Wiki+Discussion+5+Sp12

Wiki Discussion #5 - Due by Noon, Wednesday, 4 April, 2012
Please note that your first commentary should be posted as its own conversation thread, not as a reply to someone else's commentary. To do that, go to the "Discussion" tab. Then click on +New Post. Fill in your comments in the boxed section. Submit by clicking on the "Post" button. Also please remember to add a thoughtful response to at least two of your colleagues. Not doing so will affect your grade.

Prompt:

The shocking events surrounding the Trayvon Martin tragedy have once again, brought the ugliness of the conflicts of race, race relations, gun control, states rights, politics, spatial environments, privilege, safety, policing, justice, youth, clothing and news media issues to the forefront in the United States. The discussions around the event have been passionate, uniting and divisive.

In formulating opinions around the story, blame and scapegoating is being bandied about based on the sketchy evidence that has been revealed. This supports, to some degree, Tatum's point, "In a societal context where historically the scapegoating of the "other" has been standard operating procedure, it is easier to do that than critically examine large structural conditions that have created this situation."

One way to make sense of the country's most hot-buttoned issues is through the examination of political cartoons. This centuries-old art form is a witty way for readers to examine news in order to detect ideas, opinions and prejudices that are not spelled out directly, drawing their own conclusions. In our last class, we distributed and discussed a variety of political cartoons regarding the Martin-Zimmerman event. Now, combining the experiences of both activities in our last class (cartoon review and khalil's poetry prompts) we are asking you to get into the head of the artist by answering the following:


 * Describe your political cartoon (if you missed class, please find one online for this exercise)


 * What does the artist teach hi/herself about the situation at hand?


 * What could your lesson plan be leading up to the final artwork?

Edwin and CynthiaWiki Discussion 5 Sp12