The "Broken" Dream Finished

 The “Broken” Dream

America was born on the idea of the land of the free. This great nation was created with the idea to give men and women an equal opportunity to striving for greatness; no matter gender nor religion. Blood sweet and tears were poured into building America, countless lives were scarified so we could be proclaimed a free county. Although we are a triumph nation, some of same men and women we allowed into our nation continuously disobey our norms. Therefore, we must fix this problem of disobedient individuals that aim at destroying this great nation. What should happen to those specific individuals that are accused of irrational crimes? The prison systems. With the help of president Nixon and the creation of “the war one drugs”. Are great presidents fought hard to keep our streets clean from drugs and this continued with president Clinton. American crime was in an all-time high, the importance of police safety was increasing, and gang violence and shootings were snowballing. We needed an American hero to stand up against these criminals. In a suggest to start the crime bill of 1994, Hillary Clinton introduced the phrase “super-predator”. She claimed it was her right as first lady so that "it is to take back our streets from crime, gangs and drugs. Hillary persuaded the American people to believe the problem in America were African Americans and the culture that surrounded them. My foremost most used rhetorical analysis will cover how the stacking of Kairos in the American justice system crated the idea of the black criminal.

The early 1990’s was a brutal time in history, crime was overpopulated, and drugs were overflowing the streets. President Clinton and first lady Hillary appeared to understand the struggle of “living black” while being a democrat. The slogan “it’s a black thing you wouldn’t understand”, and it seemed President Clinton understood African Americans. 1996, changed the face of the Clintons with one word. ‘Super-predators’. Within Hillary’s speech she executed her rhetoric right of Kairos, or the rhetorical timing, an ability to seize the persuasive moment.  The urban dictionary defines “super-predators” as a term used to refer to dangerous youth in which rehabilitation seemed improbable. The term is considered a direct term as it was used almost exclusively concerning African American youth. Clinton declared, "it is to take back our streets from crime, gangs and drugs.” (Hillary Clinton) Boasting of the administration's putting more cops on America's nasty streets. Hillary was entirely correct, drugs were taking over are peaceful neighborhoods. She called for "an organized effort against gangs, just as in a previous generation we had an organized effort against the mob. We need to take these people on ... They are not just gangs of kids anymore. They are often the kinds of kids that are called “super-predators”. No conscience. No empathy. We can talk about why they ended up that way, but first we have to bring them to heel.” – Hillary Clinton 1996(Hillary Clinton).  Since African Americans are so highly incarcerated in America they must be criminals.

The timing of Clinton speech in 1969 could not have been better timing, it was time to end these criminals. It’s all about timing! Moment spotter is an “argumentative tool used when uncertain moods and beliefs, when minds are already beginning to change” (Heinrich 290). So, we must breakdown the American mind to understand their thinking. President Richard Nixon declared that drugs in America were the number one enemy, and his administration officially launched what would be known today as the U.S. ‘war on drugs’. As heroin practice and the crack epidemic on the rise, our next president Ronald Reagan continued the Kairos. The Reagan administration focused most of its resources on these exact narcotics, particularly on crack cocaine to reduce crime linked to drug usage. Drugs were bad, crack cocaine at the time was the worst; and Africans Americans were the only ones using this drug. Nancy Reagan made this relatable to Americans all around the word with the ‘Just say no’ slogan created in 1982. Reagans campaign knew at this time drug prevention must start young. The drug outbreak was destroying American neighborhoods and Nancy made it relatable to White Americans with the protection of their children. I believe if Clinton didn’t introduce her super-predator speech she wouldn’t have been doing her job as a first lady. Timing, timing, timing. If Nancey Reagan can come up with a catchy speech or slogan about drug and crime so could Hillary Clinton.

