I knew Martin.
The 12 angry men of the jury of this case according to many represent a system. This system according to the sociologist, has ingrained (in the law courts) a hierarchy that disadvantages the colored against the whites. The white race is favored in rulings and they are deemed to be innocent before proven guilty in contrast to all the other races. This sounds like a very knowledgeable thing to say and it makes a person look like he/she understands how the world works. This I am going to prove is a more ignorant stance than the lack of this knowledge.
If this ruling were to be flawed, and as a result there was bias towards blacks, then we should revisit all the other cases down in history that this court has prosecuted. If we really care, we would follow the logic and understand that the sociologist also tell us that this same system disadvantages women. So we should protest against all the men acquittals in cases involving women deaths. Sociology also tells us that even among women, men, black people… there exists a hierarchy. Perhaps Martin was a little bit higher or lower than some white men in respect to men and not race. Where is this argument headed?
The failures of Sociology
Sociology as an area of knowledge and as a social science deserves to be stripped of its credibility because of the failures of this court ruling. It has managed to influence reactions thus putting the greatest nation in the world at a stand still. It has shaken the legal framework of a country that is flexing its muscles at the International Criminal Courts (ICC) in the Hague as having superior legal institutions. Sociology has become this point of reference where, according to many, the jury was supposed to have consulted in order to offer a fairer judgement. Else it would not have to be used to analyze the outcomes. If you explain the meaning of something it doesn’t mean that this meaning did not exist before you opened your mouth to explain it.
Using Sociology to explain this case is a very ignorant perspective. This is because we will end up referring all cases to the ICC so as to kill all bias thus demeaning our own institutions and this has greater consequences. Perhaps, it is time for the USA to become a signatory to this court.
Sociology has presented us with undeniable arguments about the nature of human behavior in relation to their environment and the nature of social order. My issue remains that, does truth of existence of man equal the truth of the explanations of his existence? Why are we using these explanations without doubt and acknowledgement of the alternative points of view? Why does this monotony lead to social disorder? Why in the many years of the existence of this young area of knowledge haven’t we understood ourselves better and solved our grievances?
The contradictions of the existence of sociology are clear in the questions.
Sociology is not a science. Science is life and this is comes from the ability of humans to be able to live it. From science we learn that we should be able to accept our faults and look for better alternatives. From this “sociological” case why are there riots in New york and other places of this country. This is a denial of ideas that do not align with our own when there is a contradiction to our expectation. Sociology has thus proven to be a cause of problem and misunderstanding.
Sociology does not teach about morality, it presents problems but not the remedy. This is an attitude that appeals most of us. It gives us the ability to complain intelligently. This means that in order to find solutions we have to put aside the problem and start a new paradigm (way of thinking).
To add up, this area of knowledge has many theories to which one has to consider in order to understand behavior. There is the idea of protestants (religion), then came the idea of capitalism, then political and economic and social. We just have too much to look at to just label this ruling as a racial consequence if we are to maintain the credibility of sociology.
Do not get me wrong.
In all the drama we have to ask; who is the system if not us? Human beings are the jury, they took the gun and shot Martin and now they are the ones complaining. This is a consequence of sociology in one perspective but humans are the actors.
Sometimes it feels like we want to develop ways to fill the world with hate and drive us all extinct. Poor us ! Now get back to work.
- See more at: http://awakeafrica.org/archives/1916#sthash.ewxIBbIn.dpuf
