Transitional Justice Watch Blog #3:Reparations

http://www.kfbb.com/news/local/81178217.html?sitemap=rss

Native Americans suffered much persecution when the first American settlers landed upon North America. Native Americans were pushed from their land and were often hurt or killed in the European acquisition of land. Native Americans were not initially treated as citizens and were forced onto reservations. Some state reparations have been given to Native Americans from Americans but many nationally proposed reparations remain in limbo.

In order for Native American reparations to be successful, I believe that it must be a collective effort. “Reparations programs created by legislation generally seek to provide repair, through a variety of measures, for specific types of violation as well as for various classes of victims” (Magarrell). Many of the reparations planned involve land allotment and monetary reimbursement. However, these monetary reparations cannot substitute for the embarrassment and humility that was caused by American intrusion.

“By definition, all reparations have an important symbolic role in the process of building public trust and integrating victims into society” (Magarrell). The current reparation efforts for Native Americans revolve around exclusion of Native Americans from society. The Native Americans are sent to reservations and have little contact with regular American society. “It should be noted that reparations almost always fall short of victims’ expectations” (Magarrell). While Americans cannot grant all of the Native Americans’ wishes, we should aim to integrate them into society and to treat them as equals.

I believe that the Native American reparation program was initiated too quickly. Many Native Americans were calling for reparations but problems can result when programs are not well thought out. “A further risk is that interim reparations may effectively diminish prospects for a more complete program later” (Magarrell). Also, many symbolic reparations have been made to the Native Americans such as the granting of freedom and citizenship. “A commitment to unity or to welcoming victims who have been excluded from society’s care and protection will not be taken seriously by victims if it is not accompanied by at least some concrete material solutions for harm suffered” (Magarrell). Victims need to receive physical reparations but these reparations should be long lasting and not focus on the exclusion of Native Americans.

There are many limitations that will be encountered during the allotment of reparations to Native Americans. Many measures still need to be more concretely defined before implementation(Rubio-Marín, Bailey & Guillerot). The public outcry for reparations can actually hurt reparation implementation because rushed decisions will be forced. “There are limitations to taking even modest steps toward transformation absent a serious commitment on the part of the state and ruling non-indigenous elites to the wider transformations that crafting a more inclusive political order would entail” (Rubio-Marín, Bailey & Guillerot). Implementing reparations can put the reparation giver at risk. Financial burden can occur for America and could even lure Americans to further use Native Americans as scapegoats. I believe that careful planning will help to eliminate these factors and hopefully please everyone.

How to Deter Juvenile Crime-Week 7-Mar 7th, 2011

This week’s readings and film viewings greatly opened my eyes to the role the media plays in public policy. In the film, Student Threats of Violence, many facts presented demonstrate acts of violence by juveniles have rapidly declined during the 1990s. I believe that we need to study these trends and truly understand the reason that these positive trends emerge. Student Threats of Violence states “economic opportunity and stability led to more jobs being created for juveniles” (2008). I believe that jobs help deter juveniles from engaging in criminal activity. Boredom can lead to mischief, and when youths are employed this boredom is cut down tremendously. I also believe that jobs can instill a sense of pride within youths which will serves as deterrence to crime. Too much focus is put on combating crime, instead of focusing on creating positive social/economic situations. This negative approach is also the reason that prisons are more focused on containment rather than rehabilitation.


I believe that we need to monitor and regulate the media more. I highly support freedom of speech but the majority of Americans use media outlets for the attainment of information. The news outlets must worry about ratings and this is the reason that scare tactics are so prevalent throughout newscasts. The news outlets of the 1990’s painted juveniles as evil, malice human beings. These repeated reports forced the older generation to fear the younger generation. This was done in order to increase the amount of people that watch the news. While these scare tactics are good for business, they will often negatively affect public policy. Increased anti-juvenile legislation can emerge as a result of scare tactics and this can lead to the youth resenting the older generation. This resentment can destroy social capital and crumble communities.


Works Cited

1.Films for the Humanities and Sciences."As American as Public School: 1900-1950" 2000. Online video clip. Arizona Universities Library Consortium. FMG Video On Demand. Accessed on 28 February 2011.http://digital.films.com/play/ P7J4SF

2.Research Channel (Producer) (2008, February 21). Student Threats of Violence. [Youtube video].Retrieved February 28, 2011 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXiK0A43Xk4

3.Wright, & Fitzpatrick (2006). Social capital and adolescent violent behavior: Correlates of fighting and weapon use among secondary school students. Social Forces, 84(3), 1435-1453.

Identity-Week 6-Feb 28th, 2011

I believe that identity formation can begin at an early age. Children in the documentary were asked to identify which playmates would be most suitable. Almost all of the children chose the white children and this demonstrates how they are subconsciously affected by stereotypes. However, the black child who was taught national pride almost always picked the black playmate when asked to identify positive characteristics. Children are also constantly subjected to class stereotypes. Children stories often revolve around prince and princesses and their elitist families. 

Children are taught through these stories and other external factors that wealth results in happiness. In the documentary when children are asked which house the happy people live in, they always choose the larger one. Our documentary also claims that children become aware of their sex at the age of two.  Gender can become a major influence upon a child’s identity. When given male dolls with girl’s clothes, the children misidentified the sex. This demonstrates that we have many social expectations for how men and women should appear in society. I believe that we need to focus on how our society can influence young minds. By raising children with certain stereotypes, we are heavily impacting their identity. We do not need to keep them identity-neutral, but we should teach them that all kinds of different identities are acceptable. If we teach the children to accept other people’s identities, we will live in a much happier/equal world.

