Make-Belive in Los Angeles
TOPE ORIOLA STAFF
Courtesy of the faculties of graduate studies and arts and the department of sociology of the University of Manitoba, I attended this year’s annual American Society of Criminology conference in Los Angeles, California. A gathering of criminologists from all over the world, it would be an opportunity to meet some of those whose books and articles I have had to study all my life. Besides, how could I miss the opportunity of going to the world headquarters of make-believe?
However, I had been forewarned about the very stringent and selective law enforcement at many international airports especially since 9-11 and I braced for the challenge. I wasn’t disappointed. I couldn’t but notice the on-rush of adrenaline on the faces of the security officials as I approached. They maintained their plastic smiles even as they put me through the worst security check of my life, while some people passed through easily. Racial profiling: hypocrisy is thy name.
In spite of that, I was determined to savour every moment of my trip to “God’s own country,” though I wasn’t sure that God had a nationality. At downtown Los Angeles, the American dream began to make more sense. There were seemingly innumerable flashy automobiles; the very latest in cutting-edge auto-technology, bearing elegantly dressed people of different backgrounds. The riders were certainly living the dream. There were a few mentally deranged people patrolling the streets of L.A. perhaps better than salaried cops and how can I forget the men who came to meet us at a restaurant just outside the Sheraton hotel for some money? For those and many others, the American dream has become an unconquerable nightmare.
America is indeed an admirable country. Its greatness undoubtedly is the resourcefulness of the people therein. The average American is outspoken and witty, but believes the sun rises and sets exclusively in the U.S.. The level of ignorance about other parts of the world is incredible despite many mammoth media organizations showcasing round-the-clock world news. Many Americans seem to have internalized the depiction of their country by politicians unknown for truth-telling as the messiah of the world. But I love their guts!
At the Convention Center in downtown Los Angeles, venue of the conference, attendance was more than impressive. I relished meeting many of the middle-class criminologists whose works have shaped government policy, especially policing, the conduct of security apparatus at all ports and the entire criminal justice systems of most nations. They had no idea what their works had been doing to many people, including people like myself.
It was good to know that some scholars were beginning to do away with establishment criminology, focusing on issues like state crimes, white collar crimes, organized crimes in the “underworld,” corporate crimes, terrorism and so forth, rather than squandering precious academic time on pick-pocketing, drunkenness and so-called “longitudinal studies of minors,” which seldom produce results of trends of criminality we don’t already know.
I took note of the events in the U.S.. Ted Haggard, a pastor and leader of the over 30 million evangelicals in the U.S. had met his waterloo — a male prostitute had come out to say Haggard bought sex from him for three years. The retired prostitute claimed he was shocked to see Haggard condemning homosexualism on television and in government circles, while gleefully enjoying it. Major news networks showed a devastated evangelical movement and stunned congregations. Apparently, Haggard’s life was make-believe. Well, we will not lose our faith.
The elections were constantly in the news, though highly repetitive. Political advertisements were at their worst ever. The attacks were vitriolic and potentially permanently damaging. How does America survive such political viciousness? It was a sorry sight beholding highly intelligent, experienced and qualified men and women engaging in unending self-advertisement about the impeccability of their character and what a devil their opponents were. Remember, the word is makebelieve.
Rhetoric of “broken government” was ever in the air and it was clear from numerous vox pops that American voters were angry. Bush’s needless war was a constant issue. In a city where fiction is almost indistinguishable from real life, however, it was clear that Arnold Schwarzenegger would sweep the polls. That’s what you get when movies are churned out in your backyard with such frenetic speed and ease. Clearly, actors are ascribed qualities they might never possess in reality. This is make-believe.
For the average Californian, life continued as usual. Summer was still very much on with such brilliant effervescence of sunshine from the skies. People moved around in their summer outfits, many in convertibles. At the hotel where I stayed, everyone, including the staff looked rich, polished and excessively “civilized.” You had to be rich to stay at the Sheraton. Los Angeles never sleeps. This too is make-believe at its finest.
As the cold welcomed us while still aboard the Boeing 737 aircraft, my reverie in the skies disappeared. I knew I was home. I reached for my winter jacket. This could only be good old Winnipeg. This is not makebelieve.
Tope Oriola is comment editor of the Manitoban and a graduate student in sociology.
