Diaz 1

Daniel Diaz
Professor Malvin
English 115
23 November 2015
Existence, Calling
Whether it be domestic, gang, or simply ethnic violence, violence has been prevalent in
the U.S. for as long as the U.S. has existed. As time has progressed, these cycles of violence have
not come closer to resolution, and in specific, gang and ethnic based violence. Gang violence, as
well as ethnic violence, can be seen as components of fundamental ethnic tension. Therefore to
stop gang and ethnic violence, we must put an end to ethnic tensions. The continuous cycle of
ethnic tensions (and all of its components) should be broken, and the communities involved,
welcomed into society. Humans should not put down one another based on color, past
generations actions, or for personal gain. Although some may say that things like twitter and
Instagram (social media) are aiding in the fight against the components of ethnic tensions, the
idea that social media can actually hurt a cause more than help it can be proven.
Attacking ethnic tensions directly will cause all of its components to fade away from
existence, one of which is the cycles of violence. However, unlike Abraham Lincoln freeing
slaves and not giving them the tools necessary to succeed, the method for destroying ethnic
tensions will result in communities that can actually benefit, and be a part of, society. In Luis J.
Rodriguezs Always Running, Rodriguez highlights Thoreaus idea that There are a thousand
hacking at the branches of evil to one who is striking at the root.(Thoreau qtd. by Rodriguez).
With the government passing acts such as the civil rights act of 1968, strikes to branches of

Diaz 2

ethnic tensions were being made, rather than strikes at the roots of ethnic tension. What lies
behind racism in America is a mindset in those who oppress, that puts people of certain
color/race at an assumed lower position. Passing a law that does not aim at fixing this mindset,
does not attack the roots of ethnic tension, and thus will not benefit the fight against ethnic
tensions. Another form of actions going to relative waste are the L.A. riots. If one looks at the
riots on a large scale, in terms of what was done, and what came as a result of the riots, then the
fact that ethnic tensions were not solved will arise. During the unguided movement, stores
were taken advantage of, violence occurred all throughout L.A., and ethnic tensions actually rose
during and after the riots. Human rage such as the rage embodied in the riots does show that
something is wrong with society, however this rage was not guided towards a goal, this rage was
merely an outburst of anger and bottled up emotion. When a little dude wants a video game, take
me for example (back in the day), he can do one of two things. One is to try to annoy his parents
so much, that they get him the game to make him shut up. Two is to make his parents feel like he
truly deserves the game, by working hard and behaving like a civilized person. Of course
sometimes, excuse my French, it feels like one can be kissing ass to reach a certain goal, but
morals make civilized behavior a self-rule, and not just an act put on to achieve a certain goal.
Cycles of violence continue over the years, but they also grow deeper, and their roots
grow larger. As seen in modern society, adults no longer consider gang members as the children
of their respective communities, but as lost causes and/or criminals. As highlighted through an
interview in Anna Deavere Smiths Twilight, an anonymous young man reflects on the past and
compares his experiences from back in the day, to today. They kind of respected their elders,
as far as, not robbing them, but then a lot of as I got older I noticed, like the younger ones, the
lot of the respect, it just like disappeared... if the police had me and a couple other guys in the

Diaz 3

middle of the street on our knees, the older people would come out and question (Smith, Broad
Daylight). This quote highlights the idea that the longer something goes untreated, the more
dangerous it gets. Take for example an infection, if left untreated it becomes so dangerous that it
can very likely take someones life. Ethnic tensions are the infections, and the lack of action on
the part of society as a whole is the lack of treatment. As we see today, gang violence is still on
the rise, children are being killed simply because their parents were once gang members, or
actively are, and the relationships between young and elder generations are worsening every day.
Just the other day (November 2nd 2015) a young boy named Tyshawn Lee was murdered, and
police are investigating if Tyshawn may have been shot in retaliation for the slaying of Tracey
Morgan, a 25-year-old parolee, because of his fathers alleged gang ties(Chicago Tribune, 7). To
mend this, respect and trust is needed, as shown in the interview Broad Daylight, mutual respect
allows for relationships between both young and elder communities, and thus may help end
ethnic tensions.
Ethnic tensions cause the desire to be on top of another part of society, but authoritative
figures in the world also contribute to ethnic tensions, and specifically, cycles of violence. Today,
there are many groups/people that hold authority, that continuously use violence to keep their
authority and power, such as governments, parents, or political leaders. To break the cycles of
violence, specifically in the U.S., the government should try to end all practices that put certain
groups at obvious disadvantages, and change mindsets, to allow for various solutions to be
thought of. For example, in the book Breaking Cycles of Violence by the International Work
Group on Death, certain factors are outlined to give a bias to a certain authorities decisions. One
of the factors being Powerful groups committed to goals that are supported by continued
violence. For example, political leaders who are also military leaders are likely to surround

