Gun Violence

I disagree with Cynthia Tucker’s article that a culture celebrates thug life is part of the gun violence problem. You cannot be stereotypical and evaluate all African Americans who were raised in a black community by claiming that they are influenced by music, television shows, movies or peer pressure, which led them to thug wannabe. It is like saying all Asians people are natural intelligent.

The primarily cause of African Americans carrying guns or selling drugs is because of their poor living condition. No one ever dreamed to be a drug dealer or murder, but sometimes it is not optional. Most of them desperately need the money to support their families and themselves because they do not have a high school diploma or been unemployed for several months. The quickest and easiest way to earn the money is by selling drugs and getting in fights. They carried firearm to scare their nemesis away and protecting themselves from threat. It is definitely not because of feeling cool or trying to fit it. For example, the author Wes Moore and the other Wes Moore were both raised in the same community where they celebrate thug life, but the author Wes Moore become successful while the other Wes Moore become a criminal. The reason why is because the author Wes Moore had a better opportunities than the other Wes Moore.

Culture celebrates thugs life does not play a role in with gun violence problem.  Even if you get rid of all rap music and violence television shows, there will still be gun violence in the black community because there is no connectivity between gun violence and rap music.  The best method to lower the gun violence in black community is improving their living condition by creating job and making an education as their top priorities.

Gun Violence

I disagree with Cynthia Tucker’s article that a culture celebrates thug life is part of the gun violence problem. You cannot be stereotypical and evaluate all African Americans who were raised in a black community by claiming that they are influenced by music, television shows, movies or peer pressure, which led them to thug wannabe. It is like saying all Asians people are natural intelligent.

The primarily cause of African Americans carrying guns or selling drugs is because of their poor living condition. No one ever dreamed to be a drug dealer or murder, but sometimes it is not optional. Most of them desperately need the money to support their families and themselves because they do not have a high school diploma or been unemployed for several months. The quickest and easiest way to earn the money is by selling drugs and getting in fights. They carried firearm to scare their nemesis away and protecting themselves from threat. It is definitely not because of feeling cool or trying to fit it. For example, the author Wes Moore and the other Wes Moore were both raised in the same community where they celebrate thug life, but the author Wes Moore become successful while the other Wes Moore become a criminal. The reason why is because the author Wes Moore had a better opportunities than the other Wes Moore.

Culture celebrates thugs life does not play a role in with gun violence problem.  Even if you get rid of all rap music and violence television shows, there will still be gun violence in the black community because there is no connectivity between gun violence and rap music.  The best method to lower the gun violence in black community is improving their living condition by creating job and making an education as their top priorities.

 

Gun Violence Viral

I do agree with Cynthia Tucker’s statement on gun violence in the black community. Culture celebrating thug life is part of the problem, because it influences others in society to choose the wrong decisions someone else has already chose. Gun violence has become viral, and more people are dying because of it. Death rates are inclining due to gangs, which usually taking place in the bad parts of a city. These areas are get the reputation of being “dangerous,” to the point where innocent people get killed just being at the wrong place at the wrong time. Some people buy guns for protection, hunting, for races, etc. Others buy them for the wrong reasons, which are usually to prove a point of power and gaining respect from others. What is ironic about it though is that owning a gun and flashing it off to people half the time will only get you killed. Bragging about a gun, flashing it off to people, isn’t respectful. Instead its disrespecting others, who might want the same thing as the person with the gun which is self respect. Two people wanting respect with guns, are only going to end up dying eventually.

Unfortunately we live in a world where people hurt each other, and sometimes people can’t deal with that. When they come across something that they feel can give them that, its grabs their attention. Owning a gun possibly even gives them the idea that they can take away anyones life in the matter of a second who they just simply did not want to deal with anymore. This exciting sense of power takes over their mind and once they get their hands this object they lose control, which ends up causing chaos.

Gun violence doesn’t show power for respect, it shows an individuals personality trait of being a coward. A person who is willing to take the life of someone else’s they didn’t create. A person who walks around everyday paranoid that someone is out to get them. A person who isn’t afraid to die, or even worse thinks they are untouchable.

