Sparking
Media about Riots
During our last class we discussed
protesting and social media. I really found that lecture interesting and how
understanding collective, is contentious political activity based upon a shared
set of claims, using social networks to maintain sustained challenges against powerful
opponents. With that being said, Baltimore has been on the news, social media,
talk show radio, and in newspaper, it is blowing up everywhere. The funeral of
Freddie Gray started all the protesting. Once, Gray died on April 19th, a
week after suffering spinal injuries during his arrest. There was a plan
referred to as the “purge” that circulated on social media among school-aged
people of Baltimore.
With it being all over
social media it got attention and the Baltimore police were ready for it when the
police knew to be equipped with full riot gear because of this plan. Police
were in full plan to shut everything down, knowing what was about to happen. Aside
from color, I don’t care if your black, white, yellow, or green what these
people are doing is not right, standing up and vandalizing police officers is
not justice.
They are hurting themselves because they are just going to give
the police more power for us citizens. Stricter rules and laws may fall into
place. They are tearing neighborhoods to shreds while the people of the
neighborhoods go out and cleaning up the rioters mess. Although there are a lot
of thugs out there destroying their town, there is also a lot of good black
people out there having a peaceful protest but the news is not covering that. I
have seen pictures of mom’s beating up their sons for destroying property,
building human barriers, and handing out water to the police. These people have
the ability to create a social movement, but they have to do it in the right
way.
In class we learned that in the 18th Century we see
the rise of three new types of protest that change social movements. For
example, boycotting in America has been a large successful stands. Petitions in
England and urban insurrection in France. These began the basis for movement that
were not parochial direct or particular. We call these modular and they serve
the basis for today’s social movement.
We also learned why social movements matter and the reason they
matter they are the truest form of democratic engagement. They have the
potential to fundamentally change our everyday life. They matter regardless of
political affiliation. Also, they have become institutionalized, it is part of
our everyday life. That is why I think it is so important for people to voice
their opinion on something. If no one stands up because they think their voice
won’t be heard then we will never result in change. The people in Baltimore
feel vandalizing is the answer but it is not, if only they grouped together and
did a peaceful protest things would be more affective. I get they don’t feel
they have the resources but them uniting together is a powerful resource for
change.
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