More Questions than Answers

The ending of Serial was extremely frustrating. In the beginning of the final episode, Sarah Koenig stated that by the end of this episode we would have some closure. There was no closure though, only more open ended questions and a new possibilities of who could have killed Hae.

After listening to this series, it worrisome that there could be an innocent man sitting in jail for a murder that he may not have committed. There is a lack of physical evidence against Adnan. Of course Jay’s story might hold some truth but there are huge inconsistencies in both of their stories. Who is lying, and where do the lies start? For example, in the last 15 minutes of Koenig’s final episode she speculates that neither Adnan nor Jay killed Hae. A few days before Hae's murder, a rapist and murderer named Ronald was released from jail. Ronald was arrested later for a murder similar to Hae’s.  This speculation could be just that but every lead must be exhausted when the serious possibility exists that a man has been wrongly convicted.

This case is very messy and is built largely on circumstantial evidence. If Adnan is responsible for Hae's murder, he should face justice. If not, he will sit in jail for the rest of his life. At the end of the Serial podcast, another question is raised. How can this be reconciled?

Case Closed

After actively listening to the podcast Serial it appears that both Adnan and Jay were involved with Hae Min Lee’s murder.  This speculation began when first hearing with Adnan muttering to Jay that he was pathetic during court and then further proven throughout the podcast when Jay’s accounts actually matched up with the police’s findings throughout the case. It is reasonable to believe that post murder, Jay couldn't handle the pressure of having a girl's death on his conscious and then thought to save himself.  Through his plea bargain, he also got legal counsel pro bono and in turn the police system helped him win his case.

With Jay as an informant, the “Justice” system’s job is made easy.  With his cooperation it is easy for them to form a case proving Adnan as murderer due to his perceived double life and motives to kill Hae. It is not unreasonable to believe that he went to Jay either for help or advice on how to get away with the murder and Jay obliged to fulfill his gangster persona.  Once Jay realized what happened and realized that he was also an accessory to murder, he came forward and helped police with the case.  If Jay was in fact an informant then it also explains the inconsistencies in his stories given.  If under pressure from the police to “do the right thing” he could have been forced to say just about anything.

We have learned through all  taught in this class is that all the system cares about is numbers. To them this case is already closed and they have moved on regardless of Serial’s following or what its fans believe.

Crime and Justice

Crime and justice are words that evoke both passion and debate, while also raising moral questions. Upon learning the story of Baltimore’s crime laden underworld, in the book The Corner and in the television show The Wire, the definitions of these words show a fluidity depending on the setting and which of the characters are defining the terms. In the crime world, the terms are defined one way, in the legitimate world another and in terms of law enforcement, yet another definition is presented.

In The Wire, drastic steps are taken to ensure that rival dealers are not encroaching on turf already claimed by others. Acts of murder, robbery and other violent crimes are justified and not seen as a “crime” as they would in the legitimate world. In this world, the only real crime is snitching to the police about other people’s illicit activities and “justice” usually means violence or retribution for perceived transgressions.

When this view is contrasted with one of the legitimate world, a polar difference is noted. Outside of the drug world, their justifiable crimes are unthinkable. In this frame of thought, cooperation with law enforcement is encouraged whereas in the crime world, this act could lead to a death sentence which is seen as justice for the crime (snitching) committed.

Crime and justice in the bureaucratic world of the Baltimore Police Department, a crime is seen as anything that would embarrass a superior or make the department look bad. Sometimes this means pursuing an investigation at the wrong time which impedes what people outside of the department would call progress in crime solving. Justice is usually served by a superior mandating a lower ranking officer being made to suffer by being forced to work on the less desired beats.

When the words crime and justice are considered, the people defining them and their respective definitions must also be considered. The terms often times mean different things to different people.

