The Midland Reach
It has been 499 years since the Great Devide, a time of relevant peace and friendliness. Several centuries ago, through the conjoined efforts of the Humans and the Dwarves; these two races began to successfully reach out to the culturally diverse Elves.
As the Human and Dwarven diplomats entered their lands, the Elves were weary of the foreigners . With poor first contact and because of several things the diplomats did, the Elves felt insulted. What originally should have been a meeting between three friendly nations, turned into a war that lasted two decades.
The Dwarves had several colonies near the Elven border prior to the war. But with the slaughter of thousands of their kin, the Dwarves withdrew from the war and returned to the mountains of their homeland. With a hatred for their enemies, and resentment for the feelings of betrayal for their former allies, the Dwarves turned their backs on the world.
The two remaining nations battled for many years, neither gaining the upper hand for long before giving it up. At the battle of Pronged River, without their former allies, the Humans agreed to a cease fire with the Elves on shaky terms. After years of demands being sent back and forth, eventually the leaders of the two nations changed and soon, the new leaders successfully attempted to erase all past animosities, favoring peace.
For the years to come, the two races would mix together. With time, diplomacy became a favored tactic of the Humans. Like before, they reached out to the other nations including the Hobbits and the Gnomes, with far better success then in the past. Now, in the year 499, all the nations are connected through various road and river systems throughout the Midland Reach.
But the lingering curiosity connected to the ancient Dwarven race is beginning to creep up in the universities of the World, and with the advancement of ship technology, a completely new question is being asked. What should the peoples of the Midland Reach do about the fabled East and West islands?
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Monday, March 12, 2012
suite life
Scott Watson
Mrs. Koch
English honors 2
March 14, 2012
The Suite Life
It’s an everyday occurrence for a teenager to look at something, only to look away with the realization that they don’t have the money to buy it. But always hopeful, teenagers wait for the day that they’ll be given the opportunity to prove themselves to be mature enough to get their own money. They pray for the time when they would be considered enough to travel on their own, buy their own things, and learn things they want to know. Being a teenager myself, I can only think of getting enough money to go on a vacation of my choosing. I would visit different countries, try out different things, and meet new people.
The first place on my stopping list would be Japan. Spending some of my money, I would sail across the ocean to visit. Once there, I would find a nice hotel to stay in. But as soon as I would book myself in, I would immediately be visiting across the country. I would meet and learn about the culture, and I would spend most of my day eating the various cuisine the country would have to offer me. After some time, I would leave the cities and begin to move inland, towards the mountains. By myself, i would adventure into the wilderness, seeking out any small villages that still existed.
After spending time on the beaches of Japan, I would go to visit Russia. After landing there, via plane, I would take time to explore the vast lands of the country. In the cities, I would spend money doing traditional Russian dances inside of the countries’ many dance clubs. Outside of these festive activities, I would spend time learning about Russia’s long, rather bumpy history. In Moscow I would look at the city’s famous architecture, taking note of the crazy looking domes that are atop many of the city’s buildings.
Upon a quick tour of Joseph Stalin’s memorial, I would move on to France. After a long rail road ride, I would exit the train and open my eyes to Paris, one of the most beautiful cities in the world. I would travel the streets, walking into bakeries, sipping fine wines, and enjoying the local beauties. Beneath the Eiffel Tower, I would sit and watch the world around me pass by.
With my stomach full of bread, and my mind a bit dizzy from Paris’ delicious wines, I would travel to the grand country of Germany. I would sample every single piece of sausage that would be offered to me, and drive cars at screaming speeds on the Autobahn. Taking a tour in Berlin, I would travel to the Berlin Wall and imagine the history that lay around me. Looking around, while listening to Pink Floyd, I would walk up and down where it used to be. I would eventually ask for a tour of Germany’s famous car owners stores, taking looks at some of the best automotive technology in the entire world.
As soon as I would get my first speeding ticket from the German police, I would head out of the country, taking a float over to Great Britain. As soon as I would land, I would go visit Big Ben, London’s famous clock tower. Thoughts of the Hunchback of Notredame would pop up in my head as I would look at the tower’s clock hands ticking away. After some time looking at London’s beautiful clock, I would seek out someone who could teach me the history of the Famous English band, The Beatles. With my vacation money I would slip the teacher some money, convincing him to give me some memorabilia. With my new found merchandise, I would go visit parliament. I, being the history junkie I am, would take the time to stand in awe at the sheer amount of importance around me as I would stand inside of English parliament. I would realize that monarchs, noblemen, knights, and all other English heroes could have stood in the very spot that I would be.
Enjoying time spent learning, I would end my tour at the western tip of Canada. There I would enjoy Canada’s beautiful wildlife. Taking time to hike around the country, I would take note of Mother Nature’s beautiful effect on Canada. Of course, I would go the largest Ice rink in Canada to show the natives my unbelievable skill and prowess on the ice. With out a doubt, soon all of Canada would know and fear me, “The Loud, Proud, American Mouth.” I would truly earn the last edition to my title because of my inability to control my words in the heat of battle. None the less, self control, or not, my time spent dazzling the crowds would be the most enjoyable out of my whole trip.
One day, I will enjoy my responsibilities as an adult. No matter how hard the road gets, or how impossible things might seem at some point, I will appreciate the privileges
that are given to adults. Even if that means I won’t be sipping wine beneath the Eiffel tower, or driving an Audi on the Autobahn, I will still be in complete control of my life. Whether or not I have enough money to take train rides through Russia, or to stay in five-star Japanese Hotels, I will still enjoy what I have regardless. In the end, no matter what happens, when I’m an adult, I’m going to live like it’s the sweet life.
Mrs. Koch
English honors 2
March 14, 2012
The Suite Life
It’s an everyday occurrence for a teenager to look at something, only to look away with the realization that they don’t have the money to buy it. But always hopeful, teenagers wait for the day that they’ll be given the opportunity to prove themselves to be mature enough to get their own money. They pray for the time when they would be considered enough to travel on their own, buy their own things, and learn things they want to know. Being a teenager myself, I can only think of getting enough money to go on a vacation of my choosing. I would visit different countries, try out different things, and meet new people.
The first place on my stopping list would be Japan. Spending some of my money, I would sail across the ocean to visit. Once there, I would find a nice hotel to stay in. But as soon as I would book myself in, I would immediately be visiting across the country. I would meet and learn about the culture, and I would spend most of my day eating the various cuisine the country would have to offer me. After some time, I would leave the cities and begin to move inland, towards the mountains. By myself, i would adventure into the wilderness, seeking out any small villages that still existed.
After spending time on the beaches of Japan, I would go to visit Russia. After landing there, via plane, I would take time to explore the vast lands of the country. In the cities, I would spend money doing traditional Russian dances inside of the countries’ many dance clubs. Outside of these festive activities, I would spend time learning about Russia’s long, rather bumpy history. In Moscow I would look at the city’s famous architecture, taking note of the crazy looking domes that are atop many of the city’s buildings.
Upon a quick tour of Joseph Stalin’s memorial, I would move on to France. After a long rail road ride, I would exit the train and open my eyes to Paris, one of the most beautiful cities in the world. I would travel the streets, walking into bakeries, sipping fine wines, and enjoying the local beauties. Beneath the Eiffel Tower, I would sit and watch the world around me pass by.
With my stomach full of bread, and my mind a bit dizzy from Paris’ delicious wines, I would travel to the grand country of Germany. I would sample every single piece of sausage that would be offered to me, and drive cars at screaming speeds on the Autobahn. Taking a tour in Berlin, I would travel to the Berlin Wall and imagine the history that lay around me. Looking around, while listening to Pink Floyd, I would walk up and down where it used to be. I would eventually ask for a tour of Germany’s famous car owners stores, taking looks at some of the best automotive technology in the entire world.
As soon as I would get my first speeding ticket from the German police, I would head out of the country, taking a float over to Great Britain. As soon as I would land, I would go visit Big Ben, London’s famous clock tower. Thoughts of the Hunchback of Notredame would pop up in my head as I would look at the tower’s clock hands ticking away. After some time looking at London’s beautiful clock, I would seek out someone who could teach me the history of the Famous English band, The Beatles. With my vacation money I would slip the teacher some money, convincing him to give me some memorabilia. With my new found merchandise, I would go visit parliament. I, being the history junkie I am, would take the time to stand in awe at the sheer amount of importance around me as I would stand inside of English parliament. I would realize that monarchs, noblemen, knights, and all other English heroes could have stood in the very spot that I would be.
