Arushi Week 12 - Not a Single Thought Behind Those Eyes
Criminal Portfolio
Name: Jimmy Bowens
Age: 28 | Gender: Male
Felony: Penal Code 646.9 | Charged with stalking and causing emotional distress to Elly Brown
A quick look at this "criminal portfolio" would tell you that Jimmy Bowens doesn't seem like the most pleasant guy you could meet. He stalks, he harasses, he makes you feel like digging a 100 foot deep hole in the middle of Papua New Guinea to live off the grid.
Why did Jimmy Bowens start stalking Elly Brown? Let me fill you in.
Elly Brown is the walking representation of a cloud - a cumulonimbus cloud, to be exact. At first glance, she's got a happy-go-lucky, fluffy personality. She's someone who could never do any wrong. But like any storm cloud, she's got a lot of hidden layers. A closer look would tell you that she actually can do wrong.
(Not to be like Dhar Mann but...) You see, four months ago, Brown kidnapped (shocking yes!!) Bowens' favorite niece. She's held little Julie Bowens hostage in a dingy basement in a random house on a random street. Bowens wants to find the street. He knows that his niece visited the shop Brown worked at before being kidnapped, so he figured that she must know something about her whereabouts. Except, when confronted, Brown lied saying that she knew nothing. Bowens, suspicious of her word, found out that Brown did know where his niece went; she followed her.
So did Bowens ever actually end up finding Julie Bowens? No (I think she's okay though). Because Bowens was such a "I'll take justice into my own hands" guy that he just completely forgot ever involving the police in this matter. Instead of following Brown like a creep and looking like the criminal, if Bowens had just taken the time to call the police and report his missing niece, they would have found the same evidence he did and would have found her too. Instead, no one believes Brown's reasoning. He got fired and disowned by his parents. His brother blames him for Julie Bowens' kidnapping.
Because Bowens did not think before he acted, he landed himself in an ultra sticky situation. He didn't control his impulses, for good or bad, and caused more harm than good. Now, instead of Elly Brown being arrested, he is. Elly Brown goes scot-free. Such is the power of a momentary pause. To stop and think, "is this right?" is all it takes to have a safe niece and a caught criminal. The power of self-con
trol is clearly very, very valuable.
Please don't wait until your niece is kidnapped to think before you act.
Hi Arushi! This blog was such an interesting read! Before you explain Bowens’ crime in depth, I like how you type up his name, his demographics, and his crime like if it were an actual criminal portfolio. I thought he was going to be a chilling criminal, but after reading, it seems like he was just a misunderstood person because he “did not think before he acted.” I sincerely feel pity for Bowens, and I hope that his niece turned out okay. I enjoyed your subtle hints of humor throughout the blog, such as the reference to Dhar Mann videos and the warning at the end of your blog. The comparison between Brown and clouds was nice, and I liked how you used the comparison to allude to Brown’s crime (it is always the seemingly happy people committing crimes). Using this story as an anecdote was a good choice; it perfectly captures the point you make. Overall, the structure and flow of your blog were easy to follow, and I look forward to reading your next blog!
ReplyDeleteHey Arushi! I was shocked to read your story about Jimmy Bowens. Firstly, your storytelling and formatting left me extremely engaging to the point where I was racing to read the next line. The criminal profile in the beginning was not only an incredibly unique way to start your blog but it also created a negative first impression of Jimmy Bowens in my mind. As I continued to read your blog, I realized that I was too quick to judge and that there was more to the story than I previously thought. Jimmy Bowens is a morally gray person because though he was just looking out for his niece, he expressed his frustration and worry in a toxic way by following Elly Brown and painting a negative image of himself to all his friends and family.
ReplyDeleteI like how you connected this crazy incident to the importance of thinking through your actions and avoiding impulse decisions. Though Jimmy Bowens was likely experiencing extreme distress after his niece disappeared, he should have weighed his options and reported the incident to the police instead of taking it upon himself.
Your use of both formal and informal writing created effective and necessary breaks in the blog that made the blog more light hearted. For example, your criticism of Dhar Mann and the last sentence where you advise the audience to think before they land in a situation like Bowens lessened the intensity of the blog. Your use of parentheses to add your own information and comments was helpful as well. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed reading your blog! Also, don’t worry! I will make sure to think before I act!
Hi Arushi! Your blog was quite an enjoyable read, I was surprised as the story behind Jimmy Bowens unfolded. Your introduction of Bowens with his "criminal portfolio" led me to immediately believe he was the villain of this story, and I began to imagine him as a stalker, or some sort of creepy figure. However, as it turned out, this was certainly not the case, and the tables eventually turned as I learned the truth about Elly Brown. This not only emphasized upon Bowens's decision to "not think before he acted" ultimately leading him to alter his reputation, but also underscored that things are certainly not always how they seem. Despite Elly Brown's "happy-go-lucky, fluffy personality, " she eventually turned out to be the "bad guy," yet the only person punished for their actions ended up being Bowens. Your insightful take on this seemingly lighthearted topic led me to reconsider my way of thinking, that's something I can say for sure. Overall, your blog was unique in nature and addressed a subject through a whole new way of thinking about it!
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you Arushi, a lot of people don't think before they act or speak, and it can be devastating for them. Specifically in this case, a lot of people think that revenge is this glorified and justified action, and they romanticize the idea of taking justice into your own hands. The reality however, is that if you do take justice into your own hands, you often risk being incriminated yourself. In this case specifically, causing another person fear of their lives is a crime, no matter how "just" your actions are, and that can lead you to get criminally charged. The laws in many countries do not let you take revenge on people no matter what they have done to you (unless in self defense of course, but then the force used has to be proportional to fear and the fear has to be reasonable). The key word in most of these cases is taking a reasonable course of action, which does not and never will include stalking people, following them around, or using any amount of force without reasonable fear. All of these will get you charged with harassment, battery, assault, and many other crimes, which obviously wasn't your original goal. Emotions are powerful, and thoughts are just as powerful and influenced by emotions, and that is why we need to understand the need to control ourselves no matter how "right" and "justified" we feel. We always need to make sure that we do the right thing, no matter how hurt you feel.
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