Police Minority Killings

A prejudice is a personal bias against an individual. While everybody has a freedom of expression, when a prejudice leads to a criminal activity, it becomes a legally defined as a hate crime. It is of significance to differentiate a hate crime from other criminal activities due to the fact a hate crime has a life of its own as it intends to create fear among those facing prejudice.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Police Minority Killings specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Hate crime is a criminal activity, with a prejudice motivation. Prejudice exists between race, class, disability and sex orientation among other forms. Hate crime operates along these conflict lines. Hate crimes are criminal offence inspired by existing (In the Shadows of The War on Terror: Persistent Police Brutality And Abuse Of People of Colour In The United States 2007). Police brutality in the USA is historical from brutality against Native A mericans slaves, black racism and recently, Muslim profiling. The racial profiling and abuse at the police force has been at the heart of killings of minorities in America. With the police force behind its officers in face of police brutality, police involved in hate crime cases face reduced sentences and mostly get their jobs back after cases brought against them (Community Relations Service U.S. Department of Justice 1999). Hate crimes must meet some prerequisites in order to be classified as such. The first prerequisite is that the hate crime is a criminal activity, which has a legal recognition as a criminal activity. Secondly, it should have a prejudice motivation. The murder of Jonny Gammage, a Black-American, at the hands of police did satisfy these prerequisites (Levinand and McDevit 2008). Jonny Gammage, on October 12, 1995, was driving irresponsibly leading to police pulling him over. What had been a normal arrest for driving haphazardly took a turn for the worse when he d ied for resisting arrest. The events on that given day, took place as follows. After Jonny came to a halt, the arresting police gave an instruction to alight the car he was driving, a Jaguar Sedan. Although resisting, he did as asked and alighted with a phone in hand. The police had a mistaken assumption that the phone was a gun and with aggression, they pounced on him. It is at this moment that he turned violent; therefore, to arrest him, police retaliated with excessive force among them, John Voltas who was the first to hit him. After they were unable to restrain him on the pavement, Voltas along with fellow police officers continued attacking him. This was the view of the police of the occurrence of events on the fateful day, but it is far from the truth. Jonny drove a Jaguar Sedan, by any means a reasonably expensive car. What was unexpected, was a driver of such a car slowing as they approached a police car on standby at the roadside and accelerating thereafter.Advertising Looking for essay on criminal law? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It was suspicious, which prompted the police officer to follow the car. Lieutenant Milton Mullholland requested back up of John Voltas. Jonny was instructed to exit the car, which he did and the items he was holding fell after being hit by a torchlight. Jonny hit the torchlight, which Voltas responded by with help of Mullholland to wrestle him to the ground. He was sat on as he was being hit by torchlight after 7 minutes he was dead (CNN 1996). The four arresting police were all white. The court jury that participated in the acquitting charges of manslaughter by Voltas and his team was all white. Voltas eventually got back from his suspension to go back to his job. The violence meted against Jonny Gammage when it went to court in 1996, the Brentwood police force was fully behind their fellow police officers. The police force was at trial and the evaluation of facts impartially was out of question. It was, after all, outstanding police officers who just had a slight blot in their career; which they would learn from (John Volta’s words). The African American Coalition of Justice was at hand with fellow African Americans in protesting the verdict during the trial but to no avail. References Levinand, J., Mcdevitt, J. (2008). Hate crime. Waltham, Massachusetts: Academic Press. CNN. (1996). White Officer Acquitted in Death of Black Motorist. Web. In the Shadows of the War on Terror: Persistent Police Brutality And Abuse Of People of Colour In The United States. (2007). Web. Community Relations Service U.S. Department of Justice. (1999). Police Use of Excessive force. Web.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Police Minority Killings specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This essay on Police Minority Killings was written and submitted by user Cassius Mullins to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Person vs. Persona

