Bad apples

This article is about the English-language metaphor. For other uses, seeBad apples (disambiguation).

A watercolor of a bad apple

Thebad applesmetaphororiginated as a warning of the corrupting influence of one corrupt or sinful person on a group: that "one bad apple can spoil the barrel". Over time the concept has been used to describe the opposite situation, where "a few bad apples" should not be seen as representative of the rest of their group. This latter version is often used in the context ofpolice misconduct.

Origins

The bad apples metaphor originates from the proverb "A rotten apple quickly infects its neighbor", first recorded as used in English in 1340.The proverb was rephrased byBenjamin FranklininPoor Richard's Almanackin 1736, stating "the rotten apple spoils his companion."The phrase was popularized by sermons during the 19th century, claiming "As one bad apple spoils the others, so you must show no quarter to sin or sinners."A popular form of the saying became "One bad apple spoils the barrel."

The saying has scientific basis: as well asmoldbeing able to spread from one rotten fruit to others,ripening apples produceethylenegas, which triggers aging and increases ethylene production in other, nearby apples.

Change in meaning

Linguists such asBen Zimmerhave pointed out that the proverb began to be used in the opposite sense in the 20th century,instead stating that "a few bad apples" are not representative of a group.According to Zimmer, this usage may have corresponded to the change in the grocery trade, where modern shops sold apples individually and would rarely put rotten ones on display, and people stopped thinking of apples as being stored in barrels.Zimmer said that "once the phrase is out there again and people are saying 'one bad apple,' you think, 'What could that mean?' Then you can assign it new meaning."

Zimmer suggests the change in usage may have been solidified bythe Osmonds1971 song "One Bad Apple",which includes the line" One bad apple don’t spoil the whole bunch, girl. "

Modern usage

Poster in aSave-A-Lotsupermarket, encouraging people to report dishonest "bad apple" staff members

By US presidents

When theUS Army'swar crimes at Abu Ghraibsurfaced, the condemnation given by theGeorge W. Bushadministration was characterised by the press as blaming "a few bad apples" for abuse of prisoners.

Barack Obamaused the bad apple metaphor in a 2013 speech to defend hisHealthcare lawwhen thousands of Americans were losing their health insurance. He claimed that it was the fault of "bad apple" insurance companies rather than his Healthcare law.

Of policing

Thebad applesmetaphor has been used by pro-police politicians, municipalities, and police themselves to defendpolice organizationswhen police officers are criticized for alleged misconduct.The metaphor communicates that the few criticized officers do not reflect the performance and behavior of the rest.

Pro-police officials were first recorded as using the metaphor following thebeating of Rodney Kingand it was used following the shootings ofMichael Brown,Alton Sterling,Philando Castile,Breonna Taylor,and themurder of George Floyd.U.S. PresidentDonald Trumpused the bad apples metaphor to defend police in aDallasspeech in June 2020, claiming that there are bad apples in every organization and there remains a need for police to protect citizens.In his firstpresidential debatewith Donald Trump on September 29, 2020,Joe Bidenused the bad apples metaphor to defend policing when asked about racial inequality in terms of the justice system, claiming that the vast majority of police officers are "good, decent, honorable men and women".

Critics of policing have often rejected use of the metaphor, arguing that policing is a fundamentally broken and racist system. They claim that policing is flawed beyond repair, citing black people being disproportionately more targeted by police than white people and referencing that the police originated fromslave patrols.They say that existing police forces must beabolishedsince attempts at reform are ineffective. A common counter metaphor used by critics such asRashawn Rayis that the metaphorical apple tree that officers come from is rotten to its roots and must be replaced.

AnarchistauthorKristian Williamsclaimed in his book,Our Enemies in Blue: Police and Power in America,that the bad apples argument is a way for police departments to displace blame onto a few officers to avoid criticism and actually changing as a whole.

Critics of the police also accuse officers in general of being aware of who "bad apple" officers are and being complicit with them, giving as examples the three other officers present not stoppingDerek Chauvinfrom murderingGeorge Floydand that 57Buffaloofficers resigned after two officers were suspended forshoving a 75-year-old man.Harry Litman,a US attorney who has worked with police, has said that it is difficult for police departments and other officers to remove "bad apple" officers due to systematic practices protecting them, giving as an example that Derek Chauvin had 17 complaints on his record before murdering George Floyd.A study on the integrity of police by theNational Institute of Justicefound that, while over 80% of officers they surveyed do not believe in keeping silent when aware of misconduct by other officers, 24.9% of them agreedwhistleblowingwas not worth it, 67.4% of officers believe they are more likely to be given a "cold shoulder"by their police peers if they report misconduct, and 52.4% believe it is not unusual for cops to turn a blind eye to police misconduct.

See also

• A.C.A.B.
• Attribution bias
• Blue Lives Matter
• Blue wall of silence
• NotAllMen

Further reading

• Beck, Raphe; Wicks La Puma, Deborah; La Puma, Christopher P. (2006).One Bad Apple: A New Musical about a Really Old Story(Paperback). Dramatic Pub. p. 5.ISBN1583423079.

External links

• The dictionary definition ofbad appleat Wiktionary