[Peace-discuss] Exciting new TV series

[Neil Parthun]

While it is tempting to say that the showing of abuses in a new  
police show is more of the same, I think it is also important to look  
at the tenor of the "liberties" being taken by the authorities in the  
show.

For instance, one of the shows that has grown on me before the series  
ended was "The Shield".  Yes, there was rampant corruption, murders  
being undertaken by the police and brutal illegalities.  However, the  
show also showed the realities as to why certain officers would do  
things -- for instance, one officer stole money to help pay for his  
child's autism treatments and provide retirement/legacy for their  
children.

The show was not about heroification but all the brutal shades of  
gray that are involved in the situations.  Hell, if this show was out  
to glorify state authority, they wouldn't have had one of the ignoble  
cops about to be busted for the corruption commit a double murder  
suicide (his child, wife and himself) as the police were about to  
arrest him for corruption.

While there certainly are pro-torture idiocy propaganda shows out  
there **cough 24 cough**, not every show depicting cops is a rah-rah  
show promoting the positives of state authority.  We should take  
these shows on an individual basis and their own merits rather than  
trying to lump them all together.

Just my .02

Live without dead time,
      Neil

  With the people, for the people, by the people. I crack up when I  
hear it; I say, with the handful, for the handful, by the handful  
because that's what really happens.
[fannie lou hamer, 1917-1977]

Civil disobedience is not our problem. Our problem is civil  
obedience...Our problem is that people are obedient all over the  
world in the face of poverty and starvation and stupidity, and war,  
and cruelty. Our problem is that people are obedient while the jails  
are full of petty thieves, and all the while the grand thieves are  
running and robbing the country. That's our problem.
[howard zinn, 1922-]
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