Truth and Reconciliation Commission put to test
Introduction
I have read with great interest Professor Jonathan Jansen’s book We Need to talk (2010) reporting on an alleged racist attack at the University of the Free State by the Reitz four. The manner in which the case was dealt with seemed to have surprised many people and it left the media abuzz asking, are the Reitz four worthy to be forgiven without any sort of punishment? In this essay I will critically evaluate and reflect on the content and the intent of Professor Jansen’s arguments in this book and how authentic dialogue can solve these problems.
Being human and humanness
The Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines being human and humanness as the quality and nature of being humans. This simply means humans have unique traits and attributes not shared with either animals or machines. This leads to a question, is what good do we do with these traits?
A possible major problem that could strip humans of their important link to the human condition is if they lost the ability to feel. Pinching yourself is painful, pain not because we think it but because we feel it. Being sympathetic is a trait we humans have, a tie or link of two humans.
In order to really grasp the concept of loss of human traits, you separate thoughts from feelings but the capability of perceiving by the sense of touch, feelings we have through the skin. Is love something we think or is it something we feel? Whilst we do think of the ideals of love, it is through the ability to feel that we experience it? What were the Reitz four’s feelings at the time of the controversial acts?
The Reitz four
The Reitz four are the four students of the University of Free State who humiliated five black workers in an initi...
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...here such trust breaks down, dialogic potential dissolves.
Conclusion
Finally, I don't know about other people. But I would still like to know precisely what the Reitz four did and what the states of mind were of all the people involved. One cannot entirely trust media. It was a courageous and admirable move on Jansen's part to educate students on race-related issues of the past. A practical tip I can share as a teacher, that we can use to solve these types of problems in the class room/school environment/educational system is to show students the impact that racism can have by studying the civil rights movement as well as issues of racism in other countries, such as the Nazi regime of World War II. Use engaging teaching methods to drive home the points you are presenting, showing students pictures and videos so they can truly understand the evils of racism.
Four black sharecroppers (Roger Malcom, Dorothy Malcom, George Dorsey and Mae Murray Dorsey) are brutally murdered by a group of white people. The murders attracted national attention, but the community was not willing to get involved. The community was not fazed by these brutal murders but, by the fact that this incident got national attention. They were even more astounded that the rest of the nation even cared. In this book Laura Wexler shows just how deep racism goes. After reading the book I discovered that Fire in a Canebrake has three major themes involving racism. The first is that racism obstructs progression. The second is history repeats itself. The last theme is that racism can obscure the truth. This lynching, in particular, marks a turning point in the history of race relations and the governments’ involvement in civil rights. In the end this case still remains unsolved. No concept of the
“Two Towns of Jasper” may seem like a normal, modern day town but on the inside the citizens still hold ideas of segregation and racism. These ideas are then examined as the documentary investigates the trials of Bill King, Lawrence Brewer, and Shawn Berry. The three murderers tried for Byrd’s death were all Caucasian and in some way showed hatred toward African-Americans. Bill King and Lawrence Brewer had tattoos that represented the Aryan Nation, a public and political white pride organization, and Shawn Berry was also thought to have ties to the organization. When they beat and murdered Byrd the issue of race arouse and citizens began to question each other’s motives. African-Americans brought up issues of segregation and Caucasians tried to justify the segregation as a traditional way of life. Societal change was examined and made possible because cit...
Finally what followed was a short question and answer section. Professor Ira Berlin was so excited about getting food at the following reception that he had to be reminded about the questioning section. How much compassion does that show I wondered? I observed that most of the questions Professor Berlin received were from African-American’s though their presence in the lecture was towards the bottom of the spectrum. The majority of questions that were being asked inferred the level of political correctness in the way in which Berlin addressed certain racial issues. It seemed as though the questions were rather insignificant and that the questioners knew the answers they’d receive before they asked them. After all, wasn’t everyone in that room that attended voluntarily there for the same general cause?
As Elie Wiesel once stated, “I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented” (“Elie Wiesel Quote”). Michelle Alexander’s book The New Jim Crow, which discusses criminal justice and its role in mass incarceration, promotes a similar idea regarding silence when America’s racial caste system needs to be ended; however, Alexander promotes times when silence would actually be better for “the tormented.” The role of silence and lack of silence in the criminal justice system both contribute to wrongly accused individuals and growing populations behind bars.
