Watching 13th Documentary: Angry, Shocked, and Inspired
After watching the documentary 13th, I didn't know how to feel about it at first. I was full of anger, shocked, and questioning everything I know because it made me realize how big racism and unfairness is in the United States, especially with the prison system. I knew the justice system wasn't all that great, but after watching the documentary made me see it is a lot more than "people doing crimes and getting punished." It captures how the system has been built over time in a way that's targeting Black Americans disturbingly.
The documentary is named the 13th because it relates to the 13th Admendment, which is what ended slavery. But what I'm having trouble understanding is that the amendment has exceptions. It's stated that slavery is illegal except as punishment for a crime. That alone makes no sense because how am I supposed to sit here and question why I never learned that in school. The film basically explains that slavery didn't fully vanish, it just changed into something different. Instead of slavery being legal out in the open, it became connected to the crime and prison. One thing that has stuck with me is how the documentary relates to what is happening today. It represented how after slavery ended, Blacks were still being punished and arrested for things that made no sense, like "loitering" or not having a job. Later on, during Jim Crow, Black people were still being treated horrible. Though segregation ended, the documentary tells us how the system found loop holes to control Black Americans.
This documentary talked about how the media and politics are the main role in making people more afraid of Black men. Showing clips from the news, political public speakers, and movies that Black men were always being brought out to be criminals or most harmful. I feel as if this part was really important because people don't know how much social media portrays how society thinks. If you continuingly see certain group being shown as "hurtful" or "dangerous", people will believe it even if it was never true. Another thing I saw that got me upset was learning about the "War on Drugs." That documentary was showing how politicians used crime and drugs as a way to enforce stricter laws. What shocked me was how the punishment for the drugs were so extreme. People getting locked up for years over small drug charges. It made me wonder if it was about protecting the people, or if it was more about controlling "bad" communities. It just made it seem like the documentary was all about Black neighborhoods, even when drugs happen in different communities.
Protest Photo / Unsplash photo (free to use)
One of the worst parts of the documentary without a doubt was learning about private prisons and how they can make money. That had my jaw dropped and sick to my stomach because prison should not be about making income. If companies and prisons are making money off of people being behind bars, then that creates a system where no one is motivated to help others with themselves and improve. It turns into keeping prisons full. This documentary was also talking about prisoners working and earning very little cash, which is back to the point on how slavery never ended.
After the 13th documentary, I felt helpless watching the system fail and how it's been going on for so long. How many lives do you think were ruined? The unfair treatment? People lose time from their families, their jobs, and their future. And most the time it feels like society just donesn't care about anyone and say "well they shouldn't have committeed a crime." But that's exactly what the video shows, how unequal it is in the first place.
I felt inspired and more aware watching the documentary. It made me see how people today are still fighting for change, and that prison reform is a serious problem that needs full attention. I think the overall message to the 13th is that mass incarceration in America is not an accident. Something that has been built through politics, racism, fear, and power. The video is only saying that the criminal system has been unerlooked and used as a modern way to cotrol the Blacks, even after slavery and segregation was over. Racism doesn't always look the same, but it still can exist through institutions. If more people understood the history behind the mass, they would definitely see the system a whole new way too.
All I can say in the end is that, 13th changed the way I see our prison system. It's disgusting to say that the justice system is not always about wrong vs right. Moving forward I'll be paying a lot more attention to what politicians are doing and what laws are being passed, simple things like that can affect peoples lives for years to come. I am still upset after watching it, but I feel like there's more people that need to see it because it exposes the truth behind what Americans are hiding or choosing to ignore.
Comments
Post a Comment