Racism
Racism is “the belief that some races of people are better than others”. There are many types of prejudice such as skin color, religion, nationality, and ethnic identity. In fact, it is a huge issue in American society. American society has suffered from racism for a long time. Racism started in the beginning of 17th century when the Europeans colonized in North America. Racism has caused some negative things in the American society such as creating criminals, changing people’s behavior, creating hate, and causing social unrest. Some people who have faced racism in the American society are Native Americans, African Americans, Japanese Americans, and Arab Americans. Racism against African Americans is the biggest issue in the United States because it has a long history, entrenched beliefs, and is still happening today.
African Americans, or black people, are the oldest targets of racism in the United States since most of the black people in America were slaves at one point. The history of racism against the black people began when European countries sold slaves to America in order to help grow and develop the farm lands. At the end of the 18th century, the government of the United States had set up a law, which prohibited this kind of trade, because it giving the black people their rights. Also these rights are necessary to live as a human being such as drinking, eating, and wearing what they want. Also, it are giving them their freedom, the ability to work with who they want, and to live where they would like. It tend to make all people in the United States equal under the law, and to let them know there is no differences between black, or white. Yet, some people still have negative beliefs about blacks.
Today, some police officers see black people as dangerous, and they treat them as if they are criminals. First of all is the issue of black people getting arrested by the police. According to “11 Facts About Racial Discrimination” website named (Do Something. Org) there are studies that say police like to stop and frisk blacks or Latinos more than white people. Moreover, in New York City, 80% of the stops were for black and Latino people, and 85% of those they have stopped were frisked. Unlike the white people who represented 8% of the stops. This shows that the law is not fair and equal. After the police arrested only them, “33% of African people became detained while facing a felony trial.” The second issue reals with how black people become criminals. There is a stat that says that an African American male “has 32% chance of going to jail” as opposed to Latino and whit, which are 17% for Latino males and 6% for white males. The third fact is about killing unarmed African Americans. According to the Guardian News, it says that “unarmed African Americans are killed more than twice as much as white Americans”. The Guardian investigation found “102 of 464 people killed in this year by police officers were not carrying weapons”. In addition, the local news reports and Guardian reports found out that African Americans who got killed by the police this year a number of 32% were unarmed. Unlike the percentage of Latino Hispanic people, which was about 25%, compared with the percentage of white people killed, which is being the lower number of 15%.
There are specific two examples of black people getting killed, which I will cover in this essay. Also, those examples got people’s attention not only in America, but also some other parts of the world. The first example is about an unarmed black man getting killed by a police officer in North Carolina. According to the Guardian News there was an officer named is Randall Kerrick who pulled the trigger and shot “12 times” at Jonathan A Ferrell, who was 24 years old. He was a football player at Florida A&M University. Ferrell was in the Charlotte area and he was out on Saturday. He was driving and then he had an accident. After his car crashed, he was asking for help and he walked about “a half mile.” he went to a house nearby from the crash. Ferrell started knocking the door of that “to attract attention,” but the woman who lived in that house, whose name was Monroe. She thought that was her husband “coming from work.” Then, Monroe opened the door and saw Ferrell. She closed the door and she called the police at 2:30am. After the police came to that house, Ferrell “ran toward the officers” but Officer Kerrick hit him by a Taser to make him stop. Then Kerrick shot him 12 times. “Ten bullets stayed in Ferrel’s body”. The police says that after the officer hit him by Taser, Ferrel continued running toward the officers. “Officer Kerrich was charged with voluntary manslaughter.” Ferrell’s family said that Ferrell lived in Charlotte less than a year, so he was unfamiliar with this area. Ferrel’s mother said “I forgive Kerrich and I pray for him (Ferrel’s mother).”
The second example is also about an unarmed black man got killed by the police in South Carolina. According to Guardian News, an article named “South Carolina officer charged with murder after shooting man in the back” by Oliver Laughland, the black man named Walter Scott and he is 50 years old. In Saturday morning, Scott has stopped for a traffic violation by a police officer named Michael Slager. What happened is Scott tried to escape for an unknowing reason, and he ran away from officer Slager. Then, pulled his gun against Scott and shot him 8 times, and Scott fell to the ground. Slager siad that was defending for his self because he felt fear. After a couple days there was a video showed up in some channels recorded by a random person, and that video shows how Scott got killed by Slager. According to Guardian News, Slager said that Scott took his Taser and that led Slager shot Scott. Also that video showed us that Slager came over to Scott’s body and he said “put your hands behind your back,” but there was no response from Scott because he already dead.
In my opinion, I think the reaction of those police officers who they killed two black people were an abnormal thing and it is totally wrong because the Taser would be the solution to stop anyone. Also, one or two bullet could use them as defends on themselves instead of shooting 8 or 12 times as you are shooting monsters. They still humans we should feel mercy for them. Additionally, I think those police officers did that because they thought they have a law’s protection. Likewise, I could say the media and the movie companies play an importance role in racism against the black people because they show us that the black is a dangerous person, a drug dealer, a gun dealer or the black man is angry all the time and he likes to fight anyone. In my experience, I have saw a lot of movies like that and I thought black people who are living in America are dangerous. But after I came to America, I found them unlike, they are so friendly and helpful. That means do not judge the book by the cover.
In conclusion, Racism is a big issue in American society a long time ago. Racism against the black people is a huge case, and black people has suffered from it. Some police officers have negative beliefs against the black people.
