Welcome to The Block

Welcome to The Block. A "ghetto" area in Australia. A place where the government placed aboriginals who just wanted their land. A young man, Fred Buchanan, spoke about the hardships in the impoverished community he lived in until age 5. He spoke about the rundown homes he saw everyday which all seemed to look the same. The drugs, violence , and gangs affected his life on Eveleigh street. A main turning point in his life was when his cousin TJ died in 2004. He fell of his bike when riding away from the police. The effect of this incident were the sparking riots in the neighborhood. Police seemed not to care about anyone but themselves. Fred states that him and his friends where " Subjected to continuous police harassment and routinely stripped-searched on the street when they were younger". Thanks to the riots, many "Youth Support Programs" have dedicated time to helping children in that area. Fred now lives in Petersham with a relative of his. Hearing his story made me realize how impoverished or "ghetto communities" are all over the world. For example in the movie 'Freedom Writers' it talks about ethnicities mixing in poverty areas in Long Beach. Where students from that area were judged by their backgrounds and their lifestyles. Most of those students have went through rough situations through their childhood because their parents' problem with gangs. It was normal for them to see someone die in front of them. Both stories connect because of the fact that they both had to go through violent childhoods with drugs and gangs influencing their lives. According to the article 'How gangs impact communities' health, "Gang violence has traditionally been considered a public safety issue, but it is also a public health problem. Gang activities and the gang power control war result in dozens of death per year, as well as hundreds of injuries and long term disabilities. The LAPD and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that youth involved in gangs usually are also involved in risky health behaviors, such as drug abuse and high-risk sexual activities. ". As you can see, ghetto areas are always here world-wide or not.




sources: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0463998/plotsummary
http://www.sbs.com.au/theblock/
http://www.reportingonhealth.org/2014/02/19/how-gangs-impact-communities-health

Police. Who are they really helping?

Police brutality in 'ghetto' areas just keeps getting worse. Just about two years ago, one of my brother's close friends, Arturo Cabrales was shot and killed in the 10300 block in Lou Dillon ave. According to the police he ran for a gun but his family had a different story. When police threatened to shoot, he ran inside which caused the police officers to shoot and kill him. Our community wants to end this but it seems to be getting worse. More and more brutality acts against African Americans and Latinos are being committed. Personal experience and other's stories are helping me understand that the police departments are only here to 'protect and serve' themselves. What are your thoughts about these police departments? Helpful or nah? Have you had personal experiences or seen something related to police brutality?