Research Article (NY Times)
Student: Vlado Vukovic
Class: Group Dynamics

Article: Television Without Pity
Written by: By CHRISTOPHER NOXON
Published in NYT: October 17, 2004

This article refers to group dynamics within crews that stand being TV shows such as 'Frasier' or 'Friends' for example. The article basically states that there is a lot of dirty banter going around such shows behind the cameras. The dirty banter is in effect a form of sexual verbal abuse that writers of such sitcoms direct at the co-workers within the sitcom environment.

One of the reasons why the public became aware of this unrefined behavior that was coming out of writers mouths is because one brave soul by the name of Amaani Lyle decided that enough is enough. Amaani Lyle worked, as writer’s assistant before she was fired at NBC sitcom "Friends." She states that while she was doing her job (which consisted of recording anything one of her bosses, writers, stated) that she encountered aggressive verbal and insulting behavior of sexual nature from her bosses. The fact that Lyle is African American lady also adds to the dimension by incorporating the racial bias in the picture as part of the insults. The lawyers represented Worners Bros were bold enough to state that not only was there nothing wrong with such behavior as exhibited by the writers but considering it is their job to write about many things including sex that in effect they aree being sued for performing their job (whatever that might mean).

Warner Bros lawyers stated that shows such as 'Friends' were of highly sexual nature and they talked often of sexual topics (one lawyer stated "The show dealt with pornography, threesomes, oral sex anal sex.") and as a result it was understandable for the writers to act in a crude sexually abusive manner which they called as crude banter. Basically what these lawyers were asking for is a free pass for only such writers when it comes to verbal sexual abuse of co-workers something that is naturally not allowed in any job environment for it represents a form of discrimination. Ms. Lyle's lawyers replied that opposing lawyers have clearly exaggerated 'Friends' sexual content in order to justify the abusive behavior of the writers.

Regardless of the situation at 'Friends' the conditions in other sitcom shows is very similar was stated by Jon Sherman who worked in shows such as 'Frasier' and 'Sabrina, the Teenage Witch.' He basically stated that even though such behavior was not and can not be deemed as something ordinary for the writers need to release their inner demons in order to get their creative juices going. In fact this person states that such behavior is even desirable for it relaxes people who are practically stuck at the office for 12 hours at the time finishing their jobs and that censure will create more artificial environment for people and a less funny one. The irony is such that it appears that people who kept their mouth shut about the sexual abuse that occurs in such work environments actually got promoted to better job positions within the same industry.

Research Article (NY Times)
Student: Vlado Vukovic
Class: Group Dynamics

Article: Sexual Slavery in Prisons
Theme: 'Ex-Inmate's Suit Offers View Into Sexual Slavery in Prisons'
Written by: By ADAM LIPTAK
Published in NYT: October 16, 2004

George Brainard is the name of a former inmate who was brave enough to step into the spotlight and bare us his souls regarding the kind of treatment that he received in the prison environment. Be basically states that he was made into a sexual slave in the prison and that the authority representatives were indifferent to his pain.

George Brainard is a gentle homosexual African American male. As soon as he entered the prison system the inmates renamed him by a female name Coco and he was given to one of the gangs called 'Gangster Disciples' (who lacked a homosexual sex slave for a while) as a sex slave by other inmates. He was bought and sold as well as rented out by the gang (sex acts would cost ranging between 5$ and 10$ per act). He contends that he lives such life (if one can call it that) for a period of 18 months.

A federal appeals court allowed George Brainard a civil rights lawsuit against prison officials to go to trial. Such move by a federal appeals court is the first acknowledgment that there should be the equal protection rights of homosexuals who are abused within the prison system. It was stated that the evidence in the aforementioned case was "horrific."

George Brainard states that prison officials were deaf to his plight and to his repeated requests to move him to a safer section of the prison to; "a unit called safekeeping, where white and Hispanic homosexuals as well as former gang members and convicted police officers lived."

The magnitude of the problem can be seen in a following quote from the article; "The new federal law, the Prison Rape Elimination Act, says that, by a conservative estimate, 13 percent of inmates in the United States are sexually assaulted in prison. The law calls for research into the problem by the Justice Department, which will recommend policy changes based on the studies. "

End-result is a broken man that need professional help and who takes antidepressants to get through the day in an attempt to perhaps at least heal the part of his broken soul.

Research Article (NY Times)
Student: Vlado Vukovic
Class: Group Dynamics

Article: Latino Gangs Confound the Law
Theme: Shuttling Between Nations, Latino Gangs Confound the Law
Written by: By GINGER THOMPSON
Published in NYT: September 26, 2004

This article talks about the 'export' of American prison style Latino gangs cultures into countries of Latin America where former inmates in us jails are send back where in turn they resume their lifestyles.

The beginning of the article depicts former gang members as they attempt to take of the tats they have on their skin in an attempt to perhaps unable themselves for a fresh start in life, a fresh start where they will not be branded as thugs, hunted by police or other gangs and generally looked with utmost suspicion by many other members of the society they reside in.

Gangs have spread like wildfire in many parts of Central America and by some estimated their numbers range from 70.000 up to 100.000. Certain countries (Honduras and El Salvador for example) of Central America have even called these gangs a national security threat, which tells us of the magnitude of the problem that these gangs have created within their countries. Governments have even taken extreme measures where gang members are hunted down and killed wholesale.

What this situation has created is forcing the gangs to alter their plans and move more northward. In the north they pray on the illegal immigrants that attempt to cross the mexican-american border. This change in their behavior have also influenced the change in behavior of countries they moved in (example are Mexico and Guatemala) by having their government taking more drastic approach in combating the gang activity. The hotbed of gang activity remains Los Angeles and this can be seen by the following quote; "Metropolitan Los Angeles, with a population almost equal to that of Honduras, remains the world capital of street gangs, with an estimated 700 different cliques and more than 110,000 gang members."

Mr. Fuentes is one story of a gang member and how one becomes a gang member. The story is similar to many other ones. His story is a motherless child that has a drunken father who spends all the money on alcohol and prostitutes. Child left destitute to the wits of the street thus left alone to survive on its own. Child left to search for family and belonging, for protection and affection. Of course by now you know that the answer he found was the gang. Are the various governments fighting a losing battle against what was created from the neglect of the poor by the governments and desperation of a child who is left to his own devices.