1. Southern racist politicians chose to frame their defense of racial segregation through the language of “law and order” because they did not agree with integration. In order to mobilize the white opposition, politicians and law-enforcement used “law and order” to counteract the civil rights movement. With the use of “law and order” southern politician and law-enforcement were able to use this language to appease to those who were against the Civil Rights Movement and used civil disobedient as the leading cause of crime in conjunction with the number of protest. Many southern politicians also used integration as a leading cause to the high rates of crime and compared the southern crime rates to the northern crime rates in the U.S.

1. I do believe that the Southern Strategy it’s still influencing American politics. Even today mass incarceration is still an issue and people of color are still being incarcerated at a higher rate than their white counterparts, especially when it comes to non-violent crimes. Also politicians have used fear to tuck at the anxiety of white supporters in the south and suburban communities. They have done this by using certain rhetoric that criticizes movements against injustices and used certain languages to label them as criminals. For example the Black Lives Matter Movement protested in many states and countries against police brutality and the numerous killings of people of color by law enforcement, they were called terrorist and criminals. Those who attacked the nations capital were labeled as heroes and Americans who were fighting for their freedom. Another example is when then President Trump used the rhetoric that if not elected for a 2nd term, suburban communities will be flooded with low income housing, and the media has shown through out the years that most people who live in low income housing or poor people of color who come from communities where there is a high crime rate.

1. The Southern racist politicians chose to frame their defense of racial segregation through the language of “law and order” to balance between the anti-integration white voters and the northern liberals to win the presidential election. They support equality for all American under this term while there were some coded racism terms in the strategy. The campaign under law and order prioritizes peace and freedom to prevail in America and the world while masking that the whole problem is really the blacks. The advantages this choice of words give them that they won the election in 1968 subjects on racial issues are more important now to voters than socioeconomic.

2- In my point of view, the Southern strategy is still influencing American politics. Examples are the Democrat party won the last election by emphasizing mostly on racial inequity and coronavirus. These two main subjects were the most challenges that were facing the country at that time.

1. I believe white supremacy was superior in the south, because of this African Americans did not have much privilege. Law and order in the South did not benefit African Americans because they had less power, because of this their punishment for committing a crime was more cruel.   
2. Yes, I believe it still influences politics. When we vote they are divided political parties. As we look in our statistics today we can see both black and white people vote but the majority of the people that vote is white. In the result of this it causes friction between both parties not coming to a common ground.

1. Southern racist politicians choose to frame their defense of racial segregation through the language of “Law and Order” because they knew they would get away with it. The country at the time had a up rising of crime. The southern racist politicians new if they sold the idea of fighting crime and protecting the people they would be able to get away with almost anything with the support of the people. The advantage this gave them was the ability to push their agendas while being incognito.
2. I do believe the Southern strategy is still influencing American politics. There are many education systems in the south that teach slavery very different from how it is taught in the north. In the south they are filled with propaganda at a young age that tells whites they should believe in the confederate ways because there great granddaddy’s did. Lastly, in the south the disproportionate of wealth between people of color and whites is the highest. The median white household had a income of $188,200 compared to $24,100 for blacks.

1. Why do think Southern racist politicians chose to frame their defense of racial segregation through the language of “law and order”? What special advantages was this choice of words going to give them?

Due to the changes brought on by the Civil Rights movement, the dismantling of Kim Crow, BLack Codes, and segregation laws there needed to be another method where racism could still exist whilst being discreet. Southern politicians created “Law and Order” so they can keep their racist agenda socially acceptable. “Proponents of racial hierarchy found they could install a new racial caste system without violating the law or the new limits of acceptable political discourse, by demanding “law and order” rather than “segregation forever”. One interesting advantage I noted was that President Nixon took advantage of this new coined term to the point where he had made “seventeen speeches solely to the topic of law and order”. Though one of his speeches don’t include racist remarks. “it is time for an honest look at the problem of order in the United States. Let us recognize that the first right of every AMerican is to be free from domestic violence”. Labelling those who are at “fault” for the violence terrorist. Nixon himself admits that in that speech it “hit rights on the nose. It’s all about those damn Negro-Puerto Rican groups out there”.

1. Do you think the Southern Strategy is still influencing American politics? Give an example supporting your answer.

The Southern Strategy is still very much utilized in today’s politics. The most recent form of it that I can think of was during the Donald Trump Presidency. President Trump never addressed the major issue surrounding the increase of police brutality felt by the Black community. Instead he would say things such as “more white people” are killed by police than Black people.” When asked about the how people still want to wave the confederate flag though it is deemed racist he responded ” “Well, people love it, and I know people that like the Confederate flag, and they’re not thinking about slavery,” Trump said when asked whether he understood the pain it caused people because of its association with slavery.”

Site used https://www.npr.org/sections/live-updates-protests-for-racial-justice/2020/07/14/891144579/trump-says-more-white-people-killed-by-police-violence-than-blacks

Here’s part 2 of our discussion of Michelle Alexander:

1. Why do think Southern racist politicians chose to frame their defense of racial segregation through the language of “law and order”? What special advantages was this choice of words going to give them?
2. Do you think the Southern Strategy is still influencing American politics? Give an example supporting your answer.

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