Blog Prompt #4: Troy Davis Trial--Movement not in Solomon's book

I can’t help but realize that there still may be serious flaws in our judicial system. After discussing, reading about, and seeing coverage about it on TV, the story and case of Troy Davis is tragic. Then, after looking deeper into it, you can’t help but wonder how much is the judicial system, and how much of it has to do with relating issues, such as race and class.  

            It’s one thing to be incarcerated when all the jury is relying on is eye witness testimony, and it’s another when you are put on death row when the testimony is faulty at best. On top of that, one of the eye witnesses was the lead suspect before pointing the finger at Troy Davis. This man, Redd Coles, was the one who was identified to have started the altercation that lead to the shooting death of Police Officer Mark MacPhail.

When 7 of 9 individuals recanted their original statements against Troy Davis after hearing new evidence, you have to think that something isn’t right. On top of that, you have statements from people who weren’t called to testify, but have since come forward with stories that would prove Davis’ innocence, and in turn would have kept him from being executed last week. 

The one “eye witness” that I found to be the most absurd was of a lady who said she saw everything happening from her window. The same window that was about 1,000 feet away from the crime scene, with an obstructed view, all while it was late at night. Yet, in her testimony she says that she could identify Troy Davis’ face as he got into a car. This lady’s statements sum up both this case, and how unjust it is to put someone to death when you have no physical evidence.

After attempting to get a new trial many times, Davis kept being turned down. This is what boggles my mind. Even though as Amnesty International says, “without physical evidence, you still can’t prove Troy Davis innocent,” what is stopping Georgia or any other court from granting Davis a new trial? Clearly something was wrong with the first trial. It’s my belief that after so much more has come to light, Davis deserved to try and prove his innocence once again, and if the right people were called to testify, a life could have been saved.  

It’s reasons like these that have brought many recognizable politicians, leaders, and other high ranking people to back Davis. 1,000,000 people signed a petition to further urge the courts to re-hear the case. When looking back on it, you can’t help but think that an innocent man was put to death on September 21^st, 2011. 

 All of the backlash from this has turned into an extreme social movement. Although it started with many rallies to back Troy Davis and how unjust his trial as been, but has since turned into a cultural phenomenon. Always crucial in a social movement is having recognizable people fighting for the cause. Not that one person can change the mind of such high authorities, but their ability to turn issues into national televised coverage bring all the more important attention to it. And that's what has happened with this case. When you have former presidents as well as actors/athletes providing coverage, there's destined to be attention brought.
Further making this a social movement is the shirts, websites, and commercials that air. The motto, "I am Troy Davis," also has a great impact because it gets people to relate. Not in the sense of skin color or being able to put oneself in the position of a prisoner, but many people feel unjust treatment at one point or another and it unites people. Though he has since passed away, this movement is not likely to end anytime soon. His legacy will be ever present in not just the publics eye, but it also serves as a reminder that there are flaws in the judicial system.

Corporate Empires

When people go to the mall they likely aren’t looking to buy the most comfortable shoes or outfits that are offered. Typically for the high school or college aged man and woman, you are buying what is trendy. The thought is that putting on the high heels will get you on the red carpet, or lacing up your LeBron’s will give you a 40-inch vertical leap. But that’s what brands are banking on. They are hoping that individuals will ignore the faults of a brand, and look at who is wearing what. To quote the film, “true product isn’t product itself, it’s a lifestyle.”

A brand isn’t the products they sell, it represents something bigger. When we think of Nike, we don’t think of the hard labor that goes into its production or the outsourcing to Korea and Taiwan where people work for less than a dollar a day. And as sad as it is, that’s not what 90% of consumers care about. It seems to be more important who is wearing what when we turn on the TV. No one knows the salary or living conditions of the people making our shoes, but we do know that LeBron James and Kobe Bryant are what’s popular in men’s athletics right now. All we need to do is open a magazine to see them decked out in the latest Nike attire. The picture above is of a LeBron James commercial, nowhere in the ad do we see any Nike related apparel. The only things we see representing the company are the “Swoosh” and LeBron himself. This is because; it’s not the item that they are aiming to sell. But as we saw in the video, what companies and brands are now selling is the “metaphor for the American dream” (which as we know is success). LeBron and Kobe clearly have that, and Nike has wasted no efforts to make them seen.

                The adage that sex sells has become very popular among commercials and billboards. Many products and/or brands that are becoming popular are geared toward males between the ages of 18-25. And what is almost always on that demographics mind? Nothing more than sex itself. There are no place that it has become more apparent than in car and deodorant commercial. They aren’t aiming to sell a car based on its features, or sell a deodorant based on how it smells; they are trying to sell a lifestyle. What they do show in these commercials is a beautiful woman sitting next to the sharp man driving a luxury car, or many sexy girls paying attention to the dork after he puts on his Old Spice deodorant.

                I can’t say that these techniques aren’t catchy, because they do grab your attention. But no, driving that car won’t solely pick up girls for you, and I’m sorry, but spraying on AXE won’t have three girls jumping into bed with you. But that’s the age we live in; companies and brands are selling “fantasy.”