From Nobody to Somebody

The first step to repairing the disarray in our society is to identify what needs to be changed. Hill’s writing makes it clear that there are a variety of issues we should take notice of, but the egregious treatment of the disadvantaged and impoverished is clearly an incredibly significant issue. Now that we’ve identified places that need help society should have a responsibility to adequately spread their resources to help those in need. Police brutality and relations between the black community has also continued to be an issue that needs to be addressed if we want to start helping these vulnerable populations. First and foremost I think police should have more training and more severe punishments for violent infractions against civilians. Before any relations in the community will change people have to see the violent behavior end and be able to trust law enforcement officers.  

In terms of our drug laws and the congested criminal justice system, I find it extremely difficult to justify keeping some archaic anti-drug laws that are used to convict mostly black males. Laws that criminalize small amounts of marijuana are often used to persecute disadvantaged populations which we see on a daily basis in our justice system. The draconian, inflexible laws that were used to protect citizens are now often used to continue the cycle of poverty and crime in disadvantaged neighborhoods. Arrests for small amounts of drugs should not be prosecuted as harsh felonies; rather, I think jail is meant for dangerous and violent criminals. Laws need to be reviewed to catch up to the times and the thousands of non-violent criminals incarcerated for small drug infractions should be released. Incarceration itself should be a rehabilitative process and but for violent offenders (incarcerated for life) it should focus on how to help people return to society to become a successful citizen. 

The Media, Real Women and Gender Oppression

I think it is nearly impossible to reflect real life in a television or movie. The media, in general, makes reality so distorted that I’m not sure it’s even distinguishable in some cases. Take fake news, for example, it not only distorts our views of reality, often it gives straight misinformation. In movies, it’s impossible to represent the complexity of day to day life in less than a couple hours. Not only that, Douglas tears into the idea of the reality TV and how it really does not depict society or women. Shows like The Real Housewives, Jersey Shore, and Keeping Up With The Kardashian, just to name a few, have given young girls a completely unrealistic view of women and femininity. The ways women are pictured in the media continues to reinforce gender stereotypes that ultimately oppress us in society. They expose gender inequality when you look at the way these women are portrayed and sexualized. The saturation of powerful fictional characters in the media truly does give the illusion that we have reached a greater peak of ‘enlightenment’ than we really have. It’s clear that in the media women are portraying an unrealistic view of women and femininity. I think it’s unfortunate that the media makes it so difficult for young women to differentiate the glamor of Hollywood and acting compared to the real world. I don’t feel that the media adequately reflects women’s real lives because it’s impossible to capture its intricacy. The media draws attention to unconscious reminders that women, while they can be powerful, are still inferior to men.