Enjoying time spent learning, I would end my tour at the western tip of Canada. There I would enjoy Canada’s beautiful wildlife. Taking time to hike around the country, I would take note of Mother Nature’s beautiful effect on Canada. Of course, I would go the largest Ice rink in Canada to show the natives my unbelievable skill and prowess on the ice. With out a doubt, soon all of Canada would know and fear me, “The Loud, Proud, American Mouth.” I would truly earn the last edition to my title because of my inability to control my words in the heat of battle. None the less, self control, or not, my time spent dazzling the crowds would be the most enjoyable out of my whole trip.
One day, I will enjoy my responsibilities as an adult. No matter how hard the road gets, or how impossible things might seem at some point, I will appreciate the privileges
that are given to adults. Even if that means I won’t be sipping wine beneath the Eiffel tower, or driving an Audi on the Autobahn, I will still be in complete control of my life. Whether or not I have enough money to take train rides through Russia, or to stay in five-star Japanese Hotels, I will still enjoy what I have regardless. In the end, no matter what happens, when I’m an adult, I’m going to live like it’s the sweet life.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
english paper for koch
sadas
asdas
asdas
asdas
asdassadasasassadads
Everyday, kids torment their teachers, annoy their peers, and wreck havoc on the learning atmosphere that takes place in the classroom. Often times disciplinary actions takes place, during other times one must deal with it. On a regular basis I find myself becoming upset and angry with those around me.
For example, one of my major pet peeves is talking while the teacher is. When I’m trying to comprehend what is being taught, I’m constantly bombarded with noise and distractions around me. If my teacher refuses to take action against the talkers, I usually tell them to quit myself. Usually this problem could be solved if the teacher were to just split up those who are talking, mainly because talkers usually are friends. From time to time, I’m the talker myself. But as soon as I’m asked to stop, or warned that me and my partner are going to be split, I stop.
Another thing that kids do that often annoys the teacher is being tardy to class. When someone is tardy, the teacher is forced (by the rules of their job) to take note of the student’s absence and must report it to the class. This takes it’s toll over time, the constant tardiness creates a strain on the student and teacher’s relationship. Also, everyone in the class has to take time away from learning so that the teacher can reprimand the tardy students. However, there may be some things contributing to the problem. Students often cite the small amount of time given to get between from class class, other’s point out the crowdiness of the hallways preventing them from getting to class on time. Regardless of the reasoning behind the students being late, I believe something must be done to end this problem.
A major problem plaguing the classroom is cheating. Many students spend time studying and learning so that when the day a test is given on thee material, they will be prepared. However, there are many students who disregard studying. Instead, they plan on finding another student who will allow them to cheat off them. Often times, the cheaters bully others into doing their bidding. This causes unnecessary strain on students who have legitimately studied. A complete lack of motivation often is to blame for students deciding to cheat, while sometimes a student can be encouraged to study if the material is given in lighter loads.
asdas
asdas
asdas
asdassadasasassadads
Everyday, kids torment their teachers, annoy their peers, and wreck havoc on the learning atmosphere that takes place in the classroom. Often times disciplinary actions takes place, during other times one must deal with it. On a regular basis I find myself becoming upset and angry with those around me.
For example, one of my major pet peeves is talking while the teacher is. When I’m trying to comprehend what is being taught, I’m constantly bombarded with noise and distractions around me. If my teacher refuses to take action against the talkers, I usually tell them to quit myself. Usually this problem could be solved if the teacher were to just split up those who are talking, mainly because talkers usually are friends. From time to time, I’m the talker myself. But as soon as I’m asked to stop, or warned that me and my partner are going to be split, I stop.
Another thing that kids do that often annoys the teacher is being tardy to class. When someone is tardy, the teacher is forced (by the rules of their job) to take note of the student’s absence and must report it to the class. This takes it’s toll over time, the constant tardiness creates a strain on the student and teacher’s relationship. Also, everyone in the class has to take time away from learning so that the teacher can reprimand the tardy students. However, there may be some things contributing to the problem. Students often cite the small amount of time given to get between from class class, other’s point out the crowdiness of the hallways preventing them from getting to class on time. Regardless of the reasoning behind the students being late, I believe something must be done to end this problem.
A major problem plaguing the classroom is cheating. Many students spend time studying and learning so that when the day a test is given on thee material, they will be prepared. However, there are many students who disregard studying. Instead, they plan on finding another student who will allow them to cheat off them. Often times, the cheaters bully others into doing their bidding. This causes unnecessary strain on students who have legitimately studied. A complete lack of motivation often is to blame for students deciding to cheat, while sometimes a student can be encouraged to study if the material is given in lighter loads.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
TITLETIELTIEL:
Scott Watson
Mrs. Koch
English Honors 2
February 15, 2012
Innocence Lost
Under two and a half centuries ago, The Declaration of Independence was written so that it could be used as the philosophies of a new prototype country, one based completely on democracy and personal freedoms. The first of it’s kind, America was meant to be a place free of all oppression. However, although America is thought as having humble beginnings, in reality, the opposite is true. While the Declaration of Independence values freedom, the original founders of America completely ignored what it truly wished to convey, the belief that all people deserved life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. They did this through slavery, the practice of which completely undermined anything the Declaration of independence wished to complete. But through the efforts of abolitionists and those who wished to truly uphold the philosophies that America was founded on, slavery was officially abolished. Although a major step towards total citizenship for African Americans, many people wished to heed the progress that was being made. Some racists did anything in their power to scare, terrorize, and manipulate African Americans into doing what they wanted. The level of how deep racism’s roots are in America’s history is conveyed when one observes major cases in the Civil Rights movement’s past. Biased juries, racist judges, and lack of justice ran rampant in America’s courts. This often resulted in that guilty whites would consistently be found not guilty if the actions were performed on an African American, or the opposite, Blacks would be found guilty for crimes they didn’t commit. The Emmett Till case was a major example of the former, while both the Scottsboro and the Tom Robinson trials were major examples of the latter.
On the 28th of August, the mutilated body of a fourteen-year-old black boy was found on the shore of the Tallahatchie River in Mississippi. The grotesquely disfigured body was that of Emmett Louis Till, a boy from Chicago visiting his grandpa for the summer. One day while with his friends, Emmett walked into the market store of Carolyn Bryant to buy some bubble gum. While he was leaving, Emmett allegedly whistled at her. The belief that a black man was forbidden any contact with a white woman was an integral belief within racism in the south, a belief that was also held with Bob Bryant, Carolyn’s husband. Once informed of Emmett’s actions, he and his brother Jesse kidnapped Emmett five days later and murdered him, dumping his body into the river. Bob Bryant’s motivation lied solely in the fact that he felt that Emmett had disrespected his wife; Bob’s racist beliefs fueled him to commit the horrible murder of Emmett, dragging his brother along the way to take part in the deed.
Much like the trial of Tom Robinson, in 1931, nine black teenagers were put on trial and found guilty. Accused of raping Ruby Bates and Victoria Price, Victoria testified against the nine boys with little evidence to back up her claims. Both these cases were based on purely circumstantial evidence. Despite having little evidence to back up Victoria’s story, all nine boys were found guilty of rape. Both the Scottsboro and Tom Robinson trials, as well as the Emmett Till case show how deep racist hatred ran in the South. Southerners believed that blacks were animals that if given the slightest chance, would brutalize and rape a white woman. Victoria Price, who spoke without hesitance, fueled them. She herself was possibly a prostitute; the thought of sexual intercourse was one paid little attention to. Price was also observed to be attention hungry. The thought of being put in the spotlight, the action of which fueled by America’s racism, was something to convenient to pass up.
The fictional case of Tom Robinson was conceived by Harper Lee in her novel To Kill a Mockingbird, in an attempt to bring light and concern towards the injustice and racism that was being hammered against the black community. The case takes place during the 1930’s, during the Great Depression. After being asked to perform a task for Mayella Euell, Robinson reportedly followed Mayella into her house and proceeded to beat and rape her. Despite a very moving trial, along with evidence pointing towards his innocence, Tom was found guilty. When one looks farther into the case, evidence provided shows that Mayelle was lonely and often would lust after Tom. When he entered his home, she made advances towards him, an act witnessed by her father. Much like the other cases, Tom was accused and although with evidence in his favor, was found guilty. This fictional case recognized how poorly African Americans were being treated, as well as pointing out the wrongs in white society. Through the use of Lee’s unbiased narrator, she showed how reckless racism could be in society.
