Annotation 2

1. Citation: Amelio, L. D. (2013). “Who Do You Protect, Who Do You Serve?”: The Struggle Against Police Brutality in New York. New Politics, 14(2), 42–48. 

2. Summary: In this article Lichi D’amelio discusses the increased use of police brutality in New York City. It also explores the history of concerns surrounding police violence. Throughout this article, D’amelio talks about the 1999 murder of 23-year-old Amadou Diallo and its impact on the community. A jury in Albany acquitted Boss, along with officers Edward McMeUon, Sean Carroll, and Richard Murphy, of all criminal charges and cleared them of any wrongdoing. The intensity and breadth of the outrage provoked by the verdict have left an indelible mark on the NYPD and the city. This brought out Protests from tens of thousands of New Yorkers and led to the arrests over the following weeks of nearly 1,800 protesters. D’amelio explains how the Diallo case sparked a fire in the New York City community, specifically the black community. Kadiatou Diallo, Amadou’s mother, demanded an explanation as to why the gun had been returned to her son’s murder. But her dreadful question captures the seemingly debatable place in which today’s struggle against police brutality in New York City finds itself. It should go without saying that the struggle against police violence extends well beyond the borders of New York City. 

3. Reflection: I believe that this article is significant because it promotes awareness of the topic of police brutality. It also promotes a comprehensive understanding of the impact of police brutality in New York City and black communities. It clearly emphasizes the different ways police brutality can be prevented.

4. Rhetorical Analysis: Lichi D’amelio develops a persuasive and informative rhetorical strategy to address the topic of police brutality. Since D’amelio talks about the effects of police brutality in New York City and examples of police brutality on individuals in New York City, I believe that D’amelio is credible. Throughout the article, the author uses a balanced and empathetic tone to attract the reader to the main points that they’re trying to get across. 

5. Genre Analysis: I believe that Lichi D’amelio chose this genre to write in because Lichi D’amelio wants to inform people of the potential dangers and risks that police brutality can have on the community. D’amelio wants to drive the conversation forward about the increase in police brutality and what it could mean for the future. I believe this was a good choice for the intended audience because the information is well-researched. It also asks questions and gives answers at the same time.

6. Key Quote: “In the face of what feels like a police department gone rogue, today’s movement against police brutality in New York City has seen some promising developments. Notably, the Stop Stop and Frisk movement has brought out into the open, often onto the pages of mainstream newspapers, the fact that police officers verbally and physically assault, harass, bully, beat, and otherwise violate the rights of (mostly) Black and Brown men in this city daily, and at an exponential rate. Increasing numbers of people are aware, for example, that nearly 700,000 Stop, Question and Frisks (SQF) were conducted in 2011, that 87 percent of those stops are of Blacks and Latinos, that nearly 90 percent of those stopped are innocent of any wrongdoing at all, and that a minuscule amount of guns are found during these stops (about 0.1 percent).[1] Of course, Black and Brown’s women have not been able to escape this profoundly racist practice and, by their sex, are forced to endure another humiliating aspect of police power — sexual intimidation, harassment, and assault”. This quote shows how the police department is trying to make amends for the brutality that they have shown over the years. It also shows how they are dealing with people of color specifically the black community and how they have not been able to escape the profoundly racist practice of police brutality. 

Annotation 3

1. Citation: “Police Brutality Must End. (Police Brutality Can Be Found in Many Parts of the Country, but It Is Especially Prevalent in New York City and Los Angeles, California).” The Progressive (Madison), vol. 64, no. 4, The Progressive, Inc, 2000, pp. 8–8.

2. Summary: In this article the author explains how police brutality is a major problem in the cities of New York City and Los Angeles. The author explains how Mayor Giuliani failed to respond the right way when Diallo, an African American immigrant, was fatally shot by the police forty-one times. Throughout his time as Mayor Giuliani has shown his failed discretion towards civil rights and his eagerness to impose the law at all costs. The author goes out to state that nearly all the victims in the cases of deaths in custody and police shootings were from racial minorities, specifically African Americans, Latinos, and Asians. The author then goes on to say that sensible recommendations are that federal aid to police departments should be contingent on regular reports concerning excessive force and on improvements in oversight and discipline.

3. Reflection: This source is exceptionally reliable because it is short but good in terms of showing the audience an immense amount of details on the different things that occur in New York City. There were many examples of police brutality in New York City and the author did a great job in explaining it. This article was very interesting. It was filled with a lot of information on police brutality and its effects on the black community. I believe that what I read was a reliable source and it was good evidence of how police brutality caused problems in New York City.

4. Rhetorical Analysis: The author who wrote this source did a great job of making the details interesting and getting straight to the point of what they were portraying. The author’s purpose is to provide the reader with a lot of information on how police brutality affects black communities in New York City and how it can be prevented. The writing style of the article feels like a formal and informative tone, considering the topic of the article.

5. Genre Analysis: I believe that the author chose this genre of academic research article to provide a comprehensive and evidence-based article on the subject of police brutality. This article will positively impact various aspects of society, contributing to the increased awareness of police brutality and how it can be prevented. This genre fits nicely with argumentative and informative writing. The author wants to drive the conversation forward about the impact of police brutality and what it could mean for the future. I believe this was a good choice for the intended audience because the information is well-researched.

6. Key Quote: “Many of the people allegedly kicked or beaten by police were not criminals. suspects but people who had simply questioned police authority Or had minor disagreements with officers”. This quote shows the abuse of the police force and how it negatively impacted people. The author states this because he wants to inform the reader about police brutality and its effects on the community of New York City.