Straight Outta Bloomington

It might surprise you to know that I’m a big rap fan.  You see, rap and I grew up together – we’re almost the same age.  Even though I grew up in Bloomington, somehow I could still relate to many of the lyrics I heard in rap songs.  I’m not sure if it was the poetry of rap or the beats, but somehow at a young age, I gravitated to the music – and I’ve been a fan ever since.  Which is why I was excited to finally watch “Straight Outta Compton,” after missing it in the theatres and waiting for what seemed like forever for it to come out on demand.

Even though I knew the general history of N.W.A., the movie really brought to light the repeated encounters they had with the police.  From being harassed for “literally just standing there” as Dr. Dre put it, to being censored about their controversial song, “F--- the Police,” N.W.A had long-standing issues and involvement with the police.  The timing of this movie can’t be coincidental - the story of five young men from South Central rapping about police brutality and hood unrest in 1988 still resonates today, in an era of Trayvon Martins, Michael Browns, and Sandra Blands.

It’s on your minds too – police brutality and the Black Lives Matter movement was one of the top answers when I asked you what you were most interested in studying in class this quarter.  This isn’t the first time I’ve blogged about the issue.  You can read one of my posts, along with links about the individual cases mentioned above, and your fellow students’ comments, here:  http://historicalandpoliticalissues.blogspot.com/2015/11/every-life-matters.html

It seems we are regularly hearing, and in some cases actually seeing, police shooting, choking, or otherwise fatally injuring unarmed individuals, oftentimes minorities.  The “Black Lives Matter” activists highlight a long history of racial abuse and injustice towards minorities by the police.  As a result of their work, many cities are requiring police to wear body cameras, in addition to their dashboard cameras, to have a more accurate record of what transpires during these encounters. 

Another result of this movement has been the “opposition,” or those who support the police officers.  They argue that police officers put their lives on the line every day, and that many of the “victims,” were actually criminals which is why they encountered the police in the first place.

I’ll admit, I’m torn on these issues.  I was raised to respect police officers.  I have several friends and family members who are police officers.  I know they’re faced with split-second, life-changing decisions every day.  That being said, I also know that when I’ve been pulled over with my Black friends, we’ve been treated differently than we would be if I was alone in the car.  In many cases, I’ve witnessed our Constitutional rights being violated.  So, my question to you this week is, “What have been your experiences with the police?  Do you think the police often resort to violence when there are other, less volatile ways to accomplish peace?”  Answers are due no later than Wednesday, February 3rd, 2016

Let's Vote!

It was fun reading all of your responses from last week and seeing all the things you're interested in. Police brutality,the environment, healthcare mandates, gun control - most of you were interested in something and that is all I ask. Many of you mentioned that you wanted to understand the differences in candidates and party platforms. Soon we will discuss political parties and what each party’s platform is in class.  As we move into election season (am I the only one excited?!?) it will be important for you to know which party and which candidate you most closely align with.  So with that being said, this week’s blog will be a little different. 

 

First, I would like you to take this quiz, which will ask you about your thoughts on certain topics, and then tell you which candidate most closely matches your own viewpoints.  It also allows you to tell it how important an issue is to you. You can access the quiz here:  https://www.isidewith.com/

 

My question to you this week is, “Which candidate’s viewpoints did the quiz match you up with?  Did that surprise you, or were you already planning to vote for that person?”  Answers are due no later than Wednesday, January 27th, 2016.

P.S.  If you or someone you know needs to register vote, you can register here:

https://indianavoters.in.gov/PublicSite/OVR/Introduction.aspx

Let your voice be heard!

Choose Your Own Adventure!

I hope you all enjoyed a nice break.  It's always hard coming back to school after break. Don't get me wrong, I love teaching and being surrounded by all the crazy, creative energy that is all of you. That being said, it's still hard to get back into the grind. So for our first blog post, I'll go easy on you.

This week we started our study of the Constitution and the freedoms that make us uniquely American. You can order your own free copy of the United States Constitution from: http://www.constitutionfacts.com/index.cfm?section=bookstore&page=freeCopy.cfm

A good portion of this class will be spent discussing current events and political issues that affect our everyday lives. For this post, I would like you to tell me at least one issue that you are interested in studying. To help you out, you can look over the blog posts that we've had in the past several years to get an idea of the type of things we've covered. Many of the topics are pretty controversial and I do my best to not censor the information available to you.

So my question to you this week is, "What is one issue that you are interested in studying in this class?" Answers are due no later than Wednesday, January 20th, 2016. I'm looking forward to a great quarter!