Police brutality is the use of disproportionate and unjustified force by law enforcement. It constitutes a violation of a person’s civil liberties and is a kind of police misconduct. The term can also describe a circumstance in which police officers use excessive force against someone. There are many forms of police abuse, including but not limited to physical and verbal abuse, physical and mental pain, property destruction, and even death. For example, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) brutally assaulted an African American suspect, Rodney King, in March 1991, when he was detained for DUI in Los Angeles. After this occurrence, the media covered it extensively, and numerous officers were charged with criminal offenses. The Los Angeles riots of 1992 began within hours after the four police officers involved were acquitted at trial, resulting in more than 50 deaths, a total of 2,000 and above injuries, more than 7,000 fires, damage to 3,100 businesses, and approximately $1 billion in losses. Due to police brutality, it is appropriate to urge that numberless unarmed black lives have been lost at the hands of police officers, police shootings of unarmed black lives continue to rise, and lastly, sworn law enforcement officers are failing to ensure the safety and quality of life of the communities they serve.
Numberless unarmed black lives have been lost at the hands of police officers due to police brutality. According to Johnson (2019), “despite the anti-police brutality fight, many Black men and women continue to meet their deaths via police encounters. Eric Garner, Mike Brown, Sandra Bland and others have become household names for all of the wrong reasons.” A further example of police brutality was witnessed in Egypt in 2011. For instance, brutality by the Egyptian police was a crucial factor in the 2011 uprising and the killing of Khaled Said. “Purging the Ministry of Interior” for its brutality and torturing methods was one of the “demands” that sparked the protests in Egypt. It’s been six months since the Egyptian lady who first reported the gang rape was held in pretrial detention and abused. In addition, Egyptian authorities have come under fire for handling the 2014 Fairmont Hotel rape case, which was left uninvestigated. In addition to being exposed to drug testing and virginity tests, the case’s key witnesses have reportedly been humiliated in public and harmed by their families’ reactions to the ordeal. The same case of police brutality is also evident in the U.S, where the police tortured the majority of the blacks to the point of death. Therefore, police brutality had led to numberless unarmed black lives, which were lost in the hands of police.
Police shootings of unarmed black lives continue to rise due to police brutality. For example, Solis (2020) explains that white police officers shot and killed unarmed black man George Floyd despite his protests that he had no weapon. To show their opposition to police brutality on Memorial Day, people worldwide held protests. For decades, the story of a white police officer shooting an unarmed black individual has been repeated in the United States. Black Lives Matter was born due to these numerous deaths in 2013. A new study by academics at the University of Pennsylvania found that black persons are three times more likely to be killed by police than their white counterparts. According to the report, people of color’s health is jeopardized by police shootings that result in death. The number of Black people killed in the United States was consistently higher than the overall population over five years. Thus, many black people are being shot by white police more than any other race in the U.S community.
In recent years, sworn law enforcement officers in the U.S have been failing to ensure the safety and quality of life of the communities they serve. This is evident where there is mass killing among black American citizens. Instead of protecting the lives of American citizens without favor or any racism, the police have constantly ignored the quality of human lives. For instance, deaths like Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and others have brought police violence to public attention in recent months. Ignorance of the police to protect an individual’s life is based on the evidence of the Crenshaw Mall shooting death of Grechario Mack, 30 years old, who was suffering from a mental health crisis in 2018. Due to his paranoia, Mack approached a security guard and requested medical assistance while brandishing a kitchen knife in his hand. As he fled, cops opened fire on him and stormed the mall. The shooting of Mack is clear evidence of the lack of police to protect human lives.
In conclusion, police brutality refers to law enforcement agents’ persecution of suspects and civilians. Numberless unarmed black lives have been lost at the hands of police officers due to police brutality, according to Johnson (2019). Police shootings of unarmed black lives have also risen due to police brutality. For example, Solis (2020) explains that white police officers shot and killed unarmed black man George Floyd despite his protests that he had no weapon. Lastly, sworn law enforcement officers in the U.S have failed to ensure the safety and quality of life of the communities they serve due to the mass killings of Black Americans.
References
Johnson, S. (2019). Sean Bell died at the hands of police 13 years ago. The New York Amsterdam News. Asmsterdamnews.com/news/2019/11/27/sean-bell-died-hands-police-13-years-ago.
