Americ Red, White, And Green - 1678 Words

America: Red, White, and Green. Weed, grass, and bud are all names for one of the most misunderstood plants in the world: marijuana. Through the use of government slandering propaganda and stereotyping, many people have tunnel vision when it comes to the controversial issue. Many view marijuana as a harmful drug, not realizing all of the economic, resourceful, and medical uses that can generate from it. These are the same people who want to keep marijuana illegal and out of the public s hands. Only in the past twenty years has marijuana made progress with the United States Government by legalizing medical and recreational marijuana in select states. Within this short time frame, several states have seen unmistakable results with the increase in state revenue, decrease in crime rates, and overall better living for its citizens. The states that have legalized marijuana are proving to be valuable examples to the other more conservative states that are being hesitant when it comes down t o legalization; â€Å"this summer, the Marijuana Policy Project, one of NORML s [National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws] allies, announced an ambitious goal: legalize marijuana in ten additional states, including California, by 2017† (Thomson-Deveaux). Due to medical and economical findings, public opinion on marijuana has drastically altered from general disapproval to acceptance; which can not only be useful for the citizen, but prove invaluable to the patient. For thousands of

Finding The Link Between Processed Foods And The Causes Of...

LaKisha Brown English 120 Research Paper Spring 2016 Finding the Link between processed foods and the causes of Adult and Childhood Obesity Many families today face a pandemic as the prevalence of childhood obesity has more than doubled since the 1970s. There is a growing number of healthcare professionals who believe this increase is due to the lack of physical activity, energy dense and additive rich foods and over-consumption. Food is essential to what we need to live. The nutrients we get from food keeps us alive and well. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported that over 25 million people in America have been diagnosed with diabetes. Of that number, 215,000 are children and 69% are overweight and obese.†¦show more content†¦We begin to feel guilty as we now see this epidemic is now effecting or has spread to pre-school aged children. No ethic group has been spared. All races, socioeconomic strata are seeing a rise in obesity numbers. This is a true public health emergency. To start, let’s define the term â€Å"obesity†. The most obvious definition is â€Å"excessive body fat†. Author J. Clinton states in, Understanding Childhood Obesity, the ideal method of defining obesity from a medical perspective would be to match a child’s or young adult’s weight with the undesirable outcomes-such as heart attacks-experienced by the person later on in life (Clinton 118). Some scientist say the number of health problems due to obesity are relatively small when compared to other chronic conditions such as asthma (Clinton 24). There are many that would argue that it is not a small problem and it should not be devalued especially when study after study shows that the obesity numbers in adults and youth steadily are rising year over year. In fact, those numbers have tripled in adolescents in the past 30yrs and many are concerned about the effects of processed food on a child’s overall health. Why does there seem to be a connection between processed foods and the obesity epidemic? We know that the human body uses food to produce energy and uses the types of food we consume to determine how the energy gets used. When you consume foods like

The Influence of Teachers Words and Actions

Teachers can have a huge influence on their students.  This goes much deeper than the lessons they teach. You only have to reflect on your own time in school to realize how positive or negative experiences can stick with you for the rest of your life. Educators need to remember that they hold great power over students in their hands. Words Can Uplift By encouraging a struggling student and explaining how she can be successful, a teacher  can change that student’s career. A perfect example of this happened to my niece. She had moved recently and began attending a new school in ninth grade. She struggled through most of her first semester, earning D’s and F’s. However, she had one teacher who saw that she was smart and just needed some extra help. Amazingly, this teacher spoke to her only once. He explained that the difference between earning an F or a C would require just a bit of extra effort on her part. He promised that if she spent just 15 minutes a day on homework, she would see a huge improvement. Most importantly, he told her that he knew she could do it. The effect was like flicking a switch. She became a straight-A student and to this day loves learning and reading. Words Can Harm By contrast, teachers can make subtle comments intended to be positive -- but are actually hurtful. For example, one of my best friends in school took  AP classes. She always earned B’s and never stood out in class. However, when she took her AP English test, she scored a 5, the highest possible mark. She also earned 4’s on two other AP exams. When she returned to school after the summer break, one of her teachers saw her in the hall and told her that she was shocked that my friend had earned such a high score. The teacher even told my friend that she had underestimated her. While at first my friend was delighted with the praise, she said that after some reflection, she was annoyed that her teacher didn’t see how hard she had worked or that she excelled in AP English. Years later, my friend -- now an adult -- says she still feels hurt when she thinks about the incident. This teacher likely only meant to praise my friend, but this faint praise led to hurt feelings decades after this brief hallway discussion. The Donkey Something as simple as role-playing can bruise a students ego, sometimes for life. For example, one of my students spoke of a former teacher she really liked and admired. Yet, she recalled a lesson he presented that really upset her. The class was discussing the barter system. The teacher gave each student a role: One student was a farmer and the other was the farmer’s wheat. The farmer then traded his wheat to another farmer in exchange for a donkey. My students role was to be the farmer’s donkey. She knew that the teacher simply picked kids at random and assigned them roles. Yet, she said that for years after the lesson, she always felt that the teacher had picked her as a donkey because she was overweight and ugly. Words Stick With Students The example illustrates that a teachers words can really stick with students for their entire lives. I know that I have tried to be more careful with what I tell students each day. I’m not perfect, but I hope that I am more thoughtful and less damaging to my students in the long run.

