Sunday, April 8, 2018
The Code of Hammurabi: An Eye for an Eye
White Bear makes an interesting commentary on the use of technology when it comes to justice, yet it talks about justice in society. This thus raises the question; Did Ms. Skillane get served in the appropriate manner? The answer is a simple one: Yes. Let's first talk about The Code of Hammurabi. The Code of Hammurabi was a set of 282 laws that set standards for punishments of behaviors. It is also the earliest recorded set of laws. It is most known for the "Eye for an Eye" concept, yet it also had some truly bizarre punishments. This is exactly what White Bear brought to the table. Ms. Skillane was subjected to many of the emotions that the little girl felt. Firstly, confusion. The little girl was in an unknown place with people she didn't know. Therefore, Baker and the crew put her in an unfamiliar setting, much like the little girl, and erased her memory to the point where she was confused about her own identity. Second, scared. The little girl had been taken from her home and surrounded by hostile people who, as far as she knew, had evil motives. In order to achieve that, they had the "Hunters" chase her around under threat to kill her. Third, betrayal. The little girl trusted Ms.Skillane because she was nice to her. She most likely made her feel like she had a friend so she would be quiet and more cooperative to suggestions that they made to her. This why the girl in the store rescued her from Baker and stayed by her side on their quest to "turn off the signals" at White Bear. Finally, helplessness. In the end, the little girl most likely cried out for help as she was being killed and burned, yet all Skillane did was stand there and watch and record her. Which is why the people who stood around recording her was such a big part of selling it all. No one helped. No one stood in to stop the torture. They just watched and recorded on their phones as the murderer was receiving her due diligence. However, there was a hidden message in this episode as well. These days, there are many injustices that happen in society. No one really does anything about it though. They just stand back and record it and then later on demand justice for that person. There is no action being taken that isn't behind the screen or a keyboard. Just social media keyboard warriors. No true social activists.
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2 comments:
I understand where you are coming from and agree one hundred percent. Everyone did it for the amusement and I'm pretty sure no one would like to go through the same pain she went through regardless if she committed a crime. If she committed the crime, send her where she is suppose to go before she does some more damage to someone else.
I like how you end your post connecting to the "hidden message" of the episode. I agree 100%. The amount of people willing to watch another human being suffer as long as they get good footage of it is absolutely appalling. Some areas in the world are making it illegal to film / take pictures of an accident without offering help or calling the authorities. I doubt this will actually change anything, but here's to wishful thinking!
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