Person vs. Persona Person vs. Persona Person vs. Persona By Maeve Maddox A reader asks for â€Å"some analysis between person and persona.† Both words derive from an ancient Latin word that originally referred to the theatrical mask worn by an actor. In time, the word came to refer to the character played by the actor wearing the mask. The characters in a play are still referred to as â€Å"dramatis personae,† (â€Å"persons of a drama†). From the context of the theater, persona spread to the law courts to describe an individual who possessed certain rights under the law. Historically, both persona and person have functioned with the same or similar meanings that have included: any human being an important person a person of the Trinity grammatical person juridical person character in a play In 19th century usage, the word person was sometimes used to refer to people of low social class. Servants announcing callers in novels of the time distinguish between gentlemen, ladies, and persons. Even today, speakers often use person as a distancing expression: â€Å"that person who calls herself my friend.† Generally, person is used to refer to a hypothetical individual or to one who is not known personally. Here are some typical uses: Cigarette smoking Brazilian man may be world’s oldest person at 126 years old How does multiple sclerosis change a persons life? [To prepare for emergency] identify an out-of-area contact person that your family can call and get in touch with one another. In general usage, persona is used to refer to the personality that an individual projects in public. In a literary context, a persona is an assumed role adopted by a writer or by a performer. In the psychology of Carl Jung, the persona is the outer or assumed aspect of character, the set of attitudes adopted by an individual to fit a perceived social role; the opposite is the true inner personality, what Jung called the anima. Here are examples of modern uses of the word persona: My therapist has changed her persona. Ariana Grande’s fans had their worlds rocked this week when Ariana revealed that she was changing her persona for her next album. Tom Hanks traces his charming, guy-next-door persona all the way back to high school.   Brand personas are your personality attributes-and if you’re an entrepreneurand have created a business, then they’re the qualities that can define your corporate brand as well. T.S. Eliot creates a persona to mask his emotional immaturity [in] â€Å"Hysteria.† [Ezra Pound] sometimes appears to share the sentiments of the poem’s persona, making for an interesting ambiguity.   The  persona, for Swiss psychologist  Carl Jung, was the social face the individual presented to the world- â€Å"a kind of  mask, designed on the one hand to make a definite impression upon others, and on the other to conceal the true nature of the individual.† Note: In the expression â€Å"persona non grata†, persona does mean person: a â€Å"persona non grata† is an unwelcome or unwanted person: Israel to declare Robert Serry persona non grata Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:The Meaning of "To a T"One Fell SwoopHow Verbs Become Adjectives

Video gam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Video gam - Essay Example This essay will explore these parameters and make a conclusion as to the effect that violent video games has on society. Markey and Markey (82) studied how aggressive tendencies might be mediated by personality. In other words, there are certain personality types which are more affected by video games than other types. For instance, individuals who score high on tests that measure psychotic or antisocial tendencies – lack of sympathy, aggressiveness, unfriendliness, untrustworthiness, lack of emotion, paranoia – are more likely to experience higher levels of hostility and aggressiveness after exposure to violent video games (VVG) than those who do not have these tendencies. This holds true with other forms of media as well, such as violent movies – the psychotic men, after seeing a violent film, is much more likely to state that violence is an acceptable way of resolving conflicts than men who do not score high on tests measuring psychotic or antisocial tendencie s. When these same men are exposed to pornography, they are much more likely than men who do not score high on psychotic or antisocial tendencies to report that they are more likely to rape a woman. ... ily upset, angry, emotional), not agreeable (indifferent and cold) and had low conscientiousness (not keeping promises, acting without thinking, etc.). The researchers concluded that, despite the fact that there is a prevalence of VVG, incidents of violence are relatively rare, therefore there has to be something more that compels these people to violence – much like the fact that, for the majority of the population, peanuts will not cause a reaction, but, for some, they are deadly, VVG are â€Å"deadly† for some, but, for most, have no effect (Markey and Markey, 86). Anderson & Bushman (353) conducted secondary research through PsycINFO, looking at the following terms – video and game and fight, aggression, violence, hostility, anger, arousal, and prosocial. They looked at different studies that looked at the above tendencies, and tied these tendencies to violent video games. They found that the results of these multiple studies showed that exposure to violent v ideo games posed a public health threat to children and youths, which includes college-aged individuals in this analysis. They found that exposure to violent video games decreased pro social behaviors and increased aggression in the participants. That said, they admitted that they needed to review more longitudinal studies, and that violent video games might actually be useful, if these games can teach the game players about nonviolent solutions to social conflicts. Another study conducted by Sacks et al. (1) also suggests that video games might do harm to children. They looked at the amicus curiae briefs that were filed in Brown v. Entertainment Merchant Association, 130 S.Ct. 2398 (2010). They looked at which of the briefs were more persuasive, looking at the quality of the experts who wrote the briefs –