Presidential Debate Essay - 817 Words

Presidential Debate Al Gore and Governor George W. Bush are running for the Presidency. The two candidates are in Presidential Debate to allow the voters to get an understanding of where they each stand on certain positions and policies. Bush and Gore have some similarities and differences on certain positions and policies discussed in the Presidential Debates. Education is an issue discussed in the Presidential Debate. Bush and Gore both agree that there is nothing more precious than educating a child. The two Presidential Candidates support the issue of spending $170 billion over 10 years for children in public schools to achieve high standards. They each want to rebuild outdated buildings, modernize schools, and wiring†¦show more content†¦For instance, Gore supports the current child tax credit of $500, but Bush supports doubling the child tax credit to $1,000. Bush pledges to veto any income tax increase. Also, their proposals for the non-Social Security surplus differs. Bush prop oses to use the non-Social Security surplus in the following manner: $1.3 trillion tax cut; $475 billion in spending on domestic programs; and $265 billion in reserve. He would eliminate the national debt by 2016. Gore proposes to use the $2.17 non-Social Security surplus in the following manner: $480 billion in targeted tax cuts; $360 billion to shore up the Medicare program; $870 billion in spending on domestic programs; and $300 billion would be left in reserve. His proposal would eliminate the national debt by 2012. Another policy that Bush and Gore agree mostly on is Health Care. The two Presidential Candidates both support the childrens health insurance program (CHIP). Bush and Gore agree on allowing low-income parents to buy into CHIP. They each support the issue of using part of the federal budget surplus to offer a voluntary prescription drug benefit for Medicare beneficiaries. Bush and Gore also support the Patients Bill of Rights legislation that includes the direct access to specialists; the right to use the nearest emergency room; choice of providers; and a patients right to appeal a healthShow MoreRelatedThe Presidential Debate On Politics Essay1140 Words   |  5 Pagespolitical debates are broken. A constructive national debate is something that is quite important to the functioning of the American system of democracy. Civil discussions and disagreements have been what fuels progress in this country. Now, at a time of heightened awareness from many American people, the political debates in this country don’t seem to be providing them with good cogent arguments. Instead they are filled with fallacies and many falsehoods. In this essay I argue that the presidential debateRead MoreThe Debate On The Circus Acts That Were Called The 1st Presidential Debate1658 Words   |  7 Pagesviewing the circus acts that were called the 1st presidential debate and the vice-presidential debate that aired earlier in the month, my expectations for the 2nd debate were not too high. Unfortunately my even my low expectations were not met and I felt as though there was not a large enough improvement during this debate to have made any difference from the first one. While we saw some improvement in terms of candidate behavior, the rest of the debate was severely lacking in substance. Questions posedRead MorePresidential Election : Presidential Debates1268 Words   |  6 Pagesis imperative that citizens watch the broadcasted presidential debates before casting their ballots. These debates give each representative of the two most influential political parties, the Democrats and Republicans, time to demonstrate their contrasting v iewpoints, and otherwise allow the voter to understand each candidate’s personality. During our psychology class this semester, we were privileged to write essays on the three presidential debates between Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton, andRead MoreThe Presidential Debate On The American System Of Democracy Essay1616 Words   |  7 PagesA constructive national debate is something that is quite important to the functioning of the American system of democracy. A simple definition of democracy offered by the Merriam-Webster dictionary is that democracy is â€Å"a form of government in which people choose leaders by voting† (Merriam-Webster). Now, at a time of heightened awareness from many American people, the political debates in this country don’t seem to be providing them with good cogent arguments. 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Before I go on to the current debates let me state a few facts about past ones. The Lincoln and Douglas debate was in important because it started Lincoln presidential career. The Debates lasted from August 21 -- October 15. There where seven of them, with two days to two weeks in between. Each debate lasted three hours; first candidate spoke for one hour; the second for one and a half hours; the first replying for a half hourRead MoreEssay on Presidential Debates511 Words   |  3 PagesPresidential Debates Making a decision is a very important part of life that every person, at one time or another, has to make. Options are always available when someone has to make a decision. In choosing a President for our country, we have to look at our candidates and decide which ones beliefs can help the country the most. We get to hear the Presidents opinions through the debates. This year, although we had numerous candidates, the only two that were allowed to participate in the debatesRead MoreThe Presidential Debate At Longwood University Essay1145 Words   |  5 PagesThe Vice Presidential debate, held at Longwood University on October 4th, was between the Democratic candidate, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, and Republican candidate, Indiana Governor Mike Pence. Specific issues were asked about by the moderator, Elaine Quijano, such as specific qualities of the candidates that would make them good leaders if tragedy were to occur. However, the candidates used much of their allotted time to target the opposing presidential candidate and would then interrupt their opponent

