The recent conflicts sparked due to the violent actions of the police against African American citizens have been tearing the American community asunder, leading to multiple protests and collisions between the representatives of different political groups. Most importantly, the problem of the Black community’s voice not being heard due to the underrepresentation on the political and legal levels has become evident. The resulting chaos occurring within the social context has affected a range of American communities, Charlottesville being one of the prime examples of the specified phenomenon. As the video by VICE demonstrates, the plight of African American people and their willingness to fight for their rights has been facing an aggressive response of white supremacists and the movements that uphold incredibly racist ideas, being geared toward reinforcing inequality at their core. The vitriol that protesters have faced indicates that the problem of racism persists in American society, calling for immediate action aimed at promoting equality and, most importantly, equity.
The fact that the representative soft the Ku Klux Klan can rally without any legal repercussions and promote their ideas without any restrictions as to the nature of their ideas and beliefs is truly appalling. One could claim that the documentary asks a truly powerful question of whether the rally depicted in the film could coexist with the democratic principles of American society (VICE, 2017). On the one hand, under the American Constitution, all people are granted the right to free speech. On the other hand, the rally promotes hatred toward African American people and introduces the ideas linked directly to the philosophy of white supremacy, which is beyond repulsive. Therefore, the complexity of the issue should be explored through the lens of the consequences that it may entail for vulnerable groups.
Overall, the documentary points to the absurdity of the situation that, in its essence, allows racism not only to exist but also to be promoted on the statewide level. Portraying a tragic divide within the American community, the video indicates that there is an obvious problem of racism within it. Thus, the documentary has a sense of looming tragedy around it, suggesting that the current political situation in the U.S. has become particularly strenuous (VICE, 2017). Thus, releasing the tension by creating legal tools for reducing the power of white supremacists, while promoting acceptance on a nationwide level, should be considered an adequate response to the existing concern. In addition, change in the current perception of social justice needs to be made so that an open discussion of the problem with the opponents could take place.
Portraying the caustic remarks and hateful speeches of the opponents of the Black Lives Matter movement and the attempts of African American people to drive attention to the police brutality toward the Black community, Charlottesville: Race and Terror nails down the foundational problem of the American community. Due to the presence of deep-seated racist convictions, a broad range of white Americans refuses to accept the principles of equality and equity. The denial of the latter concept plays a particularly strong role in reinforcing violence against racial minorities, namely, the African American community, within the U.S. society. Therefore, the documentary can be regarded as a crucial argument in the battle against racism in the contemporary American community (VICE, 2017). Overall, the documentary has allowed discussing the problem of racism within the American community openly by providing visible and indisputable evidence of it.
Reference
VICE. (2017). Charlottesville: Race and terror – VICE news tonight on HBO. [Video]. YouTube. Web.