Devon L. Hardwick
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| We see here a riot has broken out at a Hooverville and force of the police. |
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| We can see the strikers reacting to the force of the police by returning the gas bombs fired into the crowd of men. |
Monday, October 15, 2012
Exploration 7
Exploration 7-
Devon L. Hardwick
As we read through this novel many things "pop" out at us as strange and simply topics which we never have herd of. Here in chapter 20 we read about the Joads and their experience in the Hooverville and their first encounter with the police. The police of the first part of the last century were much different that the police of today. Many took bribes and miss used their power as a police officer. In The Grapes of Wrath we see this here with the confutation with Tom and the police and how the police come back and burn the people out of the Hooverville. There are many cases, where the police during the Great Depression took to violence to put an end to the "vagrants" living in their town. Among these violent out breaks is what historians call today "Bloody Sunday," though this incident took place in Canada, the effect is still the same. This incident was a "sitdowners" strike where some 700 men came into the streets of Vancouver to protest their unemployment, peacefully. Once the fighting broke out more than 40 men were injured, only of which were Vancouver police officers.
Today we can look back on the violence that took place during the Great Depression and say that things like that do not happen in our world today, this can not be further from the truth, today's society is full of such violence. Though in America the police violence is not nearly as bad as it was in the last century, but still the power given to the police may lead to a miss use of that power. Today we do not fear that our police men will harm others without reason, but the fear that lingerers from this dark time in American history will always remain in the hearts of thousands of Americans. Though our country may be safe for now, other countries around the globe face this fear on a day by day bases, a fear that can never be cured for once that trust is lost it will take decades for it to be regained.
Devon L. Hardwick
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I think we still see some repeats of this in modern day. Like in the first image you used being of the Bonus Army in D.C. It started with a few of the Vets throwing bricks, and all hell broke loose. We saw that in Oakland with the Occupy Wall Street movement. The people had rocks, but the police had tear gas and weapons.
ReplyDeleteGrant it, though, I do believe the police a little better today then in the yearly 20th century.
We may not see it as much, but when we do see it, questions like, "Will there be justice served for such misuse of power," still linger for quite some time. I remember the riots of Downtown, Cincinnati in 2001 because of a police officer (Steven Roach) shooting an unarmed 20-year-old in the back. (Timothy Thomas) The Officer was suspended for 30 days (with pay) while awaiting trial for negligent homicide, and obstruction of offical police business. He was aquitted of both.
ReplyDeleteRiots and vilonce like this are still common today. It is sad that we haven't been able to grow past treating humans like this even after all these years. It might not be as bad as it used to, but it is still happening. I agree with you that this is a big theme in the book. You read about things getting out of control all the time.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that the world will ever be without violence somewhere. When people are not in the best of times and are being taken advantage of by the government, it is only so long before they revolt. Also, like the drug cartel in Mexico, the gangs are controlling the police, so of course there will be violence with that corruption.
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