American History X Ethical Issues

American History X is a film about a high school student played by Edward Norton, who deals with the influence of a neo-Nazi group called the Disciples of Christ (D.O.C.) in Venice, California. The character played by Edward Norton is named Derek. In day-to-day life, Derek and his younger brother Danny, played by Edward Furlong, grows up in a household where their father displays racist tendencies in reaction to school assignments from Derek’s English teacher. The racial tension is always present but does not erupt until a group of local drug dealers who happen to be African American kills their father who is a firefighter. This single event sends Derek into a downward spiral and narrow viewpoint on all other races. Coupled with the influence …show more content…
One that stands out the most falls into the category of Utilitarianism. Utilitarianism is the doctrine that the morally correct course of action consists in the greatest good for the greatest number, that is, in maximizing the total benefit resulting, without regard to the distribution of benefits and burdens, (Collins, 2016). In the beginning of the movie, Derek’s father is a firefighter who continuously puts his life on the line to rescue people from various situations. In society’s eyes, a firefighter is a well-respected civil servant that is a very heroic figure. The beliefs of Derek’s father were ironic in the fact that he was essentially saving people he did not believe was worth saving. These actions suggest that he was either in it for to support his family, he enjoyed the pleasure of power to choose who to save(live or die), or he was just going along with what he thought was the norm to fit in. Based on his actions and relationship with his family, he routinely engaged in racially charged language and views, which ultimately influence the decisions of his children. Upon his death, Derek and Danny chose a path that they believed their father would approve; they chose to join the D.O.C. The D.O.C. fell in line with committing acts of terrorism against other races than their own that they believed was for the betterment of their race. In most cases as depicted by the actor Edward Norton, his …show more content…
With the rise of social media, the possibilities of cultural diversity and learning what makes every individual unique should be at the forefront of every exchange. In most instances as well as in this movie, communication and understanding could have prevented a lot of bad choices and bad situations. Ultimately, in both cases of the characters Derek and Danny both seem to reach a level of enlightenment that led them to a better understanding of where their hate was leading them and they decided to let it subside. But in Danny’s case it cost him his life which in turn caused Derek to fail at preventing his brother from following in his