 Cocaine versus crack cocaine was a huge dividing factor from drug abuse to race abuse. During the drug war, the crack epidemic was dangerous   and spiraling out of control. I will breakdown how cocaine versus crack cocaine turned from a drug problem into a racial factor in promising larger prison numbers. During President Clinton term, he aimed to clean the American streets and make us all law-abiding citizens. The law at matter was the comprehensive ‘Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994’, which provided funding for tens of thousands of community police officers and drug courts, banned certain assault weapons, and mandated life sentences for criminals convicted of a violent felony after two or more prior convictions, including drug crimes. The mandated life sentences were known as the “three-strikes” provision. From the words of Heinrich a “true geniuses that use Kairos can turn their ethos liabilities into assets” (Heinrich 90). When MLK went to prison, jail was a principle, but after the civil war it was seen as atrocious, but he had a marvelous instinct for Kairos, and he knew that White America was ready to consider a black man in prison something of a martyr. Clinton wanted to persuade the criminals and law-breakers to stop immediately or three strikes and “you’re out of there”. Now we must understand the standings of the Clintons and their views on ethos. Who exactly are the Clintons and what do they stand for?  President Clinton wanted to persuade the American people into believe prison and jail time were the one ways the combat the war on drugs. Thus, concluded for more police officers and additional jails, “The war on drugs” continued. 

            We now understand that the timing of the Clintons or their Kairos were perfect, with virtuous intentions. But, must should we judge the Clintons on their actions or the situation they were throw into. How and why did the Clintons act the ways they did, and what were the true ethos of the Clintons? Experts in the art of rhetoric have recognized that “people are only receptive to a speaker’s words if they feel that they also have a sense of what kind of person the speaker is” (Heinrichs 107). In Hillary’s presidency contest she explained that “I get it that some people just don’t know what to make of me.”  (Hillary Clinton,28 July 2016). Hillary Clinton has been the focus of a very harsh, often hostile political spotlight for decades now. And yet Clinton is right that, despite her media overexposure, even some of her supporters don’t quite feel like they knew her. Worse, many are convinced that she is not what she seems, and that what we do see of Clinton is a political fiction. I want you to think, in all of the speeches she’s given, Hillary Clinton hasn’t “sketched out” her character. Should we “judge ones character whenever the speech is spoken in such a way as to make the speaker worthy of credibility” (Heinrich 120). yet?

Hillary Clinton was the first lady to our forty-second president, this means she must be pure. Being the president of America is more than a mere title. The Americans expect a lot from their Presidents. Understandably, they want the President to take quick action on problems facing the nation, such as crime and drug abuse. We expect the president to act ethical in immoral dilemmas and handle them with compassion. When describing what makes a good first lady we expect for them to raise the profile of the president through developing their own social and political causes, which in result should help to enforce goals of their husbands’ administrations. The first lady and the president should be a team, working together to strengthen each other weaknesses. Hillary and Bill worked together to end the war on drugs, drugs are bad presidents are good. Hillary was a pretty face and understood how bad drug usage was. But, there was a “gap” in perception of Clinton between those who know her personally and those who only know her public persona. Why was this, why did the America population have to two-faced opinion toward Hillary?

Referring back to the use of Kairos, the introduction to gangster rap couldn’t have been better timing for Hillary super-predator speech. Music is a huge focal point for African Americans to express their true values of culture. Music is defined as vocal or instrumental sounds or both combined in such a way to produce beauty of form, harmony, and expression of emotion. Music is used in all races to express one’s self true intentions. The important thing that the music can do is point out injustice factors in American, socials problems in American, and shine light on problems that people do not to converse. The bad thing that rose from rap was gangster rap. Voguer, gang violence, and the ideology of crime as the basic of gangster rap. I will be analyzing how ‘gangster rap’ is provoking mainstream America to believe African Americans are criminals. 

NWA the proclaimed legends of ‘gangster rap’ Niggas with Attitude are the declared reasoning behind “super-predators”. Fuck the police was a hit record that aimed at terrorizing the police in California. I want to analyze it from the perspective of an average White American and how White citizens and White Police officers must have been offended about this song.

“But take off the gun so you can see what's up

And we'll go at it, punk, and I'ma fuck you up!

