Crossing The Line... One too many times.

       

Crossing The Line... One too many times.

        From the best selling author Clinton McKenzie is his novel of suspense, Crossing The Line. This book has changed my perspective and option on the subject of drugs immensely. Nothing in this book has had a positive effect on the characters and the tone is not meant to make people feel good about this subject. It's a touchy subject and this hits the reader right where it hurts. This has changed my perspective, because it shows that drug operations are a lot more complicated then they seem. I never understood why all the authorities did was complain about the drug lords, and drug cartels, and this book makes me understand that they don't complain about the drug cartel and drug lords, they are just stuck in a really hard place. My perspective before  reading this book was, for the authorities to just go out their and catch the drug lords, it can't be that hard to do. Quit complaining and do something. As much as I wanted it to be that easy, it wasn't. There is so much more the authorities have to take into consideration. Going undercover to bust these drug lords is a difficult and confusing task to say the least. When the authorities put someone undercover they are putting a lot of lives at risk. If someone in the cartel were to suspect the slightest of disloyalty to the drug lord, they will kill the suspected snitch and his whole family and close friends. There is also the obstacle of getting solid evidence that any drug activity is taking place, so the evidence can be presented before a judge and a search warrant can be issued. There is also a problem with this as well, because of the drug lords power, and loyalty people have for him, some of the authorities especially in Mexico are crocked. The fact of having several loyalties including cops in some cases, the drug lords and cartels are always protected, as Mary the head detective was explaining to Antonio,”... even if we were to find a way in there Jesus has so many people on the inside it wouldn't matter someone would eventually turn us in.” The authorities can never be 100% sure on who is on their side and who is not, even when dealing with other cops outside of their jurisdiction. The judges are also a problem, afraid of signing a warrant or sentencing anyone of high ranking power (in the drug world) to prison, because loyal employees will find and kill the sentience and his/her whole family. All of this is just part of a procedure and needs to be done with delicacy and without making a peep.
            There are some quotes and evidence in the text that strike me as interesting, on what makes a drug operation so complex. A lot of the quotes and text is evidence of the fear and disturbing influences the drug world has on America and what makes the job of the authorities difficult. As the Mexican Cartel uses many things to persuade people into their business fear is one of their top choices of persuasion, "... Plata o plomo- "Silver or lead"- as in “You can take my money or you can eat a bullet." As another method and also a signature of their power and intimidation over all people, the Mexican Cartel preforms this on their victims, "... La corbata. It was the name for a Mexican drug tie. They take their snitches cut a slit in their throat and pull the victims tongue out the slit in there throat, a symbol of fear and a sick, sick, signature." This puts fear in the hearts of civilians, saying if you roll over on us, this is going to happen to you. The civilians are not going to roll over cartels that can take everything from them to the authorities who only have money to offer. The Mexican Cartel also has prostitutes "shipped" to them and if the prostitutes not do the sexual favor when asked the men basically rape them and the beat them to show the women who the absolute power is as one of the cartel members did to a young minor, “Tears were running down her cheeks and her mouth was opened wide in pain. I thought that it was a fine line to walk. Give the men what they want, but try to stay in control.” The meaning behind this is significant because, this again is providing evidence that these men are going to do what they want and that's it. The power over women and young girls. This makes the operation difficult cause these women could be killed if someone were to say something to someone.  Authorities, are the people who do the things we as a a society are to afraid to do. With so many lives and eyes are on them the must make every move count and every adrenaline of fear to catch the bad guy in a complicated situation, even some of the most powerful ones...

PLN 2

       Hidden in the suspenseful novel of Crossing The Line by Clinton McKinzie is the argument of good people doing bad things, and people being flat out evil.The main characters Roberto and his brother Antonio are stuck between a rock and a hard spot. Roberto is/was involved in one of the biggest Cartels in Mexico.. the Juarez Cartel which works for the Mexican Mafia. His brother Antonio is a cop working with the FBI to try to catch the drug lord, Jesus Hidalgo, whom his brother, Roberto works for. As a plea bargain to get out of prison, the FBI agents use Roberto as bait to try and catch the drug lord. The major question is what makes good people do bad things? Roberto described by his brother sounds like a good person, he grew up in a well family, with good parents, and pretty much able to do whatever he wanted. Then he got into shooting up and drugs and then took it a step further and started selling them. Being a good kid and raised right, why spiral into a world of drugs, murder, hate, and traders? Maybe because he struggles with himself, or with others outside his life and his escape root is drugs.
           Can people just be flat out evil? Looking at Jesus Hidalgo a murderous drug lord who uses kids to smuggle drugs into schools, and ruins lives of innocent children make him evil? Smuggling drugs into the states and ruining lives of families and people. Does this make him a pure evil person? Or does he do these things because he was born into it, and drugs is all he knows? Or does he do it to support a family that is incapable of supporting themselves? Or is he a murderer, drug user, and seller.. for his own selfish greed and habit? In the store so far it sounds like he does these things just for his own selfish geed and habit... but here is always more to the story then what it seems.