Diaz 4

themselves with military colleagues and advisers and to seek only military solutions to problems
(e.g., in the US involvement in the Vietnam War).(IWG, 592). As much as society tries to help
to aid a certain group against systematic oppression, the government ultimately decides the fate
of the groups which it puts at disadvantages, and that is why the government should change
along with society.
Social media is a prime example of people hacking at the branches of ethnic tensions,
and in fact, the people that are organizing groups on social media in order to combat ethnic
tension may indeed be looking for public favor and approval, rather than to truly try and stop
ethnic tension. In a study done by Jessie Gray, a senior advertiser and public relations major who
works for a newspaper in Nebraska, cocaine is used to symbolize the effect of social media on
the brain. As Gray quotes a German Study, Gray highlights that activity in the nucleus
accumbens, the reward center of the brain, was higher after receiving positive social feedback
among those who were avid users of social media. The chemicals that activate the nucleus
accumbens are dopamine and serotonin. These neurotransmitters promote desire, satiety and
inhibition. In short, they make you feel super good. The same thing happens in your brain after
snorting a line of cocaine.(Gray, 1). People leading the fight against the components of ethnic
tensions on social media may indeed be phishing for likes or social recognition, instead of
actually wanting to help the fight against ethnic tension. Even if, originally, one intended to do
well in terms of aiding in the fight against ethnic tension, social media would corrupt ones
motives and change a person, just like cocaine changes a person. Unlike cocaine, social media is
a legal, and easily accessible drug, while cocaine is illegal and hard for someone, who has not
been exposed to drugs, to obtain. Social media should not be used to fight against ethnic
tensions, and should be used with extreme caution and with a clear goal in mind to avoid

Diaz 5

corruption of goals. Although, in this essay, first person language was not supposed to be used, I
feel like I have a really important experience that relates to this. When I was a child, around 5 or
6, my father went to Egypt on a business trip, and in the week he was gone, my mother relapsed
on a certain drug that may or may not have been mentioned in this paragraph. After this incident
it was all downhill, my father divorced my mother, things happened, and just recently my mother
was released from correctional facilities after spending 7 years behind bars. In between my
mother relapsing and the beginning of her time in prison, she was hardly around me, even though
deep down she wanted to be with me and support me, the drug was holding her back and
masking her true intentions. Thankfully she is done with that life now, but when her behavior
during the in-between time of her relapse and beginning of jail time is associated with social
media, it can be seen just how corrupting social media can be.
Humans should not oppress other humans based on color, past generations actions, or for
personal gain. To respect this moral, the continuous cycle of ethnic tensions (and all of its
components) should be broken, and the communities involved, welcomed into society. Ethnic
tensions do not solve themselves, and as far as society is concerned, entropy does apply to ethnic
tensions. This means that the longer society waits and doesnt attack the problem head on, ethnic
tensions will continue to get exponentially problematic. Although actions directed towards
ending various components of ethnic tensions do help in the smallest degree, all efforts should be
focused on getting rid of the roots of ethnic tension so that the cycles of violence and all of
ethnic tensions components may be ended as soon as possible. Although it can be said that
people dictate their own lives, the government and authoritative figures do truly play a role in
determining whether or not someone will be oppressed in his/her life. Due to this truth, the
government should not cling to old norms and mindsets that were a part of a time when

Diaz 6

oppression was legal and widespread. Lastly, even though social media plays a large part in
todays society, caution must be exercised when using social media to organize a large group in
order to achieve a certain goal, as the fame that is associated with social recognition and favor
can be corrupting and may change a persons motives.

Diaz 7

Works Cited
A Work Group of The International Work Group on Death, Dying and Bereavement (IWG)
(2005) Breaking Cycles of Violence, Death Studies, 29:7, 585-600. E-book. 24
November 2015.
Gray, Jessie. "COUNTERPOINT: Overuse of Social Media can Cause Negative Psychological
Effects."University WireNov 10 2015. ProQuest. Web. 23 Nov. 2015
<http://search.proquest.com/docview/1732050795?accountid=7285>.
Rodriguez, Luis J. Always Running: La Vida Loca, Gang Days in L.A. Willimantic: Curbstone ;,
1993. Xvi. Print.
Smith, Anna Deavere. Twilight--Los Angeles, 1992. New York, NY: Dramatists Play Service,
2003. Print.
Tribune, Chicago. "Father of Slain Boy Believes Son Targeted but Denies Connection to
Slaying." Chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune, 4 Nov. 2015. Web. 30 Nov. 2015.
<http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-cops-slain-boy-9-may-havebeen-targeted-due-to-relatives-role-in-gang-murders-20151103-story.html>.