American History X - The Possibility Of Hate

6 Pages 1425 Words

The Possibility of Hate

American History X was an impressive film, which showed the awesome power of ideology. It centered around the circumstances which create or dispel peoples beliefs. The single most important concept dealt with appeared to be the ideal of racism. There are many facets to racism; the transformation into following its idea, the power of groups pressuring and leading people, guilt, religion, and ignorance.
The problem with beliefs is that people pursuing them, no matter how sick the belief may be, have reasons, some of which can be very convincing. There was a scene in the movie showing a look into the past with Derek speaking with his father and being taught racism. His father argued that the United States suffers from “affirmative blacktion,” meaning blacks get advantages which they don’t deserve. He presented argued against two black people that received jobs above two whites who scored better on the tests. The only explanation being their race. I can almost understand how Derek could begin a transformation into racism. What propelled him deep down the path of hate was the murder of his father. Rage and grief can cause someone to lose sight of reality and see only a convoluted view of the world. American History X was an excellent movie due largely in part to the fact that it carried with it so many thought-provoking arguments.
The twisted way that Derek used to be was intertwined with facts which almost seemed to give validity to his feelings if not how he acted upon them. The scene in front of a store in which Derek speaks to an assembled crowd of people, showed the rage that fired them, and the sick conduct which it brought about. Yet despite the result, the arguments formed did make sense. They involved how whites got fired from their jobs at the store because a foreigner came in and took over, paying forty people from poverty-ridden countries almost nothing to work for him. This demonstrates th...