Josh’s answer to “You wrote an arc in which law enforcement forces men to submit to a strip search to prove that they…” > Likes and Comments

I've written more than one or two books, so forgive me for not understanding your question.

As a matter of fact this is loosely based on several real life occurrences starting with: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin_P...

This protocol has been used numerous times -- and yes, sexist or not, most serial killers are assumed to be male. Because the vast majority of times, the killer is male.

I'm concerned that you seem oddly angry and antagonistic over a fictional story?? :-)

It's not that I don't see the difference, it's that what you're suggesting doesn't make sense in this context. You're speaking theoretically. I'm writing about a particular set of circumstances that would lead law enforcement to a theory -- and it's based on real life law enforcement. So I'm unclear what the real question is. In this particular set of circumstances, it doesn't make sense to ask the female residents to remove their shirts (which is really all we're talking about). I'm going by what has actually occurred in investigating serial killings. My goal -- really, my job --
is to try to write a believable investigative scenario.

Also, I'm a female author. :-) And I don't have a problem with women being subjected to strip search when and if if makes sense. I don't recall whether the strip search was ever conducted in the course of the story, but there were certainly male deputies to deal with the male subjects. Had female citizens been strip searched, there were female deputies to deal with them.

And again, like it or not, this kind of large scale --
and yes, intrusive -- examination has taken place numerous times in real life law enforcement.

No. I honestly don't understand where you're coming from. I'm not trying to be difficult. I genuinely do not see what your point is. Yes, the sheriff did something that her deputy and the FBI did not approve of -- we don't see the fall-out from that (assuming there was any) because the story goes off in a completely different direction and it would be anti-climactic to try and add a post-script as to whatever happened about the strip search. :-)

I remain confused as to why you assume I would not write a strip search involving women? There is nothing in my backlist or my stated political beliefs to suggest such a thing. If the scenario made sense, I would certainly write it.

Honestly, and I mean no offense, I don't think we're going to reach any kind of understanding or consensus. I just don't know where you're coming from on this. You won't accept the fact that this situation has happened before and will likely happen again in real life...I have no answer to that. You're stating what I would and would not write in a hypothetical situation, and I have no answer to that either.

I'm glad the story gave you much to think about and I think it's best to leave it there. :-)

:-)

"Un huh" (as Jake R would say).

I know what it's like to be distressed and offended over the actions of a fictional character. But it's not the author's job to mete out punishment to those of her characters who do anything "bad" -- nor to make sure that morality is enforced, all characters get their exact just deserts, and everybody in the story humbly learns their lesson. Wouldn't THAT ruin fiction pretty quickly! ;)

BenJ, if I remember correctly the strip search wasn't mandatory even in Winter Kill, not only in real life. The sheriff said that it would be revealing in itself to see who would object to the request, since it was such a small community.