According to Soni, the police officer suggests that the best solution would be for Jacob to run away and violate the terms of his work visa (97). According to him, Jacob "wouldn't be the only illegal in Mississippi" (98).
Consider whether the police officer might have made this suggestion to help out Jacob or the company or both. If both are helped by this solution, who is harmed? Is the suggestion morally defensible? Are you inclined to view the police officer as helpful or as corrupt? Why?
Consider whether the police officer might have made this suggestion to help out Jacob or the company or both. If both are helped by this solution, who is harmed? Is the suggestion morally defensible? Are you inclined to view the police officer as helpful or as corrupt? Why?
Answer the question only after you've finished reading part two, chapter nine and all preceding chapters.
I don’t think the suggestion was said to help anyone in particular, although one could argue any side. The suggestion helps both the company and Jacob, but Jacob does get harmed in the long run through being an illegal immigrant without a steady job and housing. I feel like the officer’s suggestion is morally defensible. Like he said, he wouldn’t be the “only illegal in Mississippi.” On top of that, from Jacob’s point of view he’d rather do that than be forced back to India. It isn’t a good situation either way, but at least it gives Jacob some choice in the matter. I wouldn’t view the officer as corrupt or helpful. A helpful officer could have tried to save Jacob and the others from the situation all together. A corrupt officer could have used his position to force Jacob to agree to go to India. Saying that he is a “morally grey” police officer might be better. He is helpful in the suggestion, but his actions speak louder than his words. His actions show that he might care, but not much
ReplyDelete- Zachary Clouse
I agree with you,. I think choosing a side would've involved more effort than the officer was willing to give. I think "morally grey" is appropriate in this situation, however, I would say this officer would be corrupt to see the actions of Signal and be amid the mistreated workers and not any effort to fight for them.
Delete-Jenna Whitehead
Knowing that they continue to pay the immigrants after their visas expire, it's clear the police officer - Pol - is trying to get rid of them. Knowing he is aggressively trying to make extra bucks wherever he can in this operation, I don't think it's very hard to argue that the police officer is beyond corrupt (or a pig, as some would call them). He knows that Jacob is trying to organize the Indian laborers and eventually overpower the employers, so he's trying to dissuade Jacob from organizing any more strikes.
ReplyDeleteI think that the police officer was mainly trying to help Signal, but he might have also wanted to help Jacob a little too. Even though I do not believe that anyone was harmed in this situation, I still found the suggestion made by the officer to be immoral. The officer directly went against the government that they work for, thinking that they know better than Jacob, Signal, and the law.
ReplyDeleteI think that the police officer’s suggestion was to let Jacob know that running away was an option even though it violated the terms of his work visa. I think this solution helps Jacob if he can find another job and helps Signal with their problem with Jacob. If anyone is being harmed, I think it is Jacob and his family who helped him get to America. The company got their cheap labor but it cost Jacob and his family thousands of dollars and Jacob does not have much to show for it. I think the officer’s suggestion is morally defensible and that the officer was just trying to be helpful despite Jacob’s situation.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the police officer did not do it for either Jacob or the company. I believe that he had done it just to give another suggestion and solution to the conflict. A way of getting the job done quicker. If both Jacob and the company are both helped, I see the one getting harmed is Jacob’s family, who will most likely have more issues communicating with Jacob now that he is an illegal immigrant. I also do believe that the suggestion is morally defensible, because while I personally believe that the officer did not suggest becoming an illegal immigrant in an attempt to help either one, he could have been. Either way he could have defended his decision to give such a suggestion. He could have defended it morally saying that he did not want Jacob to be deported, or that he did not want the workers and their families to suffer if Signal had suffered backlash. So, while we do not know why he suggested becoming an illegal immigrant, there are ways he could defend himself no matter his choice. It is also for these reasons that I do not believe that he is a corrupt cop. As he is not doing this for any form of gain.
ReplyDelete