Final Essay Post

Michelle Zamora
Professor Wexler
English 495ESM
13 December 2012

Negative Views of Law Enforcement

In the United States, the image of the police force is contradictory. On the one hand, they are seen as protectors of the innocent, men and women who respect regular citizens and the law.But there's a second image, one that gets wider media attention. Reports of corruption, unnecessary use of force, and racism hit the media more often than any other type of news. The film Babel, directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, portrays law enforcement as violent, uncompassionate and suspicious of every individual they interact with; the police are not to be trusted.

The perception of law enforcement in the US isn't unwarranted. One of the first incidents of police brutality and abuse of power televised for the nation to see began with the Civil Rights Movement. African Americans and white civilians walked in a peaceful protest to demonstrate their dissatisfaction with the current laws of the time. Segregation, racism, unfair and often violent treatment of African Americans was rampant within the south, often going completely unchecked by local authorities. Law enforcement reacted in a brutal fashion and citizens could see first hand how African Americans were treated by those who took an oath to protect and serve: Fire hoses were used to spray protesters, many were beaten with clubs before being arrested. This incident forever changed how the public would view the individuals who wear badges.
Yet another famous incident takes place in the 1992, in Los Angeles, California. Rodney King, while on parole for a robbery, fled from officers, leading them in a high speed chase. But when King was finally apprehended, he was beaten by several officers while others stood by and watched. However, the entire incident was caught on video and quickly circulated through the news media. The country responded in outrage, and when the four officers responsible for the beatings were aquitted in court, several riots broke out in cities all across the country. Since this incident, several other occasions of police brutality caught on tape have circulated throughout the United States, prompting many to become distrustful of law enforcement.
In the movie Babel, the audience is introduced to several characters from different countries around the world. Amelia, a woman of Mexican heritage, is the caretaker of two young children, Mike and Debbie, who are both blonde and blue eyed. Mike and Debbie's parents have been delayed in Morocco due to an accident, causing Amelia to choose between missing her son's wedding or taking the children with her when she is unable to find a baby sitter. Deciding her son's wedding was too important to miss, she takes the children with her to Mexico without incident. But on her return trip back to San Diego, everything goes wrong. Leisa Rothlisberger explains it best. "On the way back to San Diego, border officers question Amelia about the two white children sleeping in the back of the car and ask for notes from the children's parents giving permission for Amelia to take them out of the United States, paperwork Amelia does not have...The border officials treat them as suspects, searching the car and making them nervous...When the border officers shine the flashlight in Santiago's face, he becomes even more perturbed by the way he is treated." Fearful of the consequences that both he and his aunt may face, Santiago flees the border patrol and drops his aunt and the children off in the desert, promising to pick them up after the sun rises. Amelia, left with little choice, exits the vehicle. The desert overwhelms her and the children, and she leaves them in a shady area so that she can brave the desert on her own to find help. But when she is pulled over by an officer, his indifference to her plight distresses her further. After the officer and Amelia fail in their attempt to find the children, she is taken to an office where another officer tells her that it isn't any of her business whether or not the children are safe, and deports her without the opportunity to get her belongings from her house. Amelia is never given the chance to explain he predicament, and is treated unfairly from the very beginning of her interaction with the border patrol.

The most extreme case of police brutality in the film takes place in Morocco. Yusef and Ahmed, two young sons of a goatherder, accidently shoot an American woman who is riding on a tour bus. They both run away, and the situation immediately becomes international news. The Moroccan police force conduct an investigation, leading them to the man who sold Yusef's father the rifle. Law enforcement believe that the incident was enacted by terrorists, and they treat their suspect as such. They surround both the innocent man and his wife,  beat them while they are being interrogated before an explanation on how the rifle was obtained can be given. When the Moroccan man is finally given the opportunity to explain how he got the rifle and who he sold it to, the police head to Yusef and Ahmed's house to verify the information. When the officers come across the two boys on the road and ask them for directions, instead of thanking them or simply saying "goodbye", the head officer threatens them in a cruel manner. The image of the Moroccan police force here in the United States is less than favorable. According to Business Anti-Corruption Portal profile on law enforcement in Morocco, the US State Department in 2010 stated that "corruption and impunity are pervasive in the police force. These factors have reduced the effectiveness of law enforcement officials as well as their respect for the law." Despite this report being released several years after the movie's release, it is clear that there is some truth to how the officers in Morocco are portrayed. In cases of officers abusing the authority that they are granted, it often takes several years for any meaningful chances to take place. Although steps have been taken to minimize law enforcement's ability to take advantage of citizens, the process will be a slow one.

Although the officers in Babel are fictional, how they are portrayed reflect an inescapable truth. Whether based on fact or fiction, individuals who wear badges inspire fear and distrust for many people here in the United States, and others around the world. Reports of police abusing their power are more widely circulated than cases where officers do more than their job description entails. The stress that individuals go through when they put their lives on the line everyday becomes irrelevant. What becomes more important is how they respond to individuals on a daily basis; when officers cross the line, it isn't Big Brother that is watching: It's the citizens.









Works Cited

Business Anti-Corruption Portal, Morocco Country Profile. 2011. Web. 8 December 2012
Rothlisberger, Leisa. "Babel's national frames in global Hollywood". Jump cut: A Review of Contemporary Media. Web. 8 December 2012

World Text Analysis paper

The assignment due next week focuses on my interpretation of the movie Babel, starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett. This is the first time I've ever seen the movie; I remember seeing the previews and thinking to myself that I'd never watch it, despite my taste for dramas. I think because they were focusing on the two main stars being in Morocco and using the terrorist angle when there is so much more happening turned me off. After watching it, I decided that I'd focus my essay on the portrayal of police in general in the movie. My interpretation is that, for the most part, the police are people to be wary of, because 2 out of the 3 departments treated the civilians with disrespect and, in the case of the Moroccan force, with severe brutality. Here's the scenes that I'm going to cite:

1. When the Moroccan police department conducts their investigation of the shooting of Susan Jones, they beat up the people they are questioning.

2. When approaching Yusef and his brother, the police threaten the young boys in a vulgar manner if they find that they were lied to.

3. How the Border Patrol spoke to Santiago, treating him with suspicion and disrespect.

4. When the Border Patrol picks up Amelia, he treated her pleas of help with indifference.

5. The only police force that was respectful was the two officers from Japan: how they approached Chieko, spoke to her in a kind, respectful manner.

6. When Chieko brings the officer up under false pretenses, he brushes off her advances yet doesn't make her feel dirty or stupid; he treats her with compassion.