Thug Life is Not Cool

I agree with Cynthia Tucker that a culture that celebrates the thug life is the problem. It is a problem because no one is willing to put in the work to change their life and have a better life without living in fear. Thugs do not tend to care about others as they should and if having a gun is their main priority then they will shoot it and kill an innocent onlooker. It is also the responsibility of the elders of the community to teach children that living the “thug life” is not the way to go.

Society should stress the importance of success without having to struggle on the streets selling dope everyday. As a child, I realized that being a thug was important in the black community because it gave you status. I had cousins that were in gangs and unfortunately I lost a cousin due to gang violence. Even if they try to enforce gun control there is no way of telling if someone is going to be willing to give up what they have. Black people have been oppressed for so long that most believe that having a gun is the only way to show that you are tough. A gun does not show toughness, it shows weakness because you are unable to communicate verbally how you feel. The thug look is not attractive and more people should try to educate themselves and get out of the hood. I know many people that put on the thug look to gain status but are very intelligent and do not want to show that to society. Gun control should better the community, but we won’t know the result until it goes into affect.

I wish that more people would stress the importance of life and that it is too short so living everyday to its fullest is a must.

Thuggin

In Today’s society, the main cause of death is by far gun violence. Reasons for this cause can be gang violence, drugs, revenge, and for simple reasons like anger. If persons can talk out a problem the issue of gun violence would not be as huge as it is today. While saying that, I agree with what Ms. Cynthia Tucker about the subject matter. I believe that a culture that celebrates thug life is a huge problem contributing to the affect of gun violence. Living in New Orleans is a scary place, even though it is a huge tourist attraction sadly New orleans has one of the highest crime rates in the world. Over the past decade the New Orleans Police Department have repoted over more than 300 homicides a year. When you do the math that is approximately 3000 murders. Even though I have not yet lost a friend due to gun violence or any other kind of violence, other people around me have lost many of love ones and have shed many of tears. The solution to solving this pandemic in our nation is far from being solveed. More and more black men or being killed each and every day. Black on black crime is another epidemic that is prevalent. Besides the killing, more and more young African American males are being arrested for some major injustice actions and for simple. It is very important today that young African American males get an education and do something positive with their life. Help the world become a better place.

Little Black Coffins, NO MORE

Although I have not had an experience the loss of a friend or family member to gun violence, it is something that is present outside of even the African American community. Constantly on the local news, the amount of black on black crime reported is a travesty, but the fact that it goes unnoticed makes me feel that people are still being neglect just because they are different. I agree that the celebration of the “thug life” culture and its effect on the youth wanting to own a gun makes the issue even more difficult. The first amendment allows for us to have free speech, but that freedom ends when it is harmful to another person’s character. Cigarettes are still legal, but people have changed their view on them since its harmful linkage to carcinogens. The 2^nd amendment is a right the founding fathers wanted us to have for the protection of this nation from foreign threats, but not all threats, I believe. In the “thug life” culture, having a gun is the way to express your masculine dominance over another, but why are the urban areas the most violence occurs in, consumed by such violence. The hip hop culture that sometimes shows this “thug life’ has an effect on those who constantly listen to such music. Now I’m not saying we should censor the music, because there are good people who express different messages about the “thug life,” but maybe we should make all neighborhoods safer so that not even “thugs” have to carry guns. Or addressing the issue that guns are easily accessible and the type of devastation they can inflict should be limited. A few weeks back Bob Costas was receiving mixed messages about his half time monologue about the gun and hip hop culture, following the Jovan Belcher incident. He quoted Cleveland Sports writer Jason Whitlock’s article following the Jovan Belcher shooting stating, “Our current gun culture simply ensures that more and more domestic disputes will end in the ultimate tragedy, and that more convenience-store confrontations over loud music coming from a car will leave more teenage boys bloodied and dead. In the coming days, Belcher’s actions will be analyzed through… What I believe is, if he didn’t possess/own a gun, he and Kasandra Perkins would both be alive today.” The troubles of being stuck in a situation and not having the same experience as other people from different neighborhoods makes this a never ending cycle of black on black violence. Selling drugs and thinking this is all my life will ever amount to is toxic to an individual’s potential. Crime is a difficult thing to stop, but if we, society, say no more to this holocaust then maybe more and more young boys don’t have to look forward to a coffin, but at home, in school, at work, living life.

Stop the Violence, Make A Change!