Make you think I'ma kick your ass

But drop your gat, and Ren's gonna blast

I'm sneaky as fuck when it comes to crime

But I'ma smoke them now and not next time

Smoke any motherfucker that sweats me

Or any asshole that threatens me

I'm a sniper with a hell of a scope

Taking out a cop or two, they can't cope with me

The motherfuckin' villain that's mad

With potential to get bad as fuck

So I'ma turn it around

Put in my clip, yo, and this is the sound

(Gunshot sounds)

Yeah, somethin' like that

But it all depends on the size of the gat

Taking out a police would make my day

But a nigga like Ren don't give a fuck to say…

[Hook]

Fuck tha police!

Fuck tha police!

Fuck tha police!

Fuck tha police!”

Fuck the police was a violent and criminal provoking song that basically started a war. From a White citizen I would not feel comfortable with crooks and gangs running around my neighborhood nor city. Hillary’s speech was speaking about these specific people. The police are good people they protect us from criminals, the police must be good people.  Hillary understood how negatively influenceable this song could be on the younger generation.  Another song that gives the imagination that African Americans are crooked is the song, 10 crack commandments by Biggie Smalls.

“Nigga can't tell me nothing about this coke

Can't tell me nothing about this crack, this weed, my hustlin' niggas

Niggas on the corner I ain't forget you niggas, my triple beam niggas

I've been in this game for years, it made me an animal

It's rules to this shit, I wrote me a manual

A step-by-step booklet for you to get

Your game on track, not your wig pushed back

Rule Number Uno, never let no one know

How much dough you hold cause you know

The cheddar breed jealousy 'specially

If that man fucked up, get yo' ass stuck up

Number 2, never let 'em know your next move

Don't you know Bad Boys move in silence and violence?

Take it from your highness”

This is a horrific song that describes the basic steps needed to become a successful drug dealer. This song is a perfect example of being a criminal, in no sense should it be okay to sell drugs. 10 crack commandments is an especially special song, because it is during the crack epidemic, this is exactly the reason behind “the war on drugs”. Reporting back to Kairos a race car driver using Kairos knows how to spot an opening and cut off the car ahead. But, with these rappers they completely used Kairos incorrect. Rappers would support the use of crack and influence of drug dealers. Drugs are bad drug dealers are worse.

In this horrible time our streets are covered in drugs, violence, and criminals a hero was needed. Hillary Clinton believes we as Americans have a social problem in our streets. These individuals included in criminal behavior have been warned. These criminals do not learn, and must strike them with an iron first of justice. There is only way to stop the violence in American, prisons! History has shown us that these African Americans and their civil rights cannot be trusted. Give a dog a bone and he’ll ask for more. Hillary Clinton and her predecessors had not other choice but the place these laws in order to create peace. With out the increase of prisons and policemen around the country, it would only have been a matter of time before we were overpopulated with crime. With the support of our great presents like Clinton and Reagan, and the creation of the “war of drugs” and crime bill criminals would have destroyed the American Dream. In Hillary’s rhetorical right it was time to put a end the super-predators.

Works cited

            DuVernay, Ava. 13th From Slave to Criminal with one Amendment. Barish, Howard. Netflix Original. October 7, 2016

Flemmen, Magne and Mike Savage. "The Politics of Nationalism and White Racism in the UK." British Journal of Sociology, vol. 68, no. Suppl 1, Nov. 2017, pp. S233-S264. EBSCOhost, proxy.kennesaw.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=psyh&AN=2017-50599-011&site=eds-live&scope=site.

Fleisher, Mark S. Living Black : Social Life in an African American Neighborhood. University of Wisconsin Press, 2015. UPCC Book Collections on Project MUSE. EBSCOhost

Heinrichs, Jay. Thank You for Arguing: What Aristotle, Lincoln, and Homer Simpson Can Teach Us about the Art of Persuasion. Three Rivers Press, 2017.

Keum, Brian TaeHyuk and Matthew J. Miller. "Racism in Digital Era: Development and Initial Validation of the Perceived Online Racism Scale (PORS V1.0)." Journal of Counseling Psychology, vol. 64, no. 3, Apr. 2017, pp. 310-324. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1037/cou0000205.

Roxy.kennesaw.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=1083551&site=eds-live&scope=site.