| The article " Kobe Bryant, Lakers Teammates Wear 'I Can't Breathe' T-Shirts" was written by Chris Greenberg and published in the Huffington Post. The article basically describes how Kobe Bryant, along with a few other members of the local Los Angeles Lakers decided to wear t-shirts saying "I Can't Breathe" during their pre-game warm up. These t-shirts were worn as a tribute to Eric Garner and his family. Eric Garner was an African-American man in New York who has recently become a sensation in the media due to the circumstances of his death. Garner had been arrested 31 times previously for illegally selling cigarettes, and was confronted about committing the crime again by two Caucasian officers. However when confronted, Garner accused the officers of "harassing" him and some would say Garner resisted arrest. After this however, one of the officers grabbed Garner in a chokehold around the neck, a banned chokehold, and brought Garner to the ground. The issue is with the fact that the officer lied during his testimony saying there was a struggle against a window which scared him into the chokehold, but when watched the officer clearly grabs Garner around the neck before they fall into a window. The real problem with this was the fact that Garner repeatedly says "I Can't Breathe" and can be heard saying it 13 times in the recorded incident, but the officer doesn't let go until about the 5th time at which point he slams Garner's head into the ground. This article ties into the unit because it shows clearly how the media can affect politics as well as the effects of celebrities lobbying for a cause. By the Lakers lobbying for Eric Garner and supporting his family, they helped to bring more attention to race relations and police brutality. Not only did the Lakers help to do this, but by the Huffington Post choosing to report on this they also help to gain it national attention in the eyes of politicians. |