Urge to Flee by ILC

It seems improbable a show about a Miami serial killer and world refugees could ever be comparable. Yet the predicaments of Dexter Morgan and individuals fleeing their homes are intrinsically similar. Inevitably so because human experiences entail wrestling with abstract concepts, such as; humanity, morality, and suffering. Comparing how the themes aforementioned are manifested in both case studies facilitates making important assertions about refugees and human rights. Referring to shows is practical because they can be just as thought-provoking and moving as global conundrums, contrasting art to reality is natural and useful for insight. Firstly, it is relevant to review the tension present between morality and legality in both case studies.

A significant dilemma is morality and legality are often irreconcilable. Through legality, societies posit clear, durable, liable, and, in some cases, globally accepted rules of coexistence. However, because of diverse beliefs, societal experiences, history, and power, moral values often conflict worldwide with it. It seems a natural consequence that individuals and societies frequently stray away, through their actions, from the law. For example, Dexter Morgan appropriates murder cases from the Miami police department and, ultimately, the law, to justify killing murderers and his condition as a serial killer. Meanwhile, Gibney discusses ‘value and agency’, which refers to the struggle of creating policies which adhere to moral and legal specification simultaneously. Arguably, laws could only be respected if people’s morality is, globally, strongly in tandem with it. This may be improbable. Therefore, a plausible goal could be assuring institutions and people, despite differences in opinion, learn to thoroughly and, through integrity, abide by rules. Lack of humane sentiment is another pressing issue in both case studies.

Dehumanisation enables horrendous mistreatment. By being apathetic towards other people’s struggles and transforming them into a connotation or idea without livelihood, humans devise dangerously effective methods of violating rights and mistreating others without disconcert. In the show, Dexter can kill endlessly because he visualises his victims as an evil worth eradicating and remembers them through blood sheets kept as trophies. Similarly, Agier argues that by rendering refugees as stateless people, governments can strip them from their identity, suppress their rights, and control them. Clearly, dehumanisation is a powerful tool for generating substantial suffering with significant, societal ramifications. However, the pain caused can be analysed to further our understanding of refugees.

              Human suffering can identify and motivate change. Throughout history, reflecting upon past tragedies is vital for avoiding similar mistakes. This involves transforming ways of thinking and highlighting improvements. While Debra, Dexter’s sister, agonises over her brother’s darkest secret yet decides to keep quiet about it, the human refugee crisis’ history has mobilised scholars and refugees themselves to defy institutions’ policies and its definition of refugees. Examples include the Sudanese refugees killed in 2005 demanding resettlement because of poor living conditions and Malkki’s criticism that refugees are often overlooked as a political, and not a charity, problem. Evidently, knowledge about refugees can positively and endlessly modify because of upcoming critical analysis and human experiences.