I totally agree with Tucker’s statement. As the years have passed by, gun violence has become a very large issue in the US and across the world. Young Adults have watched the violence that comes on the T.V. and then actually make it to reality. What they don’t realize it how much they can put themselves in danger and other innocent people as well. Young people of today don’t understand that how precious their life really is and after a while they start to get use to it. I think this is very shameful. In my opinion, people today are surrounded by this and are now immune to it. Something/ someone needs to put a stop to this. Otherwise, more teens or maybe will die more than the amount is now.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states, “Gun violence is the leading cause of death for black men younger than 35.” After a while, if something isn’t done about this situation, I fear not for us but the young black boys who are being brought into this world. They will see this and think to themselves that it’s okay to kill. They need to realize that there is more out in than world than just worrying about how cool a gun makes you look. They look up these rappers and movies and see and reenact what they do.  I feel that our young black people need to stand up and put this sort of situation into affect that killing isn’t a way to solve any problems. With this type of motivation, I know that we can end this!

This is Thug Life..

As I was reading the article “Gun Violence is a Critical Issue for Black America” written by Cynthia Tucker, I could not help but think about every time there was a black on black death on the news especially dealing with guns. All around the nation there are communities with men and women, ranging from young to old that are brought up in a bad community. In most communities, being a “gangster” or a “thug” is widely accepted and praised. They believe that playing the roles of those they will earn the respect of people around them. When guns are put into the situation, it is even more praised because they demand even more respect. I do agree with the statement that part of the problem is a culture that celebrates the thug life is part of the problem. I agree with Cynthia Tucker because most people react to the responses that they get from the people surrounding them. It can be compared to when a child is learning right from wrong; if they get praised for an action it is repeated, if they get scolded for an action it is normally made sure to not happen again. If individuals in the community the amount of thugs did not praise being a thug would drastically decrease because they would no longer get praise or accolades for their bad habits. Trying to slow down the black on black gun violence can start from home and from the streets. Getting the people in the streets to understand that they shouldn’t want younger generations walking around everyday scared because they don’t know if their life is going to end with a bullet or not. I believe that progress can be made with the help and cooperation of all people in the African-American community.

Guns

In todays society Guns are one of the main causes in death, and definitely in the african american community. You can also see this from the column we read about gun violence by author Cynthia Tucker. She explains her thoughts and opinions on gun violence and defiantly in the african american community. Stats show that in the African american community, black men ages 35 and younger die every few hours at the hand of another black male. She stresses that the Naacp should be leading a crusade to help the this epidemic, even though president Obama is pushing for gun safety measures. When I actually take time out to think about this crisis in most of our communities. It makes me think of the african american male community as a whole. If you careful watch or look into what theses males are being influenced by today you see most rappers with money, cars and guns. Such as presents rapper T.I. Who got arrested a few years back for carrying military weapons on himself. Young males see this and think that the can also do the same but actually got out there and kill one another over stupid reasons. This really does sadden my heart, because why cant they see positive males out there like Tyler Perry and do something else then killing themselves. So yes I guess you can say that I do agree with the calm arthur Cynthia Tucker and her regards of hat we should do to change this epidemic so hopefully our world will change

Violence is NEVER the answer

I agree with what Cynthia Tucker said in her article. I think people imitate what they see or better yet what they think will be accepted socially. I don’t think that this culture celebrates “thug life”, but society ignores gun violence until someone gets killed or things get extremely out of hand. In the article, Al Sharpton stated that “My fear is that we’ve seen so much gun violence that we’ve become numb to it.” It’s sad to say that in many cities and neighborhoods people are used to everyday violence and they feel as if they can’t do anything about the violence so they just tune it out and become immune to it.

Its like when every young boy see’s every grown man sagging their pants, they then think it’s cool or acceptable to sag their pants because no one is their to correct the wrong actions and behavior.I think if more communities actually recognized all the violence and actually attempted to put an end to it, then they would began to notice gradual changes. If no one speaks out about gun violence then matters will definitely get worst and tragedies will continue to happen, kind of like the one that happened to four year old Lloyd Morgan Jr.

Also if all the men who are supposed to be role models are spending everyday doing the wrong things, then that just shows the younger children growing up that doing wrong it what they should do, which is never right and it will definitely lead to distruction.