In the article “The Gated Community Mentality,” which was published in the New York Times, author Rich Benjamin highlights the situation of America that is currently enveloped in the grips of racist stereotypes due to a couple of American citizens (Benjamin).
Benjamin refers to the case of George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin in which a white man shot down a black teen saying that his life had been threatened. In the article America’s Real Criminal Element that was also published in the New York Times, author Kevin Drum addresses the crime rate in America over the years. He discusses the different reasons why the crime rate has dropped over the years since everyone has a theory of his own to justify the cause (Drum).
In the first article, the author focuses on the psyche of the white people who have been the cause of increased racist attitudes while in the second article, Drum refers to the general drop in crime rate. Benjamin begins the essay by identifying himself as a black man who knows what it feels like to be mugged at gunpoint. The first article takes the form of a personal piece as Benjamin relates to the situation while in the second essay Drum looks at the whole scenario as an outsider, therefore, he does not get judgmental. While Benjamin provides evidence of the racist ideologies that permeate America, Drum uses facts and figures to support his argument. Regarding the overall content, Benjamin’s essay is unique as it appeals to the entire American audience and raises questions in the reader’s mind. On the other hand, Drum’s article does not invoke any emotions in the readers, thereby making it bland and dull.
Works Cited
Benjamin, Rich. “Opinion | The Gated Community Mentality.” Nytimes.Com, 2018, http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/30/opinion/the-gated-community-mentality.html.
Drum, Kevin. “Sick Kids Are Just the Beginning of America’s Lead Crisis.” Mother Jones, 2018, https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2016/02/lead-exposure-gasoline-crime-increase-children-health/.