After Emmett Till’s body was found and sent home, the media shared his story around much of the country. For the first time in America’s history, some of it’s white commuties wished that justice would be given towards an African American. Despite the revolting nature of Emmett Till’s murder, his killers were never found guilty. Even after Bob Bryant and his brother had been charged with abduction, a charge allegated from Emmett’s grandfather who was present during his abduction, their was no time served for their crimes. Emmett’s mother was present at the trial and witnessed this injustice. A year later, both his killers would admit their part in Emett’s death. Protected by double jeapordy, justice continued to evade the case.
After further investigation in the Scottsboro trials, the amount of neglect in them is resounding. The first show of neglect involves the two white girls, Victoria Price and Ruby Bates, who accused the nine black boys of raping them. Both girls’ families lived in rundown homes in black neighborhoods. They both were mill workers, and evidence points that Victoria and possibly Ruby were both prostitutes. The Great Depression left both the girls and their families with little money, and they boarded the train in which the rapes supposedly happened with hopes that they would find work. The second show of neglect was concerning the Scottsboro boys themselves. Most of the boys had never been taught to read or write, and some were unable to obtain or denied access to medicine. They were all on the train, much like the girls, in hopes of finding work. The final and most obvious form of neglect was in the trials themselves. One of the boys was nearly blind, another had a syphilis infection so bad, he was found lying in agony far away from the scene of the rape. He was in so much pain; it would have been nearly impossible for him to jump into the girl’s cart to take part in the rape. A farmer was allowed to give testimony against the boys, claiming he had seen them on the train from his farm nearly a mile away. Victoria convinced the court not to allow Ruby much time speaking, out of fear Ruby’s testimony would conflict with hers.
In the Tom Robinson case, the signs of neglect were, in some ways, unique. While Harper Lee attempted to show the harmful results of racism, she also pointed out the fallacies in the rigid social system in the South.In To Kill a Mockingbird, Mayelle Euell asks Tom Robinson to come inside the house. Although never explicitly stated, it’s implied that Mayelle kissed Tom out of lust. She and her family lived behind the town dump and because of this, most of the town and the town’s children looked down on their family for being lower class. Her loneliness is what leads to her acting out. Much like all three cases, in the courtroom tremendous amounts of neglect are shown. Tom was physically handicapped and would have been unable to keep Mayelle down. Another piece of evidence in his favor was that it would have been impossible to specifically cause the bruises that were on Mayelle’s face because of his handicap. Tom’s Lawyer continues to nearly pound a confession out of Mayella, but one is never made. Instead, he almost makes it clear that Mayella’s father had beaten her and that no rape had ever occured. Despite this, Tom was still found guilty.
After Emmett Till had been murdered and his killers were let go, the NAACP offered their help to Emmett’s mother’s plight. With their help, Emett’s mother toured the country telling others of her son’s murder. At the same time, the NAACP was fundraising for her. With their help, Emett’s mother helped show how racist and corrupt the court system was in the South. Blacks and many whites across America began losing faith in the court systems. As time has went on, various laws have been passed promising that crimes commited against blacks would be taken just as seriously if they were performed against others of any race.
Throughout the Scottsboro trials, despite the animosity from the mob that had formed outside the courthouse while the trials took place, their were two organizations that wanted to aim the boys. The NAACP, which wanted to take behind the scenes action in favor of the boys; and the American Communist party which desired a much more radical approach, using the boys as a form of showing their good intentions by bringing as much publicity to them as possible. While different boys took different parties, in the end both parties effort into helping them. The Communist party posted their story in newpapers, and the NAACP offered their services in the form of lawyers.
During Tom Robinson’s trial, Harper Lee created two forces that helped Tom out. The first was the black community as a whole. Through their efforts, they raised awareness of the trial among the black community and also raised money for Tom’s wife. The other factor that aided Tom was his lawyer, Atticus. Despite being looked down upon for helping an African American, he defended Tom with all of his ability. Had another person been Tom’s lawyer, there is a good chance they wouldn’t have tried at all to defend him.
Although a part of America’s past is stained with racism and injustice, over time, things have gegan to change. Because of rising awareness of the black community’s plight, efforts have been made nationally to help all races coexist. It has often been said that if one ignores history, they’re doomed to repeat it. Even while being pressured, there are those who continue to fight for continuing justice, while remembering the injustices of the past. Thanks to these heroes, America has prospered towards becoming a completely tolerant nation. While there may never be a time of complete racial peace, there will always be those who will stop at nothing to make it a reality. The Scottsboro boys, Emett Till, and Tom Robinson will forever be martryed as innocent victims of racist hatred. They will continue to be examples of the destructive nature of racism will nevr be forgotten.
Works Cited
American Civil Liberties Union. Report on the Scottsboro, ALA. Case. Hollace Ransdell.
New York: American Civil Liberties Union, 1931. To Kill a Mockingbird and the
Scottsboro Boys Trial: Profiles in Courage. EDSITEment. National Endowment
for the Humanities. Web. 15 Feb 2012.
Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. New York: Warner Books, 1982. Print.
The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till. Keith A. Beauchchamp. DVD. Velocity
(Ventura), Feb 28, 2006.
Keith A. Beauchchamp. “The Murder Of Emmet Louis Till.” Black-collegian. Web. 10 May 2004.
Scottsboro: An American Tradgedy. Daniel Anker, Barak Goodman. DVD. American Experience, 2000.
Mrs. Koch
English Honors 2
February 15, 2012
Innocence Lost
Under two and a half centuries ago, The Declaration of Independence was written so that it could be used as the philosophies of a new prototype country, one based completely on democracy and personal freedoms. The first of it’s kind, America was meant to be a place free of all oppression. However, although America is thought as having humble beginnings, in reality, the opposite is true. While the Declaration of Independence values freedom, the original founders of America completely ignored what it truly wished to convey, the belief that all people deserved life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. They did this through slavery, the practice of which completely undermined anything the Declaration of independence wished to complete. But through the efforts of abolitionists and those who wished to truly uphold the philosophies that America was founded on, slavery was officially abolished. Although a major step towards total citizenship for African Americans, many people wished to heed the progress that was being made. Some racists did anything in their power to scare, terrorize, and manipulate African Americans into doing what they wanted. The level of how deep racism’s roots are in America’s history is conveyed when one observes major cases in the Civil Rights movement’s past. Biased juries, racist judges, and lack of justice ran rampant in America’s courts. This often resulted in that guilty whites would consistently be found not guilty if the actions were performed on an African American, or the opposite, Blacks would be found guilty for crimes they didn’t commit. The Emmett Till case was a major example of the former, while both the Scottsboro and the Tom Robinson trials were major examples of the latter.
On the 28th of August, the mutilated body of a fourteen-year-old black boy was found on the shore of the Tallahatchie River in Mississippi. The grotesquely disfigured body was that of Emmett Louis Till, a boy from Chicago visiting his grandpa for the summer. One day while with his friends, Emmett walked into the market store of Carolyn Bryant to buy some bubble gum. While he was leaving, Emmett allegedly whistled at her. The belief that a black man was forbidden any contact with a white woman was an integral belief within racism in the south, a belief that was also held with Bob Bryant, Carolyn’s husband. Once informed of Emmett’s actions, he and his brother Jesse kidnapped Emmett five days later and murdered him, dumping his body into the river. Bob Bryant’s motivation lied solely in the fact that he felt that Emmett had disrespected his wife; Bob’s racist beliefs fueled him to commit the horrible murder of Emmett, dragging his brother along the way to take part in the deed.
Much like the trial of Tom Robinson, in 1931, nine black teenagers were put on trial and found guilty. Accused of raping Ruby Bates and Victoria Price, Victoria testified against the nine boys with little evidence to back up her claims. Both these cases were based on purely circumstantial evidence. Despite having little evidence to back up Victoria’s story, all nine boys were found guilty of rape. Both the Scottsboro and Tom Robinson trials, as well as the Emmett Till case show how deep racist hatred ran in the South. Southerners believed that blacks were animals that if given the slightest chance, would brutalize and rape a white woman. Victoria Price, who spoke without hesitance, fueled them. She herself was possibly a prostitute; the thought of sexual intercourse was one paid little attention to. Price was also observed to be attention hungry. The thought of being put in the spotlight, the action of which fueled by America’s racism, was something to convenient to pass up.