The Dollar-Pound Exchange Rate Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Dollar-Pound Exchange Rate - Essay Example This coupled with the devaluation of the pound sterling, in a bid to reduce the domestic credit in UK, brought down the exchange rates against pound sterling. But there was always an opinion and not wrongly, that the market was predominantly controlled during those days by speculators which was possibly the single largest reason to work against the interests of pound sterling. Though this was the scene in September 1931, the scene has not undergone drastic changes in terms of operational methods. The number of players in the market, speculators, traders and the countries interacting with one another has all increased. But then the basic working of the market remains more or less similar to the pre-war condition in the case that it is controlled by the speculators of the market to a great degree. The market has been set aside as Futures for the speculators. But then the futures carry a very special impact on the over all exchange rates of the currencies on the bourse. The aim of this research is to study the impact of the futures market on the currency exchange rate across the counter. The objective of the research is to identify a relationship either empirical or otherwise between the futures market and that of the spot business after passage of a specific time. It is quite possible that the current futures price on a specific contract at a specific period could determine the price of the currency, in our case, the pound against the dollar, for that period in time. The projections and the relationships if could be explained and established then it would be easy to predict the future price of the currency at a specified contract period based on the current futures rate as well as on the spot price if relevant. This objective comes out of the hypothesis that there will be a clear impact of the futures rate of the market on the spot price of the currency. The exchange rate would therefore, is expected to vary with the futures price or rate as much as with the spot rate at the given point in time. Research material that is supporting this hypothesis as well as contra to this are studied and these are researched to spot the relationship between them in order to predict the future path that the spot prices might take. Literary Review There have been a number of theories and models that have been set to explain the exchange rate dynamics. Jeffrey Frankel (Sep 1981) writes about the empirical exchange rate model. In a typical exchange rate equation for the empirical nature of the behaviour o the exchange rates, most of the proponents accepts a 'semi-reduced' form of the formula. The equation consisted of the nominal exchange rate on the left hand side of the equation and the right hand side consisted of the variables to the issue, specifically, money supplies, relative Outputs, interest rates and wealth positions normally dictated by the cumulated current account positions. All this would make up the empirical relationships that make up the exchange rate for the currency. Peter Hooper and John Morton (1980) introduced the current account in the equation in the eighties. However, the empirical system of explanation for the exchange rates failed to stand the test of the time. The main purpose to study the changes in the pound-dollar

Case study Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Case Study Example Question 8: What did Rein A J regard in an eBay auction as the equivalent of the fall of the hammer in a traditional auction; and what is the significance of each (2 marks) The fall of the hammer in a traditional auction is complete when the auctioneer announces its completion by the fall of the hammer or in other customary manner-and until any such announcement is made any bidder may retract his or her bid. The equivalent of the fall of the hammer in an eBay auction is the automatic close of bidding at a fixed time and the generation of an eBay advice headed "won" appear to have been accepted by the parties to an eBay auction. Question 9: Why was an order for specific performance of the contract appropriate in this case (2 marks) An order for specific performance of the contract was appropriate because of two reasons: 1) the Wirraway was not at the time in flying condition, and 2) the plane was in a hangar owned by a third party. Question 10: Why was the final order not made in this hearing (1 mark) It was ruled that a binding contract was formed between the plaintiff3 and the defendant4 and that it should be specifically enforced.5 Further, the two parties would be given a chance to reach agreement on the precise nature of the agreement. Question 11: Why was the matter heard in the Supreme Court (4 marks) This matter was heard in the Supreme Court because the defendant kept appealing to higher courts when the decisions in lower courts were against him (i.e., not in his favour). TOTAL 30 Marks Course Profile for: LAWS11030, 2009 Term Two - Page 7 Part B McMuffins Ltd is a fast food company. Yesterday, before work had started, an argument arose between three kitchen hands: Tom, Dick and Harry. Over the weekend, Tom had offered to sell his... An order for specific performance of the contract was appropriate because of two reasons: 1) the Wirraway was not at the time in flying condition, and 2) the plane was in a hangar owned by a third party. It was ruled that a binding contract was formed between the plaintiff3 and the defendant4 and that it should be specifically enforced.5 Further, the two parties would be given a chance to reach agreement on the precise nature of the agreement. McMuffins Ltd is a fast food company. Yesterday, before work had started, an argument arose between three kitchen hands: Tom, Dick and Harry. Over the weekend, Tom had offered to sell his motorbike to Dick for $5000. Dick said this was far too much but he would pay $4000. Tom refused. Before Tom left for work this morning Dick phoned to say he would buy the motorbike for $5000 but Tom said he had already sold it to Harry for $4,500. It was not a good day for Dick: he was one of the six employees of McMuffins Ltd that

Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN)

Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Introduction The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) was founded in 1967 by Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand with the signing of the ASEAN Declaration in Bangkok. ASEANs objectives were to accelerate the economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region. To promote regional peace and stability, active collaboration and mutual assistance on matters of common interest in the economic, social, cultural, technical, scientific and administrative fields. ASEAN was subsequently expanded over the years to include Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia making up the ten member states of ASEAN today. Despite the expansion, the objectives and working principles of ASEAN have remained unchanged throughout the years. The ASEAN way of informal networking had been effective in creating a cohesive, peaceful and economically successful ASEAN bloc. This essay will address the question of ASEANs relevance to stability, security and prosperity of Southeast Asia in three parts. First, the essay will attempt to examine the power-balancing role of US in Southeast Asia. Secondly, the essay will analyze the conditions under which ASEAN was created to illustrate how ASEANs objectives are aligned with stability, security and prosperity of Southeast Asia. Lastly, this essay will explore in more depth how ASEAN remains essential to the stability, security and prosperity of Southeast Asia. The essay shall then conclude why the interpretation of MM Lees words is not accurate in current context and why ASEAN is not merely a supplement to the power-balancing role played by the US. Power-Balancing Role of US in Southeast Asia The strategic presence of US in Southeast Asia has not prevented USs allies and partners in the region from low-intensity conflicts and non-traditional threats. For example, there is still a high incident rate of piracy activities in the Malacca straits, Singapore straits and South China Sea. The strategic presence of the US has also not provided any security to the states in Southeast Asia from the attack by terrorist groups. Thailand, Philippines and Indonesia had all fallen victim to terrorist bombing, not once, but on several occasions. The attacks might even be triggered by the close ties between US and the states in Southeast Asia. The terrorist would have view the states as being pro-US thus became a target for the terrorist groups. The third Indochina War was officially brought to a close with the October 1991 agreements at the Paris Conference (PICC). With the collapse of the Soviet Union, the regional role of the US is no longer being shaped by the American Cold War imperatives in Southeast Asia. Impetuses for the Founding of ASEAN Most Southeast Asian states, less Thailand, attained political independence after centuries of foreign domination and colonization after the end of World War II. As such, nation building was the primary focus of ASEAN during its early years of formation. Furthermore, forming a regional organisation could fill the power vacuum left by the major powers, which used the region for proxy wars and major power rivalry. ASEAN provided a platform for the newly independent states to concentrate in their nation building and economic development. ASEAN was thus formed to create a peaceful and stable environment for nation building and growth among the Southeast Asian states. Despite the wish for peace and stability, the world in the 1960s era was embroiled in the war against communism. Communist threat to existing governments at that time was severe. The region was overwhelmed with communist insurgencies and there were imminent danger of communism spreading across Southeast Asia. Economic growth, a means to prevent the spread of communism was thus another important objective for the formation of ASEAN. Although Southeast Asia faced a common enemy, suspicions and distrust caused by Konfrontasi, the Malaysia-Indonesia Confrontation was prevalent among the member states. With the change in political leadership in Indonesia in 1966 with Suhartos replacement of Sukarno as Indonesias President, this spells the end of Sukarno regime and the end of Konfrontasi. It was also the beginning of Suhartos New Order regime and Good Neighbour policy. In order to achieve peace and stability in the region, it was important to first restore confidence and reassure Southeast Asia of Indonesias peaceful intentions. As a result, ASEAN was formed under the principle of non-interference in each others domestic affairs to create a tolerant environment for members to engage without suspicion and doubts. Given the above conditions, ASEAN was formed with the objectives to promote regional peace and stability, co-operation, economic development, and generating social and cultural progress. Defence arrangement such as SEATO was deliberately avoided to prevent being seen as overly pro-Western and provoking to Vietnam. ASEANs Achievements It has been four decades since ASEAN was founded. The achievements of ASEAN cannot be downplayed, for the fact that ASEAN is the one and only permanent regional association in Asia. Stability of Southeast Asia