Aging in Family and Marriage Free Essays

People in society have a longer life-span now than ever before in the history of man.   The population of old people and â€Å"old old† people are increasing every year making a four generation family – consisting of children, parents, grandparents and great-grandparents – the norm in society. In the late 19th century the amount of people in their senior years (i. We will write a custom essay sample on Aging in Family and Marriage or any similar topic only for you Order Now e. 65 years old and above), given a total population of 23.2 million people was 600,000 which increased tremendously in the 20th century. At the beginning of the 20th century, the amount of old people were at 3.1 million given a population of 76,000,000 and in 1975, with a population of 235,000,000, there were 21.8 million senior citizens in society, making it an 8 percent increase in old people in a span of 75 years. With that percentage growth, there are definitely more â€Å"old old† people currently in society and it cannot be doubted that the amount of â€Å"old old† people affects society in numerous ways.  Ã‚   For this study, the effect of the aging population on the most basic institution of society will be discussed – the family. Aging definitely affects people’s lives and proportionally affects the lives of the people around those who are aging.   Since the family is the basic unit of society, the effect of aging on the family and the changes that occur in that social unit because of aging will be discussed. When we speak of family, this entails the relationships between parent and child as well as husband and wife. Aging has an impact on these relationships that cannot be ignored by the rest of society as the family represents the foundation of society and thus if any changes occur within that framework then it cannot be questioned that these changes influence the dynamics that transpire with the society as a whole. Aging and the Family According to Andre Cherline (1983), historically, old people continued to hold the power and authority over the family until the day they died.   This was the case mainly because it was the elders who had ownership of all the properties and resources of that family, which the heir will only be able to handle the moment the patriarch of that family has bequeathed his possession in a will, after his death. Thus, older people were normally respected and feared by the younger generation albeit not loved. (7)   Ã‚  This is especially true since it is in itself an accomplishment to grow old because to be old at that time would mean that the person has survived all the diseases in a time when medicine was not at all as advanced as it is today. Although an accomplishment, it creates resentment in the younger generation especially if the younger generation has reached adulthood since the old man controls the family’s resources, the adult child had to be dependent on the old man until such time that he passes away. This no longer holds true in this day and age.   Familial relations are not as feudalistic as it used to be during colonial times.   The dynamics of the family are no longer such that the parent has full control of the resources of the family. Although, parents may have possessions that they accumulated throughout the years of hard work that they may want to bequeath to their children, the financial stability of the children are no longer fully dependent on these resources as they can independently work for their own wages and accumulate their own wealth apart from that of their parents. However, the presence of old people poses a problem of idleness wherein they are â€Å"too old to work but too young to die† (Freedman, 1999).   In 1952, insurance companies decided that the best way to care for the elderly was to insure them with pension upon retirement. The marketing ploy was to make retirement a leisure trip – no kids, no responsibilities, no worries – which they coined the â€Å"Golden Years.† Due to this, most elderly people availed of a pension plan making them absolutely independent of their children while enjoying the rest of their life in comfort and leisure. (1)   Given this independence of each other, the relationship between adult child and parent are normally more favorable than during the colonial times, wherein the parent and child may develop a more emotionally satisfying relationship which is warm, close and affectionate. (Cherline, p.8) This, however, does not hold true for the elderly who are dependent on their children for financial support.   