In my project I am addressing the issue of gun violence and social media such as, “fake News. Gun violence is a major issue in our society today. Many lives have been loss due to a bullet and trying to find a solution is segregating our community. There are two sides on this issue, one side people believe that the solution is more guns and on the other side, they believe that particular guns should be banned along with stricter regulations. This separation is not allowing us to come to a solution. The sources we get our information from such as the news and social media adds to the fire. Depending on what news channel you watch only keeps you on one side of the spectrum. These news channels only cater to their viewers and doesn’t present information about the opposing side.
I believe that the only way we can actually see change in our community is when we all keep an open mind. We as a society need to stop being closed minded because we will never progress. On this issue of gun violence, the only way we can come to a solution is if both sides have one person to represent them and have the two sit together and come up with a solution that cater both sides. I truly believe this is possible and that is what I am trying to present in my project. A way for two opposing sides to voice their opinions and attempt to work out a solution. There is one thing both sides have in common and it is to feel safe at home.
In Joyce Yu-Jean Lee's State of the DysUnion, she combines visual arts and activism to address the issue of fake news and alternative facts in today’s society. With Trump being president, there is a lot of talk about news being “fake”. Any news channels that criticizes the president of the United States is deemed fake. This creates a problem being as society we would not know what information is true or not and creates a social segregation. Personally, I don’t like that Donald Trump is the head of our country. The president of the United States shouldn’t be fueled with racism and bigotry. A man like this shouldn’t represent one of the most diverse countries in the world. The way Joyce Yu-Jean Lee’s exhibit relates to my project is that “fake news” is the reason why we can’t come to a solution on gun violence. These news channels are feeding people information that gives them more of a reason that their opposing side is wrong. As a keep repeating, this is not the way an issue is solved.
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| Yu-Jean Lee's State of DysUnion |
“Tactical Media is situational, ephemeral and self-terminating. It encourages the use of any media that will engage a particular socio-political context in order to create molecular interventions and semiotic shocks that contribute to the negation of the rising intensity of authoritarian culture.” (Interventionist Chapter 4)
“The main reason for using these techniques is that they put people at ease. Rather than telling people exactly what I think, the art experience becomes a platform for a dialogue, even if it’s solely an internal dialogue.” (Interventionist Chapter 4)
The next artist I want to talk about is Daniel Ruiz. His work at the 2018 BFA Thesis exhibition addresses the violent nature of humans. He states that the violent nature is inherited and is instilled throughout the children for generations. In this work he is interested in why young men are taught to view, accept and practice violence under the guise of liberty and justice. This series focuses on how a man can pull a trigger without thought. In order for this to be possible the human in the crosshairs need to be dehumanized. This dehumanization is represented by the targets in the series. Each target is containing geometric shapes and symbols that represent real human emotions and institutions. The silhouette is separated into three parts and the person behind the gun dehumanizes the target. He used training aids that were designed for piece as a reference for his work. Ruiz states that if we achieve a less violent society we must consider our views on violence by, what the limits of our own use of force are and if there is any humanity in violence.
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| Daniel Ruiz's Reflexive Series |
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| Daniel Ruiz's Business Card |
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| Reflexive Fire |
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| The Great Flood |
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| ICRC2 |
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| ND |
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| Woman |
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| ICRC |
Verse one:
-Kendrick represents the mindset of young black males growing up in the hood. (Porverty stricken and crime infested)
-He addresses gun violence in the hood. He describes a man who becomes reckless and would break the law on murder to avenge the death of his son. Any person who do anything to keep the people they love safe.
Verse 2:
- Kendrick informs the listener that the son was murdered because he couldn't pay his debts.
-The father goes out for vengeance. The death of one person will result in the death of another.
-The father would kill the person without any remorse.
-Kendrick addresses that the police that was suppose to protect them isn't doing so but doing the opposite. He refers to police brutality.
-The only means of protection is by having a gun of their own, to not only protect themselves but the people they love as well.
Verse 3:
-Kendrick talks to the white community. The tone of the song is completely different and does not curse once.
-He mentions how our country resorts to violence to solve foreign conflicts in return for profit.
-He then talks about how the people who have all the money, basically corporate businesses is the reason why the community is poverty stricken. Violence is the result of poverty.
This song reflects on the issue of gun violence in a different way. The reason why the gun violence is so high is because of poverty. It's basically a huge domino effect.
Poverty- Gang violence- Police Brutality- Trust issues
People don't feel safe anymore and needs a gun to feel safe. If we help out these poverty stricken communities and give police the proper training. The gun violence in America will slowly decrease. We need to work together to restore trust in America.
“Knowing the system by which capitalism shapes us and exploits our cultural efforts provides tools necessary for the production of alternatives.” (Seeing Power Nato Thompson)
Our country revolves around money. Any action that the government takes, money plays a huge roll. The biggest reason why the government can't do anything about the issue of guns is because the officials in office are receiving money from the National Rifle Association. If they were to go against their source of income they would lose money. An example would be Marco Rubio. He couldn't say no to receiving money from the NRA. The NRA is trying to manipulate the community by making their supporters believe its about their right to bare arms. But, thats not the case. The NRA makes millions off the guns being sold and any form of regulation or bans would put a dent in their profits.
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