The fictional case of Tom Robinson was conceived by Harper Lee in her novel To Kill a Mockingbird, in an attempt to bring light and concern towards the injustice and racism that was being hammered against the black community. The case takes place during the 1930’s, during the Great Depression. After being asked to perform a task for Mayella Euell, Robinson reportedly followed Mayella into her house and proceeded to beat and rape her. Despite a very moving trial, along with evidence pointing towards his innocence, Tom was found guilty. When one looks farther into the case, evidence provided shows that Mayelle was lonely and often would lust after Tom. When he entered his home, she made advances towards him, an act witnessed by her father. Much like the other cases, Tom was accused and although with evidence in his favor, was found guilty. This fictional case recognized how poorly African Americans were being treated, as well as pointing out the wrongs in white society. Through the use of Lee’s unbiased narrator, she showed how reckless racism could be in society.
After Emmett Till’s body was found and sent home, the media shared his story around much of the country. For the first time in America’s history, some of it’s white commuties wished that justice would be given towards an African American. Despite the revolting nature of Emmett Till’s murder, his killers were never found guilty. Even after Bob Bryant and his brother had been charged with abduction, a charge allegated from Emmett’s grandfather who was present during his abduction, their was no time served for their crimes. Emmett’s mother was present at the trial and witnessed this injustice. A year later, both his killers would admit their part in Emett’s death. Protected by double jeapordy, justice continued to evade the case.
After further investigation in the Scottsboro trials, the amount of neglect in them is resounding. The first show of neglect involves the two white girls, Victoria Price and Ruby Bates, who accused the nine black boys of raping them. Both girls’ families lived in rundown homes in black neighborhoods. They both were mill workers, and evidence points that Victoria and possibly Ruby were both prostitutes. The Great Depression left both the girls and their families with little money, and they boarded the train in which the rapes supposedly happened with hopes that they would find work. The second show of neglect was concerning the Scottsboro boys themselves. Most of the boys had never been taught to read or write, and some were unable to obtain or denied access to medicine. They were all on the train, much like the girls, in hopes of finding work. The final and most obvious form of neglect was in the trials themselves. One of the boys was nearly blind, another had a syphilis infection so bad, he was found lying in agony far away from the scene of the rape. He was in so much pain; it would have been nearly impossible for him to jump into the girl’s cart to take part in the rape. A farmer was allowed to give testimony against the boys, claiming he had seen them on the train from his farm nearly a mile away. Victoria convinced the court not to allow Ruby much time speaking, out of fear Ruby’s testimony would conflict with hers.
In the Tom Robinson case, the signs of neglect were, in some ways, unique. While Harper Lee attempted to show the harmful results of racism, she also pointed out the fallacies in the rigid social system in the South.In To Kill a Mockingbird, Mayelle Euell asks Tom Robinson to come inside the house. Although never explicitly stated, it’s implied that Mayelle kissed Tom out of lust. She and her family lived behind the town dump and because of this, most of the town and the town’s children looked down on their family for being lower class. Her loneliness is what leads to her acting out. Much like all three cases, in the courtroom tremendous amounts of neglect are shown. Tom was physically handicapped and would have been unable to keep Mayelle down. Another piece of evidence in his favor was that it would have been impossible to specifically cause the bruises that were on Mayelle’s face because of his handicap. Tom’s Lawyer continues to nearly pound a confession out of Mayella, but one is never made. Instead, he almost makes it clear that Mayella’s father had beaten her and that no rape had ever occured. Despite this, Tom was still found guilty.
After Emmett Till had been murdered and his killers were let go, the NAACP offered their help to Emmett’s mother’s plight. With their help, Emett’s mother toured the country telling others of her son’s murder. At the same time, the NAACP was fundraising for her. With their help, Emett’s mother helped show how racist and corrupt the court system was in the South. Blacks and many whites across America began losing faith in the court systems. As time has went on, various laws have been passed promising that crimes commited against blacks would be taken just as seriously if they were performed against others of any race.
Throughout the Scottsboro trials, despite the animosity from the mob that had formed outside the courthouse while the trials took place, their were two organizations that wanted to aim the boys. The NAACP, which wanted to take behind the scenes action in favor of the boys; and the American Communist party which desired a much more radical approach, using the boys as a form of showing their good intentions by bringing as much publicity to them as possible. While different boys took different parties, in the end both parties effort into helping them. The Communist party posted their story in newpapers, and the NAACP offered their services in the form of lawyers.
During Tom Robinson’s trial, Harper Lee created two forces that helped Tom out. The first was the black community as a whole. Through their efforts, they raised awareness of the trial among the black community and also raised money for Tom’s wife. The other factor that aided Tom was his lawyer, Atticus. Despite being looked down upon for helping an African American, he defended Tom with all of his ability. Had another person been Tom’s lawyer, there is a good chance they wouldn’t have tried at all to defend him.
Although a part of America’s past is stained with racism and injustice, over time, things have gegan to change. Because of rising awareness of the black community’s plight, efforts have been made nationally to help all races coexist. It has often been said that if one ignores history, they’re doomed to repeat it. Even while being pressured, there are those who continue to fight for continuing justice, while remembering the injustices of the past. Thanks to these heroes, America has prospered towards becoming a completely tolerant nation. While there may never be a time of complete racial peace, there will always be those who will stop at nothing to make it a reality. The Scottsboro boys, Emett Till, and Tom Robinson will forever be martryed as innocent victims of racist hatred. They will continue to be examples of the destructive nature of racism will nevr be forgotten.
Works Cited
American Civil Liberties Union. Report on the Scottsboro, ALA. Case. Hollace Ransdell.
New York: American Civil Liberties Union, 1931. To Kill a Mockingbird and the
Scottsboro Boys Trial: Profiles in Courage. EDSITEment. National Endowment
for the Humanities. Web. 15 Feb 2012.
Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. New York: Warner Books, 1982. Print.
The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till. Keith A. Beauchchamp. DVD. Velocity
(Ventura), Feb 28, 2006.
Keith A. Beauchchamp. “The Murder Of Emmet Louis Till.” Black-collegian. Web. 10 May 2004.
Scottsboro: An American Tradgedy. Daniel Anker, Barak Goodman. DVD. American Experience, 2000.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
sadfsdfewfareft
Scott Watson
Mrs. Koch
English Honors 2
February 15, 2012
Innocence Lost
Under two and a half centuries ago, The Declaration of Independence was written so that it could be used as the philosophies of a new prototype country, one based completely on democracy and personal freedoms. The first of it’s kind, America was meant to be a place free of all oppression. However, although America is thought as having humble beginnings, in reality, the opposite is true. Although the Declaration of Independence values freedom, the original founders of America completely ignored what it truly wished to convey, the belief that all people deserved life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. They did this through slavery, the practice of which completely undermined anything the Declaration of independence wished to complete. But through the efforts of abolitionists and those who wished to truly uphold the philosophies that America was founded on, in 1865 slavery was officially abolished. Although a major step towards total citizenship for African Americans, many people wished to heed the progress that was being made. These racists did anything in their power to scare, terrorize, and manipulate African Americans into doing what they wanted. The level of how deep racism’s roots are in America’s history is conveyed when one observes major cases in the Civil Rights movement’s past. Biased juries, racist judges, and lack of justice ran rampant in America’s courts. This often resulted in that guilty whites would consistently be found not guilty if the actions were performed on an African American, or the opposite, Blacks would be found guilty for crimes they didn’t commit. The Emmett Till case was a major example of the former, while both the Scottsboro and the Tom Robinson trials were major examples of the latter.
