Our Middle School Model UN class was just wrapping
up a simulation of a crisis conference on the Ebola epidemic. Present, in the simulation, were “representatives”
from Doctors without Borders, Centers for Disease Control, World Health
Organization and others. However, the
day after the Ferguson Grand Jury decision was rendered, these civic-minded students
wanted to stop a different epidemic: that of racism in the United States.
We diverted energy from discussion of bullets fired and
“he said/she said” to discuss larger, societal issues. We used the links below to ponder the
Ferguson case and decision. We share them with you in hopes you will
follow up with your students—or perhaps with your families at the Thanksgiving
table and beyond.
In
our class we focused on these questions for discussion, and we asked students to
continue conversations at home with family:
1.
Where is the line between self-protection and protection of the public and
murder? At
what point is a police officer justified in drawing his weapon in order to
enforce the law? In
other countries are police officers armed? To what extent?
2.
Are U.S. police departments using racial profiling at the expense of the safety
of black youth? Does data support this assertion? Are any police
departments building trusting relationships among their various communities?
How can this be done?
3.
Why are protesters so angry about the ruling? What has happened in
Ferguson prior to this event? Is there a history of institutionalized
racism in the U.S. that needs to be investigated? What should our next actions be to stop racism in our communities?
We
offer our hopes for a world in which all children and adults are safe and
valued, a world in which we stop the epidemic of racism.
LINKS FOR DISCUSSION:
2. Ferguson is About Us Too: A Call to Explore our Communities: This
article from National Council for the Social Studies provides numerous
questions to help analyze our own communities as well as detailed date on
Ferguson’s racial make-up and police stops and arrests broken down by
race.
3. 538 Blog: It’s Incredibly Rare For A Grand Jury To Do What Ferguson’s Just Did: The
538 Blog explains data on grand jury
rulings -- especially as they apply in cases involving police officers.
4. Newsweek: How America's Police Became an Army: Militarization
of US Police Departments: Where have all these armored vehicles come from? The military-industrial complex is hard at
work, distributing armored vehicles to police department who may not want them.
5. Economist: How Foot Patrols Keep Tough Neighbourhoods Safer: Economist
article on foot patrols in Philadelphia, one example of policing designed to
integrate officers into neighborhoods.
6. The ONION: Sometimes Unfortunate Things Happen In The Heat Of A 400-Year-Old Legacy Of Racism:
Does stinging satire help
us deal with the tragic results of the 400-year-old legacy of African
enslavement and racism in the Americas?
Does this article cross the line or tell it like it is?
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