Joey Veurink's Coates Blog

 Joey Veurink Pg. 101-125 Between the World and Men Response This part of the reading starts by talking about how the destruction of black bodies is American Heritage. I found his explanation to be pretty compelling for why he would think that. It’s in our countries history that we were built off of the backs of slaves, and blood was shed on a high level in order to reverse that. It made me sad to hear about how finite he saw our souls and minds. It does explain how all of the injustice would be magnified for him because of it. He has a really beautiful paragraph on page 107-108  that talks about how being born black give his son a clearer view of life and its struggles. He talked to him about how he shouldn’t try to pretend white or measure himself against those who try and act white. His story about meeting some people in Chicago that were around 100 years old was inspiring yet tragic. He talked about how they had overcome the odds, worked hard, and became pillars of the...

      I thought the first part of the reading continued to show me the type of world that I lived in as a white man where I've been pulled over numerous times and never worried about death at all. I thought the part about how he would've rather been shot in Baltimore than by Cops because then there might've been justice gave a good vision of how he operated as a person. If he was going to die, he would rather have it happen by a criminal if it meant justice would be dispensed. He makes a point that police reform is a much more daunting task than people realize. He claims that the police are a representation of America's larger fears and worries, that it's impossible to be something enforced by a minority group of ideas. His story of the killing of Prince Jones really felt heartbreaking. His lack of belief in a higher power made the whole experience seem additionally pointless and saddening. The details of the shooting and the lack of punishment experienced by the co...

 Pg. 26-50 Response     The author continues siting the shortcomings of his childhood experience. He talked about how school wasn't designed for higher learning where he was from. I was designed to keep them off the streets. He mentioned that 60% of kids that dropped out of high school ended up in jail eventually. It's hard to imagine being aware of the intention of school not being learning and still following through. He talked about how school, religion, and the streets around him didn't give him answers to why things were the way they were. The ability to write that he gained from his grandmother helped him answer those questions why looking inward and making assumptions about everyone else from that. His use for writing again shows the discrepancy between my upbringing and someone like his. He used it as a tool to understand the world around him and I used it to write dumb little notes or bad stories. The assembly of literature that his father collected began to show...

 Pg. 1-25 Response     The first thing that stands out in the reading is the tone. It's emotionally charged, but not angry. The tone is of someone who is tired. That sentiment is a theme that is carried through the reading. Most obviously the examples of police violence represent this tone. The fact that the 'destruction on bodies' was happening, and that no one seemed to be held accountable. In fact, the people that did these acts will probably receive a pension. I also liked the point that the culture of 'whiteness' is different than just having a skin color. As well as the idea that there has always been a difference in skin color and hair but it never meant anything in regards to how people were treated until we decided it did. And because of that people are trying to get adopted into the 'culture of whiteness.' The reading talked about something called 'The Dream.' This is very similar to the idea of the American Dream, and the author wants to t...