Charles Horman

Elise Hasty I would definitely assert that the U.S. government is largely responsible for the death and abuse of Charles Horman. Horman was not overstepping boundaries, simply trying to discover the truth after being exposed to constant human rights violations all around him. He was a victim of human rights abuses, and is now a symbol of the injustices of that time. Obviously if Horman would have never asked questions and not participated in the government of the country he had lived in for a few years then he most likely would not have been murdered. But that is what people do, they like to know the affairs of the place where they are — whether or not they are citizens of a country. You participate and are exposed to the legal and governmental propositions for the country in which you live. And when you view excessive abuse and human rights violations, it is your time to react and make known the truth. Charles Horman was not at fault for getting too involved in Chilean politics, but rather serves as an example of the extent of abuses. The Chilean government, backed by the support of the U.S., enforced unnecessary violence — violence should never be necessary as a means to control. The junta with U.S. support destroyed any hint of a Marxist or socialist agenda, any hint of opposition to their policies. As we saw in the scene where the Chilean representative tells Jack Lemmon’s character that if he was to go to New York and snoop around in affairs of the Mafia, there’s nothing anyone could do for him either. He then says, “If you play with fire, you’re going to get burned.” The reality is Horman was searching for justice and eventually the voice of the people will be heard. Horman now stands as an example of a martyr for