Most recent public comments by Jesse Uriss https://nowcomment.com/users/51071 https://nowcomment.com/documents/136072?scroll_to=1314216 https://nowcomment.com/documents/136072?scroll_to=1314216 This passage got me thinking about white privilege. I think the stereotype of many poor neighborhoods is that it's not safe for white people, but here the evidence is the opposite and to me this seems like a form of white privilege. In this example, the white person is a deterrent to stick up kids because it is assumed that the white person has connections to either law enforcement or simply people that will make a big deal if something happens to them. I think it is white privilege because it is assumed that this person is of high status because of race and therefore is in less danger. Thu, 04 Apr 2019 02:20:40 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/136072?scroll_to=1314209 https://nowcomment.com/documents/136072?scroll_to=1314209 This passage really drives home the point that the drug dealers are literally gambling with their lives. It is astounding to think that something that is seemingly as simple as hiding the stash could be a difference of four years of incarceration. Something the Wire isn't able to show, because it take place over 5-6 years, is the real time effect of prison sentences. We see Cutty released after serving a hefty prison sentence, but it would be interesting to see a show that followed someone like Cutty from the very beginning. Wed, 03 Apr 2019 19:26:33 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/136072?scroll_to=1314177 https://nowcomment.com/documents/136072?scroll_to=1314177 This reminded me of On The Run, in the part where it talked about running from the cops. For most people, it seems like a no-brainer that running from the police is a bad idea. What is important to realize, as Goffman explains, running from the police does actually work enough of the time to make it a viable option. Often people say that when one considers jail time and legal fees etc., drug dealing doesn't pay much. I think this overlooks the fact that there are drugs dealers who have performed a cost-benefit analysis and in some cases make vastly more money through drug dealing than they would legally. Wed, 03 Apr 2019 19:22:30 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/136072?scroll_to=1314172 https://nowcomment.com/documents/136072?scroll_to=1314172 Really liked the reference to Stringer's economics class. Something that's interesting to me is that he was taking a macroeconomics class, which focuses more on how the economy has a whole functions. I find this interesting because it shows that Stringer has been developing a deeper understanding of "the game" as social system with many complicated moving parts. Wed, 03 Apr 2019 19:18:31 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/136072?scroll_to=1314166 https://nowcomment.com/documents/136072?scroll_to=1314166 As we've talked about in class, The Wire is often tone-deaf when it comes to issues of gender. I found this passage to be interesting as a comparison to what we see portrayed in The Wire. I also like that you brought up Goodfellas, and your reference reminded of a similar scene in American Gangster where women were portrayed as assisting in the production of heroin. Wed, 03 Apr 2019 19:12:03 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/134033?scroll_to=1307616 https://nowcomment.com/documents/134033?scroll_to=1307616 I agree that this paragraph was eye-opening. It made me consider how The Wire challenges other narratives that we tell ourselves about our society. One example is the one you brought up is the example of working hard in school as a means of getting ahead in society. As we see in Season 4, for Michael Lee this narrative simply is not true. He has to care for Bug, and get them into a new living situation. His problems are so urgent that the benefits of staying in school are far outweighed by his need to earn the kind of money that can buy him safety from his home life. Mon, 25 Mar 2019 14:51:59 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/134033?scroll_to=1307615 https://nowcomment.com/documents/134033?scroll_to=1307615 This comment made me think about how there are many forms of slavery. It is sadly true that while someone may not be physically confined as we often imagine, using things like debt to control the actions of other people is certainly a form of slavery. Mon, 25 Mar 2019 14:46:42 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/134033?scroll_to=1307614 https://nowcomment.com/documents/134033?scroll_to=1307614 I agree that the Constitution was likely not entirely about upholding slavery, although certainly some of its intent was to preserve the means of wealth creation through capitalism, and because slavery allowed for vast amounts of wealth creation, the two were inextricably intertwined. It is interesting to consider issues that are not explicitly addressed in the Constitution, perhaps our founding fathers gave us too much credit if they assumed we would be able to solve these issues in the future. Mon, 25 Mar 2019 14:43:00 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/134033?scroll_to=1307612 https://nowcomment.com/documents/134033?scroll_to=1307612 This comparison does a fantastic job at drawing attention to how ingrained racism had become in our society, and therefore why racism is such an enormous problem today. Michelle Alexander really nails an important point here when she emphasizes the enormous amounts of wealth gained by slave owners at the expense of the vast suffering of their slaves. This point adds perspective to why racism became so readily adopted by people everywhere: because they needed to try to somehow justify the atrocities they were committing and witnessing. Tue, 26 Mar 2019 02:36:04 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/134033?scroll_to=1307580 https://nowcomment.com/documents/134033?scroll_to=1307580 This passage made me reflect on the future, and specifically how the prison system can be changed. The problems with the current prison system seem to be systematic and, as we see in The Wire, part of a greater problem for our society. What I found interesting here though, is the emphasis on the future. I agree that it would certainly take a very large scale movement to invoke meaningful change within both the prison system and society as a whole because one is a symptom of the other. I think that the question is: how do you change the a system that is so deeply intertwined with our history? Mon, 25 Mar 2019 21:44:34 -0400