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| Charles Manson |
When you think about people who commit foul crimes, do you think of them as demons, who are inhuman in their lack of empathy for others?
Or do you think that they are much more like everyone else than we might like to believe?
Is there a danger in thinking of them one way or the other?
Charles Manson, after everything he did, was still just a man. He had a violent, broken childhood that shaped him into the evil being that many people view him as, but if he had been placed into a healthy household at an early enough age he could have went on to be the C.E.O. of a company or the President of the United States. I believe that behind every evil, violent, unthinkable act that is committed, there is a person. By viewing these people, the Adolf Hitlers, Osama Bin Ladens, and Charles Mansons, as something other than a human being, it makes people more comfortable. Calling these individuals demons is just looking at the world through rose colored glasses.
ReplyDeleteVery well said, Mitchell. I especially agree with your point about how we look at these people as demons. By viewing these people as demons, we convince ourselves that we can never become what they were. We continuously try to distance ourselves from this type of person, while the fact remains that they are the same thing that we are: people. While they may have committed heinous acts, they are still flesh and blood like we are.
DeleteI very much agree with you Mitchell and Tyler. I believe that humans look at these murders as monster or demons so they believe they will never become that. These so called "demons" are just people who have an illness, or grew up in an awful environment. A lot of the people who commit these type of crimes have a mental illness. They are still people, and they are just reaching out for help. They have committed unforgivable acts, and the mental illness is not an excuse, but in reality they are still humans, just like us.
DeleteThat's an interesting point, Mitchell, but I think you're focusing too much on the "nurture" component of human development and not enough on the "nature" part. Although a person's upbringing has a hugely important role in shaping who they are, can you really ignore the involvement of their genetic profile? After all, Jeffrey Dahmer was not (as far as we know) abused as a child, and there are many people who DO grow up in abusive or toxic homes that turn out just fine.
DeleteWhile thinking about people who commit foul crimes, the most important thing to note is motive. Some may have motives such as revenge or money. More disturbing though, is when the criminal has seemingly no reason but to cause distress and harm to others. It is difficult for us to wrap our minds around the idea of someone taking pleasure in another’s pain. However, I do think that criminals are more like the rest of us than we may realize. Many times, criminals are driven by things beyond their control such as mental illnesses. Without proper treatment, they are unable to comprehend what they are doing. At the same time, there are criminals who are completely sane that still do the unthinkable. These are the ones who allow their dark inner thoughts and desires to control them. We can relate to these criminals in that we all have some sense of greed and revenge by nature because we are all sinful. What sets criminals apart from us is how far they will let themselves go in order to achieve the things giving them motive. Upbringing is definitely a key factor because it can influence both the development of mental illness as well as the ability to restrain oneself.
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ReplyDeleteI do not think of people who do unreasonable acts as demons. To call them demons would mean that they are not human and to me, that seems like denial. Denying the fact that they are human and alike to everyone else is a way to comfort people into believing that there is no way that themselves or those around them could commit those crimes. It also makes "bad behavior" a subjective term, because who is it that characterizes behavior as bad or good? Is it the government choosing that anything against the law is bad and as long as actions are within the law it is good? If someone were to kill a murderer would it be considered good or bad, after all, they also killed someone. The way I see it is that those who kill and steal and do all the other terrible acts are simply humans without fear of retribution. They have all the same emotions as anybody else the only difference being is that they act out on those feelings instead of repressing them.
-Sabrina Arredondo
The problem with demonizing those who have committed foul crimes is that we take away from the fact that anybody could have done the very same thing. Nobody wants to think that someone they know could grow up to be a vicious killer, or do something otherwise awful criminally. We want to protect our feeling by making these criminals out to be demons who are inhuman in nature. If we make ourselves believe that then we will never consider the idea that our dear loved ones could act out the very same crimes. With this way of thinking, we do nothing to help the issue. If we could simply open our eyes, we could focus more on mental health of individuals who commit such heinous crimes and resolve a big portion of the issue. It’s just easier to close our eyes and pretend those people are demons though, isn’t it?
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, Karmen, on the fact that it is easier to call murderers names, such as “demons”. I also agree that this is just a way for people to distinguish themselves from the murderers and to try to clarify that they could not be capable of doing that same crime. In addition, it would be suitable if we could stop being absolutely disgusted with murderers and help them if they do have mental illnesses. However, I do not believe that every murderer has a mental illness, and I do not believe that every murderer feels empathy for the horrid crimes that they have committed; I feel like stating that murderers have a mental illness when they do not is just another way to justify their actions. In addition, I feel that calling these humans names is an immature way to deal with how we feel about their actions; many more coping tactics are available. Furthermore, I feel that it is a little bit dangerous to think of murderers as “demons”, because that means that we are being close minded, like you stated, to the fact that they can be like us; they could be our friends or our family. For example, we may not know the circumstances or motives behind their actions; I would never justify murder by any means, but could we become a murderer if we were dealt the same cards as that other person?
DeleteI do not see people who commit crimes as demons. Many times, when we hear about someone who committed a crime, we want to know a reason for why they did it. Many times, though there is not a reason and this is when people become confused. Most of the time when people who have no reasoning commit a crime, it can be blamed on some kind of mental illness or a bad childhood. Having to think about someone hurting people just because they wanted to, is really hard to wrap your mind around. I do believe that they are more like us then we want to believe they are. They are still human beings just like the rest of us.
ReplyDeleteI believe people who commit foul crimes that are against God’s rule are considered as demons. A sane human being would not have any ideas of murdering people to get something great in return. Breaking any of the Ten Commandments will result in eternal death. Hale was definitely possessed while he created his horrible schemes. Who would not say that Hitler is an equivalent of Satan? People can be overwhelmed with so much sin that they are definitely in the category of being demons.
ReplyDeletePeople who commit crimes against another human are generally seen as monsters. People ostracize and punish people who they believe are no longer human or are less human without realizing that "monster" was at one time as normal as them and their children. It is dangerous to forget that people do harm to one another everyday and that the "monsters" are, sadly, as normal as anyone else. The truly rare people are those who never do harm to someone else.
ReplyDeleteI would say murderers could be considered demons but they are how they are usually by a shattered childhood. Poor parenting, abuse, drugs, and bullying all lead a person down a wrong path. There lack of empathy comes from them never feeling empathy from others. They should still be considered people but the way that they perceive emotions is different than how we perceive ours. It could be very dangerous however thinking of someone with dark intentions as a normal citizen.
ReplyDelete-Freddy Grotts
People who commit crimes are not demons. Many people lack empathy for others. One example is when people see others as inferior. In the "Killers of the Flowers Moon," Natives were seen as inferior to whites, which is why the court sentenced Hale to life in prison and not the death penalty. Some individuals who commit such atrocious crimes do so for their own gain, which is similar to those who try to improve their own life. There is a danger in thinking that people who commit crimes are demons because people would be viewed as inhuman and then there may not be a boundary between human and inhuman. This was the logic of the Salem witch trials as well as the extermination of the Jewish people in Nazi Germany.
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