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A review by bethmitcham
Bonnie and Clyde: The Making of a Legend by Karen Blumenthal
3.0
Through no fault of its own, this book was hijacked for me by my previous read, [b:We Are Not Yet Equal: Understanding Our Racial Divide|38232346|We Are Not Yet Equal Understanding Our Racial Divide|Carol Anderson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1534233686l/38232346._SY75_.jpg|61846759]. After reading up on how horrifically racist almost all police forces were (are?), it was hard to accept the police as the unquestioned good guys. Even though the author is careful to disapprove of the murders, necessary because a lot of the examined legend treats the outlaws as Robin Hoods or other good-spirited scoff-laws, it's still clear that the police are also villains.
The cops in this book tend to come in shooting, even when they have no idea who they are arresting (and then fare particularly badly when met by Bonnie and Clyde, who have a habit of raiding federal armories and being very well armed). Prisons and jails are inhumane, and that's for the white characters. It doesn't make B&C into heroes, but it does place their murders in perspective. Law enforcement itself wasn't bound by law or decency; why should society expect the hungry to follow the law? Don't corrupt cops make the same kind of choice to follow a dark path as these outlaws, except that cops usually get a salary in addition to the bonuses for often dubious practices. There is a lot of villainy in these pages, and very little decency. I guess that's just history.
The cops in this book tend to come in shooting, even when they have no idea who they are arresting (and then fare particularly badly when met by Bonnie and Clyde, who have a habit of raiding federal armories and being very well armed). Prisons and jails are inhumane, and that's for the white characters. It doesn't make B&C into heroes, but it does place their murders in perspective. Law enforcement itself wasn't bound by law or decency; why should society expect the hungry to follow the law? Don't corrupt cops make the same kind of choice to follow a dark path as these outlaws, except that cops usually get a salary in addition to the bonuses for often dubious practices. There is a lot of villainy in these pages, and very little decency. I guess that's just history.