------------
On the 28th of August, the mutilated body of a fourteen-year-old black boy was found on the shore of the Tallahatchie River in Mississippi. The grotesquely disfigured body was that of Emmett Louis Till, a boy from Chicago visiting his grandpa for the summer. One day while with his friends, Emmett walked into the market store of Carolyn Bryant to buy some bubble gum. While he was leaving, Emmett allegedly whistled at her. The belief that a black man was forbidden any contact with a white woman was an integral belief within racism in the south, a belief that was also held with Bob Bryant, Carolyn’s husband. Once informed of Emmett’s actions, he and his brother Jesse kidnapped Emmett five days later and murdered him, dumping his body into the river. Bob Bryant’s motivation lied solely in the fact that he felt that Emmett had disrespected his wife; Bob’s racist beliefs fueled him to commit the horrible murder of Emmett, dragging his brother along the way to take part in the deed.
Much like the trial of Tom Robinson, in 1931, nine black teenagers were put on trial and found guilty. Accused of raping Ruby Bates and Victoria Price, Victoria testified against the nine boys with little evidence to back up her claims. Both these cases were based on purely circumstantial evidence. Despite having little evidence to back up Victoria’s story, all nine boys were found guilty of rape. Both the Scottsboro and Tom Robinson trials, as well as the Emmett Till case show how deep racist hatred ran in the South. Southerners believed that blacks were animals that if given the slightest chance, would brutalize and rape a white woman. Victoria Price, who spoke without hesitance, fueled them. She herself was possibly a prostitute; the thought of sexual intercourse was one paid little attention to. Price was also observed to be attention hungry. The thought of being put in the spotlight, the action of which fueled by America’s racism, was something to convenient to pass up.
The fictional case of Tom Robinson was conceived by Harper Lee in her novel To Kill a Mockingbird, in an attempt to bring light and concern towards the injustice and racism that was being put against the black community. The case takes place during the 1930’s, during the Great Depression. After being asked to perform a task for Mayelle (ADSFJDSFJ), Robinson reportedly followed Mayelle into her house and proceeded to beat and rape her. Despite a very critical trial, and evidence pointing towards his innocence, Tom was found guilty. When one looks farther into the case, evidence provided shows that Mayelle was lonely and lusted after Tom. When he entered his home, she made advances towards him, an act witnessed by her father. Much like the other cases, Tom was accused and although with evidence in his favor, was found guilty. This fictional case recognized how poorly African Americans were being treated, as well as pointing the wrongs in white society. Because of Lee’s unbiased narrator, she showed how reckless racism could be.
After further investigation in the Scottsboro trials, the amount of neglect in them is resounding. The first case of neglect in this case are the two white girls, Victoria Price and Ruby Bates, who accused the nine black boys of raping them. Both girls’ families lived in rundown homes in black neighborhoods. They both were mill workers, and evidence points that Victoria and possibly Ruby were prostitutes. The Great Depression left both the girls and their families with little money, and they boarded the train in which the rapes supposedly happened in hopes that they would find work. The second show of neglect was concerning the Scottsboro boys themselves. Most of the boys had never been taught to read or write, and some were unable to obtain or denied access to medicine. They were all on the train, much like the girls, in hopes of finding work. The final and most obvious form of neglect was in the trials themselves. One of the boys was nearly blind, another had a syphilis infection so bad, he was found lying down in the front of the train, far away from the scene of the rape. He was in so much pain; it would have been nearly impossible for him to jump onto the scene, as described by the girls. A farmer was allowed to give testimony against the boys, claiming he had seen them on the train from his farm nearly a mile away.
In the Tom Robinson case, the signs of neglect were unique in some ways. While Harper Lee attempted to show the futileness of racism, she also pointed out the fallacies in the rigid social system in the South. It can be inferred from To Kill a Mockingbird that Mayelle Euell asked Tom Robinson to come inside the house. Although never explicitly stated, it’s implied that Mayelle kissed Tom out of lust. She and her family lived behind the town dump and because of this, most of the town and the town’s children looked down on their family for being lower class. Her loneliness is what leads to her acting out. Much like all three cases, in the courtroom tremendous amount of neglect is shown. Tom was physically handicapped and would have been unable to keep Mayelle down. Another piece of evidence in his favor was that it would have been impossible to specifically cause the bruises that were on Mayelle’s face because of his handicap. Despite this, Tom was found guilty.
After Emmett Till’s body was found and sent home, the media shared his story around much of the country. For the first time in America’s history, some of it’s public wished for justice for the acts against an African American. Despite the revolting nature of Emmett Till’s murder, his killers were never found guilty. Even after Bob Bryant and his brother had been charged with abduction, a charged supported from Emmett’s grandfather who was present during his abduction, they served no time for their crimes. Emmett’s mother was present at the trial and witnessed this injustice.
In these cases, the amount of racism and neglect to give African Americans fair trials are universal. In an attempt to ensure African Americans justice within the courtroom, as well as outside it, NAACP as well as other organizations have made progress in the form of pushing for new laws to be passed and performing historical events. In 1948 president Truman signed an act in which the people of America would not be discriminated against, regardless of their race. In 1954, schools in the South were desegregated. In 1957, Martin Luther King JR. made his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. As more time passed, efforts all across America were made to completely end any form of racism. While the battle has never ended, equality for African Americans has been improving over the past century. In 2008, Barack Obama became the first African American president.
Works Cited
American Civil Liberties Union. Report on the Scottsboro, ALA. Case. Hollace Ransdell.
New York: American Civil Liberties Union, 1931. To Kill a Mockingbird and the
Scottsboro Boys Trial: Profiles in Courage. EDSITEment. National Endowment
for the Humanities. Web. 15 Feb 2012.
Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. New York: Warner Books, 1982. Print.
The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till. Keith A. Beauchchamp. DVD. Velocity
(Ventura), Feb 28, 2006.
Keith A. Beauchchamp. “The Murder Of Emmet Louis Till.” Black-collegian. Web. 10 May 2004.
Scottsboro: An American Tradgedy. Daniel Anker, Barak Goodman. DVD. American Experience, 2000.
Mrs. Koch
English Honors 2
February 15, 2012
Innocence Lost
Under two and a half centuries ago, The Declaration of Independence was written so that it could be used as the philosophies of a new prototype country, one based completely on democracy and personal freedoms. The first of it’s kind, America was meant to be a place free of all oppression. However, although America is thought as having humble beginnings, in reality, the opposite is true. Although the Declaration of Independence values freedom, the original founders of America completely ignored what it truly wished to convey, the belief that all people deserved life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. They did this through slavery, the practice of which completely undermined anything the Declaration of independence wished to complete. But through the efforts of abolitionists and those who wished to truly uphold the philosophies that America was founded on, in 1865 slavery was officially abolished. Although a major step towards total citizenship for African Americans, many people wished to heed the progress that was being made. These racists did anything in their power to scare, terrorize, and manipulate African Americans into doing what they wanted. The level of how deep racism’s roots are in America’s history is conveyed when one observes major cases in the Civil Rights movement’s past. Biased juries, racist judges, and lack of justice ran rampant in America’s courts. This often resulted in that guilty whites would consistently be found not guilty if the actions were performed on an African American, or the opposite, Blacks would be found guilty for crimes they didn’t commit. The Emmett Till case was a major example of the former, while both the Scottsboro and the Tom Robinson trials were major examples of the latter.
------------
On the 28th of August, the mutilated body of a fourteen-year-old black boy was found on the shore of the Tallahatchie River in Mississippi. The grotesquely disfigured body was that of Emmett Louis Till, a boy from Chicago visiting his grandpa for the summer. One day while with his friends, Emmett walked into the market store of Carolyn Bryant to buy some bubble gum. While he was leaving, Emmett allegedly whistled at her. The belief that a black man was forbidden any contact with a white woman was an integral belief within racism in the south, a belief that was also held with Bob Bryant, Carolyn’s husband. Once informed of Emmett’s actions, he and his brother Jesse kidnapped Emmett five days later and murdered him, dumping his body into the river. Bob Bryant’s motivation lied solely in the fact that he felt that Emmett had disrespected his wife; Bob’s racist beliefs fueled him to commit the horrible murder of Emmett, dragging his brother along the way to take part in the deed.
Much like the trial of Tom Robinson, in 1931, nine black teenagers were put on trial and found guilty. Accused of raping Ruby Bates and Victoria Price, Victoria testified against the nine boys with little evidence to back up her claims. Both these cases were based on purely circumstantial evidence. Despite having little evidence to back up Victoria’s story, all nine boys were found guilty of rape. Both the Scottsboro and Tom Robinson trials, as well as the Emmett Till case show how deep racist hatred ran in the South. Southerners believed that blacks were animals that if given the slightest chance, would brutalize and rape a white woman. Victoria Price, who spoke without hesitance, fueled them. She herself was possibly a prostitute; the thought of sexual intercourse was one paid little attention to. Price was also observed to be attention hungry. The thought of being put in the spotlight, the action of which fueled by America’s racism, was something to convenient to pass up.
