The Brandon Teena Story & Susan Stryker

After watching the Brandon Teena Story and reading, "My Words To Victor Frankenstein Above the Village of Chamounix Performing Transgender Rage" by Susan Stryker, it was interesting to look at these works. I never thought that transgender is such a big issue. I am glad that I live in California where these issues do not come up as in other places like in Nebraska. The Brandon story was interesting to look at and sad to see this documentary. It was very sad to learn about Brandon and the rest of the victims that are killed. Even though Brandon did not always follow the law he did not deserve the action that John Lotter and Thomas Nissen did to Brandon. They first raped her then killed her, even though Brandon lied to his family, friends and girlfriends. He stole from friends and family to get things that he wanted, he lied to get things from girlfriends, he would buy his love so that he was with the girls he loved. Although it seems he was a criminal, his heart was in a good place. His actions did not need to lead to what was ended up happening to him. First from the John and Thomas, second from the sheriff that did not believe him and last the whole justice and criminal system that did not help Brandon. It is amazing to see that events, like this still go on in America.

The work by Susan Stryker was good to look at because it shows how a transgender person feels. It was interesting how she made the comparison to Frankenstein to transgender people. I topic that I thought was interesting was the experience of her trying to have a baby. She straddles her partner having birth and this was going to be the closet way she could experience this event. No matter how much and how much money she spent she could never really feel like women because she could not give birth. I never thought that there were so many issues in becoming a transgender person, I figured since you are changing yourself to become what you want to be you are able to be happy. It just seems no matter what you want to be, somebody not going to be happy with what you are.

Long Night's Journey Into Day

After watching the documentary Long Night's Journey Into Day, it was interesting to see what is happening in South Africa. I saw a lot of these connections to the U.S. or more locally to Los Angeles. All the events that happened in the documentary remind me of event that took place in the LA County. In South Africa I did not think that there were so many racial issues, even in the U.S. race and racial violence is still a problem today even after we had vote a Black President.

The first case they showed about the foreign exchange student Amy Biehl and how there were four black men that killed her; it was interesting to see that how they got off with the charges. But one thing that surprised me was that the parents of Amy meet with the families of the killers. I thought this was interesting because one of the Journalists bring up about how a person would feel like after going thru a event like this. I feel like I like the old saying and eye for eye, I like to quote the rapper Jay-z when he tells “Now if you shoot my dog, I'ma kill yo' cat” I think this quote would best sum up how I would get remorse.

The Guguletu 7 case reminds me of the Rampart Scandal that took place in Los Angeles Police Department with in the Rampart division. Some of the Rampart police officers would set up people and plant weapons and drugs, just like the group planted weapons on the individual’s part of the guguletu 7 case. Just like in this case it was there own people or own race doing harm to the same race of people.

Another thing that was interesting was Robert McBride case because he was a black person doing the terrorizing to a white people, of course that happens in the U.S. but the always get convicted but for Robert it was not so much they let him of the hook and this usually is what happened to the white officers who are begin convicted or put on trial they drop the chargers or beat the case. This film is very interesting and to see how South Africa is connected to the US and fighting over racial issue.