Pre- Reading Week Fourteen

The way in which our justice system is structure is unfair to citizens. The system is suppose to protect those who have been accused of a crime and control crime from community to community, yet the system does not do these two simple things. The laws are structured in a way for a criminal to follow a cycle; meaning once they are in the system it is hard for them to get out the system. The three strikes law in my opinion is unjustified because if a teenager committed a crime at a young age he or she will be followed by that record of the rest of their life’s which makes it hard for them to move on. Which causes them to commit another crime in order to be stable and manage to stay alive. Even though it is unmorally wrong to discriminate against a person race and gender the justice system discriminates against a person with a record. In my opinion the justice system does not serve justice to everyone. We use the prison institution to throw massive amount of people to supposedly control crime in our streets but in reality the prion industry enslaves prisoners, takes their freedom, and the government “owns” you. Our nation claims we do not discriminate against an individual’s race yet we have set laws that are meant for certain races to break. It seems the government knows what laws to make in order to incarcerate as many people as possible; this is segregation because we do not see laws that white people will break.  I find it a huge problem to base laws on races. Another issue in our system is how crime is identified we incarcerate victims that have survived an abusive relationship or person. Rather than looking how the abuser harmed the survivor we criminalize him or her for self-defense. Also, not everyone in the criminal system has committed a serious crime. There are young teenagers in prison for sentence for many years just because of they were in passion of drugs. They should not be served with the similar sentence as a drug dealer just for have an ounce of weed. Another problem with the justice system is drug dealers convicted of cocaine will have a less sentence than people convicted with marijuana.

Word Count: 405

Post-Reading Week Fourteen

•        How does each of the approaches we studied challenge the PIC?

Each approach that we studied in class this week challenges the PIC in its own way. In the reading INCITE! W/O/C Against Violence challenges the PIC by creating movements that will end the violence internally and with in the state. By challenging the state laws the movement will not only end the violence but will create a society based on radical freedom. Mothers and Prisoners challenge the PIC system by creating workshops and a union ship with in mothers and families who have lost a love one in the PIC system. Mothers and Prisoners support both mothers and prisoners even though the prisoner may have done something horrible. Mothers are still there. The interesting approach this group takes on is they sit it in the court room while the case is being heard giving the mother and prisoner support “they are there for them.” Another way in which the mother and prisoners challenges the PIC system is through publicity and advocate for prisoners rights. Accounting Communities challenges the PIC system with the idea of it PIC is no longer useful and needs to be abolish. The idea of the Accounting Communities is the idea of holding the individuals with in the community accountable for their actions. The community gives a sense they no longer need the authorities to be involved. Lastly, the Abortionist Alternatives is similar to Accounting Communities when challenging the PIC because they both want the system to be abolish, but have other alternatives for individuals who commit a crime rather than just going straight to jail due to one offense. The Pic system in the eyes of Abortionist Alternative see the system as racism and slavery coming together giving a new sense of Jim Crow.

• What actions if any do you believe the individual people can take in order to challenge the PIC?

I believe individuals looking to take order of the PIC system should join forces with Mothers and Prisoners and Abortionist Alternatives. Both ideas are very strong to abolish the PIC system because both work for the same purpose. In the Mothers and Prisoners the group comes together to make the word known abut the PIC system and what it really is, giving a sense of comfort to families and mothers. Abortionist Alternatives work to find different ways to prevent young individuals from going to jail for a “stupid” mistake. Making alternatives will these people from getting a record proving to the PIC system they do not need to be incarcerated. 

Word Count:401

Pre-Reading Week 13

1. In your opinion, what are the connections between race and crime?

In my opinion, the connections between race and crime are all base on racial profiling. Latinos and African Americans have always been looked as criminals in our society. Racial profiling plays a huge impact in our society and minorities are looked down upon.  I also believe our society likes to think racism is no longer present. This is a false because whites are still superior in our society and monitories are underneath them.  

2. What is the “Industrial” part of the Prison-Industrial Complex?

The Industrial part of Prison- Industrial Complex is the prison receives money for each imamate in prison. The prison industry provides jobs for the imamates. Rather than paying the imamates minimum wage they pay them by cents per hour. Some jobs provided by the imamates are answering the phones for big time companies such as Victoria’s Secret. Another job in which the imamates participate in are making license plates and building desk such as the desk at SFSU. While working in the prison industy the imamates are subject to “slavery work” while incarcerated.