It is common that the parent had spent all their income for the upbringing and education of their children and so upon retirement there are financially incapable of supporting themselves or even enjoying the â€Å"Golden Years.† In cases like these, the relationship between parent and child may be tense and the dynamics of the family of the adult child will have to change and adjust itself to the presence of the elderly parent. The strain or benefit that the elderly parent will cause to its adult child may differ per situation.   First, assuming that the adult child has his own family, the strain may be caused by the elderly parent’s relationship with the in-law. Depending on how intrusive the elderly parent is, his presence will cause a strain in the marriage of his adult children.   Apart from the possible abrasive nature of the elderly parent, the strain may originate from the extra expense in caring for the elderly parent as well. Assuming that the adult child is divorced the strain in the parent-child relationship maybe greater.   Divorce in itself is a very traumatic experience for those involved in the process and so the divorcee is normally both emotionally sensitive and financially unstable. The strain with the elder parent can come in two forms: the disapproval of the elder parent of the divorce and the expense of caring for an elder parent in a situation when finances, due to the divorce, are extremely tight.   (15) However, the presence of an elder parent in a newly divorced adult child can also have benefits which can strengthen the relationship between the parent and the adult child. The adult child may find his/her emotional support from the present parent as well as help the adult-child in caring for the children, household and finances (granted that the elder parent is financially able).   (16)   Whatever the case maybe, it is through the relations of the elderly with their family that the elderly are able to maintain their social identity.   (18)   Through their connections to their family – with their children, with their grand children and great-grandchildren – the elderly find purpose and meaning to an otherwise â€Å"purposeless† aging existence when they cannot work and contribute to the society or are too young to die. By providing the emotional support for their children their relationship are strengthened.   Through the caring and sharing in the raising and upbringing of the grandchildren, their contributions to the welfare of the children’s disposition ultimately contributes to the well-being of society. Although, these relationships may not be always peachy, the contribution and influence over their children and their grandchildren is apparent and allows them to continue to become a function of society. Aging and Marriage In marriage, aging has a very direct consequence and influence.   Assuming that both partners are still alive, the interaction of the spouses within their relationship change proportionately with their age because of their emotional maturity as well as deteriorating physical health. In terms of physical health, physiological complication causes the deterioration of physical intimacy within an elderly couple.   Both the ovarian function in females and the testicular function in males deteriorate as they age. Apart from these physiological changes, psychological changes occur as well.   Especially for men, the inability to sexually perform, the loss of the role of leader and breadwinner, and the extra time to notice everything else may cause depression.   Thus, there is a greater need for emotional support, affirmation, acceptance and trust from the spouse.   (Metz, 1998) As a result of these needs and the compensation for the lack of physical intimacy, elderly couples claim that they have a better relationship with their spouses as they now consider them their best friends.   (Appleton Bohm, 2001) (Fahey, 2001). As Appleton Bohm succinctly puts it (2001), elder couples have relationships where â€Å"myths dissipate, reality sets in and marital identity takes hold. Communication patterns solidify, knowledge expands and reliance on collaborative-cooperative styles of dispute resolution increases.† How to cite Aging in Family and Marriage, Essays

