WHAT DID YOU THINK of Seth Williams, the Democratic candidate for District Attorney of Philadelphia?Here are a few things that stood out for me:
- As a child, he wanted to be an architect like Mike Brady, the father on The Brady Bunch.
- If elected, he'll be the first African-American district attorney in the state.
- The majority of violent crimes are committed by people who know their victims.
- 59 percent of felony cases get thrown out of court because the DA's office is not ready.
- Attorneys will get information to the media in order for them to raise the issue in the public.
- He expects journalists to be critical but fair. He says that the media are a check on government.
- If he feels slighted by a journalist, he won't necessarily be accommodating with that journalist the next time around.
- The media aren't following the race for the DA's office. Williams guesses that the media either assume the race is a done deal, or they don't care.
- Journalists have the ability to inform people about why the district attorney matters.
- He uses facebook, Twitter and YouTube to get his messages out.
- He's not going to let all the black people out of prison.
What stood out for you?
23 comments:
Seth Williams's attendence in class today was very moving and attention grabbing. He made an effort to stick to his topic, include his campaign and still keep it interesting. Way to go Profesor Miller
Williams was very interesting, he held my undivided attention the entire. His thoughts on the media and what they think of the race was not a shocker to me at all. The resources that are used to get convey his messages is very effective considering the fact that everyone is well connected vow more than ever to those websites.
59% of felony cases get throw out of court because the DA's office is not ready... wow. That is kind of scary. Hopefully Mr. Williams will be able to reduce that statistic...
Joseph Schaefer
J1111
I thought he seemed like he would make a good D.A. and although I think he tried to answer our questions, sometimes I felt like he tried to make his answers too peachy and personable rather than directly answering the question. How strange for a politician...
That alarming percent stuck out to me too... criminals being let off the hook because of the DA being unprepared is unacceptable, especially in a city already notorious for being dangerous. Hopefully Mr. Williams will be able to turn things around. He seemed confident that education was a key to turning the city around, but I don't think it should replace punishment. Not that people stealing dresses from Macy's or candybars from Sunoco should have their hands cut off or that car thieves should get the death penalty, but such a high number of cases should not be thrown out due to unpreparedness.
I thought that initially it was going to be a boring politician just throwing his campaign at us and answering all the questions with a political touch, but honestly he succeeded in connecting with the majority of the class... or so it seems. His humor came at the most opportune times and the down to earth persona that he carries was extremely inviting. I enjoyed his speech and can not wait to see who else you invite to speak with the class.
Even with the ignorant group of kids constantly talking near me, I found Mr. Williams to be an interesting and intelligent man. I enjoyed his anecdotes and liked that he has a lot of ties with the city other than with the political elite. He did seem at a loss for words with some questions, but for the most part he was a good orator. And Mike Brady is a pretty chill guy.
Seriously ... what was up with those kids talking during the whole class?
That shows no respect for speaker and you make the university look bad.
If you are bored, don't talk and ruin it for other people. Do something quiet. It really is ignorant.
- George
(the teacher you don't want to see angry)
I thoroughly enjoyed having Seth in class the other day. He gave great insight to the role of a journalist in the political spectrum. I completely agree with him that the media should be a check on the government. However, the media should do a better job in bringing the issues to the people and making the public aware of candidates and their philosophies. Great pick for a speaker!
He was very inspiring..and if i could vote i would vote for him... Also, he is very articulate and seems to be a regular person just like everyone else out there. I think it is important for politicians to portray this to the public, because it will make us more comfortable!
I have met Seth Williams previously for a journalism assignment, no less. He is a good guy and very genuine.
I don't trust lawyers but he has my vote.
We need to fact check his statistics about education versus crime! My instinct tells me that it is true but I'd love to see the study or the report about it. It just goes to show you how important education and information is to the fabric of a successful and peaceful society.
I had a preconceived idea that he would be speak very rigidly as if reading from flash cards telling us about what his promises if he were to get voted as DA. That is definitely not what happened, I really enjoyed the way he spoke--he was very eloquent yet very relatable. I don't understand how anyone would be bored while he was talking, especially with his life stories and just the overall way he spoke. One of the things he said that stood out for me was that "life is about decisions" because I think that's what we all go through college/school in general. I feel it was relatable that he didn't exactly know what he wanted to do with his life career-wise but he knew that he wanted to help people.
I also liked that he used a laser pointer.
I didn't expect Seth Williams to be as energetic, funny, and easy-going as he was. Something of which I did observe right away was that he answered questions in a general, broad sense rather than getting to a direct statement. I mean, I could be wrong, maybe he was just trying to explain it in a manner that we could relate to or understand.Or, perhaps he felt that he needed to carefully word an answer to protect himself from criticism. Either way, he made me laugh and I learned how important relationships are in influencing the way journalists behave. I also found it interesting how he wanted to be a priest and an architect growing up and it was nice to see he had personality and told us a lot about who he is as a person, not just as district attorney candidate.
PHILLIES!!!!!!!!!!!!
I thought Seth Williams' presentation was great. He answered a lot of questions with a lot of insight. He put a lot of things into perspective, it was nice to hear some inside information. It was really interesting to hear about his thoughts on media and their role in the DA's office. I was surprised at how funny and easy going he was. I honestly thought he might be a little dull but I was wrong. Apart from the inconsiderate bunch of students who kept talking, I loved the class and I would totally vote for Seth Williams if I could. I really feel like he'd make some great changes and treat everyone equally. I can't wait to see the changes he will make if he is elected.
I was surprised by how Seth Williams opened up about how his journalist/friend had affected him when he said that his opposing candidate should be elected. I didn't think that a public figure such as Seth Williams would openly reveal about his emotions like he did. I felt that the man spoke as honestly as he could. I do, however, think that there were moments when he was dodging questions. If Seth Williams does get elected to become the new DA of Philly, I hope that his best interests for the people come through.
Having Mr. Williams come into class was a great way to learn about how people in politics use journalism to today, whether it be through news, television, facebook, or twitter. During his speech, Mr. Williams grabbed my attention about what his life story and what he wants to accomplish as the DA of Philadelphia. Hopefully he can decrease not only the murder rate, but the crime rate in general. He seems to have the best interest of the people in mind and I hope he has a long and successful career.
Having Seth Williams in our class was interesting. Being from Philadelphia, I understand a lot of this issues that the city has with crime. I liked that Mr.Williams covered the reasons why crimes happen and who the crimes are committed by. He shed a light on what many people don't know about the city's crimes, as a result of listening to stereotypes and generalities made in the media.
I actually enjoyed his presentation very much. I thought he was a very interesting person to listen to, and I liked what he had to say. I appreciated that he took time out of his schedual to come and speak with us, and I could tell he really believed in what he was saying to us.
It was a political treat, to have African American Democratic Candidate Seth Williams in our class. One of the things that stood out, for me, was when he said how African Americans living in his neighborhood, would tease him, for going to college. However, when he became a lawyer, they wanted him to represent them.
I enjoyed meeting him and being given the opportunity to ask him a question that was very important to me. I know that without him speaking in class I may have never gotten a chance to do so. His passion is evident as is his experience. His responses didn't appear as rehersed as others. He was good on his feet and truly made me believe that he was prepared to take on the position as Dist. Attorney. I look forward to learning more about him and maybe interviewing him again someday. Thanks for the experience George.
Shara D. Howard.
I think that he's a good speaker but I don't think that there was enough time to actually know all his politics. Like I said he was a good speaker but I would stay objective until I thoroughly researched what exactly kind of guy he would be as a District Attorney.
Research him. Do it.
- George
(the teacher who encourages you to do your background work)
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