Patton, CL., Asken, M., Fremouw, WJ., and Bemis, R. (2017). The influence of police profanity on public perception of excessive force. Journal of Police Crime Psychology 32:340–357
Schmidt, M. S., Apuzzo, M. (2015). FBI chief links scrutiny of police with the rise in violent crime. New York Times, P–1
Schwartz, S. A. (2020). Police brutality and racism in America. Explore (New York, NY), 16(5), 280.
Sharps, M.J., Torkelson, J. F., Hulett, D. L., Kuhn M. L., and Sevillano, C. N. (2018). Police Profanity and Public Judgments of Guilt and Effectiveness in Officer-Involved Shootings. Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology https://doi.org/10.1007/s11896-018-9268-y
Solis, N. (2020). Police Killing People of Color at Higher Rates Than White People. www.courthousenews.com/report-police-killing-people-of-color-at-higher-rates-than-white-people/
Political Science: The East And West Sample College Essay
The Eastern world encompasses Asia and the Middle East, whereas the Western world encompasses North and South America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. East and West may have numerous cultural distinctions. These distinctions are most noticeable in people’s conduct and attitudes. However, because east and west relate to various countries and civilizations spread over the globe, comparisons between the two cultures can only be made on a broad scale. The primary distinction between eastern and western cultures is that easterners are more traditional and conservative than westerners (Barkawi, 2011). Essentially, to be a Western refers to an individual who lives in or comes from the west region, country of state. On the other hand, Eastern means in or from the eastern region, country, or state. It means coming from or related with countries or people of the East.
Since the West and East are rooted in different cultural backgrounds, the individuals growing and living in the two regions tend to have distinct identities. People are highly identified with their cultural background and practices; this results in different identities between individuals from the Western and Eastern regions. Indians, for example, show respect for their elders by stroking their feet; East Asians utilize bows to greet, apologize, and express gratitude (Gordon, 2014). The Eastern people are inflexible in their ideology and beliefs; they are frequently averse to challenging and questioning long-held traditions and customs (Norton, 2013). On the other hand, the West is more open-minded and forthright than the Eastern regions. Also, in the West, Individuals are given precedence over families, which means that they have more freedom and power to make their own choices, unlike those in the east. Essentially, people in the west are considered individualistic and independent, especially in America, while those from the East are considered collectivist.
The distinct identity between the West and the East has increasingly raised the issue of Eurocentrism in International relations. Eurocentrism as a system of knowledge is re-articulated through the Spatio-temporal binaries that distinguish ‘Europe’ from the ‘non-West’ and place it temporally ahead in the story of the progressive international narrative. The ‘non-West’ continues to be labeled as traditional, spiritual, and mystical (Hutchings, 2011). What permits Eurocentrism to be replicated as a system of knowledge is the rearticulation of the Spatio-temporal hierarchy that separates Europe spatially and temporally positions it ahead of everyone and everything else. These replicas are made possible by the way non-Western categories are re-articulated. Eurocentrism has fostered both sublimal and explicit racial self-hatred, in which non-Western practices, beliefs, and cultures are deemed insufficient or undesirable.
The distinct identifies between the West and East rooted in cultural differences and practices tend to have a wide range of consequences. For instance, it facilitates ethnocentrism and parochialism. Although it is different from racism, ethnocentrism could predispose and influence people to indulge in racism based on the ethnocentric emphasis on ethnic purity and superiority (Hutchings, 2011). Because attitudes frequently result in behaviors, ethnocentrism’s primary and most extensively researched behavioral effect is discrimination against members of various ethnic groups (Norton, 2013). Additionally, ethnocentric individuals are more inclined to vote for and support political candidates advocating for and favoring ethnocentric policies, and ethnocentric individuals wield significant influence over public opinion (Mikhail, 2020). Finally, the distinct classifications of the West and East tend to have a significant effect on real events and policies. Eurocentrism broadly impacts a successful implementation of the policies; it largely hinders the International Relations between the West and East. East countries are unwilling to follow the laid down policies since they feel they are largely leaned on Western culture.