Week 4- Juvenile Death Penalty-Justin Vizcaino

The death penalty is a very stigmatized concept when applied to the youth. We consider citizens adults at the age of 18, yet many children aged 17 and younger have been given the death penalty sentence for crimes they committed. “As is the case throughout the juvenile justice system, African-American and Latino youth are disproportionately affected by the juvenile death penalty” (Morreale 2004). Our film stated that many professors believe that the death penalty affects the poor first. Since the majority of poverty affects colored people, the death penalty directly affects minorities. “Although African-Americans and Latinos makeup approximately 6.8% and 6.9% of the U.S. population ages 14 through 17, respectively, 41% of the73 juvenile offenders on death row as of March 15, 2004 was black or African-American and 21% was of Latino or Hispanic origin” (Morreale 2004).

I also think it is interesting how many states have gradually condemned the death penalty for youths. “Over the past couple of years, many states have begun to outlaw the death penalty” (Lane 2005). I do not believe that the death penalty positively affects society. After watching the film, I believe that many of the juvenile inmates are genuinely remorseful. These juveniles can be reformed and should not have their life striped from them. Instead of focusing on the death penalty, we should focus on reform programs. If we develop effective reform programs, we can become a more wholesome society. Also, we need to focus on rectifying societal structure. These acts of crime are occurring because of the societal environments these children are placed in.




Works Cited

Films for the Humanities and Sciences."Death Row Kids" 2005. Online video clip. Arizona Universities Library Consortium. FMG Video On Demand. Accessed on 7 February 2011. http://digital.films.com/play/ VGL58V



Morreale, M. C., & English, A. (2004). Abolishing the death penalty for juvenile offenders: A background paper. Journal of Adolescent Health, 35(4), 335-339.



Steinberg, L., & Scott, E. S. (2003). Less guilty by reason of adolescence: Developmental immaturity, diminished responsibility, and the juvenile death penalty. The American Psychologist, 58(12), 1009-18.

Transitional Justice Watch Blog #2:Darfur

Dear Victim,

You are experiencing extreme strife and inequality. Many of the people involved in the military are oppressing you and stripping you of your rights. The military extorts the youth and encourages you to offer your boys up to the regime. You are told that your boys’ participation in the regime will help to keep you safe. However, the regime often kills your children and shows no remorse for the tragedies they are committing.

  
Much of the success of the oppressions stems from the politics of fear. The government is able to strike fear into the hearts of the citizens and to keep everyone in check. Withholding of education is also another that the government is able to control the people. I believe that we need to continue to educate ourselves on effective diplomatic relations. The key to ending the misery does not benefit from solitary rebel groups operating alone.

Darfur benefits from increased oil revenue and is one of the fasting growing countries in Africa. This access to wealth can allow for Darfur to become a very prosperous/successful country. I believe that the way to achieve that is to keep working together and bonding. I am the leader of a rebel group that seeks change in a progressive manner.

I want you to know that there are many different people in Darfur that are working to help relieve that pain of the regime. Sudan soldiers have been dealt many different defeats at the hands of Darfur rebels. We have created a coalition of groups that meet and discuss about the progression of Darfur. I believe that if we consolidate our groups we will be more effective at negotiating with the government.

Our country will eventually become a fair place for everyone to live. Our regimes are becoming stronger and we do not seek to oppress the people by gaining power. We are trying to cooperate with the government and reach peaceful agreements. I would advise you to become active in the efforts but to never become hostile towards people.

Signed,

General Agway (Rebel leader, diplomat, politician, seeker of peace)

Documentary Film: Heart of Darfur
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/sudan/index.html 

Juvenile Correctional Programs-Week 3-Feb 7th, 2011

I believe that it is quite astonishing how many youths are incarcerated and sentenced. I believe that we need to take more precautions to prevent this! “Adolescents incarcerated in the criminal court under the Juvenile Offender Law are sent to a ‘Division for Youth’ facility that is less restrictive than adult facilities and prioritizes education as a correctional goal” (Kupchik 2007). Sentencing youths to adult crimes prohibits them from receiving these benefits of educational reform. However, while the notion of a youth correctional facility in essence seems like a good idea, the benefits may not even exist. “Yet, it is unclear that these various options actually present different results, or that the juvenile facilities to which young adults are sentenced are substantially different than adult facilities” (Kupchik 2007). 
I believe that instead of focusing so much money towards convicting children, we need to develop research teams that discover the best methods to reform them. We are not even sure if youth correctional facilities work, so it is a waste of money to keep operating them. I believe that we should also focus on community building and creating positive environments for these children to live in. Children with strong family and community support are less likely to end up on the streets or conducting crime.

Play and Deliquency-Week 2-Jan 31st, 2011

The readings and video clips offered great insight into the possibility that play and delinquency are directly related. “Even animals regularly play and that this play can turn predatory/hostile encounters into friendly exchanges” (Ted Talks 2008). The number of children who are confined to Juvenile Prison facilities are appalling.  However, there is much hope when these children are interviewed and many of the children demonstrate much enthusiasm for the possibility of a good life. I believe that the Ted Lecture we watched is correct when it states that play is positively linked to human development. I believe that play can relieve stress and limit the chance that a hostile or violent act will occur from a human. I believe that many of the children that end up in Juvy are forced to work and help support their families. Their play time is significantly reduced. However, I believe that play cannot overcome hostile environments. Play itself is not enough to overcome competition or violence. The societal structures of humans need to be supportive and fair in order to maintain peace and decrease violence.