criminal justice system, but that this system has taken up a role that has a history of existence (spurred by racism) in American society. Mon, 17 Apr 2017 18:04:45 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/76206?scroll_to=737413 https://nowcomment.com/documents/76206?scroll_to=737413 I wholeheartedly agree. I found this statement to be the single most convincing piece of evidence that Alexander puts forth. Putting the incarceration rate of the United States in context with the rest of the world, exposes the absurdity of it. This fact suggests that there is something beyond conventional law and criminality at play when it comes to the justice system of this country. Mon, 17 Apr 2017 17:03:46 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/76206?scroll_to=737412 https://nowcomment.com/documents/76206?scroll_to=737412 I find it striking how, at the time of Nixon's declaration of War on Drugs, the American people did not find the issue to be the most important (only 2% as mentioned earlier in the article.) However, a generation later, drugs were pushed to be the dominant issue. To me, this statistic not only demonstrates the power of media over a population (already demonstrated by classic demagogues), but also the United States's unabashed use of this power. Mon, 17 Apr 2017 17:01:03 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/76206?scroll_to=737411 https://nowcomment.com/documents/76206?scroll_to=737411 I find this framing of the existence of racial prejudices intriguing. In a similar way that people in The Wire respond to institutional and environmental pressures, prejudiced legislators respond to shifting mores with adapted rhetoric. Marlo responded to the threat of wiretaps with a discipline of silence. This comparison may be a reach but I find this framing of large scale social issues as adapted populations to be compelling. Mon, 17 Apr 2017 17:00:18 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/70146?scroll_to=721734 https://nowcomment.com/documents/70146?scroll_to=721734 This is a good point and I think it applies to a lot of media, in particular the news. The bad things that are happening are always more interesting than the "decent." I'd hesitate to blame The Wire or other media that do this. It is hard to create interesting content that is realistic, and including the daily life of law-abiding citizens would only increase the challenge. Sun, 26 Mar 2017 19:21:12 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/70146?scroll_to=721730 https://nowcomment.com/documents/70146?scroll_to=721730 Good point! This show is after all *only* a television series. Its intent was never to be a completely accurate portrayal of reality. However, by framing Simon as a veteran reporter, Mark Bowden implicitly makes the claim that David Simon is a purveyor of fake news. Sun, 26 Mar 2017 19:14:57 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/70146?scroll_to=669547 https://nowcomment.com/documents/70146?scroll_to=669547 I can't help but wonder if the author was trying to win the esteem of Marimow and Carroll with this article. Two people who seem to occupy distinguished positions in the field of journalism. Thu, 02 Feb 2017 10:56:51 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/70146?scroll_to=669542 https://nowcomment.com/documents/70146?scroll_to=669542 Following this point in the article, I got the feeling that Mark Bowden was using this piece of writing to settle score with David Simon. Despite all the praises, I found the tone of this article to be rather disparaging toward the creator of the Wire. Do we need to know about the workplace politics of David Simon from a rival perspective? Thu, 02 Feb 2017 10:54:31 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/70146?scroll_to=669525 https://nowcomment.com/documents/70146?scroll_to=669525 I found this juxtaposition between the police department and the drug gang most clearly illustrated in the way that both organizations have a problem with nepotism. The series starts with both organizations dealing with a somewhat incompetent individual whose position has been secured by a family member. For the police department, it's Pryzbylewski and for the drug gang it's D'angelo Barksdale. Thu, 02 Feb 2017 10:46:14 -0500