Bill Moyers and Luis Alberto Urrea on The Devil's Highway

Summary

The speaker initially approached the U.S. Border Patrol with a preconceived negative bias, viewing them as 'bastards' due to personal and cultural reasons. However, through interactions with agents, particularly Senior Supervisory Agent Ken Smith, his perspective changed dramatically. Smith's openness and humanity, especially during a revealing moment on the 'Devil's Highway,' challenged the speaker's assumptions. The agents' request for an honest portrayal, despite potential personal risks, highlights a desire for truth in media representation, often felt to be lacking.

Takeaways

• 📚 The speaker initially had a negative perception of the U.S. Border Patrol, viewing them as 'bastards' due to personal biases and experiences.
• 🔍 The speaker's attitude towards the Border Patrol began to change after engaging with them, realizing that their initial interactions were a form of testing.
• 👮‍♂️ Senior Supervisory Agent Ken Smith played a pivotal role in altering the speaker's perspective, showing a human side to the Border Patrol agents.
• 🛣️ The 'Devil's Highway' is a significant location both historically and in the context of the speaker's book, symbolizing a place of dark and complex history.
• 🌵 The speaker describes the stark reality of the borderlands, emphasizing the absence of a physical barrier and the stark contrast between the U.S. and Mexico.
• 🔒 The Border Patrol's actions were under scrutiny in the script, with allegations that they may have intentionally caused a catastrophe for their own purposes.
• 🤝 The speaker highlights a turning point in their relationship with the Border Patrol when they were trusted with sensitive information despite their preconceived notions.
• 💔 The emotional impact of being trusted by the Border Patrol agents is underscored, as they handed over their careers and reputations to the speaker's narrative.
• 📖 The agents' request for the speaker to tell the truth about them, despite potential personal risks, emphasizes their desire for an accurate portrayal in the media.
• 🔍 The speaker acknowledges the agents' feeling of being misrepresented by the media and their hope for a fair and honest account of their work.
• 🌟 The script conveys a message of transformation and understanding, as the speaker's journey leads to a deeper appreciation of the Border Patrol's role and humanity.

Q & A

What was the initial perception of the U.S. Border Patrol by the speaker?

The speaker initially perceived the U.S. Border Patrol as the 'bad guys', influenced by his background in the Chicano literary world and personal experiences.

What was the speaker's initial approach to writing about the U.S. Border Patrol?

The speaker approached the subject with a preconceived notion of the Border Patrol being antagonistic, without prior personal interaction or understanding of them.

How did the speaker's view of the U.S. Border Patrol change over time?

The speaker's view changed after spending time with the Border Patrol, particularly with Senior Supervisory Agent Ken Smith, who showed him their work and humanized the agents.

What significant event in the speaker's research involved Ken Smith?

Ken Smith took the speaker on patrol, showed him how to track and read the dirt, and had a heart-to-heart conversation on the significance of the Border Patrol's work.

Why did the speaker feel that the U.S. Border Patrol initially made his life difficult?

The speaker believes they were testing his resolve and authenticity, as it's not common for someone to walk into a police organization and request access to their secrets.

What was the turning point in the speaker's relationship with the Border Patrol agents?

The turning point was when the agents began to trust the speaker and shared their personal experiences and perspectives, despite knowing his background and potential biases.

What did the speaker learn about the Border Patrol agents that surprised him?

The speaker was surprised to learn that the Border Patrol agents had hearts and souls, and that they cared deeply about being truthfully represented in his writing.

What did the speaker discover about the Border Patrol's perception of the media?

The speaker discovered that the Border Patrol felt misrepresented and misunderstood by the media, and they sought someone who would tell their truth.

What was the speaker's final takeaway from his interactions with the Border Patrol?

The speaker's final takeaway was the importance of truth in nonfiction writing and the trust that the Border Patrol agents placed in him to tell their story accurately.

How did the speaker describe the location of the 'Devil's Highway'?

The 'Devil's Highway' is described as a dirt road in southern Arizona along the border, with a history of dark and significant events, and is also the endpoint of Cormac McCarthy's 'Blood Meridian'.

What did the speaker mean when he said the agents were his 'jackbooted thugs in shining armor'?

This phrase signifies the speaker's realization that despite their tough exterior and the negative preconceptions, the Border Patrol agents were protective and had a noble purpose.