A SIMPLE OBSERVATION...
The tragic death of James Kim last week in the snowy wilderness of Oregon was a tragedy -- and he is a man who should be remembered as a brave, resourceful and strong father and husband.
This is not about James Kim, but an observation about the US media and the subtle (and, sometimes, not so subtle) ways in which it constructs reality for the majority of US citizens.
The US media portrayed the struggle of the Kim family almost 24 hours a day, on local, national and even international TV. There was an outpouring of concern for the family -- and rightfully so.
Yet, mysteriously, the police murder of an unarmed African American male (who, it should be added, was the father of two children and was to be married to his fiancee the day he was murdered) was strangely underpublicized. Despite the shocking details of the murder (an unarmed man shot over 50 times, the day he was to be married), there was little mention of the shooting outside of New York City, where it ocurred. The police murder of Sean Bell, a 23-year old father from Queens, NY gained some publicity when outraged New Yorkers, primarily African American citizens who have grown tired of a long history of police violence against their communities, began to rally and protest for justice.
What can we read from this disparity in reporting? One thing that seems clear is that African American life -- no matter how tragically it is taken from this planet -- is not seen as of equal value to the lives of people of other races. National newscasts made no rush to condemn the act, even when Mayor Bloomberg of New York City (a Republican who has been criticized for his handling of many African American issues) condemned the 50 police shots as "unacceptable."
What is unacceptable is the media's refusal to treat the lives of African Americans with the same dignity and respect as they do others. Not only should there be outrage at the NYPD, there should be outrage at the manner in which the corporate media molds our emotions -- especially around this time of year -- and directs our gaze toward some things, and away from others....
SEAN BELL // REMEMBERANCE IS POWER!!!
This is not about James Kim, but an observation about the US media and the subtle (and, sometimes, not so subtle) ways in which it constructs reality for the majority of US citizens.
The US media portrayed the struggle of the Kim family almost 24 hours a day, on local, national and even international TV. There was an outpouring of concern for the family -- and rightfully so.
Yet, mysteriously, the police murder of an unarmed African American male (who, it should be added, was the father of two children and was to be married to his fiancee the day he was murdered) was strangely underpublicized. Despite the shocking details of the murder (an unarmed man shot over 50 times, the day he was to be married), there was little mention of the shooting outside of New York City, where it ocurred. The police murder of Sean Bell, a 23-year old father from Queens, NY gained some publicity when outraged New Yorkers, primarily African American citizens who have grown tired of a long history of police violence against their communities, began to rally and protest for justice.
What can we read from this disparity in reporting? One thing that seems clear is that African American life -- no matter how tragically it is taken from this planet -- is not seen as of equal value to the lives of people of other races. National newscasts made no rush to condemn the act, even when Mayor Bloomberg of New York City (a Republican who has been criticized for his handling of many African American issues) condemned the 50 police shots as "unacceptable."
What is unacceptable is the media's refusal to treat the lives of African Americans with the same dignity and respect as they do others. Not only should there be outrage at the NYPD, there should be outrage at the manner in which the corporate media molds our emotions -- especially around this time of year -- and directs our gaze toward some things, and away from others....
posted by dj sake 1 at 3:36 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home