Between Gender Bias and Facts, Essay Example

One could not help but notice that Randall Dale Adams had the appearance of a hippie at the time of the incident, with his long bushy hair and moustache. When the police officer Robert Wood was murdered, the Dallas police department and DA office chose to believe David Harris’ story over Randall’s account maybe because Randall filled the persona of low-income White hippies who could be expected to engage in crimes. Randall was suspected despite the fact that he had no prior convictions while Harris had extensive criminal record. Similarly, not only stereotypes regarding men are evident in the documentary but even women are not spared including Randall’s female lawyer, Edith James. The documentary demonstrates that racial stereotypes often dominate objective facts and hurt the delivery of justice as well as fair treatment of individuals in the society.

It doesn’t take long for the documentary to confirm female stereotypes that were prevalent in the 1970s and 1980s. The documentary introduces slain police officer Robert Wood’s patrol companion Teresa Turko as one of the first females assigned to police petrol. This reflects the gender stereotypes of those eras that women are less effective than men in professions with high risks. The homicide detectives who worked on Robert Wood’s case also express their conviction that Teresa Turko violated the protocol by remaining seated inside the car even though she should have been outside when Robert Wood went to check the car. The audience feels as if the detectives are suggesting there was a reason why women were barred from jobs such as patrol because Teresa Turko’s conduct that night proves women are not fit for certain jobs. The detectives also mention the fact that Turko even failed to note the car’s license number. Teresa Turko’s incompetence is even implied by Randall himself who marvels at the fact that Teresa fired several shots at the fleeing car and not a single bullet hit the car. All these implications seem to reaffirm the stereotype that men perform better at work than women who often make mistakes and do not fulfill their responsibilities effectively.

Teresa Turko is not the only victim of implied gender stereotypes in the documentary. Randall’s defense lawyer Edith James gives several examples of how she is taken non-seriously and also describes how she was told by the opposing side that women are easily moved emotionally which is why she is defending Randall. Similarly, Elba Carr also describes a rude behavior by the prosecution side including the insult ‘fat-nosed’ which is reflective of the trend of judging women on their appearances. Similarly, Emily Miller is portrayed as someone who ‘always lies’ by Elba and would do anything for personal gain. The negative feelings Elba has for Emily gives rise to the idea that women can’t be sincere to even those from their own gender and are not trustable. Similarly, the fact that the prosecution was able to make Emily say what it wanted to, implies that women can be easily influenced to do others’ bidding for the right price.

The gender stereotypes are not limited to women only but also target men. When we are introduced to the prosecution team, we note that almost all of them are men. Their story as told in the documentary strengthens the male stereotypes that they are egoistic, rude, power hungry, manipulating, intimidating, and too proud to admit when they may be wrong. The documentary describes how prosecutor Doug Mulder had never lost a case before and was determined to protect his track record even if it meant engaging in unethical activities such as hypnotizing Officer Turko or hiring Dr. James Grigson, also known as Dr. Death, to bolster his case.

One also notices in the documentary that society has a certain perception of the appearance of criminals. The prosecution often hinted at Randall’s appearance to imply that he fitted the physical profile of men who commit crimes and despite the fact that he was not wearing a fur parka, he was still doubted due to his bushy hair. One also notices that Randall’s mug shots portray an angry person as compared to Harris who appears as quite a calm person. In fact, police detective Sam Kittrell marvels at the fact that Harris never appears as someone who could be threatening and would even address him respectfully with titles such as “Sir”. This is another sign that while women are often judged on their appearances, the society also has developed certain stereotypes regarding the appearance of men who could engage in criminal acts and those who do not.

Judge Don Metcalfe also appears to defend his actions and shows little regret, thus, supporting the notion that men in power are out of touch with reality and cannot take personal responsibility for their actions. Judge Metcalfe also reinforces the stereotype that men are incapable of emotions because they see it as weakness and a threat to their masculinity. Judge Metcalfe is often reminded of the mistakes he made as a judge yet he hesitates to admit he made any mistakes. Judge Metcalfe even dismisses Supreme Court’s decision that his decision was affirmed by the state’s appeal court already.

The documentary also reinforces stereotypes about Southern people that they are usually prejudiced and backward. Even Randall claims his mother told him Dallas county is hell and he indeed found out it was true. Similarly, Mulder’s attempt to alienate locals with Randall’s defense attorney Dennis White as well as prosecution’s several attempts to prevent Randall’s fair trial only reinforces the negative stereotypes about those in the South. One could understand Randall’s bitterness due to the injustice done to him by thesystem but even he seems to imply at times that rationality doesn’t exist among the Southerners.

Only about two decades before the documentary, Civil Rights Movement had given African Americans equal rights to White Americans yet the documentary shows that stereotypes against African Americans were quite prevalent even in the 1970s and 1980s. Out of the three false witnesses, two turns out to be African American men and one of them is visibly intoxicated even on-screen. The apparent lies they tell in the documentary only further strengthens the beliefs of those with extremist ideas that African Americans cannot be trusted and they can sell their soul for quick gain anytime.

Conclusion

The Thin Blue Line primarily deals with the unfair prosecution of Randall Adams because prosecutors wanted to send a strong message that a cop killer can never be let go free. They were having little success in initial leads and they felt pressured to show results. In addition, they also realized that it would be difficult to obtain death sentence against David Harris who was under-18 at the time while Randall was in late 20s. But a careful examination of the documentary reveals that it also confirms several gender and racial stereotypes such as men being egoistic, proud, rude, insensitive, blinded by power, and intimidating while women are gullible, can be easily manipulated, and easily trust others. Similarly, Southerners are portrayed as backwards, prejudiced, and biased while African Americans are portrayed as those who lack integrity.