...These Are Their Stories Dun! Dun!

In my preteen days, Law and Order SVU was just getting up and running and its "ripped from the headlines" topics would keep my eyes glue to the television from the hours of 10pm to 11pm every Tuesday night. For me, it was a first hand look on how this country's legal system work and how there was no not getting caught for the bad guys. This show gave me a sense of hope, because no matter how bad the local news would portray the police department, this show gave you an image of a strong team, working together for the greater good. The diversity of the unit plus all of their knowledge being put to the test showed me how persistence is key, and how even though you may not have gotten the right person the first time you can't give up because other people are depending on you to catch the right criminal.

As I got older, I started to see the world in a different light. I started to be a little more sympathetic toward the villains. Instead of criminals who didn't like the world and wanted revenge, I saw abused people who just wanted an outlet and went about it in the manner. Law and Order started to show criminals who grew up in a bad neighborhood, like some of the kids that went to my school, and bad guys who had very dysfunctional families, like some of the classmates I knew. This showed me that people weren't bad because the wanted to be, but sometimes that's all they know, and yes they have to be accountable for their actions, but maybe (just maybe) they are not entirely to blame. I thought to myself, "If this person just had someone safe they could talk to, it may not have gotten this far..." That may be naive thinking, but it's what drove me to see the good in everyone, even if it's not very apparent.

If Law and Order SVU has taught me anything, it's that sometimes even when you win, you lose.

~Give Me Room to Stand, And I Will Move the World~