Effect of agriculture on our environment Essay Example For Students

Effect of agriculture on our environment Essay Effects of Agriculture on the Environment Introduction: Agriculture has changed dramatically, especially since the end of World War II. Food and fibre productivity rose due to new technologies, mechanization, increased chemical use, specialization and government policies that favoured maximizing production. These changes allowed fewer farmers with reduced labour demands to produce the majority of the food and fibre. Humans, like all other species, exploit their surroundings for the resources they need to survive. Our current exploitation of the world, however, is greater than those of most species. There are many reasons for this exploitation but we will focus on one and that is our technology, which is used for various purposes. Like a few other species, we use tools, but the hand-held tools that we originally used could only adjust extremely local conditions. Today we are able to shape entire regions and our technology has progressed to the point where we can level mountains and control the flow of rivers, something that was simply impossible a relatively short while ago. We can now modify our world relatively easily and quickly. Agriculture is the major farming activity. Agricultures scale means not only that large area is directly affected, but that local and even regional climates can be affected. The draining of water from rivers and watersheds for irrigation leads to drier natural habitats. Those rivers that receive runoff from farmland are often poisoned by excessive nutrients and pesticides. As agriculture has become more intensive, farmers have become capable of producing higher yields using less labour and less land. Growth of the agriculture has not, however, been an unmixed blessing. It, like every other thing, has its pros and cons. Topsoil depletion, groundwater contamination, the decline of family farms, continued neglect of the living and working conditions for farm labourers, increasing costs of production, and the disintegration of economic and social conditions in rural communities. These are the cons of the new improved agriculture. Environmental impacts have increased, including potential ruin of the soil and water resources essential to both farm productivity and human health. Agriculture also leads to soil erosion, both through rainfall and wind. This soil can damage the aquatic ecosystems it ends up in, and the loss of nutrients can result in productive farmland becoming barren. Damage to Soil: Soil erosion from farmland pressurizes the production of agricultural fields and causes a number of problems in the environment. It takes up to three hundred years for one inch of agricultural topsoil to form so soil that is lost is essentially irreplaceable. The consequences for long-term crop yields have not been sufficiently measured. The amount of erosion varies from one field to another. This depends on the type of soil, the slope of the field, the drainage patterns and the crop management practices. The effects of the erosion vary also. The areas that are better able to sustain erosion without loss of productivity are areas with deep organic loams. This is more sustainable than the areas where topsoils are shallower. Erosion removes the surface soils, containing most of the organic matter, plant nutrients, and fine soil particles, which help to retain water and nutrients in the root zone where they are available to plants. Thus it affects the productivity of plants. The remaining, the subsoil, tends to be less fertile, less absorbent and less able to retain pesticides, fertilizers, and other plant nutrients. There are over 17,000 soil types recognized worldwide. They vary widely in structure, erodibility, fertility, and ability to produce crops. A generalized soil profile for a humid, temperate climate is showed. .uc750fbea65e291f4bc4969b097820713 , .uc750fbea65e291f4bc4969b097820713 .postImageUrl , .uc750fbea65e291f4bc4969b097820713 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uc750fbea65e291f4bc4969b097820713 , .uc750fbea65e291f4bc4969b097820713:hover , .uc750fbea65e291f4bc4969b097820713:visited , .uc750fbea65e291f4bc4969b097820713:active { border:0!important; } .uc750fbea65e291f4bc4969b097820713 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uc750fbea65e291f4bc4969b097820713 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uc750fbea65e291f4bc4969b097820713:active , .uc750fbea65e291f4bc4969b097820713:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uc750fbea65e291f4bc4969b097820713 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uc750fbea65e291f4bc4969b097820713 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uc750fbea65e291f4bc4969b097820713 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uc750fbea65e291f4bc4969b097820713 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uc750fbea65e291f4bc4969b097820713:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uc750fbea65e291f4bc4969b097820713 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uc750fbea65e291f4bc4969b097820713 .uc750fbea65e291f4bc4969b097820713-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uc750fbea65e291f4bc4969b097820713:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: There are two different parts to this play one is Essay When the natural vegetation is cleared for agriculture, soils become exposed to erosion and loss of soil fertility. The removal of the above-ground natural vegetative cover and subsequent ploughing and preparation for row crop planting, also destroys plant roots which would otherwise help alleviate the soil. Soils disturbed by ploughing and cultivation are flat to erosion by water runoff and wind. Much of the eroded sediment eventually is deposited in streams, rivers, lakes, and the ocean. When the sediments enter waterways, habitat quality for aquatic plants and animals may decline, as well as water quality for human use. The effects of erosion are also felt elsewhere in the environment. Eroded .

