Copper vs. Hopper

It occurred to me one night after watching an episode of The Wire that for the first time in my life I had actually thought about what it would be like to be a cop. Not just a street cop, but a detective. Murder Police. You see, there is a certain stigma attached to cops and many of the stereotypes associated with them are undoubtedly played out on the show. But what I thought was that for someone to spend their life chasing around a needle in a haystack in order to persecute them takes some serious dedication and a steel spirit.

It's really Bunk that does it for me. I dig Lestor Freamon too but it's Bunk that really makes me rethink my previous opinions on police. I just love his smoothness, street sense, and raw emotion towards what he does. He cares about the murdered and has a genuine desire to clean up the streets. His confrontation with Omar during Season 3 really sums up his character in many ways. His resentment towards Omar not because he murdered someone, but because children in the streets were portraying him by name. When he unleashes his wrath on Omar he tells him how back in the day the rough boys sent him home and back in the day people settled shit with their fists. "Ain't nobody that didn't matter."



But then I think, would playing The Game be a better choice? The obvious answer is no. Death or prison are the only outcomes right? But what about the smart players like Prop Joe or Stringer? They saw that the street game is what brought the police so why not try to legitimize the circuit with a co-op? Better product, more money, less bodies, no police. If that could have played out, how many hundreds of millions could they have made atop of what they already had?

Ah the life of a drug kingpin. Ladies, money, cars, respect, and non stop drama. But it's hard to pass that up isn't it? The quick way to get rich and respected. And who knows, if you played it right, just right, you might end up living through it and reaping the benefits. The Deacon, played by Melvin Williams, is who Avon Barksdale is based on. He seems to be doing just fine and living his life of wealth in the gated communities of Baltimore (and acting on the show). At least according to American Gangster on BET. What about Prop Joe kickin it on the East Side with Method Man working on fixing broken clocks? You know he's got some huge stash somewhere cause he is the direct link with The Greeks.

I decided that, thankfully, I will not be taking up the job of police or drug kingpin. I find it much easier to just sit back and watch them on The Wire and write about it here.