Most recent public comments by Corey Schmidt https://nowcomment.com/users/28321 https://nowcomment.com/documents/76206?scroll_to=735794 https://nowcomment.com/documents/76206?scroll_to=735794 This sentence alone is truly concerning. Apartheid was a legalized system of discrimination against black people, and we are currently "out-performing" it? This fact by itself should be enough to convince anyone that we have a serious problem with racial discrimination in this country. Mon, 17 Apr 2017 17:03:46 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/76206?scroll_to=735790 https://nowcomment.com/documents/76206?scroll_to=735790 This is an important distinction. Based on what we have learned so far in this class, racial bias is everywhere in this country. White and black people have had such different collective histories and individual upbringings that "racial biases" are going to be present throughout our society. But what Alexander is describing as a "well-disguised system of racialized social control"is even more concerning, as it implies a deliberate effort made by people in power. Thu, 13 Apr 2017 10:18:46 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/70146?scroll_to=669102 https://nowcomment.com/documents/70146?scroll_to=669102 I like your observation of the conflict between being in the game and being decent. As the article points out, while many characters have some decent motivations (like D's mother's love for family), they are all still corrupted by the game. D's mother is not only tied to the game, she is one of its biggest proponents, as it has given her family so much. Simon depicts a world in which everybody plays the game; it is the cancer that is destroying the city. Thu, 02 Feb 2017 00:24:02 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/70146?scroll_to=669069 https://nowcomment.com/documents/70146?scroll_to=669069 While it is true that as a fictional TV show, not everything presented in The Wire is 100% accurate, I think that it is more important to focus on the truth that exists in the themes that the show is attempting to depict. Simon has created his own version of Baltimore, but he is bringing to light some extremely real problems that exist in cities across the United States. The attention to detail present in the show is very impressive and serves an important purpose, but that purpose is only evident when you take a broader view of what the show is trying to accomplish. Thu, 02 Feb 2017 00:07:51 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/70146?scroll_to=669061 https://nowcomment.com/documents/70146?scroll_to=669061 While this does become more and more true, both Daniels and Carver do still display plenty of ambition as well as other character flaws. Daniels starts out as a "chain of command" career-focused lieutenant, and it takes him plenty of time to come around. We also learn about the dirty money that he accepted early in his career. And Carver is revealed to have been corrupt throughout the first season, as he was informing on the unit in order to receive a promotion. He doesn't really come around to being a truly good cop until "Bunny" sits him down in a later season. In the end, even some of the most seemingly noble characters struggle with the moral issues that are constantly at play during the series. Thu, 02 Feb 2017 01:16:13 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/70146?scroll_to=668972 https://nowcomment.com/documents/70146?scroll_to=668972 The sheer fact that Simon and Barnes have created a "Wire-world" is why I think its pretty easily the best show I've ever seen. Other than Game of Thrones (which is based off of what will be seven 700+ page books), I have never seen a show go into so much plot and character depth. When you add in the powerfully realistic implications of what is going on in The Wire, no show can come close to what the creators have accomplished. Wed, 01 Feb 2017 23:16:46 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/70146?scroll_to=668841 https://nowcomment.com/documents/70146?scroll_to=668841 This is a bit of a stretch, but this description of Simon reminds me in some ways of the character McNulty. Both seem to be angry men, who were fed up with the institutional structures around them. "In a better world- one where papers still had owners and editors who were smart, socially committed, honest and brave- Simon probably would have never left the Sun to pursue a Hollywood career". In a similar way, McNulty's personal vendetta against the Baltimore Police Department was motivated by the inefficacy and corruption that surrounded him. Both men, motivated by this anger at the system, went on to (at least attempt to) create something of true value that addressed the problems they saw. Thu, 02 Feb 2017 02:14:44 -0500