Monday, August 3, 2015

Issue 647 Criminals and Infamy August 3, 2015

Are we giving criminals like mass murderers too much credit?  By this I mean, should we show their faces on the television screen so that they become famous for such heinous acts?  Let us discuss.

Let us think:  Criminals are unique.  They prey upon others for some sort of personal gain.  But some do it for something more than personal gain. They want to become a legend.  For instance, the South Carolina Charleston Church shooter left a person alive so that they could tell others what happened before he attempted suicide.  It does not matter that his gun was illegal, that his motivations were race based as he was anti-black, and that he was a druggie.  He wanted to be famous.  This monster wanted to live on in the news media.  But he was arrested, and he lives to stand trial.  But that still makes him famous as people want to know why.  The news covered his background, his history and his ideology.  He was everywhere.  And you know what, he is not the only famous murderer/criminal.  The Barefoot bandit never killed anyone, but his escapes were to say the least very impressive.  Former mob members had movies made of their lives, and even con artists did too.  Silly isn't it.  A criminal can be more successful by doing something outrageous like murder, than they would at regular everyday life.


Conclusion:  So what should we do?  Simple, all trials and those involved should be secrete as much as possible.  Or at the very least, the perpetrator should only become known if they are looking for them in a man hunt, or once captured as soon as the trial is over.  In between, there is no reason to see the face of the suspect, know their name, or anything.  Let the story of the event calm down and then perhaps let the information out.  We do not want these fiends famous for dastardly deeds, but save secrecy, I do not have a solution.

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