Ferguson (blog 6)

This cartoon pokes fun at a very confrontational situation. It displays the citizens of Ferguson with their hands up saying "don't shoot" fearing for their lives, and it also shows a Ferguson officer being paranoid that a video camera is "shooting" footage of what is going on.

It is hard to say what the message or purpose of the visual is. It is quite possible that this cartoon takes the side of the victims of the shootings or represents the people who are choosing to riot. I say this because the police officer seems to be irritated by the fact that his actions are being recorded by the news.

Racism in my mind is a very thought provoking topic. I can speak about how I feel about racism however I am not too privy to the events that have taken place in Ferguson so I will not use them as examples or as a basis for my thoughts.

I think the fact that racism still exists in 2014 is completely outrageous. We live in such an advanced society and I am unaware as to why old beliefs and values still are carried by American people. We live in the most diverse country in the world where studies show how the population of races like Mexican and Middle Eastern will reach an exponential sky rocket in less than 50 years and how Islam will soon be the # 1 religion in the US yet we are prejudice to people's appearances and beliefs? I think many people have tricked themselves into thinking they are not racist to seem like an open minded and fair person but they truly hold unnecessary opinions.

This is the part that really effects me in the biggest way. When my friends or any ignorant high school kid makes a racist joke even when the targeted race is not present, they are being a complete racist, and just because this person and his buddies are all white, does not mean he should be making jokes about border hopping, for example. If you look at a person and you make any assumptions or profile them based on appearance, you are also a racist in my mind. The biggest test (in my book) is to ask someone how they would feel if their sister married an African American. Majority of people would be uneasy with it and/or put a squash to it and try to ruin the relations. Why? I have African American friends who are remarkable young men and will one day look to marry. What world are we living in if you don't let a beloved family member marry someone they love because they do not look the same as you? What kind of example is this showing to the rest of the world?

I am not sure if racism will ever go extinct. Certain people who feel their race is superior will continue to pass their brain washing thoughts down & I am not sure how much/ what can be done to stop it.