As much as I love all of the “cop” shows like 24, the CSIs, Criminal Minds, etc. and even old-school shows like JAG, I still can’t ignore the glorification of our government and its justice system (police, crime scene investigators) that is in these shows. We all know that crimes are not solved within these allotted one-hour slots, and sadly, a lot of the members of our justice system are not as eager to rid the world of all evil as those on any of the 30 cop tv shows are. Most of the characters are determined to find the criminal who has hurt whichever person they have become attached to that episode. But seemingly not one of the characters are anything less than perfect and determined to do away with any criminal who comes in their path. If one is convicted of any wrongdoing their innocence is sure to be proven by the end of the episode. In one episode Horatio, the main character of CSI Miami is extradited to Brazil by his son’s mother for the supposed murder of a man named Antonio Riaz. Of course he even vindicates himself by taking out the group of Brazilians surrounding him with weapons without even so much as a scratch. I find it hard to believe that our justice system is so perfectly flawless as it is presented in these television shows. What is the reason for the producers trying to take on the task of proving how great our law enforcement/government is to the audience?

Sarah Beth Mounts