Critical Opinion Of America

Critical Opinion Of America


 http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/dec/06/black-british-moved-to-new-york-eric-garner-i-cant-breathe

I found this article on the guardian US site and is written by a black British man who has just moved to New York, he talks about his anger at the murder of Eric Garner and how being in New York has made him feel more frustrated than he did as a man living in England; as he feels less detached from the case. As the article is written by someone who is not American, it is in some ways an outsider view into life in America. He states in the Article “From Britain, it’s easy to look at America and President Barack Obama and think that black people here have achieved the kind of progress we’ll never have at home: a black man in the most powerful position in the country. But when you get here, it’s not the progress but the lack of it for black Americans that’s staggering.” It’s interesting that he feels that America seems more progressive if seen through the eyes of a foreigner but, in practice when living there he feels frustrated and frightened at the racism, and lack of progress in the country.

Comparing Poverty in America

The first picture was taken during the Ford Hunger March which was a demonstration by unemployed auto workers in 1932, who intended to make demands of the factory owner Henry Ford, such as rehiring of the unemployed, health care and an end to racial discrimination. The march started in Detroit, and is known as the Ford Massacre as five workers were killed, by security guards and police officers.

The second image is a modern day protest in Detroit. The protest is being held because over fifteen thousand resident’s water supplies were cut off after they were unable to pay. Both pictures show poor citizens fighting for rights, which are being denied to them and both marches were organised by workers associations, and in those way they are very similar.

After the great depression the average wage for an auto worker in Detroit was cut by over 50% and in 2013 Detroit filed for bankruptcy both pictures show how an economic downturn can effect citizens.