It can be argued that health care and mass incarceration are the two largest issues facing African Americans today. Based on this week’s material, do you agree or disagree? Why or why not? Please use specific examples from the material to support your answer
Sample solution
Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell.
In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.
God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.
Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.
To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.
References
Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.
Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.
Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.
Sample Answer
Sample Answer
Examining the Critical Issues Facing African Americans Today
The assertion that healthcare and mass incarceration are the two largest issues facing African Americans today holds significant merit based on this week’s material. Let’s delve into why these issues are paramount and how specific examples highlight their impact on the African American community.
Healthcare as a Major Concern
Access to quality healthcare has been a longstanding challenge for African Americans, with disparities in healthcare outcomes and limited access to essential services. The COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated these disparities, revealing stark inequities in healthcare access, treatment, and outcomes among minority populations. The disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on African Americans underscores the urgent need to address systemic barriers to healthcare access and quality.
Example: COVID-19 Disparities
Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that African Americans are more likely to be hospitalized and die from COVID-19 compared to their white counterparts. Factors such as underlying health conditions, socioeconomic disparities, and structural racism contribute to these disproportionate outcomes, highlighting the critical intersection of healthcare and racial equity issues facing African Americans today.
Mass Incarceration as a Pervasive Challenge
Mass incarceration has had a devastating impact on African American communities, perpetuating cycles of poverty, disenfranchisement, and social inequality. The overrepresentation of African Americans in the criminal justice system, coupled with harsh sentencing practices and systemic bias, has led to a crisis of mass incarceration that undermines community well-being and perpetuates racial disparities.
Example: Racial Disparities in Incarceration
African Americans are disproportionately represented in the U.S. prison population, with higher rates of arrest, conviction, and imprisonment compared to white individuals. The War on Drugs, mandatory minimum sentencing laws, and racial profiling have contributed to the mass incarceration of African Americans, highlighting the pervasive impact of systemic racism on the criminal justice system.
Conclusion
In conclusion, healthcare and mass incarceration are indeed two of the most pressing issues facing African Americans today, as evidenced by the disparities, inequities, and injustices highlighted in this week’s material. Addressing these issues requires a comprehensive approach that addresses systemic racism, promotes equitable access to healthcare services, and reforms the criminal justice system to reduce mass incarceration and promote rehabilitation. By acknowledging and addressing these critical issues, we can work towards a more just and equitable society for all individuals, regardless of race or background.