An Analysis of Ta

An Analysis of Ta-Nehisi Coates Between the World and Me, and OJ Simpsons Experiences Essay Identity and the Black American Experience : An Analysis of Ta-Nehisi Coates’ and OJ Simpson’s Experiences The black American experience is quite complicated. It takes many forms, but the oppressions black people face all stem from similar roots. One of the most important points that Ta-Nehisi Coates makes in his book, Between the World and Me, is that white America depends on black oppression for their success and progress. We consider ourselves exceptional, the melting pot of the world, a diverse and post-racial society. However, none of this is really true. Coates challenges our belief that we are exceptional. He outlines what it is like to be black in America in an attempt to relay to his son what his experiences have been and what he should expect. While Coates speaks to his son, and America, about his experiences, OJ Simpson has had a quite different experience with race. He saw himself as exempt from blackness because he was embraced by white America and made into a star worldwide. While on the surface, OJ Simpson may seem like the exception to Coates’s point, I would argue that he is not. His success spoke to the black community and for the black community. Had he not been twice as better than his white counterparts, he would not have been half as successful. In America, we glorify black athletes because they further our own causes, while simultaneously abusing black bodies and justifying it because of our necessity to hold them to a higher moral standard. We can see how this plays out when we dig deeper into what Coates is saying and how OJ attempted to separate himself from this. Ta-Nehisi Coates’s book Between the World and Me was written to be a letter to his son about being black in America. He reflects on his childhood, struggling to understand his identity through the context of the streets and the school, neither of which he felt he really belonged to. â€Å"Unfit for the schools, and in good measure wanting to be unfit for them, and lacking the savvy I needed to master the streets, I felt there could be no escape for me, or honestly, anyone else† (27). He coined the term dreamers for people in America who believe themselves to be white. Dreamers are the people who always seem to find justification for the forcible control of black bodies. They justify the treatment of black bodies by considering black people to be of a higher moral necessity to be nonviolent and peaceful, even amidst violence perpetrated towards them (32). Black identity is not something that black people have had the opportunity to define, because it was defined before t hey were born. â€Å"To be black in the Baltimore of my youth was to be naked before the elements of the world before all the guns, fists, knives, crack, rape, and disease† (17). Coates is attempting to relay to his son how he navigated this system which defined him from birth, and how he found himself in it. His world was changed when he met black people from around the world. It meant that what he was told that he was, by the schools and the streets, is not all there is for black people. He learned new meanings of love. He learned that his own oppression did not mean that he and other black people were incapable of oppressing others. His worldview shifted, then, and he now wants his son to know all that is possible for him as a black boy in the diversity of the world. â€Å"I wasn’t so much bound to a biological ‘race,’ as to a group of people† (119). Black people were not bound by the skin and physical features they had, but by the culture they shared, including their shared oppressions. Living in America, his son will still be exposed to the schools and the streets. Though, the world is vast, he must still be especially cautious of how he behaves around police, because they will not see him as a brilliant, worldly, open-minded kid, but as simply a black boy in America, which, to most, is that same identity that Coates asserts America created for black people. He found that while the world was vast and black men and women shouldn’t feel limited, the world, namely the white world, has relied on their oppression for centuries. â€Å"‘The two great divisions of society are not the rich and the poor, but white and black,’ said the great South Carolina senator, John C. Calhoun. ‘And all the former, the poor as well as the rich, belong to the upper class and are respected and treated as equals.’ And there it is—the right to break the black body as the meaning of their sacred equality† (104). Racism is not the same as it was in the past, it is more subtle, less obvious, but it is there. And it will remain as long as white people depend on black oppression. .u72e625fe04c3cd95eea3cbf9ff55aa93 , .u72e625fe04c3cd95eea3cbf9ff55aa93 .postImageUrl , .u72e625fe04c3cd95eea3cbf9ff55aa93 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u72e625fe04c3cd95eea3cbf9ff55aa93 , .u72e625fe04c3cd95eea3cbf9ff55aa93:hover , .u72e625fe04c3cd95eea3cbf9ff55aa93:visited , .u72e625fe04c3cd95eea3cbf9ff55aa93:active { border:0!important; } .u72e625fe04c3cd95eea3cbf9ff55aa93 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u72e625fe04c3cd95eea3cbf9ff55aa93 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u72e625fe04c3cd95eea3cbf9ff55aa93:active , .u72e625fe04c3cd95eea3cbf9ff55aa93:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u72e625fe04c3cd95eea3cbf9ff55aa93 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u72e625fe04c3cd95eea3cbf9ff55aa93 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u72e625fe04c3cd95eea3cbf9ff55aa93 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u72e625fe04c3cd95eea3cbf9ff55aa93 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u72e625fe04c3cd95eea3cbf9ff55aa93:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u72e625fe04c3cd95eea3cbf9ff55aa93 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u72e625fe04c3cd95eea3cbf9ff55aa93 .u72e625fe04c3cd95eea3cbf9ff55aa93-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u72e625fe04c3cd95eea3cbf9ff55aa93:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Gay Marriage Essay While Coates is giving voice to the majority of the black community at a time when they can still not rely on society to respect and protect them, OJ has a very different, albeit, not totally separate, experience with identity, particularly in regards to what it means to be black in America. OJ believed himself to be exempt from the black experience in America. He was even pleased when a white woman referred to the black people surrounding him as â€Å"n*****s† but seeing him as superior to them (00:36). He lived in a completely separate reality from other black people. He went to a wealthy white school and was surrounded by white people praising him for his athletic abilities. They didn’t see him as black (inferior), because he was so good on the field. He embraced this notion, saying â€Å"I’m not black, I’m OJ.† Later, he got into advertising for Chevrolet and Hertz. He thought that this spoke to his ability to transcend race. Little did he know, he was really being used as a way to gain sales from black buyers, while not losing sales from white people since they embraced him. Though he seemed separate from black America, his presence on television was a major milestone for the black community. He was fighting for their cause, whether he wanted to or not (1:09). Though he said in college that pressure didn’t get to him, we found that it did. He cracked. The attention went to his head and he was abusive to his wives. In the end he murdered his second wife and her lover, and was acquitted. He even wrote the book, If I Did it. He was later sentenced for a separate crime and now resides in p rison for robbery and is up for parole in October 2017 (Cleary). Our society is one in which we abuse black bodies, while glorifying black athletes and celebrities who we benefit from. Coates recalls the mother of Prince Jones telling a story from her youth in which she was sitting at a football game hearing her peers praising the black running back on their own team, while shouting â€Å"Kill that n*****!† with her sitting right next to them (Coates 139). We can easily see the parallel between this and OJ’s experience. He supposedly transcended race, which was why he was so successful. This gave him justification for ignoring the violence that his fellow black people were experiencing. He lived in a completely different world, or so he thought. But I would posit that he did not. The only reason that he transcended race was because he benefited white American football. He thrived on the attention he received from white America. To further this, he only had such success because he was better than his fellow white football players. The re were likely many black aspiring football players from his time who were good, and possibly even better than their white counterparts, but were overlooked because of their race. There’s a saying I heard in a show that I watch â€Å"You have to be twice as good to get half of what they have.† The show was Scandal and it was a black father telling his daughter that she can’t let herself fall behind because white people don’t have to work nearly as hard to get what they want. I think that sentiment is relevant here. It’s a reflection of the idea that black people are held to a higher moral standard. They are held to higher standards in almost every aspect of their life. OJ was not exempt from that. Though it may seem simple to say OJ is the exception to the point Coates makes, when we really look at each of them and the experiences of black people in America, we can see that he is not the exception. He does not transcend race. White America simply used his talents, while overlooking his blackness. Had he not been twice as talented as his white counterparts, he would not have been half as successful. While he was ignoring the black struggle taking place in his own city, he was also breaking barriers for black Americans. Whether he likes it or not, his blackness affected his experience in America and in the end the pressure got to him and the attention went to his head. In America, we glorify black athletes because they further our own causes, while simultaneously abusing black bodies and justifying it because of our necessity to hold them to a higher moral standard. This is not exceptional.