Sasha Tcherepanov
Even coming from a country where pain and loss was
and still is experienced everyday, Achor Achor and Valentino find that the
robbing of their apartment is a catastrophe. The expectations that Valentino
and Achor Achor had for the police greatly overshot what the police officer
actually did. When Achor Achor returns home and finds Valentino beaten and
restrained on the floor, they were slow to call the police as to make sure that
they had their immigration papers in order, and discussed every possible
question the officer may ask them. “When Achor Achor is finished, the officer
sighs and closes her notebook…She has written no more than five words inside.”
(238-239) The police officer only issues a “complaint” card even though
Valentino describes the gun being pointed to his head and the beating he
received. In the book there are a few characters that have their hands missing
due to strict Sharia law. The fact that in the United States the police officer
only filled out a “complaint” card and took no action, or that under Sharia
law, theft results in losing a hand, which one reflects poorly? You decide.
I agree that the police officer filing a complaint and sharia law cutting off hands are both brutal. I believe that it is a case of cultural difference. Obviously, in America, our legal system is more advanced that that in the sudan--and our discrimination is shown in more subtle ways.
ReplyDeleteAn example: In the sudan, or at least in this book, it is acceptable to yell hateful things at people of a different religion or race. In America, if we saw this, we would be shocked (unless we were in, like, deep deep backwoods Alabama). However, the fact that we don't yell it doesn't mean we don't think it. Rather than announce our discriminatory thoughts to the world, we mumble them to a friend or hide them in jokes, with a constant prefix of "You know I'm not racist, but..."
Long story short, I believe that the only difference between these two acts is that in the sudan, they wear their cultural flaws on their sleeves and aren't subtle about their hate, while here, in a place that boasts about our civility, we hide prejudice among disclaimers, lacks in action, and cleverly placed words.