Police Brutality In The O. J. Simpson Case

For an extensive period of time, it seems as if the black community has been ignored when it comes to issues such as segregation, racism, and violence. It's a very touchy subject for many, as the fear that one might get offended for what is said compels people to just ignore the problems. Although most people only know bits and piece about their extensive struggles, one event that most find hard to forget was the O.J simpson case. For those who are unaware, Mr. Simpson, a once very famous football player, was accused of murdering his now ex-wife, Nicole Brown. The battle was ongoing and displayed on just about every news broadcast as well as being replayed on a constant loop. Eventually this case went to court which ended with the jury declaring …show more content…
For instance, one line reads “I realized that the rub was that my life had spared me from experiencing or even seeing police brutality.” This along with this and many other lines, it shows the author's sense of remorse. To realize that not having to deal with the struggles that others of his same race have seems to be such a blessing, makes others seem not only blessed themselves for also not having to deal with the struggles, but creates an even strong feeling of empathy for the people that do. It show that police brutality is a real problem, instead of just a myth. Throughout this piece many examples were brought up from asking random black people what their views are. The way that the author expressed their views was also a key part to creating the feeling of empathy from the audience. Lines such as “Talk to most black people about racism and you only need to count the seconds before the cops come up.” stand out simply because after hearing this statement, it generally draws up this sense of empathy, compelling the audience to view this concept from the author's …show more content…
It wasn’t enough to just explain all of the horrors that came with police brutality, so MeWhorter used words such as “brutal”,”endemic racism”, and “bemused” to better explain the truth of the struggle. Only so much can be done to explain to the audience the troubles that come with being black, if they have never experienced them first hand. But using more descriptive and complex words does still have an impact in making others understand. To say that something is terrible instead of simply saying it's bad, draws the audience in, creating a feeling of empathy or sorrow for the black community. These words help to connect to the audience on an emotional level by emphasizing how serious these situations are. For instance, when he says “Mr. Simpson became a symbol, to many blacks, of endemic racism in the justice system.” it creates an image in the audience's mind which is very powerful and compelling in any article and is a key technique to show the audience your perspective on any topic, especially one as strong as the struggles that come with being