Law enforcement does have a female face

The speakers that we have had the last two weeks have been amazing! I see why people become police officers now; there is a certain rush and excitement about it (even if 85% of the time your are driving a beat of doing paperwork.) They were pioneers in their field, and we owe them much for being so brave. The stigma and discrimination they must have faced is staggering! It inspires me to achieve to lead the way for other women as well (although I'm still not quite sold on law enforcement as a career.) Furthermore, with the first female police officer in the nation, Diana Simpson being the first female elected sheriff, and having current female police chiefs, who knew that Oregon was so progressive when it comes to the field of law enforcement?
Our conversation today about women being better communicators and negotiators struck me as a little worrisome. By saying this are we perpetuating stereotypes and normalized roles of women as nurturers and listeners? When can one admit natural differences between men and women and when are we simply accepting the systems of oppression that are embedded in society? It is a thin line to walk, yet I assume that is why we study Women's Studies.
As for today's episode, I was struck by the lack of resources available to women in abusive relationships. The wives shown today were truly slaves in their upper-class households. Domestic violence shows no discrimination based on class or race, and is absolutely horrible. While these women are fulfilling society's accepted role of females as housewives, they are also being denied social contacts and economic ties that would help them to escape when trapped in cycles of abuse. Also, the law did not seem to be leaning in their favor. This brings up our constant theme of "justice for who?" It seemed that the constitutional rights of the father were more protected than the human rights of his wives and son. This can't be right, yet there is no easy way to get around this conundrum without setting the justice system up for another dilemma in a different situation. It is impossible to predict all ways that a law may be applied, which is why we judge on a case by case basis, yet it still does not always come out fairly.
The best moment of today's episode is when Tommy tells his father that he is a murderer. It is so empowering for the viewer, and great to see another victim being vindicated for the wrongs done to them. This is a common thread in Law and Order and something I really appreciate. I guess that it makes up for the distressing Catch-22s that go hand in hand with the uplifting moments of the show. Knowing how the episodes run, I'm sure we'll see more of both in the future.