Ponds, Kenneth T. ''The Trauma of Racism: America’s Original Sin. '' Reclaiming Children & Youth 22.2 (2013): 22-24. Academic Search Premier. Web. 11 Oct. 2013.
Berstein, R. (2007). “Racial Discrimination or Righting Past Wrongs?” in Justice: A Reader. 237-240. Ed. Sandel, M. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 237.
A great example of discrimination “was the 1964 murder in Philadelphia, Mississippi, where three young activists who were helping to organize a voter registration drive… At about 5:00p.m. their car was stopped by country deputy, Cecil Price. Chaney was arrested for allegedly speeding and his passengers were detained “for investigation” ” (“The Civil Rights Movement”). The murders of the three men lead to a movie made, twenty years after the murder called the Mississippi Burning. The three young men were arrested for allegedly speeding in Neshoba County (“The Civil Rights Movement”). Two of the three men were detained for “investigation” even though they were white, then found murdered”, their bodies beaten and shot, after their release from jail at a farm. These events were one of many that led to light being shined upon the discrimination that blacks, and those who fought for them, endured. It showing that the level bigotry extended past just blacks, and onto those who associated with
“I’m so happy you racist white boys are looking after justice in our state” (p.66) Richard confronts them about how they treated
“Racism is a refuge for the ignorant. It seeks to divide and to destroy. It is the enemy of freedom, and deserves to be met head-on and stomped out.” These wise words were spoken by Pierre Berton, an author of non-fiction novels. In our society, racism is everywhere, and has been in our past as well. Racism is ruining our world, and it is becoming tolerated. It is a threat to our society by affecting not only one person, but all those who are involved, whether it’s the bystander, the victim or the one who was being racist.
I have never pondered on such a question of what it means to be a human being. What it means to be a human being is not just having a face, eyes, heart, or being able to drive a car, or to own a house. Being a human being is much more than that, deeper and more passionate. Being a human being is to have the ability to having rational thought and to think deeply. Being a human is finding a meaning or a purpose.
...ack reparation. Walter provides a viable justification for Black reparation. He believe that through the passage of Black reparation, the Black voice will finally be visible in American society. However, white conservative contest the idea of Black reparation as “opening up old wounds”; thus they advocate for the idea of “moving on.” In order to fully help the Black community, a viable alternative form of Black reparation must be achieved. Aiding Blacks with educational opportunities seems the most viable not because blacks are intellectually inferior but rather the education system in America is systematically racists; thus, it obstruct the success of many Blacks. As Walter suggest, reparation to Black should occur because it is the social responsibility of America to rectify its wrongdoing; thus with this argument, reparation becomes a form of social justice.
Humans are extremely complex and unique beings. We are animals however we often forget our origins and our place in the natural world and consider ourselves superior to nature. Humans are animals but what does it mean to be human? What are the defining characteristics that separate us from other animals? How are we different? Human origins begin with primates, however through evolution we developed unique characteristics such as larger brain sizes, the capacity for language, emotional complexity and habitual bipedalism which separated us from other animals and allowed us to further advance ourselves and survive in the natural world. Additionally, humans have been able to develop a culture, self-awareness, symbolic behavior, and emotional complexity. Human biological adaptations separated humans from our ancestors and facilitated learned behavior and cultural adaptations which widened that gap and truly made humans unlike any other animal.
Racist and racism are provocative words in American society. To some, they become curse words. They are descriptive words of reality that cannot be denied. Some people believe that race is the primary determinant of human abilities and capacities and behave as if racial differences produce inherent superiorities. People of color are often injured by these judgements and actions whether they are directly or indirectly racist. Just as individuals can act in racist ways, so can institutions. Institutions can be overtly or inherently racist. Institutions can also injure people. The outcome is nonetheless racist, if not intentional (Randall).
Humans are a unique set of species with many defining characteristics. A majority of people when asks what makes you human, would say being able to breathe, talk, bleed, and reproduce....
What does it mean to be human? Sure, one must have the usual physical features such as fingers, eyes, arms, hands, feet, etc., but what does it really mean? Must the human be able to speak? To take upon the actions of themselves? Whatever it means, it can be interpreted in any way from anyone. The physical attributes of any human can be compared to those of our evolutionary ancestors. However, it is possible to believe that there are many characteristics that make a human, but only six define the true, ideal human.