Most recent public comments by Mary;Mary Winston Richardson https://nowcomment.com/users/6136 https://nowcomment.com/documents/52798?scroll_to=505989 https://nowcomment.com/documents/52798?scroll_to=505989 What makes this discussion of race and the history of race in America even more relevant to our particular class is that we attend the University of Virginia, a historical southern state school. Virginia played a crucial role as a leader from its time during the existence of the thirteen colonies through the Civil War, where Richmond was the capitol of the South. Alexander's discussion of the Virginia Supreme Court case, Ruffin v. Commonwealth in 1871 shares how the case declared inmates as "slaves of the state."With inmates considered slaves, they are subject to inhumane treatment and have no rights while in prison. Even though the Civil War ended six years prior to the court decision, a new form of legal slavery arose in Ruffin v. Commonwealth. Tue, 05 Apr 2016 09:20:27 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/52798?scroll_to=505988 https://nowcomment.com/documents/52798?scroll_to=505988 Alexander discusses the "death of slavery" occurred at the end of the Civil War, and the institution of slavery formally was put to rest. I found this statement interesting because while slavery became nationally illegal at the end of war, the skeletons of the slavery system maintained to exist and it was not a explicit defining day where it just "ended". The idea of race flourishing during the times of slavery also stood out because I do wonder what Alexander means by "idea of race" and how that idea of race evolved over the centuries to todays idea of race. Tue, 05 Apr 2016 09:14:22 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/52798?scroll_to=505906 https://nowcomment.com/documents/52798?scroll_to=505906 Lauren connects this line with images we have frequently seen in the media such as with Michael Brown and Freddie Gray. I agree with Lauren's comment that it is a whole other issue that most images of police brutality aren't highlighted in the media. Alexander's line of police arresting a black man, completely ignoring his existence stuck out to me because this is a very real issue in today's institutions as we saw watching The Wire. Mon, 04 Apr 2016 21:34:06 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/52798?scroll_to=505829 https://nowcomment.com/documents/52798?scroll_to=505829 Watching the Wire during an election year has been an interesting point of conversation in our class. While Alexander refers to the joys and hope when Obama was elected the first black president, we are also reminded like Maddy says to Season Three of The Wire, where politics and the election cycle play a crucial role in society. Tue, 05 Apr 2016 09:46:40 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49882?scroll_to=483607 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49882?scroll_to=483607 In today's class lecture (3/1) we discussed who the "better" parent was in the case of Namond- Weebay or Dalonda? Weebay is notoriously known as a murderer, however wants a better life off the streets for Namond, while Dalonda encourages the street life game for her son. It goes without saying one's parents have tremendous influence on their child, however with this great influence may come the concept of failure when his or her child does go through hard times. Weebay knows he would be to blame if Namond ended his life young or was sent to prison, and instead of risking that blame asks for DaLonda to let go of her son. Thu, 03 Mar 2016 10:03:32 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49882?scroll_to=483604 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49882?scroll_to=483604 Lisette shares she will begin college in Myrtle Beach following her high school graduation along with her husband. Higher education is something simply not covered or discussed in The Wire because it seems so unattainable or unrealistic for the street kids. I was curious to learn Lisette wanted to attend college, even though she was a new mother, and would have liked more information from Kozol regarding her decision to pursue her education, and the challenges she would soon face. Unlike her brother, Lisette, was able to escape the cycle her family once lived in before Montana, now moving on with her own family and prioritizes the betterment of her life through education. Wed, 02 Mar 2016 20:58:57 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49882?scroll_to=483600 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49882?scroll_to=483600 I agree with this comment, that as we can see with Eric's situation moving to Montana did not resolve all of his problems while the move from NYC looked promising at first. This situation does instigate the question of what kind of role an environment plays in one's life, demonstrating how it is not a matter of urban vs. rural living either. Tue, 01 Mar 2016 21:56:37 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49882?scroll_to=483536 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49882?scroll_to=483536 Off of Catherine's comment, hungry was also addressed when Michael and Bug's mother stole the family's food stamps for drug money. It was appealing to see drugs valued over the nutrition of her family, and I believe Kozol's chapter further illuminates this issue of children's hunger and poor nourishment in our own country that often is ignored. Tue, 01 Mar 2016 23:28:27 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49884?scroll_to=482014 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49884?scroll_to=482014 A theme throughout The Wire has been "getting even" or payback, where we have seen multiple instances of characters murdering other characters for a wrongdoing against one of their own. It is more difficult to name a scene on The Wire where the characters have talked through their difficulties with the enemy instead of resulting to gun violence. Omar is a continually character who is constantly "getting back"or vice versa against him. While we do see Proposition Joe and the Stanfield organization having meetings in hotel conference rooms occasionally, they mostly discuss external drug trade matters. Anderson goes on to discuss how groups recognize