discussion posts

1 day ago

Jordan Lamon

Jordan E. LaMon - Discussion Board #1 Attachment

Collapse

.

It is important to establish the grounds that justice is blind and the discussion here is whether or not this still rings true. The term was established many years ago as equality began to take effect over numerous cultures and an array of people; most notably starting first with women and then African Americans. Throughout the various aspects of the criminal justice system, which is comprised of corrections, courts and police, a sense of unity is theoretically expected to form.

All parts of the chain are anticipated to work together in order to successfully carry out the purpose of the system. This concept is embodied within the consensus model discussed in the text. The consensus model assumes that all parts of the system work at their full potential towards the common goal of justice (Schmalleger, 2017). Embracing the diversity our nation has grown to accept is vital in having a society who in return trusts the system. If society and its people do not trust the system, they doubt the system, and try to challenge it. Most recently this can be compared to the African American society feeling betrayed by law enforcement and as a result rioting and looting.

As the beginning of chapter 1implies this is something that has been questioned in recent years specifically with white officer on black victim deaths. This ideology would fall more along the lines of the conflict model which states that someone within the system does not operate in the way in which the system would prefer but instead focuses on self-gratification (Schmalleger, 2017). Some would argue law enforcement falls into this realm as power is a self-fulfilling prophecy that embodies these individuals. This has reestablished the notion that African Americans are targeted by law enforcement. Many would voice opinions that the equality is not distributed evenly in the way in which officer’s carryout these duties with these individuals as opposed to other whites’ citizens or any other race for that matter.

The text goes on to discuss fairness and what all that encompasses. The first African American president, Barack Obama, began a revolution in which he led the people to believe equality was still in the works and leadership among all is possible. The backbone to this principal in regard to the legal system includes social justice and civil justice. According to the text social justice is defined as, “an ideal that embraces all aspects of civilized life and that is linked to fundamental notions of fairness and to cultural beliefs about right and wrong(Schmalleger, 2017).”Whereas civil justice is defined as,“the civil law, the law of civil procedure, and the array of procedures and activities having to do with private rights and remedies sought by civil action(Schmalleger, 2017).”

The journal entitled, “When Police Violence is More Than Violent Policing,”by Robert Bernasconi hits on some of the major issues we often see with overuse of police force. While it is understood that many times the police must use for to detain troubled and violent offenders, many tend to believe that it is sometimes taken to far or used unnecessarily. Specifically, this piece covers the same death of Jamaal Moore, a 23-year old African American male who was shot and killed by a female police officer in December of 2012 in Chicago that was covered in Chapter 1 of the text (Bernasconi, 2014). It is not stated whether or not the officer was you or old, white or black.

Media coverage of cases such of these have plastered the news screens especially over the past few years. In addition, the concept of white officers versus black offenders has immensely grown to become an ethical issue. The question of racial profiling has resurfaced. Are these individuals that are dying at the hands of law enforcement victims of racial profiling followed by police brutality? Or are officers continuously encountering African American offenders who fail to follow orders when encountering said officers and thus death results?

As was the case with the death of Jamaal Moore, many eyewitnesses stated the victim was no threat at the time the individual lost his life. He was handcuffed, face down, with the bullets entering through his back, therefore, concluding that Mr. Moore would have been defenseless even though he was armed. As a result, passersby began to protest due to the unlawful death of Mr. Moore and as we have seen many times since 2012 this tends to be the standard for when an African American individual is killed by a white law enforcement officer.

Consequently, allegations of such acts are often times argued by police organizations. As discussed in the journal article, “Racism and Denial of Racism: Dealing with the Academy and the Field,”by Greenhill & Marshall the defensive stance on the issue is discussed. Greenhill argues that the white-privilege and brutality that is the forefront of much debate is non-existent. Furthermore, Greenhill & Marshall go on to discuss how issues such as these are highly discussed in police training scenarios and that much anti-racist conflicts have arose and been disputed over the past few decades. Instead the concepts of individual’s succumbing to preordained stereotypes and failing to break the chains held down “on their kind” is the reason many of the problems actually exist (Greenhill & Marshall, 2016).

Our constitution outlines our individual rights that we all have as citizens. Focusing specifically on due process, this is a concept that is covered throughout various amendments and essentially states that no one can impinge upon these rights. Therefore, multiculturalism is should not be a reason for injustice. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 states, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work(The Holy Bible).” Our goal as the human race is to work towards the greater good in and in the way in which God intended for us to live.

Works Cited

Greenhill, P., & Marshall, A. (2016). Racism and Denial of Racism: Dealing with the Academy and the Field. The Journal of American Folklore, 129(512), 203-224. doi:10.5406/jamerfolk.129.512.0203

Robert Bernasconi. (2014). When Police Violence Is More Than Violent Policing. CR: The New Centennial Review,14(2),145-152.doi:10.14321/crnewcentrevi.14.2.0145

Schmalleger, F. (2017). Criminal justice today: An introductory text for the twenty-first century. Boston: Pearson.

The Holy Bible

Reply Quote Email Author

Select: All None