Our apologies, but we've gone astray again this day, as something quite interesting caught and held our attention.
Sometimes, there are stories we just can't walk away from when the possibility of an important angle may fail to garner sufficient attention. The tale of three teens being kidnapped, raped and held as sex slaves reveals a lot more about America, than the sensationalism of the nation's latest real life sexed crazed deviant.
With every intention of blowing this story off as just another mad episode of man's inhumanity toward mankind, somehow we couldn't help observing the blatant underpinnings of social inequities and inequalities that probably contributed to the horror.
As media professionals rushed to the scene to gather any and ever morsel of information, rumor or speculation to pad their copy, most were acutely aware of their surroundings. Are the doors locked on the van, was anything important or valuable left in view, should we canvass for interviews and b-role during the twilight hours? Considering the visuals, only a fool wouldn't take note and reasonable precautions.
A community with cars up on blocks, boarded up windows, lots of liquor stores where rates of joblessness is only exceeded by the rate of crime is where this tragedy took place. This is the world of the 47% who don't pay income taxes. This happened in a community of "Takers".
In a nation nearly crippled with debt, services are lavishly doled out to those with money, influence and connections. Income tax paying communities with articulate, fashionably dress residents standing on a manicured lawn to report and incident will be taken very seriously. They will generally maintain law enforcement's interest until said resident is satisfied, they've been adequately serviced and protected. And that income taxpaying citizen has every right to demand that premium level of service.
In communities, just a tick below working class, you get what you pay for too. Unfortunately, "Takers" by definition don't pay much in taxes, so they don't get much back in services. When law enforcement answers a call from tattooed vagrant types with dental issues, they're not taken very seriously at all.
In this world, law enforcement's primary objective is not to protect and serve the community, but to manage the general population. When policing paupers one simply keeps a lid on things. Law enforcement for the masses simply sweeps the trash off the streets. Rarely more, but often far less. The occasional high profile busts are made for public relations purposes at contract time, but that's about the gist of it.
The other end of justice for the pauper is even less attractive. This is the world of the public defender and the plea bargain. Since there are no bright futures to look forward to or reputations to protect, this environment affords little more than barely legal, yet swift, efficient, impersonal procedural bureaucratic administrative outcomes. Law enforcement drags em in, confirms identity, documents evidence, photograph, fingerprint and catalog for future contact. .
In the pauper's community, the paupers don't trust or respect law enforcement and law enforcement don't trust or respect the paupers. That is just the way it is. With that understanding accepted, no one should be surprised how three young pauper girls could disappear without a trace for so long.
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