The fictional case of Tom Robinson was conceived by Harper Lee in her novel To Kill a Mockingbird, in an attempt to bring light and concern towards the injustice and racism that was being put against the black community. The case takes place during the 1930’s, during the Great Depression. After being asked to perform a task for Mayelle (ADSFJDSFJ), Robinson reportedly followed Mayelle into her house and proceeded to beat and rape her. Despite a very critical trial, and evidence pointing towards his innocence, Tom was found guilty. When one looks farther into the case, evidence provided shows that Mayelle was lonely and lusted after Tom. When he entered his home, she made advances towards him, an act witnessed by her father. Much like the other cases, Tom was accused and although with evidence in his favor, was found guilty. This fictional case recognized how poorly African Americans were being treated, as well as pointing the wrongs in white society. Because of Lee’s unbiased narrator, she showed how reckless racism could be.
After further investigation in the Scottsboro trials, the amount of neglect in them is resounding. The first case of neglect in this case are the two white girls, Victoria Price and Ruby Bates, who accused the nine black boys of raping them. Both girls’ families lived in rundown homes in black neighborhoods. They both were mill workers, and evidence points that Victoria and possibly Ruby were prostitutes. The Great Depression left both the girls and their families with little money, and they boarded the train in which the rapes supposedly happened in hopes that they would find work. The second show of neglect was concerning the Scottsboro boys themselves. Most of the boys had never been taught to read or write, and some were unable to obtain or denied access to medicine. They were all on the train, much like the girls, in hopes of finding work. The final and most obvious form of neglect was in the trials themselves. One of the boys was nearly blind, another had a syphilis infection so bad, he was found lying down in the front of the train, far away from the scene of the rape. He was in so much pain; it would have been nearly impossible for him to jump onto the scene, as described by the girls. A farmer was allowed to give testimony against the boys, claiming he had seen them on the train from his farm nearly a mile away.
In the Tom Robinson case, the signs of neglect were unique in some ways. While Harper Lee attempted to show the futileness of racism, she also pointed out the fallacies in the rigid social system in the South. It can be inferred from To Kill a Mockingbird that Mayelle Euell asked Tom Robinson to come inside the house. Although never explicitly stated, it’s implied that Mayelle kissed Tom out of lust. She and her family lived behind the town dump and because of this, most of the town and the town’s children looked down on their family for being lower class. Her loneliness is what leads to her acting out. Much like all three cases, in the courtroom tremendous amount of neglect is shown. Tom was physically handicapped and would have been unable to keep Mayelle down. Another piece of evidence in his favor was that it would have been impossible to specifically cause the bruises that were on Mayelle’s face because of his handicap. Despite this, Tom was found guilty.
After Emmett Till’s body was found and sent home, the media shared his story around much of the country. For the first time in America’s history, some of it’s public wished for justice for the acts against an African American. Despite the revolting nature of Emmett Till’s murder, his killers were never found guilty. Even after Bob Bryant and his brother had been charged with abduction, a charged supported from Emmett’s grandfather who was present during his abduction, they served no time for their crimes. Emmett’s mother was present at the trial and witnessed this injustice.
In these cases, the amount of racism and neglect to give African Americans fair trials are universal. In an attempt to ensure African Americans justice within the courtroom, as well as outside it, NAACP as well as other organizations have made progress in the form of pushing for new laws to be passed and performing historical events. In 1948 president Truman signed an act in which the people of America would not be discriminated against, regardless of their race. In 1954, schools in the South were desegregated. In 1957, Martin Luther King JR. made his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. As more time passed, efforts all across America were made to completely end any form of racism. While the battle has never ended, equality for African Americans has been improving over the past century. In 2008, Barack Obama became the first African American president.
Works Cited
American Civil Liberties Union. Report on the Scottsboro, ALA. Case. Hollace Ransdell.
New York: American Civil Liberties Union, 1931. To Kill a Mockingbird and the
Scottsboro Boys Trial: Profiles in Courage. EDSITEment. National Endowment
for the Humanities. Web. 15 Feb 2012.
Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. New York: Warner Books, 1982. Print.
The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till. Keith A. Beauchchamp. DVD. Velocity
(Ventura), Feb 28, 2006.
Keith A. Beauchchamp. “The Murder Of Emmet Louis Till.” Black-collegian. Web. 10 May 2004.
Scottsboro: An American Tradgedy. Daniel Anker, Barak Goodman. DVD. American Experience, 2000.
T(ITLTLDfjoeWSFOJEWJFOM;EWA
Scott Watson
Mrs. Koch
English Honors 2
February 15, 2012
Innocence Lost
Under two and a half centuries ago, The Declaration of Independence was written so that it could be used as the philosophies of a new prototype country, one based completely on democracy and personal freedoms. The first of it’s kind, America was meant to be a place free of all oppression. However, although America is thought as having humble beginnings, in reality, the opposite is true. Although the Declaration of Independence values freedom, the original founders of America completely ignored what it truly wished to convey, the belief that all people deserved life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. They did this through slavery, the practice of which completely undermined anything the Declaration of independence wished to complete. But through the efforts of abolitionists and those who wished to truly uphold the philosophies that America was founded on, in 1865 slavery was officially abolished. Although a major step towards total citizenship for African Americans, many people wished to heed the progress that was being made. These racists did anything in their power to scare, terrorize, and manipulate African Americans into doing what they wanted. The level of how deep racism’s roots are in America’s history is conveyed when one observes major cases in the Civil Rights movement’s past. Biased juries, racist judges, and lack of justice ran rampant in America’s courts. This often resulted in that guilty whites would consistently be found not guilty if the actions were performed on an African American, or the opposite, Blacks would be found guilty for crimes they didn’t commit. The Emmett Till case was a major example of the former, while both the Scottsboro and the Tom Robinson trials were major examples of the latter.
------------
On the 28th of August, the mutilated body of a fourteen-year-old black boy was found on the shore of the Tallahatchie River in Mississippi. The grotesquely disfigured body was that of Emmett Louis Till, a boy from Chicago visiting his grandpa for the summer. One day while with his friends, Emmett walked into the market store of Carolyn Bryant to buy some bubble gum. While he was leaving, Emmett allegedly whistled at her. The belief that a black man was forbidden any contact with a white woman was an integral belief within racism in the south, a belief that was also held with Bob Bryant, Carolyn’s husband. Once informed of Emmett’s actions, he and his brother Jesse kidnapped Emmett five days later and murdered him, dumping his body into the river. Bob Bryant’s motivation lied solely in the fact that he felt that Emmett had disrespected his wife; Bob’s racist beliefs fueled him to commit the horrible murder of Emmett, dragging his brother along the way to take part in the deed.
Mrs. Koch
English Honors 2
February 15, 2012
Innocence Lost
Under two and a half centuries ago, The Declaration of Independence was written so that it could be used as the philosophies of a new prototype country, one based completely on democracy and personal freedoms. The first of it’s kind, America was meant to be a place free of all oppression. However, although America is thought as having humble beginnings, in reality, the opposite is true. Although the Declaration of Independence values freedom, the original founders of America completely ignored what it truly wished to convey, the belief that all people deserved life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. They did this through slavery, the practice of which completely undermined anything the Declaration of independence wished to complete. But through the efforts of abolitionists and those who wished to truly uphold the philosophies that America was founded on, in 1865 slavery was officially abolished. Although a major step towards total citizenship for African Americans, many people wished to heed the progress that was being made. These racists did anything in their power to scare, terrorize, and manipulate African Americans into doing what they wanted. The level of how deep racism’s roots are in America’s history is conveyed when one observes major cases in the Civil Rights movement’s past. Biased juries, racist judges, and lack of justice ran rampant in America’s courts. This often resulted in that guilty whites would consistently be found not guilty if the actions were performed on an African American, or the opposite, Blacks would be found guilty for crimes they didn’t commit. The Emmett Till case was a major example of the former, while both the Scottsboro and the Tom Robinson trials were major examples of the latter.
