When “Black Lives Matter” is being chanted it is so much more than moment in history, it is a movement. This movement goes beyond the extrajudicial killings of black people by police and vigilantes. It brings attention to the problem of systematic racism within the United States and within the police department. It started off with the shooting of Trayvon Martin but goes into so many other occasions where black lives are being deprived of basic human rights and of their dignity. It has been documented that Non-white Americans make up less than 38% of the United States population, but minorities make up two-thirds of all unarmed people killed by police and it has been shown many times, within the last year even, that a black american is more
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The church believes that racism is a sin. Stating that “Sin is an offense against reason, truth, and right conscience; it is a failure in genuine love for God…” (Brady, Bernard 2008). The church recognizes that racism is a persistent social phenomenon that needs to be stopped. Pope John Paul II even went to the extent to call racism a “plague” which suggests that racism is more than prejudice. With dealing with racism the church calls for the use of The Spheres of Interaction. The first sphere explains that responding and dealing with racism must begin with really looking within ones self on the specific subject. Seeing where you stand on the issue at hand. The second sphere deals with moving from personal and self awareness to the public awareness. Finally the third sphere finishes off with making a commitment to effect the social policy. “To ignore prejudice and the embeddedness of racism is to be unfaithful to the Gospel and indeed to the individual call to be a …show more content…
With all the killings in the past year it could be stated that the police department as a whole threatens the lives of black americans. Black American 's no longer feel safe when police officers come around, they feel almost immediately worse than before. This social justice principle states that “the measure of EVERY institution 's whether it threatens or enhances the life and dignity of the human person” and right now the police department needs to dig deep into its self and see the flaws that everyone in America is watching right now. In addition to the Life and Dignity of the Human Person, the Black Lives Matter movement shows that we violate our Call to Family, Community, and Participation. It states that “how we organize our society directly affects human dignity and the capacity of individuals to grow in community” and right now the way we organize our society is saying that it is okay to kill an unarmed man because you feel “threatened”. In addition to that the Black Lives Matter movement points out that we are lacking in the area where the church teaches that the role of government and other institutions like the police department is to protect human life. In the 21st century the police department and the justice system are doing everything BUT protecting human life. They threaten it
The church believes that racism is a sin. Stating that “Sin is an offense against reason, truth, and right conscience; it is a failure in genuine love for God…” (Brady, Bernard 2008). The church recognizes that racism is a persistent social phenomenon that needs to be stopped. Pope John Paul II even went to the extent to call racism a “plague” which suggests that racism is more than prejudice. With dealing with racism the church calls for the use of The Spheres of Interaction. The first sphere explains that responding and dealing with racism must begin with really looking within ones self on the specific subject. Seeing where you stand on the issue at hand. The second sphere deals with moving from personal and self awareness to the public awareness. Finally the third sphere finishes off with making a commitment to effect the social policy. “To ignore prejudice and the embeddedness of racism is to be unfaithful to the Gospel and indeed to the individual call to be a …show more content…
With all the killings in the past year it could be stated that the police department as a whole threatens the lives of black americans. Black American 's no longer feel safe when police officers come around, they feel almost immediately worse than before. This social justice principle states that “the measure of EVERY institution 's whether it threatens or enhances the life and dignity of the human person” and right now the police department needs to dig deep into its self and see the flaws that everyone in America is watching right now. In addition to the Life and Dignity of the Human Person, the Black Lives Matter movement shows that we violate our Call to Family, Community, and Participation. It states that “how we organize our society directly affects human dignity and the capacity of individuals to grow in community” and right now the way we organize our society is saying that it is okay to kill an unarmed man because you feel “threatened”. In addition to that the Black Lives Matter movement points out that we are lacking in the area where the church teaches that the role of government and other institutions like the police department is to protect human life. In the 21st century the police department and the justice system are doing everything BUT protecting human life. They threaten it