By now you are probably aware that drug lord Joaquín Archivaldo Guzmán Loera, commonly known as El Chapo, has been recaptured. It is likely that you also know that actors Sean Penn and Kate del Castillo coordinated secret meetings with him while on the run, producing a 10,000 word article and interview published by Rolling Stone upon the el Chapo’s arrest this past week.
I am not going to spend any time rambling over the danger Penn and del Castillo placed themselves in. In the event of their kidnapping, their rescue could have easily cost the U.S. millions of dollars, since both are American citizens. The dangers of their irresponsible adventure are not lost on Penn:
“As Espinoza returns from his slumber, Kate, succumbing to the exhausting day’s journey and the solace of a few tequilas, accepts the escort of El Chapo to her sleeping quarters. As he walks her alone toward the dimly lit bungalow, I can’t help but have a primal moment of concern. I consider offering to accompany them, though the circumstances would certainly prove any protective action futile. Before my adrenal rush of paranoia can inspire insult or injury, Chapo has returned.”
I will also refrain from discussing the fact that Kate del Castillo is a staunch Donald Trump critic, and that by carrying out this relationship with a fugitive on the run she has only fed stereotypes of Mexicans as drug traffickers and criminals. Way to go Kate.
I will even keep from pointing out that if Rolling Stone magazine were to fund and publish this interview regardless, a professional journalist would probably be more fit for the job, instead of a limelight-loving Hollywood actor.
What caught my attention, however, was the quote by Montaigne chosen to open the article:
“The laws of conscience, which we pretend to be derived from nature, proceed from custom.”
The article goes on to paint a picture of this convicted criminal, guilty of murders and of pumping tons of drugs that go on to kill hundreds of young people every year in the U.S. as “humble and polite”. By the way, the man is entirely unapologetic, thanking God for the chances he has had to escape and continue to conduct his business:
“I supply more heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana than anybody else in the world. I have a fleet of submarines, airplanes, trucks and boats.”
The article suggests that if we were only to look at Guzman’s life from a different point of view, we would see that in fact there are no good or bad guys in the narcotrafficking industry. On one side we would have the addicts who die from drugs provided by cartels and on the opposing side of the spectrum the humble, poor kid from La Tuna whose only chance in life was to begin growing poppy.
In Sean Penn’s world, there seem to be no moral absolutes. While it is certainly sad that children in poor nations have no educational opportunities and are lured into crime, compassion for them cannot be equivalent to asserting that the practice is okay. Penn suggests that the solution to the drug issue is to diminish the demand for drugs by treating addiction in the United States. While this must certainly be done, the actions of drug cartels are intrinsically wrong and must be stopped. It is not true that individuals such as el Chapo are mere suppliers of a good and the responsibility lies on the receivers of the good (addicts, families, the government, health systems, etc.) to solve the problem. Even if demand for drugs no longer existed, drug lords would not abandon their lives of illegality and find decent work. They would simply move on to the next profitable business venture, even if it is illegal.
From any perspective one may look at this issue from, el Chapo is a murderer with complete disregard for human life. It is not true that his improperly formed conscience is the result of his poor upbringing or lack of opportunities in life. His own mother, often cited in his biographies as the foundation of his emotional support, does not agree with his actions and often tells him to abandon his ways and “find God”. Whether it is greed or some sort of mental pathology that numbs Joaquin to the effects of his actions, perspective is of little consequence when analyzing the issue. Shame on Rolling Stone for idolizing it.
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