The Snare

WHEN WE FIRST START TO KNOW THE CHARACTER, DANI (PLAYED BY CASSIDY MC CLINCY ZHANG), IT'S VERY EASY TO EMPATHIZE WITH HER BECAUSE WE SEE HOW HARD IT IS TO DEAL WITH A FATHER WHO IS IN JAIL, A MOTHER WHO IS WORN OUT FROM HAVING TO WORK TWO JOBS, & A BROTHER WHO IS A BIT TOO MUCH OF A SLACKER. BUT, WHEN WE SEE HER BUY ECSTASY FROM< A YOUNG MAN SHE HARDLY KNOWS, & THEN JUST TAKES HIS WORD FOR IT WHEN HE SAYS THAT THOSE PILLS ARE SAFE, I COULDN'T HELP WONDERING WHAT KIND OF PERSON WOULD GIVE DRUGS THAT SHE ISN'T SURE ARE COMPLETELY SAFE TO YOUNG WOMEN WHOM SHE CLAIMS ARE HER FRIENDS. AND, THEN WHEN SHE GETS ARRESTED FOR ASSAULTING A SHOP OWNER WHO IS TRYING TO STOP HER BROTHER FROM SHOPLIFTING, & THE POLICE OFFICERS FIND THE PILLS ON HER & ARREST HER, THE FILM MAKES IT SEEM AS IF THE POLICE OFFICERS ARE THE VILLAINS. THE CHARACTER DANI LATER SHOWS SUCH A LACK OF EMPATHY & UNDERSTANDING TOWARDS POLICE OFFICERS WHEN SHE LECTURES THE TWO POLICE OFFICERS ABOUT THE DANGERS POSED TO SEA TURTLES FROM PLASTICS- WHICH IS A GENUINE CONCERN, BUT IS NOT SOMETHING WITH WHICH WE SHOULD BURDEN POLICE OFFICERS- ALL OF WHOM HAVE MUCH MORE URGENT BURDENS WITH WHICH THEY NEED TO COPE. WE START TO GET SOME SENSE OF WHAT POLICE OFFICERS GO THROUGH WHEN DANI LATER MAKES A HEARTLESS REMARK TO THE WHITE FEMALE POLICE ABOUT HER JOB BEING "EVIL" & THE POLICE WOMAN RESPONDS BY POINTING OUT HOW BADLY SHE WOULD NEED A POLICE OFFICER IF SOMEONE CRAWLED INTO HER WINDOW ONE NIGHT & RAPED HER MOTHER & HER. AND, WHEN DANI RESPONDS BY ASKING HER IF THAT WAS WHAT HAPPENED TO HER, WE DO GET A SENSE THAT DANI IS STARTING TO REALIZE THAT POLICE OFFICERS HAVE THE HARDEST JOB OF ALL. HOWEVER, I THOUGHT THAT THE FILM COULD HAVE BEEN MORE SYMPATHETIC TO THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN POLICEMAN WHO WAS DEALING WITH A DRUG-ADDICTED SON. I WASN'T SURE IF DIRECTOR MERLIN CAMOZZI WAS TRYING TO MAKE HIM LOOK HYPOCRITICAL FOR GOING AFTER DANI WHEN HE HAD HIS OWN DRUG-ADDICTED SON. HOWEVER, IF ANYONE KNOWS ANY POLICE OFFICERS, THEY KNOW HOW HARD IT IS FOR THEM TO BALANCE THE BURDENS OF THEIR JOB WITH THE BURDEN OF RAISING CHILDREN. ON THE PLUS SIDE, THIS FILM DOES HOW THE CHARACTER MARTY ENDED UP SELLING DRUGS BECAUSE OF THE ECONOMIC BURDEN OF HAVING TO SUPPORT HIS YOUNGER BROTHER AFTER THEIR MOTHER DESERTED THEM. (FOR SOME REASON, THE FILM DOESN'T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT THEIR FATHER). ALSO, THE SCENE IN WHICH DANI IS ALMOST RAPED BY A VIOLENT DRUG DEALER DOES SHOW US THE DANGERS THAT WOMEN STILL FACE EVERY DAY. AND WE LATER SEE THE TYPE OF UNINTENTIONAL TRAGEDY THAT CAN OCCUR WHEN A POLICE OFFICER IS TOO QUICK TO SHOOT. (BUT WE MUST ALSO REMEMBER THAT POLICE OFFICERS CAN LOSE THEIR LIVES IF THEY HESITATE TO SHOOT PEOPLE WHO ARE TRING TO KILL THEM). PERHAPS DIRECTOR CAMOZZI CAN MAKE HER NEXT FILM ABOUT THE ECONOMIC DEVASTATION THAT HAS BEEN CAUSED BY EXTRAVAGANT FOLLIES LIKE CREATING A LARGE, UNNECESSARY BALLROOM FOR THE CURRENT RESIDENT OF THE WHITE HOUSE- BUT, WHEN SHE DOES SO, I HOPE THAT SHE DOES IT WITH A MORE SYMPATHETIC VIEW OF POLICE OFFICERS.