ASEAN had provided the framework for regional stability. The ASEAN Way of doing things had proven its strength based on how far ASEAN have came since its founding. The specific features of ASEAN Way are: informal process of interaction, informality, quiet diplomacy, dialogue and consultation, self-restraint, flexible consensus, lowest common denominator emphasis, conflict avoidance. They also respect each others National sovereignty, territorial integrity, non-use of force etc. standard Intl Relations principles. Their mode of operations is process-orientated and network-based model of co-operation that avoids bureaucratic arrangements. The Treaty of Amity and Co-operation in Southeast Asia (TAC) was signed by the member states of ASEAN in Feb 1976. The purpose of this Treaty is to promote perpetual peace, everlasting amity and co-operation among their peoples which would contribute to their strength, solidarity and closer relationship. This treaty has seen a growing number of countries outside Southeast Asia accepting it. In 2004, four more countries acceded to the treaty, namely, Japan, Pakistan, Republic of Korea and Russia. The ASEAN Social and Cultural Community (ASCC) was form to achieve a socially cohesive and caring ASEAN. It is intended to foster co-operation in addressing a grab bag of social and cultural problems associated with rural poverty, population growth, unemployment, human resources development, education, environment, and health. An example of the level of co-operation the member states have can be seen in the incident of SARs outbreak in Asia. ASEAN has been proactive in seeking to contain infectious diseases, which know no border. During the outbreak, a special ASEAN Leaders Meeting in Bangkok was called in Apr 2003; the ASEAN heads of government mandated a comprehensive regional response to the threat posed by the disease, the spread of which was wreaking havoc on their economies. Although the actual job of fighting the spread of the disease fell to the public health officials of the states, the coordination of measures was carried out at the health minister level of the ASEAN +3. Another example is the Singapore-Malaysia dispute over Pedra Branca islands. Both countries laid claim to the Pedra Branca islands although Singapore had been the custodian of the Horsburg Lighthouse situated on the island throughout the last century. The dispute could not be resolved within ASEAN; however, both Singapore and Malaysia had agreed to bring it to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 2007. This dispute came to an end with the ICJ ruling sovereignty of Pedra Branca to Singapore and that of Middle Rocks to Malaysia. ASEAN also manage to resolve the Cambodian crisis during the 1980s thru the ASEAN-Post Ministerial Conference (ASEAN-PMC) which assumed its current form when the US, Canada and Japan joined in 1978. Security of Southeast Asia TheZone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality (ZOPFAN)declaration was signed in 1971 by the Foreign Ministers of theASEANmember states (Indonesia,Malaysia, thePhilippines,SingaporeandThailand). In the declaration, the parties publicly stated their intent to keepSouth East Asiafree from any form or manner of interference by outside Powers and broaden the areas of co-operation. The ASEAN Regional Forum was formed in 1994 with the objective of promoting peace and security through dialogue and co-operation in the Asia Pacific. It is important that ARF continue to play its role in the political and security dialogue as well as confidence building. TheSoutheast AsianNuclear-Weapon-Free ZoneTreaty(SEANWFZ) of 1995, orBangkok Treaty, is anuclear weapons moratorium treaty between 10 Asian member-states under the auspices of theASEAN. It entered into force on March 28, 1997 and obliges its members not to develop, manufacture or otherwise acquire, possess or have control over nuclear weapon. This is crucial to both confidence building in Southeast Asia and to worldwide nuclear disarmament. Vietnam has joined ASEAN in 1995 and the ARF, and the long overdue normalization of relations between the US and Vietnam has finally happened, under the influence of ASEAN. The Vientiane Action Programme (VAP) adopted at the 10th ASEAN Summit contained several measures to guide ASEANs effort in countering terrorism from 2005 2010. These measures form the preparatory steps to the establishment of an ASEAN Extradition Treaty as envisaged by the ASEAN Security Community (ASC) Plan of Action. Prosperity of Southeast Asia One of the main objectives of ASEAN is to improve economic development. ASEAN has since negotiated for Free-Trade Agreements (FTA) with various dialogue partners of ASEAN. The FTAs were established with Australia New Zealand, China, India, Japan and Republic of Korea. Since 2000, European Commission and ASEAN are already discussing trade and investment issues at Ministerial (EC-ASEAN Economic Ministers) and official (Senior Economic Official Meeting) levels. The key challenge is to promote region-to-region economic relations, particularly by addressing non-tariff barriers through regulatory co-operation using the framework of TREATI (the Trans-Regional EU-ASEAN Trade Initiative), and ultimately to lay the foundations for a preferential regional trade agreement in the future. The Trans-Regional EU-ASEAN Trade Initiative (TREATI) is a framework for dialogue and regulatory co-operation developed to enhance EU trade relations with ASEAN. Study for an EU- ASEAN FTA was then initialed in 2005 and making good progress. In 2006, EU-ASEAN trade represented 5% of total world trade. The EU is ASEANs 2nd largest trading