While “Straight Outta Compton” is a biopic about rise and fall of N.W.A, it raises several distinctive socio-economic, political, and cultural questions. Set in the 1980s, the picture points to the problems that are still relevant in 2016. While the problems illustrated in the film are multiple, it is possible to conceptualize them into one issue. Specifically, do Black lives really matter for the U.S. society? The movie shows the attitude and treatment of law enforcement of the African-Americans in multiple accounts emphasizing the abuse of power and exaggerated violence of the police. It is possible to put this issue down to the 1980s, yet police brutality still remains a serious issue in the modern American society.
In her article, Tamara Lawson approaches the issue of abuse of power by law enforcements from the legal point of view. Lawson claims that as the perception of wrongfully convicted African-Americans is higher, they are prone to marginalization, stigma, and disadvantages (Lawson 218). The author argues by relying on facts emphasizing that ex-offenders, despite their conviction, have minimal chances to get the job or be treated equally due to the stigma (Lawson 218). These facts are easy to observe in “Straight Outta Compton” during a wrongful search of characters of Ice Cube and arrest of Dr. Dre. Lawson also implies by using a theoretical judgment that explains police’s violence as intentional actions towards less advantaged in status citizens due to their misunderstanding of power (Lawson 219).
Matthew Elicker expresses one of the most peculiar positions regarding police brutality by claiming that while Caucasians tend to support the use of force by police more frequently than the African-Americans, also lawyers and judges support the use of force even more frequently than the police (Elicker 38). Furthermore, Elicker expresses his judgment implying that police brutality is not only the opposition of police and minorities but an implication of modern legislation that supports and fosters the use of violence by police (Elicker 38). It is one of the strongest opinions among all three researchers that is supported by the facts, logical judgment, and empirical data. Overall, “Straight Outta Compton” as well as the researchers point to the same direction, the confrontation between the privileged and the disadvantaged has to be resolved not in the street, but on the higher level.
Works Cited
Elicker, Matthew K. "Unlawful Justice: An Opinion Study on Police Use of Force and How Views Change Based on Race and Occupation." Sociological Viewpoints 24 (2008): 33-51.
Lawson, Tamara F. "Powerless against Police Brutality: A Felon's Story." St. Thomas Law Review 25.2 (2013): 218-224.
Sigelman, Lee, Susan Welch, Timothy Bledsoe, and Michael Combs. "Police Brutality and Public Perceptions of Racial Discrimination: A Tale of Two Beatings." Political Research Quarterly 50.4 (1997): 777-789.
