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Oppression and society essay
Oppression and society essay
Oppression, exploitation, discriminaton in society
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Former UCLA History Professor and author, Roger D. McGrath, in his article, “The Myth of Violence in the Old West,” (Gunfighters, Highwaymen, and Vigilantes: Violence on the Frontier, 1984) asserts there is no connection between the violence of the Old West and violence today. Firstly, McGrath begins his article by introducing the main claim. Then introduces Bodie an infamous town known for its crime, located on the trans-Sierra frontier. He then discusses the low rate of larcenous crime found through the FBI index; which the information shows that individuals weren’t the targets and crime was thwarted by citizens. The explanation of the law larceny rate could be due to the fact more citizens were armed, therefore criminals were threatened
The Devil in the White City The Devil in the White City is a historical non-fiction book written by Erik Larson that reads like a novel. The book follows two, real main characters, during the building and existence of the Chicago World’s fair. The first is an American architect named Daniel Burnham.
According to (Rev. Dr. Andrea Ayvazian); author of “Interrupting the Cycle of Oppression: The Role of Allies as Agents of Change”; many of us feel overwhelmed when we consider the many forms of systemic oppression that are so pervasive in American society today. We become immobilized, uncertain about what actions we can take to interrupt the cycle of oppression and violence that intrude on our everyday lives. According to (Merriam Webster); oppression, is treating someone unjustly; or cruelly exercising authority or power; weighing down body and mind (www.merriam-webster.com). The concept of oppression examines the “isim’s); racism, sexism, heterosexism, and class privilege as interlocking systems of oppression that ensues advantages for some and diminished opportunities for others; (p. 02/03).
Behind the Scenes Violence In 1954, a war broke out in Vietnam due to the North Vietnamese’s desire to unify the entire country under a single communist regime (Brittanica) after they overthrew the French rule in Vietnam. During the Vietnam War, America intervened, causing many soldiers to be sent into Vietnam through the draft system. The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien tells a story of some of the many experiences of the soldiers during the Vietnam War. However, even though the novel is based on the Vietnam War, the novel trivializes the distress of the Vietnamese people during the time of war.
Violence is a terrible thing, but is also essential in life. Without violence, there would be no such thing as reality, and no such person a real person. We walk in a world of two types of people: real and unreal. The real people have seen and experienced violence. They no longer see the world through eyes that see the wonderful and the paradise, but rather through eyes that “might never see it right again.
Have you ever been walking down the hallway at school, or any public place, and you just so happen to hear a curse word, or maybe see someone fighting? It draws you in. Your attention is no longer toward you walking. This happens as well when reading a book, most people are not used to seeing violence or profanity in books. Then when you do, you become more engaged with the story.
Numerous scenes in the novel, The Things They Carried, by Tim O'Brien, are riddled with violence. Those horrid scenes shape the themes of a heightened mental state and revenge. The actions of the Alpha Company are driven by emotion and stress. These issues create great problems for the Company, stripping them of their civilized societal standards and leaving only natural human instinct.
"Tapping the Roots of Power" and "An Active Technique of Struggle" are two chapters where Gene Sharp, analyzes how power is continuously interchangeable amongst the oppressed which are usually minorities and their oppressors which usually are symbolized by people of power. In both chapters, Sharp in great detail gives the reader many scenarios in which oppressed groups through civil disobedience fight against their oppressors, usually leading to victory which resembles freedom and liberation. Although oppressed groups have a great deal to loose, their constant struggling motivates them to fight against the oppressor and regain their liberty and rights back. Once minorities start to challenge authority, their obedience is lost. Once this happens,
“When you lose your sense of life and justice, you lose your strength.” (Chavez line 71). Acts of hate and discrimination have always existed and will continue to. Wars have been fought, and lives have been lost to achieve so called “World Peace”. Violence is not the answer to the problems facing the human race.
Girard rationalizes violence in way of sacrifice in primitive societies, sometimes being classified as “good” violence. Bad violence is counteracted by good violence: “often a slave, king, or animal is chosen….Thus the “regular exercise of ‘good’ violence” is used to counter “bad” violence.” (pg. 239, Girard) which sacrifices like the substitution sacrifice takes all the sins and bad things away from everybody else and gives it to one sacrifice to save the whole community from violence. Within modern societies, Girard rationalizes violence in not enough consequences before judicial systems.
Over the course of history, many oppressive systems have been overthrown by the people whom they belittled. Even today, here in our country that boasts the ideology of freedom, we continue to be oppressed under the false pretense of education. You might ask how that is possible because you don’t feel oppressed. Well, it is because that is how you have been conditioned to think by some of your teachers, and the education system.
Some may say that the most effective way to become free of oppression is in the form of insubordination or an uprising. Rebellion against government is justified only if the people of a nation are being deprived of their natural rights to live and better their lives. This has been the case in many revolutions in history, including the French and American Revolutions. Rebellion is not always justified, but can be
Duality is an instance of opposition or contrast between two concepts or two aspects of something. The author, Charles Dickens, uses duality throughout the fictional novel, A Tale of Two Cities, to bring characters who would be thought of as polar opposites together. Dickens begins the novel by says, "it was the best of times, it was the worst of times"(3). The author begins the book with the quote to show the duality straight away because best and worst are opposite of eachother. Such as when the discovery of the main characters in England and France are all somehow tied together.
As Desmund Tutu once said “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.” Ladies and Gentlemen, this is not one of those useless speeches that won’t be remembered the next day, week, or month. But, this is one that will impact everyone and open the closed up minds that the majority of people have now. I apologize beforehand if this sounds a bit bitter, but this is a topic that has always been swept under the rug and there should’ve been an attempt to change it.
It takes a lot out of one person to gain power. Throughout history nonviolence has been proven to overcome violence including; Egypt, India and the USA. Many people think that violence will solve all problems. In fact the best way for the oppressed to gain power is by nonviolence. Many people say that violence is never the answer.