------------
On the 28th of August, the mutilated body of a fourteen-year-old black boy was found on the shore of the Tallahatchie River in Mississippi. The grotesquely disfigured body was that of Emmett Louis Till, a boy from Chicago visiting his grandpa for the summer. One day while with his friends, Emmett walked into the market store of Carolyn Bryant to buy some bubble gum. While he was leaving, Emmett allegedly whistled at her. The belief that a black man was forbidden any contact with a white woman was an integral belief within racism in the south, a belief that was also held with Bob Bryant, Carolyn’s husband. Once informed of Emmett’s actions, he and his brother Jesse kidnapped Emmett five days later and murdered him, dumping his body into the river. Bob Bryant’s motivation lied solely in the fact that he felt that Emmett had disrespected his wife; Bob’s racist beliefs fueled him to commit the horrible murder of Emmett, dragging his brother along the way to take part in the deed.
america
Scott Watson
Mrs. Koch
English Honors 2
February 15, 2012
TITLE
Under two and a half centuries ago, The Declaration of Independence was written so that it could be used as the philosophies of a new prototype country, one based completely on democracy and personal freedoms. The first of it’s kind, America was meant to be a place free of all oppression. However, although America is thought as having humble beginnings, in reality, the opposite is true. Although the Declaration of Independence values freedom, the original founders of America completely ignored what it truly wished to convey, the belief that all people deserved life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. They did this through slavery, the practice of which completely undermined anything the Declaration of independence wished to complete. But through the efforts of abolitionists and those who wished to truly uphold the philosophies that America was founded on, in 1865 slavery was officially abolished. Although a major step towards total citizenship for African Americans, many people wished to heed the progress that was being made. These racists did anything in their power to scare, terrorize, and manipulate African Americans into doing what they wanted. The level of how deep racism’s roots are in America’s history is conveyed when one observes major cases in the Civil Rights movement’s past. Biased juries, racist judges, and lack of justice ran rampant in America’s courts. This often resulted in that guilty whites would consistently be found not guilty if the actions were performed on an African American, or the opposite, Blacks would be found guilty for crimes they didn’t commit. The Emmett Till case was a major example of the former, while both the Scottsboro and the Tom Robinson trials were major examples of the latter.
------------
On the 28th of August, the mutilated body of a fourteen-year-old black boy was found on the shore of the Tallahatchie River in Mississippi. The grotesquely disfigured body was that of Emmett Louis Till, a boy from Chicago visiting his grandpa for the summer. One day while with his friends, Emmett walked into the market store of Carolyn Bryant to buy some bubble gum. While he was leaving, Emmett allegedly whistled at her. The belief that a black man was forbidden any contact with a white woman was an integral belief within racism in the south, a belief that was also held with Bob Bryant, Carolyn’s husband. Once informed of Emmett’s actions, he and his brother Jesse kidnapped Emmett five days later and murdered him, dumping his body into the river. Bob Bryant’s motivation lied solely in the fact that he felt that Emmett had disrespected his wife, Bob’s racist beliefs fueled him to commit the horrible murder of Emmett, dragging his brother along the way to take part in the deed.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
(SCOTTSBORO BOYS)
Much like the trial of Tom Robinson, in 1931, nine black teenagers were put on trial and found guilty. Accused of raping Ruby Bates and Victoria Price, Victoria testified against the nine boys with little evidence to back up her claims. Both these cases were based on purely circumstantial evidence. Despite having little evidence to back up Victoria’s story, all nine boys were found guilty of rape. Both the Scottsboro and Tom Robinson trials, as well as the Emmett Till case show how deep racist hatred ran in the South. Southerners believed that blacks were animals, that if given the slightest chance, would brutalize and rape a white woman. They were fueled by Victoria Price, who spoke without hesitance. She herself was possibly a prostitute, the thought of sexual intercourse was one paid little attention to. Price was also observed to be attention hungry. The thought of being put in the spotlight, the action of which fueled by America’s racism, was something to convenient to pass up.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
The fictional case of Tom Robinson was conceived by Harper Lee in her novel To Kill a Mockingbird, in an attempt to bring light and concern towards the injustice and racism that was being put against the black community. The case takes place during the 1930’s, during the Great Depression. After being asked to perform a task for Mayelle (ADSFJDSFJ), Robinson alledgly followed Mayelle into her house and proceeded to beat and rape her. Despite a very critical trial, and evidence pointing towards his innocence, Tom was found guilty. When one looks farther into the case, evidence provided shows that Mayelle was lonely and lusted after Tom. When he entered his home, she made advances towards him, an act witnessed by her father. Much like the other cases, Tom was accused and although with evidence in his favor, was found guilty. This fictional case recognized how poorly African Americans were being treated, as well as pointing the wrongs in white society. Because of Lee’s unbiased narrator, she showed how reckless racism could be.
(TOM ROBINSON)
-------------
-------------
(Paragraph two: how can society so neglect some portion of its citizens? How can this lead to the types of cases we have discussed and you have discovered in your research?)
^^^^^^^
Scottsboro boys
After further investigation in the Scottsboro trials, the amount of neglect in them is resounding. The first case of neglect in this case are the two white girls, Victoria Price and Ruby Bates, who accused the nine black boys of raping them. Both girl’s families lived in rundown homes in black neighborhoods. They both were mill workers, and evidence points that Victoria and possibly Ruby were prostitutes. The Great Depression left both the girls and their families with little money, and they boarded the train in which the rapes supposedly happened in hopes that they would find work. The second show of neglect was concerning the Scottsboro boys themselves. Most of the boys had never been taught to read or write, and some were unable to obtain or denied access to medicine. They were all on the train, much like the girls, in hopes of finding work. The final and most obvious form of neglect was in the trials themselves. One of the boys was nearly blind, another had a shphylic infection so bad, he was found laying down in the front of the train, far away from the scene of the rape. He was in so much pain, it would have been nearly impossible for him to jump onto the scene, as described by the girls. A farmer was allowed to give testimony against the boys, claiming he had seen them on the train from his farm nearly a mile away.
^^^^^^^^^
In the Tom Robinson case, the signs of neglect were unique in some ways. While harper Lee attempted to show the futileness of racism, she also pointed out the fallacies in the rigid social system in the South. It can be inferred from To Kill a Mockingbird that Mayelle Euell asked Tom Robinson to come inside the house. Although never explicity stated, it’s implied that Mayelle kissed Tom out of lust. She and her family lived behind the town dump and because of this, most of the town and the town’s children looked down on their family for being lower class. Her loneliness is what lead to her acting out. Much like all three cases, in the courtroom tremendous amount of neglect is shown. Tom was physically handicapped and would have been unable to keep Mayelle down. Another peiece of evidence in his favor was that it would have been impossible to specifically cause the bruises that were on Mayelle’s face because of his handicap. Despite this, Tom was found guilty.
^^^^^^^
After Emette Till’s body was found and sent home, the media shared his story around much of the country. For the first time in America’s history, some of it’s public wished for justice for the acts against an African American. Despite the revolting nature of Emmett Till’s murder, his killers were never found guilty. Even after Bob Bryant and his brother had been charged with abduction, a charged supported from Emett’s grandfather who was present during his abduction, they served no time for their crimes. Emette’s mother was present at the trial and witnessed this injustice.
------------------
(WHAT SPECIFIC ACTIONS/ORGANIZATIONS HAVE BEEN REATED To PREVENT THESE TYPES OF UNMERITED COURT cases, and what can still be done to prevent them from happening again?)
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In these cases, the amount of racism and neglect to give Africaqn Americans fair trials are universal. In an attempt to ensure African Americans justice within the courtroom, as well as outside it, NAACP as well as other organizations have made progress in the form of pushing for new laws to be passed and performing historical events. In 1948 president Truman signed an act in which the people of America would not be discriminated against, regardless of their race. In 1954, schools in teh South were desegregated. In 1957, Martin Luther King JR. made his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. As more time passed, efforts all across America were made to completely end any form of racism. While the battle has never ended, equality for African Americans has been improving over the past century. In 2008, Barack Obama became the first African American president.
Works Cited
American Civil Liberties Union. Report on the Scottsboro, ALA. Case. Hollace Ransdell.
New York: American Civil Liberties Union, 1931. To Kill a Mockingbird and the
Scottsboro Boys Trial: Profiles in Courage. EDSITEment. National Endowment
for the Humanities. Web. 15 Feb 2012.
Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. New York: Warner Books, 1982. Print.
The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till. Keith A. Beauchchamp. DVD. Velocity
(Ventura), Feb 28, 2006.
Keith A. Beauchchamp. “The Murder Of Emmet Louis Till.” Black-collegian. Web. 10
May 2004.
Scottsboro: An American Tradgedy. Daniel Anker, Barak Goodman. DVD. American Experience, 2000.
Mrs. Koch
English Honors 2
February 15, 2012
TITLE
Under two and a half centuries ago, The Declaration of Independence was written so that it could be used as the philosophies of a new prototype country, one based completely on democracy and personal freedoms. The first of it’s kind, America was meant to be a place free of all oppression. However, although America is thought as having humble beginnings, in reality, the opposite is true. Although the Declaration of Independence values freedom, the original founders of America completely ignored what it truly wished to convey, the belief that all people deserved life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. They did this through slavery, the practice of which completely undermined anything the Declaration of independence wished to complete. But through the efforts of abolitionists and those who wished to truly uphold the philosophies that America was founded on, in 1865 slavery was officially abolished. Although a major step towards total citizenship for African Americans, many people wished to heed the progress that was being made. These racists did anything in their power to scare, terrorize, and manipulate African Americans into doing what they wanted. The level of how deep racism’s roots are in America’s history is conveyed when one observes major cases in the Civil Rights movement’s past. Biased juries, racist judges, and lack of justice ran rampant in America’s courts. This often resulted in that guilty whites would consistently be found not guilty if the actions were performed on an African American, or the opposite, Blacks would be found guilty for crimes they didn’t commit. The Emmett Till case was a major example of the former, while both the Scottsboro and the Tom Robinson trials were major examples of the latter.
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On the 28th of August, the mutilated body of a fourteen-year-old black boy was found on the shore of the Tallahatchie River in Mississippi. The grotesquely disfigured body was that of Emmett Louis Till, a boy from Chicago visiting his grandpa for the summer. One day while with his friends, Emmett walked into the market store of Carolyn Bryant to buy some bubble gum. While he was leaving, Emmett allegedly whistled at her. The belief that a black man was forbidden any contact with a white woman was an integral belief within racism in the south, a belief that was also held with Bob Bryant, Carolyn’s husband. Once informed of Emmett’s actions, he and his brother Jesse kidnapped Emmett five days later and murdered him, dumping his body into the river. Bob Bryant’s motivation lied solely in the fact that he felt that Emmett had disrespected his wife, Bob’s racist beliefs fueled him to commit the horrible murder of Emmett, dragging his brother along the way to take part in the deed.
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(SCOTTSBORO BOYS)
Much like the trial of Tom Robinson, in 1931, nine black teenagers were put on trial and found guilty. Accused of raping Ruby Bates and Victoria Price, Victoria testified against the nine boys with little evidence to back up her claims. Both these cases were based on purely circumstantial evidence. Despite having little evidence to back up Victoria’s story, all nine boys were found guilty of rape. Both the Scottsboro and Tom Robinson trials, as well as the Emmett Till case show how deep racist hatred ran in the South. Southerners believed that blacks were animals, that if given the slightest chance, would brutalize and rape a white woman. They were fueled by Victoria Price, who spoke without hesitance. She herself was possibly a prostitute, the thought of sexual intercourse was one paid little attention to. Price was also observed to be attention hungry. The thought of being put in the spotlight, the action of which fueled by America’s racism, was something to convenient to pass up.
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The fictional case of Tom Robinson was conceived by Harper Lee in her novel To Kill a Mockingbird, in an attempt to bring light and concern towards the injustice and racism that was being put against the black community. The case takes place during the 1930’s, during the Great Depression. After being asked to perform a task for Mayelle (ADSFJDSFJ), Robinson alledgly followed Mayelle into her house and proceeded to beat and rape her. Despite a very critical trial, and evidence pointing towards his innocence, Tom was found guilty. When one looks farther into the case, evidence provided shows that Mayelle was lonely and lusted after Tom. When he entered his home, she made advances towards him, an act witnessed by her father. Much like the other cases, Tom was accused and although with evidence in his favor, was found guilty. This fictional case recognized how poorly African Americans were being treated, as well as pointing the wrongs in white society. Because of Lee’s unbiased narrator, she showed how reckless racism could be.
(TOM ROBINSON)
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(Paragraph two: how can society so neglect some portion of its citizens? How can this lead to the types of cases we have discussed and you have discovered in your research?)
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Scottsboro boys
After further investigation in the Scottsboro trials, the amount of neglect in them is resounding. The first case of neglect in this case are the two white girls, Victoria Price and Ruby Bates, who accused the nine black boys of raping them. Both girl’s families lived in rundown homes in black neighborhoods. They both were mill workers, and evidence points that Victoria and possibly Ruby were prostitutes. The Great Depression left both the girls and their families with little money, and they boarded the train in which the rapes supposedly happened in hopes that they would find work. The second show of neglect was concerning the Scottsboro boys themselves. Most of the boys had never been taught to read or write, and some were unable to obtain or denied access to medicine. They were all on the train, much like the girls, in hopes of finding work. The final and most obvious form of neglect was in the trials themselves. One of the boys was nearly blind, another had a shphylic infection so bad, he was found laying down in the front of the train, far away from the scene of the rape. He was in so much pain, it would have been nearly impossible for him to jump onto the scene, as described by the girls. A farmer was allowed to give testimony against the boys, claiming he had seen them on the train from his farm nearly a mile away.
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In the Tom Robinson case, the signs of neglect were unique in some ways. While harper Lee attempted to show the futileness of racism, she also pointed out the fallacies in the rigid social system in the South. It can be inferred from To Kill a Mockingbird that Mayelle Euell asked Tom Robinson to come inside the house. Although never explicity stated, it’s implied that Mayelle kissed Tom out of lust. She and her family lived behind the town dump and because of this, most of the town and the town’s children looked down on their family for being lower class. Her loneliness is what lead to her acting out. Much like all three cases, in the courtroom tremendous amount of neglect is shown. Tom was physically handicapped and would have been unable to keep Mayelle down. Another peiece of evidence in his favor was that it would have been impossible to specifically cause the bruises that were on Mayelle’s face because of his handicap. Despite this, Tom was found guilty.
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After Emette Till’s body was found and sent home, the media shared his story around much of the country. For the first time in America’s history, some of it’s public wished for justice for the acts against an African American. Despite the revolting nature of Emmett Till’s murder, his killers were never found guilty. Even after Bob Bryant and his brother had been charged with abduction, a charged supported from Emett’s grandfather who was present during his abduction, they served no time for their crimes. Emette’s mother was present at the trial and witnessed this injustice.
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(WHAT SPECIFIC ACTIONS/ORGANIZATIONS HAVE BEEN REATED To PREVENT THESE TYPES OF UNMERITED COURT cases, and what can still be done to prevent them from happening again?)
^^^^^^^
In these cases, the amount of racism and neglect to give Africaqn Americans fair trials are universal. In an attempt to ensure African Americans justice within the courtroom, as well as outside it, NAACP as well as other organizations have made progress in the form of pushing for new laws to be passed and performing historical events. In 1948 president Truman signed an act in which the people of America would not be discriminated against, regardless of their race. In 1954, schools in teh South were desegregated. In 1957, Martin Luther King JR. made his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. As more time passed, efforts all across America were made to completely end any form of racism. While the battle has never ended, equality for African Americans has been improving over the past century. In 2008, Barack Obama became the first African American president.
Works Cited
American Civil Liberties Union. Report on the Scottsboro, ALA. Case. Hollace Ransdell.
New York: American Civil Liberties Union, 1931. To Kill a Mockingbird and the
Scottsboro Boys Trial: Profiles in Courage. EDSITEment. National Endowment
for the Humanities. Web. 15 Feb 2012.
Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. New York: Warner Books, 1982. Print.
The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till. Keith A. Beauchchamp. DVD. Velocity
(Ventura), Feb 28, 2006.
Keith A. Beauchchamp. “The Murder Of Emmet Louis Till.” Black-collegian. Web. 10
May 2004.
Scottsboro: An American Tradgedy. Daniel Anker, Barak Goodman. DVD. American Experience, 2000.
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