partner, accounting for 11.7% of ASEAN trade (2006). Significantly, 13% of ASEAN exports are destined for the EU, which makes it ASEANs 2nd largest export market after the US. ASEAN as an entity represents the EUs 5th largest major trading partner, accounting to 127 billion EUR, just ahead of Norway and equivalent to Japan. ASEANs trade with the EU has been growing steadily over the past five years, with an average annual growth rate of 4%. On average, EU companies have invested 5.1 billion EUR a year for the period 2003 to 2005. EU is thus by far the largest investor in ASEAN countries: 27% of total FDI inflows from 2001 to 2005 come from the EU, compared to 15% for the US. Conclusion ASEAN was formed during the era of inter-state distrust and the uprising of communism. ASEAN was thus established with the objectives of promoting regional peace, stability and economic progress to facilitate nation building among member states. The working principles, the ASEAN Way of non-interference, informal understanding and consensus building based on lowest common denominator have been effectual in attaining the objectives of ASEAN. The introduction of new member states including Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia, had fulfill the dream of including all the countries in Southeast Asia into ASEAN. It can be seen that the strategic presence of US in the region can no longer guarantee the security of the states in Southeast Asia, especially in the current era of non-conventional threats piracy and terrorism. As such, the interpretation of Mr Lees words is not accurate in todays context. Over the last four decades, ASEAN have certainly achieved plentiful in all areas of stability, security and prosperity of Southeast Asia. The ASEAN Way has been successful in promoting regional co-operation and economic development. The nations of Southeast Asia were able to leave their historic rivalries behind them in the name of ASEAN unity. They have also taken the lead to create the ASEAN Regional Forum to engage all their Asia-Pacific neighbours for the first time, to discuss in a structured dialogue on wide-ranging Asian security issues. The Prime Minister of the Lao Peoples Democratic Republic, Mr Bounnhang Vorachith, 29 Nov 2004, said, The role of ASEAN has been increasingly recognised in ensuring peace and security in the Asia-Pacific region, through the ARF, with ASEAN as the primary driving force. In conclusion, ASEAN have proven its commitment and achievements through all the ministerial meetings, Communities and forums that it is still relevance to the stability, security and prosperity of Southeast Asia. The fact that EU and the Asia-Pacific states are willing to co-operate with ASEAN; is a testimonial and recognition of ASEANs achievements. It is not merely an adjunct or supplement to the power-balancing role played by the United States. The role of ASEAN is indeed central to the regions well being.

Race and Destiny Essay -- Comparative, Hansberry, Ellison

Race and Destiny In this paper, I will present the two stories then I’ll show how they compare and contrast. The first one is the drama by Hansberry and the second is the text of Ellison. Since its first paragraphs, the â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun† focuses on a fundamental issue – poverty and how it’s related to race. Hansberry is drawing the portrait of a stereotypical situation, in the mid-20th century, when racial discrimination was linked to lack of money and vice versa. The plays spins around a check of $10000 from the insurance company, granted for the death of Mama’s husband. The story goes with discussing the investment choices about that sum of money. The main male character, Walter Younger, Mama’s son, is presented as man who is eager to get rich fast, over-appreciates money, and has little ethical bias. The phrase â€Å"Check coming today?† (p.1294) written in the beginning of the act one, scene one, shows Walter’s impatience and the idea that he places a greater value on material stuff, rather than interpersonal relations. Living in the Chicago Southside, Walter’s family faces some harsh living conditions. Even as much as fifty cents becomes a luxury option for the couple. This is depicted when Travis, Walter’s son, says â€Å"This is the morning we supposed to bring the fifty cents to school†, while Ruth, Walter’s wife and Travis’ mother, responds abruptly with â€Å"Well, I ain’t got no fifty cents this morning† (p.1295). In this excerpt, the author is emphasizing on two details about the Youngers: first, the value of frugality and the situation that even little money cannot be spent for wants, such as education; second, the family’s financial condition is highly unstable, because Hansberry accents that in a certain morning the famil... ... I wanted to leave but I wanted also to speak and I was afraid they’d snatch me down(P. 306 ). He noticed something wrong when he gave a speech in front of the white people. I spoke automatically and with such favor that I did not realize that the men were still talking and laughing until my dry mouth, filling up with blood from the cut, almost strangled me(P. 305 ). Conversely, when he was given a prize from a white man, he forgot what he realized something wrong. I was so moved that I could hardly express my thanks. A rope of bloody saliva forming a shape like an undiscovered continent drooled upon the leather and I wiped it quickly away (P. 306). While Walter Younger tried to fight his destiny and was striving to get rich and be â€Å"his own boss†, Ellison’s protagonist adopted the society well and was satisfied of his situation without noticing any injustice.