Craig Werner's A Brief Song Analysis: Stop The Violence

A police force is defined as an organized body of people, given power by the state to enforce the law, protect property, and limit civil disorder. However, amid controversial relations between police and civilians in today’s society, many often question whether or not the police force’s purpose is actually fulfilled in reality. Since 2015, police have killed 964 people in the U.S. And although composing only 13% of the population, Black people constituted 25% of those killed by police (242, mappingpoliceviolenc.com). These killings are often identified as police brutality: unreasonable and excessive use of force used to accomplish a lawful police purpose. By its definition, police brutality contradicts the purpose and abuses the power that police officers have. Police brutality is a rising, yet unsolved issue that remains relevant in today’s society. Increased tensions between the African American community and police officers continue to affect the interaction with one another. When police officers are not representative or have a relationship with the people they are supposed to protect, cultural differences and racial tensions create a bias that targets and automatically views these communities as dangerous. These circumstances are the foundation to why to police brutality is still a trending manifestation in black communities.

Music Cannot Be Blamed for Crime and Violence Since the beginning of time, music has been the heart and soul for

In recent months, a new song has surfaced, “Everybody”; the composer, Logic, is a well know biracial rapper whose song are typically based on politics or social issues happening presently; this new song is not any different. The basic concept of the song is about how neither “whites” nor “blacks” consider him part of their culture, and he counters this with the chorus that generally says people are people and when broken down cry, bleed, and want the same things (Logic). Many allusions and references are made throughout the piece; for example, “Now picture little Bobby just a youngin’ runnin’ round with his mans, hammer in his hands, feelin’ like a man…before the popo get the gun, put it to your brain,” (Logic). These lines speak about recent police brutality against young black men and especially the Trayvon Martin case. The first line of verse two uses imagery as well as simile to convey that he is like a Jehovah witness trying to spread his truth and beliefs (Logic). He thinks that society does not want to “face facts” and admit the injustices that going on all around, so he is here to educate and enlighten (Logic). Logic also references his

Cultural phenomenon, rapper Kendrick Lamar has embraced a growing minority centered culture in America through his album “To Pimp A butterfly” this album conveys themes of hardship for minorities and cultural uprising. One of the singles on this album “Alright” simply tells black audiences that with faith everything will be alright. He uses the Lyrics “Alls my life I has to fight, nigga .Alls my life I...Hard times like God. Bad trips like: ‘God!’ Nazareth, I 'm fucked up..Homie you fucked up..But if God got us then we gon ' be alright” These lyrics simply tell suppressed minorities that despite hardship there is hope within our communities. . Months prior to the release of Kendrick Lamar’s “Alright” several attacks from white police officers happened in the black community. A common case in this uproar was the “Mike Brown case”. In this case a black man was shot dead after allegedly robbing a local gas station. Kendrick simply responded to these seemingly racial attacks with his album to “Pimp a Butterfly”. To pimp a butterfly simply means to use your influence to the best of its ability to make a meaningful impact. With tracks like “Alright” Kendrick Lamar does just that. The Primary themes and issues conveyed in this song are white supremacy, racism and black uprising

With all this going on, a popular outlet for emotions regarding police brutality was music. A lot of hip hop artists wrote music to release their feelings on this subject. In the 1990s, one famous rap group, N.W.A, wrote a song that really expressed how a lot of African Americans felt at the time and may still feel now. (N.W.A) The song is called “F the Police.” The recent film Straight Out of Compton presents the story of NWA. One scene, in particular, shows how LA police

Music has always been a very influential tool used to inform or motivate people. Gil Scott-Heron’s “No Knock” and Kamau’s “PohLease” both try to address the issue of police racism and the targeting of African Americans with this injustice. This paper will attempt to compare these to pieces and showing their shared and opposing ideas. Gil Scott-Heron wrote his song after the newly implemented “No Knock” warrants giving police permission to enter homes without even knocking or announcing their presence or reasoning for entering. Kamau’s song “PohLease” establishes his ideas on current issues regarding police brutality and the damages it has done. Because the targeting of African American’s by police, we need to eliminate this discrimination. In this paper we will discuss their ideas on the feelings of being discriminated against, the fear of racists, and some instances and their effects on society.

The rulers of this country have always considered their property more important than our lives. They call us murderers, but we were not responsible for the twenty-eight brother inmates and nine hostages murdered at attica” (17). Providing examples of tyranny and accusations personify the evil that the legal system has against African Americans and further digs the idea that every officer is out there hunting them down. Repeating the phrase “They call us murderers…” Shakur demonstrates that the police are blaming the murders as “a community fight” or placing the blame on an African American because it is convenient (15-19). The repetition in the beginning of each sentence proves that African Americans were blamed for murders that they did not commit. To further push her purpose of joining the BPM and protect the African American population, Shakur persuades her audience to observe the injustices and accusations happening.