the deaths of young men, painting graffiti art or creating RIP shirts. We saw attributes like this in The Wire with the scenes throughout the show of characters buying flowers, specifically for D'Angelo and wanting the flowers to mimic the towers. Mon, 29 Feb 2016 21:34:10 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49884?scroll_to=481975 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49884?scroll_to=481975 A theme we have seen throughout the Wire, and more so in Season Four and Five has been the lack of employment for black people in urban neighborhoods. We see this with Cutty and his return from prison, and early employment as a yard man before working at the boxing center. The subject of "street" employment is also touched on in conversation between Michael and Bodie, where Michael asks Bodie to stay home and essentially "nanny" Bug, a job that is neither going to school like he should or regulated like a real job would be. The street's "underground economy" generates a job market that on the surface may look appealing to young boys such as Michael and Bodie. Mon, 29 Feb 2016 20:20:33 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49884?scroll_to=481942 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49884?scroll_to=481942 I do agree that there is little representation of Anderson's "decent" people on The Wire, however see a few other characters would could be labeled as such. I would also recognize Randy and Randy's foster mother (before Randy was forced to move to the group home and he turned to the drug trade), as descent people or what we discussed in class as "stoop kids". I think The Wire's definition of "decent people" is wider than what Anderson writes about and The Wire shows ones can be inherently decent yet all connected to the "game" and ultimately become involved, loosing the decency. Mon, 29 Feb 2016 19:18:13 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49884?scroll_to=481939 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49884?scroll_to=481939 I too agree with Meg's comment, along with Alison and Caroline's replies that The Wire lacks the role of women in the game, or on the streets. I was very interested with D'Angelo's son's mom the few episodes she appeared in and then her relationship with Stringer Bell. Once Stringer Bell was murdered, we were left what happened to the D'Angelo's son's mom. I was also left curious about the girl in season who herself was a stripper and witnessed the body of her best friend in the morgue after she was thrown in a dumpster. Her character seemed to desire to leave the streets culture, and I think it would have be interesting for The Wire to keep the character on into the later seasons. Mon, 29 Feb 2016 19:11:38 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/46407?scroll_to=452667 https://nowcomment.com/documents/46407?scroll_to=452667 Across different races and classes, Simon explores the theme of human self-worth in today's society in The Wire. The show examines how individuals can come from different backgrounds whether it is their home life living in the projects or their mother's basement, or their work, working in the drug trade or shipping yard, and still have a shared sense of low self worth that is consistently challenged and pushed. A shared enemy in today's post-modern society for the working class is capitalism, the system that is driven from private ownership and often accumulates the complete power over the labor class. With the powerful and closely knit political economy of the news organizations and the media, the bleakness of capitalism as an enemy or a contributor to the idea of self worthlessness is rarely covered in commercial television, however The Wire explores this humanistic topic and exposes a shared sentiment felt amongst so many that is rarely accurately portrayed. Tue, 02 Feb 2016 14:31:29 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/46407?scroll_to=451866 https://nowcomment.com/documents/46407?scroll_to=451866 I agree, Simon creatively combines robust journalism, on a topic that is often not shown in such a realistic or multi-dimensional manner, with entertainment through carrying a cohesive and engaging narrative throughout each season. I do question how much the TV as a platform has to do with this "entertainment" spin on the show, and if it is even possible to separate aspects of entertainment away from shows, especially though on cable television such as HBO, or if it is inherent that the show is viewed as having entertainment aspects because of its television medium. Wed, 03 Feb 2016 12:08:15 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/46407?scroll_to=451858 https://nowcomment.com/documents/46407?scroll_to=451858 After completing the first season of The Wire, I too have noticed Simon's theme of "leaving our the decent people." I recall that this first crossed my mind during the scene where McNulty and Freamon assist an elderly lady with her groceries by the lower towers. While the cops wanted to causally question the lady as a possible witness for Ghant's murder, I was left curious about her character and her role in the community. Thus far, the show so rarely depicts the elderly generation which I find could serve as insight on a different perspectives of those out of the drug trade but still in the game. It is a little disheartening that Simon excludes any of these "churchgoing" personas from the show but as Bowden writes, through the exaggeration of the streets is how Simon creates the bleakness of the show. Wed, 03 Feb 2016 17:21:58 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/46407?scroll_to=451818 https://nowcomment.com/documents/46407?scroll_to=451818 The Rolling Stone article also came to mind while I was reading this article. As media studies students of UVA during the Rolling Stone case debacle we were able to closely see how stories can become sensationalized and then bring dramatic consequences that can deeply effect communities surrounding the piece. After gaining the knowledge of Columbia's School of Journalism's report, when criticizing and analyzing Erdely's article,we had to closely separate how to properly deal with the issues she brought up with her poor and commercialized journalistic practice. Mon, 01 Feb 2016 20:38:58 -0500