Perspectives

Current issue

“This is America” by Childish Gambino addresses the issue of gun violence, which is a pressing topic in the United States. The song criticizes mass shootings and the way Americans are more concerned about protecting gun laws than they are about protecting people from gun violence. 

The United States has less strict laws …

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Textual perspectives

Former US President Barack Obama was a big advocate for enforcing stricter gun laws. His remarks on reducing gun violence address the importance of regulating gun ownership, such as conducting thorough background checks on new gun buyers. Obama delivered his speech just a few months after a mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, and Obama urged his audience to support stricter gun control laws in order to prevent similar tragedies from ever happening. 

Another speech by Barack Obama that discusses gun violence is Barack Obama’s Remarks on Trayvon Martin. His speech refers to the death of an unarmed African American teenager who was shot and killed despite not having broken the law. His speech also addresses the issue of racism and encourages the audience to work to end racial discrimination. 

The novel The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas presents the story of a young girl who witnesses her friend get shot at and killed by a police officer when the car they are in is pulled over. Similarly to “This is America”, the novel addresses themes of systemic racism, violence, and discusses how society’s oppression of minorities has a self-reinforcing effect and creates a vicious cycle that must be broken. …