In conclusion, the difference between the East and West is based on the cultural backgrounds between the two regions. Each region has its cultural practices that are distinct from each other. However, there are severe issues regarding International Relations between the East and West. The West considers their culture superior to the East, thus facilitating Eurocentrism. Eurocentrism has fostered both sublimal and explicit racial self-hatred, in which non-Western practices, beliefs, and cultures are deemed insufficient or undesirable. This largely hinders the successful implementation of policies to facilitate International Relations between the West and East.
References
Barkawi T (2011) From War to Security: Security Studies, the Wider Agenda and the Fate of the Study of War. Millennium: Journal of International Studies 39(3): 701–16. DOI: 10.1177/0305829811400656.
Gordon J (2014) Creolizing Political Theory Reading Rousseau Through Fanon. New York: Fordham University Press.
Hutchings K (2011) Dialogue between Whom? The Role of the West/Non-West Distinction in Promoting Global Dialogue in IR. Millennium: Journal of International Studies 39(3): 639-647. DOI: 10.1177/0305829811401941.
Mikhail A (2020) God′s Shadow: Sultan Selim, His Ottoman Empire, and the Making of the Modern World. New York: Liveright Publishing Corporation.
Norton A (2013) On the Muslim Question. Princeton: Princeton University Press. Said EW (1979) Orientalism. London: Penguin.
Pop Music Review Free Writing Sample
The live performance was at the Royal Albert Hall by Adele Laurie Blue Adkins. Adele is one of the Pop-English musicians. Adele is among the musicians that have won many accolades in history as a pop star (Cunningham, 2022). The instruments used in this song were: drums, bass, guitar, percussion, and piano. Drums are essential as they provide melody hence making the music rhythmical. Drums are also helpful when controlling the dynamics in music. For example, choruses and verses lead your fellows in and out of the distinct section. Drums have other functions like regulating the volume of the music and making people dance. Bass helps to provide rhythmical and harmonic support to the band. Therefore, it helps create a bridge between the guitar, the drum, and the piano. At the same time, the guitar is used to provide the melody of the music since it initiates rhythm in the song. Finally, the piano is one of the critical instruments in music as it helps to provide melody, rhythm, bass, and harmony in music.
Adele was born in 1988 in London, England. She began to sing at the age of four. Her mother became a carpenter when Adele attained nine years of age. Her family then relocated to Brighton. Adele graduated from BRIT School in Arts and Technology in 2006. Four months after graduation, she published two songs on online platforms magazine (Cunningham, 2022). In 2008, Adele performed a set of acoustic that Damien Rice supported. This enabled her to become the first one to receive Brit Awards Critics’ Choice. Adele has emerged the winner of 15 Grammy accolades and 12 Brit Awards.
There is a concert that I attended at the Royal Albert Hall. The live performance involved two songs: Someone like you and Rolling in the deep. The lyrics were well articulated. The tone of the performance was well expressed based on the lyrics. The instruments were in complete harmony with the vocals produced. The concert affected me emotionally because the artist expressed her feeling precisely based on the lyrics by closing her eyes when singing, controlling the pitch of her vocals, and body movement while on stage. The performance style is rock and roll music.
My favorite during the concert is Someone like you. This is because she expressed her mood so well than the other song. The tone was so catchy. And how she controlled well the pitch of the song. However, the other song, Rolling in the deep, was my least favorite because it is not that catchy like Someone like you. Besides, the song does not capture the audience’s attention as they were also dancing.
I can tell that this is a rock song based on the following attributes: Loud music, a high-pitched voice, and a soft sound. Rock songs use guitars, drums, pianos, and bass to play pop music. Lastly, the rock songs are accompanied by twisting the jumps that stimulate the audience to move cavorted.
I enjoyed the performance as a whole. This is because the artist usually performs with emotions based on the lyrics. The melody and the rhythm of the instruments are generally well-created and in complete harmony. The tone of her songs is usually ideally generated. I also enjoy her songs since she articulates the lyrics very clearly when singing. Lastly, her movements on stage are usually done well (Wow, 2022).
References
Cunningham, J. M. (2022, January 19). Adele. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Adele.
Someone like you, Rolling in the deep – Adele Live at the Royal Albert Hall https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mi2cURoOAYY.
Wow, T. (2022). Characteristics of rock music and rock n roll. Music Zone. Retrieved February 25, 2022, from http://mmusic-zone.blogspot.com/2013/01/characteristics-of-rock-music-and-rock.html.