3. Is crime defined to impact some populations more than others? Who is believes to be more criminal?

Crime is defined to impact some population rather than others such as Latinos and Blacks, whereas whites are not viewed to commit crimes.  In my opinion society views “color people” more criminalmatic than other races. I would some what agree with these views because our prisons are filled with blacks and Latinos we hardly see a large amount of whites in prison cells.

4. What functions do prisons serve in the United States?

There are many functions the prison serves in the United States. First, prisons keep criminals out of society to prevent harm to “good” citizens. Second, prisons punish criminals for the crimes in which they committed. These aspects of why prison serves good serves in the United States.

5. Why do you think that people of color are over-represented in the prison population in the United States?

I believe “color people” are over-represented in the prison population in the United States because they represent the number of imamates in the prison industry. Also, “color people” commit crimes because of their low income and not as educated as most people. Which leads them to seal in order to make a living.

Word Count 405

Pre-Reading Week Twelve

Hip Hop has evolved in many aspects giving artist a “voice.” Not only has Hip hop influence society today from past records and new records but also hip-hop has become a new revolution for example, in the 2008 elections Obama was the voice of the young people. Artist made songs about Obama and took a stand during interviews about how important it is to vote.  Obama not only won the election by his debates and plan but also by hip-hop helping his message spread nation wide. Therefore, Hip-hop can be used to further social justice to make a change in our society and nation. Although these great aspect about hip hop making a movement into social justice there are down falls. Many individuals who see hip-hop as a disgrace to music critique the genre. Stating it is a discrimination against women, improper, and false allegations. In my opinion they are wrong. I see hip-hop as a tool for social justice because it is a less censor voice to the nation. For example, the Obama is a social justice to the nation because he delivers Americans what is happening in our nation and what we have to do to stop it. Rather than being more blunt about the topic he needs to speak proper and informative versus Hip-hop artist can inform the listens what is happening but are les censor.Hip hop can be a powerful tool of activism because it artist use hip-hop as a voice to reach out  to listens and open their eyes to what is really going on in our nation. Activism to me is a a person taking a stand to a issue. Hip hop is a more conscious genre than others because hip hop is portray as powerful and gives listeners a sense of control. Where as other genre are not directed towards major issues. I choses this video because this song was a huge hit when it came out. It also open peoples eyes to killings, racism, and discrimination. The Black Eye Peas symbolize a huge question mark in the video asking the listens where the love meaning where is the love and peace our nation once had? Now our nation is falling part killing each other and the government is hiding the truth away from us. This song is a great example of activism. 

word count 405

Pre-Reading Week 11

·      I believe the purpose of hip-hop is to heel and give listened strength to over come something in their lifes. Also another purpose I believe hip-hop is informs listeners what is going on in the world.

·      The majority of hip-hop artist are black. The consumers of hip-hop are diverse there are many races who listen to hip-hop or have listen to hip-hop and have bought an artist album or mix tape. Hip-hop is not really pro-homogenous. Therefore, you hardly see any rappers are may be gay “come out of the closet.”

·      Hip-hop is so popular because not only dose it bring awareness to society but also it gives listeners a foundation, anything is possible if you believe. Hip-hop is very popular because people can dance to the music not only to the lyrics but also to the beat. Hip-hop is problematic in some case for example, when rappers write in their lyrics about murdering a human, gang affiliation, claiming territory over another neighborhood, drugs, sex, and jail. Giving young listeners the idea and mentally to do the same so they have the same life-style as their favorite rapper.  Once this occurs conflict between individuals and gang’s members occur.

·      Rock feels he has to defend rap music today because rap music is more discriminating towards women and uses sexism. Rock also feels the music that is release is more blunt about having women dancing on a mans private parts. Where as in the past hip-hop era music was less discriminating toward women and told a story rather than rapping about sex, booty shaking and titty showing.

·      Some positive aspect of Hip-hop is it has united the world by people being able to relate to a certain person and their life-style. Hip-hop has also given us great rappers such as Tupac, Notorious B.I.G, Michael Jackson, and Whitteny Huston.

·      The roe in  Hip-hop towards women has evolved where as in the past Little Kim, Salt and Pepper and Missy Elliot had to fight and act like a man in order to gain respect from the public. Back then women rappers were not as popular as it is today. Today Nicki Minaj has opened the doors for other female rappers by her aggressiveness and “bars” in rapping. Her versus in many songs she has wrote or is featured in dominant male rappers. I believe there is still misogynistic to a certain point in Hip-hop because if a female is serious about proving herself rather than having a sex appeal to the rap society, she has a better chance to gain respect rather than being taken a joke.

Word Count 433