War

The Corner provides insight to the disturbing realities that plague the streets of urban America. This work has taken a belief held by many and shown it to be nothing more than rhetoric; futile in practice. The common belief that the drug war is succeeding has been popular  since the war’s inception and while reading The Corner, many holes in the war on drugs become evident. Characters in the book such as Gary remind us of the fathers, mothers, and children caught in the crossfire of such a hopeless battle.

The effects of this never-ending war have been countless victims, suffering through poverty and addiction. While power hungry politicians cherry pick statistics for their own advantage as a means of clinging to power, while giving the voter an illusion of genuine progress. After thirty years of a drug war, nothing more has been accomplished except dealers who are much more brazen than before, dealing a more dangerous product. Traditional mindsets state these are lazy people who would rather get high than trying to better their own lives. Simon and Burns state that the problem “has grown into something greater than the medical mechanics of addiction, greater even than the dollars, and sense of economic theory.” This is something no law can stop.

The war on drugs is portrayed as “fighting off the bad guys” hance the erroneous images of cops going after the “bad guys” are conjured. Gary McCullough, considered one of the war’s “bad guys” was raised in a loving family environment only to slide into addiction.  Gary was once successful but slipped up, leading to him becoming another victim of this war. There was hope for Gary but a lack of resources turned into into another statistic via incarceration launching him in the vicious free fall this war has created for so many of it’s victims.

The Corner is a powerful book that has the ability to change a once steadfast belief. This valuable perspective provides insight and has the power to make one question their own beliefs in a way not many books do.

Namond Brice

Namond Brice stands out in The Wire due to the many roles he has within his community. These roles are ever changing as he strives to define himself while maintaining his relationships with his family and peers. The juggling act of Namond’s roles with each relationship illustrates the complexity of his character.  

Namond’s family life is as equally complex as his character. His parents encourage him to leave the classroom in favor of the illicit world, and his mother mentions that Namond skipped “work” to play. They are hoping he rises in the drug economy as this would be a reflection of them within their community. They see Namond’s long hair as a potential obstacle of their goal. Namond takes on the role of the individual as he defies his parent’s wishes and continues to sport his hair, jersey and flashy earrings. With so many other forces at work, Namond clings to his appearance as something he can control.

Namond has a leadership role for the younger kids and he makes money while working for the older kids. In a scuffle with other kids, he runs off instead of helping his friends. Later, he buys ice cream for them and said he got away. One may argue that this is a cowardly act. He may think, "I’m making money so I don’t have be in the streets but I’ll pay my soldiers do it for me." He may give into the role pressured by his family and glorified by his peers to fill the shoes of his boss. Alternatively, it could be perceived that his immaturity and instinct to survive overpowered him in the moment. His motivation to buy his friends ice cream in the aftermath could have been out of compassion and even guilt.

    Namond’s roles and relationships are interconnected and play a huge part in who Namond is. At the end of the day, he is like any other teenager. He is growing up in a world where he has to decide who’s expectations he wants to meet while defining who he is going to be.

Written vs Spoken Word

Media is everywhere in 2015. Two of the most prominent forms are the written word and the spoken word. Each of these channels has laid a foundation for the explosion of mass media seen today.

The Serial podcast tells the single story of murder and the subsequent investigation and its impact told through a series of episodes. This is a break from contemporary journalism trends as it takes several weeks to finish the story. Background sounds, music, and tone of the narrator, Sarah Koenig, all work in conjunction and to add suspense to the elements of the story. Even the theme song, which becomes iconic after just one episode, evokes tension and anxiety.

On the other end of the spectrum, written word, lays The Corner. It is a book that tells the tale of a street corner in West Baltimore and how it slipped from a strong, working class neighborhood into a street drug purgatory. The book allows more freedom to its audience as they are given a lexicon of description that leaves the reader to paint their own picture without the aid of creepy music or chilling sound effects. Another hallmark of Simon’s writing is his ability to provide a comprehensive panoramic context to the characters and the neighborhood. This is a perspective that spoken word omits.

Both of these media formats have their distinct characteristics that help to construct a particular experience.