Most recent public comments by Caroline Hague https://nowcomment.com/users/44177 https://nowcomment.com/documents/136072?scroll_to=1314341 https://nowcomment.com/documents/136072?scroll_to=1314341 This sentence reminded me of Ziggy's behavior's in The Wire. His sudden windfall of drug trade money resulted in spending on superfluous items. He had no understanding of what to do with the money he was making, which made it even more obvious that he was operating in illegal business. While Ziggy does not grapple with addiction, which some individuals involved in drug dealing do, he does get overly involved in the work that he is doing. He becomes so emotionally invested, that he resorts to killing when he doesn't get money that he has been promised. His behavior, and that of crack dealers, represents the repercussions of the disappearances of legal labor. Thu, 04 Apr 2019 04:26:01 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/136072?scroll_to=1314302 https://nowcomment.com/documents/136072?scroll_to=1314302 I was surprised by how frequently the theme of mental health reappeared throughout the chapter. It is both shocking and heartbreaking to think that one would attempt to kill oneself to receive social security money. This makes me wonder if this is a reoccurring instance or common practice for others. If so, psychological assistance programs, to address addiction or mental conditions, need to be increasingly available. Those who are most in need of treatment or psychological care are unlikely to receive it. Sales of illegal drugs and self-harm should not have to be means for survival. Thu, 04 Apr 2019 10:29:01 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/136072?scroll_to=1314294 https://nowcomment.com/documents/136072?scroll_to=1314294 I think you make a really strong point here, which is often overlooked. Those who choose to take legal jobs and work extremely hard, often barely earn a livable wage. This reminds me of articles we have read about the school system, in which there is little incentive to stay in school, graduate, go to college, and get a job. Students drop out because they can quickly earn money and attain status on the streets, but not in the classroom. If positive reinforcements were in place to encourage them to stay in school, it is possible that they could work their way to jobs paying above the living wage. An additional factor in this issue is that individuals raised amidst gangs and drug trade have likely not had role models or examples to follow on these paths. If leisure and illegal labor are all one knows to get by, this is the path he will follow. Wed, 03 Apr 2019 20:37:35 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/136072?scroll_to=1314279 https://nowcomment.com/documents/136072?scroll_to=1314279 I also find it surprising that not one of the dealers in the game struggles with addition. Although, I might push back against your comment about Bubbles. While it is true that Bubbles is removed from drug dealing and sales, I would say he is not entirely removed from the operations of the game. In contrast, he has insight about the ongoings and operations of the game due to his addiction. I distinctly remember the first season when he is placing hats on the dealers, while Kima captures these interactions on camera. His troublesome addiction causes him to have a unique inside involvement in the game. Yet, he uses this for good, to support the police and eventually recover from addiction. Wed, 03 Apr 2019 20:23:20 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/136072?scroll_to=1314276 https://nowcomment.com/documents/136072?scroll_to=1314276 I also think it is important to acknowledge the economics of the game. Even though the individuals in these chapters describe their work as outside of the legal economy, it is clear that such business operates according to economic principles, whether it is recognized in the formal economy or not. This is interesting because, what we may recognize as the informal or underground economy actually comprises these individuals' income and existence; so for them this is their formal economy. Wed, 03 Apr 2019 20:17:46 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/134033?scroll_to=1307685 https://nowcomment.com/documents/134033?scroll_to=1307685 I really liked how Alexander drew attention to the media's role in dominating the racial justice discourse. This is not something I had previously considered when thinking about what matters of racial justice are discussed and what issues the nation focuses on. This makes me wonder how the mainstream media of the 21st Century, comprised of polarized news sources, could be exacerbating this issue. If people can choose specific news channels and websites, might also influence what matters of race relations are addressed and to which audiences. Mon, 25 Mar 2019 16:37:33 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/134033?scroll_to=1307681 https://nowcomment.com/documents/134033?scroll_to=1307681 This paragraph reminded me of our class discussion of incrementalism, in which we addressed how individual institutions change very gradually. In addition policies that are adopted usually reflect those that already exist. This dynamic of incrementalism appears to exist with racism as well. Racial prejudice continues to persist in various forms, despite the end of slavery or Jim Crow laws. To dismantle the embedded racial caste system, a social movement that targets major institutions simultaneously could help. But as Alexander notes, the public support of the status quo must be overturned. Mon, 25 Mar 2019 21:44:34 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/134033?scroll_to=1307536 https://nowcomment.com/documents/134033?scroll_to=1307536 This particular paragraph was eye-opening and I felt like it accurately described the misconceptions present in our nation today. Alexander mentions how the “popular narrative” that emphasizes the death of slavery and Jim Crow and the “triumph over race” as misguided. I completely agree that the popular narratives that we accept lead us to overlook many instances institutional disadvantage and prejudice. Another popular narrative in our nation today seems to be “education as an engine of upward mobility.” This idea that working hard in school, getting into an elite university, and starting a career will help one succeed out of poverty is not the case for many. As we noted in class, this has also been used as a means to justify economic inequality. This popular narrative does not account for institutional barriers that individuals face, due to their race and social class. Just as Alexander states, believing that race no longer matters blinds us from how racial inequality persists. Thu, 28 Mar 2019 05:05:29 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/134033?scroll_to=1307516 https://nowcomment.com/documents/134033?scroll_to=1307516 I found these statistics particularly shocking and these are matters that need to be acknowledged today. These massive increases in funding to federal law enforcement agencies to “crack down” on drugs seem unreasonable when little is being done to address why and how addition is occurring and how it can be stopped. If greater resources were available to educate individuals about the drugs on the streets, it is possible that fewer would get involved in using or dealing. In addition prevention and treatment programs could offer the resources they need to get better, rather than governmental punishments. I was interested in learning more about how many individuals who get arrested for drug possession or dealing go back to these practices once released from prison. Searching on Google, I came across the US Sentencing Commission statistics of recidivism among drug trafficking offenders, which reports that, 8 years later, 50% of federal drug traffickers are rearrested (https://www.ussc.gov/research/research-reports/recidivism-among-federal-drug-trafficking-offenders). Sending individuals to jail doesn’t solve the root of the issue here. It appears that other approaches need to be taken to address the issue of drug dealing and use, rather than just punishing those who have engaged in these practices. Increased funding to supportive institutions, such as the Department of Education or National institute on Drug Abuse, could help. Tue, 26 Mar 2019 01:25:55 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/134033?scroll_to=1307471 https://nowcomment.com/documents/134033?scroll_to=1307471 Alexander's acknowledgment of the demand for plantation labor met by slavery, also reminded me of the shift to the drug trade as a viable source of labor. The large supply of drugs is one reason why African Americans may get involved in the trade. You mention that there were very high unemployment rates and it is important that we understand how this came to be; the globalization and deindustrialization of the 1980s. The institutional barriers that African American individuals experience, such as limited educational opportunity, exacerbate unemployment levels and leave the drug trade as a viable opportunity for income. The impact of jobs shifting away from unionized labor was apparent for Frank Sobotka and Nicky, as the disappearance of work on the docks led them to get involved in illegal foreign drug trade. Mon, 25 Mar 2019 13:40:09 -0400