As growing prejudice against people of color developed from the “war on drugs” in 80s, and violence placed more minorities at risk in the 90s, David Harris and Angela Ards discuss in their articles the injustices of highway patrol racial profiling, and hip hop as a means cope with the discrimination in minority communities, respectively.

The Boston Massacre took place from March 5, 1770 to September 3, 1783. The Boston Massacre started by a stolen hair cut. An officer was getting a haircut by a young barber, and when the officer was done, he walked out. He did not pay, and that one action started a war. Ice, rocks, and bricks were thrown. Their was a “war” started by a haircut, and that started a whole revolution.

In just the past year, a major violent protests have arisen due to the shooting of Mike Brown unarmed African American teenagers and the death of several other African American teenagers. However, violence against African Americans is not new. “Assata: An Autobiography” follows the life of the Black revolutionary Assata Shakur specifically her experience in the criminal-punishment system after she was wrongly accused of shooting a state trooper. Assata is beaten, forced to endure inhumane prison conditions, and repetitively accused of crimes she did not commit, all in order to silence her voice in the Black liberation movement. Assata’s experience is an example of some of the reasons Statement by Critical Resistance and Incite! Women of Color

Written as a response to the 2000 murder of Alberto Adriano, a 39-year-old Mozambican immigrant, this Brothers Keepers’ song was a more radical “last warning” directed to the neo-Nazis and right-wing extremists that had been carrying out racially-targeted murders and other acts of violence. Their much more assertive stance can be heard in their lines, “We’ll come there where you hang out / And we’ll finally stop your brown sh*t,” referencing the brown shirts of the Nazi soldiers during the Third Reich. This call to action and final warning is also seen in their music video, which features multiple references to American Black Power movements, including raised fists and civil rights marching. They reiterate in the line “Adriano’s crime: wrong place, wrong time” that these foreigners and minorities are targeted not because they committed any crimes, but because they are seen as “outsiders” that need to be

So, in many states like Texas people experience gun violence triggered toward colored people that result in injured and deathly encounters. Peniel gives an understanding of the lives lost in these encounters and how they prove America still has a long way to comprehending one and another. He explains that not only in one but in many times have lives been lost to false interpretation, and many are innocent and defenseless black men. Due to this horrific events happening, a movement has starter being called Black Lives Matter to better improve the civil rights of every person that is suffering from racism(Peniel). In regard to this movement people from different races are able to associate together to stop violence toward anybody. Although, racism is present violence is something we need to demolish to be able to be avoid any casualties and

The juvenile figures were even more depressing; 1/4 young men (ages 15-17) had been arrested for domestic violence or assault during the last four months. A sociologist named Shirley Ann Vining- Brown noted: “blacks are labeled as criminals… black prisoners outnumber white prisoners in Southern prisons this is called the “Negro Problem”. On 1992 in Brooklyn, NYC, New York the game “Knock-Out” was created. It’s a game when a group of people pick an unexpected victim and physically attack them resulting in permanent serious injuries, comas, instantaneous or eventual death. The crimes are being committed primarily by African-American youth. Many victims include white senior-citizen war veterans, elderly Asian couples, and even younger and middle-aged people; sadly they didn’t survive to share their story. These aren’t even one of top five "lethal" cities in America. Not only in small cities that the violence is shown, but it’s nationwide. In cities across the land (especially in urban areas) there are mobs of young African Americans who swarm into convenience stores; steal and destroy everything in sight and attack anyone who happens to be nearby, just for fun .The videos of these attacks often come up on social media such as: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and on websites like YouTube and WorldStarHipHop.com, (frequently posted by them themselves as a form of bragging about their exploits).

The song, “Make It Stop (Septembers Children)” by Rise Against, relates to the real world controversy of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender rights. Most specifically, teenagers who are are being bullied to the point of suicide. This song was released in 2011, just after a large group of LGBT teen suicides in September of 2010, and was also released alongside the rise of the It Gets Better campaign.

Violence is something that will always be there, whether it be right up in your face, on a battlefield, or creeping in the darkness, sowing the seeds of despair and resentment in humanity’s hearts, forever changing the landscape of your life to come. Violence has vigorously torn apart relationships that have lasted centuries, all because of a single gunshot, which has led to massive bloodshed, and the loss of many loved ones. Violence is a part of a cycle that is necessary in life, but would rather be avoided, which is why I am here, to help diminish that cycle of hatred, through the power of prevention through education, and self control.