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The Second Amendment or the right to bear arms is an ongoing issue. Gun regulation is not strictly regulated in America and there have been numerous mass shootings in the past few years. Gun regulations should be better enforced by the government. People who have guns in their home is associated with an increased risk of violent death in their homes. Many people believe gun violence is inspired by violent video games, but it is not to be blamed for it. Others blame African-American men for their gun violence because of their skin color. African Americans are critiqued; their violence does not differentiate between those who hurt others and those who are trying to live a simple life in their neighborhoods.
The music video, This Is America, by Childish Gambino, uses a satirical tone of the music and dance choreography. At the beginning of the scene, it shows the uplifting vocal music of a choir in the background. As the camera moves forward toward the lone chair, a guitarist comes insight and plays a calm tune in an empty warehouse. The camera then passes over the guitarist and Gambino comes into full view. Gambino’s dance movement and facial expressions were very exaggerated as he reached the seated guitarist man. And instead of him playing the guitar, he was head bagged, hands tied, and his clothes were deteriorated. Here, viewers do not know what will happen next until Gambino pulls out a handgun. Following this, Gambino shoots him in the head, therefore instantly killing him. The lead guitarist was then dragged out of the scene and this shows that no one cares about him after he was shot. People then found out that Gambino’s dance movements and facial expressions were modeled after Jim Crow. The Jim Crow laws were enforced segregation set of laws in the Southern United States. This character was commonly used as a reference to blackface. White actors would perform black-faced and black stereotyping. This is a criticism of America for not valuing black lives. This promotes the awareness of equal rights since black Americans are unfairly treated by the color of people. This could also show the hatred and racism against minorities as well.
The next scene shows a choir singing a piece of faithful music and then Gambino comes out of the door in the back. He then dances so awkwardly to the front of the choir and a flying automatic assault rifle appears. He catches it, quickly turns around, and mows the entire choir down without any hesitation. Then he walks away as people rush past him like he did nothing wrong. He adds a chilling touch of reflection on America today with drum beats. The choir represents the tragic event at the Charleston church shooting in South Carolina. The music video shows gun violence and police brutality against black African Americans. A part of this scene suggests the violent history of state Christianity. This reference to hate crime is part of the scene that seems to reflect the growing tensions of the public with a Christianity that provides nothing but prayers.
Gambino then raps, “This is a celly” which means that people would record a crime scene that is taking place or people would call for help instead of getting involved or intervening in the situation. The video unveils police violence which turns into the execution of black people in America. Others would argue that police brutality in the United States is sometimes unwarranted and they often illegally use force against citizens. Some police cases would make biased excuses for shooting racially black men. Studies found that white officers are more likely to shoot black civilians than any other minorities. Then came the Black Lives Matter movement where thousands of African-American communities protested against violence and systematic racism towards black people. The next scene then shows a person falling and getting hurt in the background while Gambino is dancing. The background was blurred and distorted which represents real-life injustices. It was a distraction to the audience and it means that no one is paying attention to something that is a bigger issue in America. The main focus was seeing Gambino dancing awkwardly throughout the music video.
At the end of the video, Gambino is seen running in a dark place being chased by a group of non-black people. He is running for his life doing everything in his power to escape.
A music video about gun violence is not an easy thing that many viewers would like to watch. People would rather value guns than protect people’s lives and this is the world we live in today. Gun violence is preventable if parents are always aware of their children of any warning signs because it could prevent any tragic event. The entire video had a very satirical dance with a direct message. Placing choreography at the front and center seems to suggest that mainstream culture is all Americans see when they see the black community.
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