Article title: In America, black children don’t get to be children
Stacy Patton, the writer of this opinion piece news article, is giving very real commentary on the deep seated racial issues in America today and how they are a product of the decades before . Even as many claim that we live in a post-racial America, racism is still rampant in our society, whether it be obvious racism or subtle racism.
Patton starts off by using the infamous stories of Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, Trayvon Martin and Emmet Till, as examples of children being “aged” by their killers and how old they are perceived by others is used as the justification for their deaths. Patton also describes the way that black children are devalued even while they are still in the womb. She mentions “Psychologists tested and compared the behaviors of white and black infants and concluded that black babies were born innately inferior and animalistic”. Scientist try to use racism disguised as science as an excuse for their “racial classification”.
Patton points out that black kids are “stripped of their childhood” by explaining that they are “cast as adults” while ironically, adults are stuck in childhood in that they are viewed as lazy, criminal, unfriendly and more negative aspects.
This is the very core of the monstrosity we will talk about. In America, time and time again, Black youth are looked at as monsters. They are crucified for any of their actions and forced to have adult consequences to kid actions. Teens of other races often get to go through that well known teen angst period when they are reckless and careless. Those teens get through it untouched most of the time. Take a Black teen and put them in those same experiences. The outcome will be dramatically different. Whenever something happens to a black youth, the routine is always the same. The media looks and searches within every crevice of internet and history to find a reason to say that that child deserved it. Even twelve year old Tamir Rice was blamed for his own death. At the age where every other child has the freedom to be naive, black kids are basically told “you should know better”. The sad truth for black kids in America today is that we are all one misunderstanding away from being a rest in peace hashtag on the internet.
Okay. So your first paragraph is almost on point. The second sentence about racism still existing though is, at least how you say it right now, an expression of your own opinion. It’s not part of the description but something you’re adding to it. Now if you were to say that this author wants us to know that even in the idea of a post race world, racism still exists, that would be more of a description. The next two paragraphs work. Arguably you could have gotten away with the first sentence of the last paragraph, but even that is really too explicit of an argument claim for this assignment. I think you’re totally right, but you’re going too fast. The whole last paragraph spins you out far from the text and solid evidence and you lose the strength of your observation (and consequently your position).